PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Candy Van (ranked 4874 p4p, 444 weight class) and Kill Monger (ranked 1682 p4p, 212 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Van
vs
Monger

188 cm
22
180 lbs
5 - 5 - 0

188 cm
24
186 lbs
6 - 4 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Dangerous knees
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Candy Van!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 4 - 0, fighting out of London, Kill Monger!
The judges for this bout are Sam Margolis, James Glass and James Ackerman.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Van closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Van gets control of Monger's arms and successfully pulls guard. Van will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Van controlling the position.
Van looking to hit a scissor sweep but Monger is one step ahead there.

Monger gets to his feet - Van follows without any prompting.
Van falls off balance throwing a combination

and Monger counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.

Van manages to wriggle out and sneak his way back up to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched up against the cage.
Van lands a nice knee to the body.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Van throws a head punch that misses.
Monger with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Monger managing to block the knees to the body from Van.
Monger with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Monger unloads a knee to the mid-section.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Van misses with a punch to the body.
Van fails to pull guard.
Monger with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Monger has Van pressed against the cage, preventing Van from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Monger throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Van blocks it with crossed arms.
Monger utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Van is trying to stall.
Monger with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Van tries a knee to the head but Monger blocks it.
Van tries to pull guard but Monger holds him up against the cage and eventually Van drops back down to his feet.
Monger looking to throw knees to the head but Van is blocking nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Van is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Candy Van. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Van blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Monger throws a knee to the head but misses.
Monger misses with a knee strike.
Van tries to pull guard but Monger holds him up against the cage and eventually Van drops back down to his feet.
Monger looking to throw knees to the head but Van is blocking nicely.
Monger is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Van is defending well for now.
Monger throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Van blocks it with crossed arms.
Monger misses with a knee to the head.
Monger misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Monger misses with a knee strike.

Van works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.

Monger manages to escape and get back to his feet.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Monger throws a sloppy head kick and Van moves out of range easily.
Kill Monger is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Monger throws out a powerful jab.
Nice sprawl there from Monger as Van shoots in.
Monger throws a head kick that misses.
Van changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Monger tries to avoid it but Van manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Monger to the ground. Monger escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
A swing and a miss from Monger.
Van feinted with a counter takedown.

Van gets a takedown into half guard.

Van is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Van trying to mount his opponent but Monger defends it.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Monger trying to hold on to Van's head to control him but Van postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Monger is refusing to be controlled, as Van sits in half guard.
Monger is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Van is trying to control the action in half guard but Monger is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

Van gets to his feet - back to striking we go!
Van tries to close the distance and clinch up but Monger swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Van misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Monger throws a head kick but Van moves out of range.
Van wants to clinch up but Monger keeps it at a distance.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kill Monger dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Van shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Monger gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Monger tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Van avoids it.
Monger missing with knees to the body.

Van breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Van avoids the head kick by Monger.
Monger swats away the attempt to clinch by Van.
Monger takes a swing at Van's ribcage but misses.
Monger throws an overhand right that lands on Van's shoulder, as Van tries to avoid the shot.
Van throwing a counter right hand but Monger manages to avoid it.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Monger throws a knee to the head but misses.
Monger misses with a knee strike.
Monger misses with a knee strike.
Van on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Monger goes for a body shot but it's blocked.

Van escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Van avoids a punch combination nicely.
Van fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Van shoots in for a double leg but Monger sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Candy Van. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Monger dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Van. That did some damage!
Van shoots in for a takedown but Monger shows good takedown defense.

Van manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Monger on his heels. He'll look to pass Monger's guard now, I'm sure.

Monger kicks Van off and gets to his feet.
Van jabs Monger to the body, keeping him at a distance.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Monger leaves Van with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Monger connects with a right hand. Van shakes it off.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Van misses with a wild combination.
Monger slaps away a takedown attempt from Van, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Kill Monger seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Van tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Monger paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Van dives in and grabs Monger's left leg, looking for a takedown. Monger pushes down on Van's head and hops out.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Van checks a leg kick.
Van moves in looking to clinch but Monger pushes him off.
Monger drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Van defends it well.
Van is looking to clinch but Monger is avoiding it.
A solid leg kick lands there for Monger.
Van tries a low kick but Monger avoids it.
Van throws a right and a left that both miss.
Monger tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Van manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Van.
Monger has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Van shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Monger pinned against the cage. Monger gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Van tries to close the distance and clinch but Monger swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Monger swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Van counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Van tries to clinch up but Monger circles away and keeps his distance.
Van tries to clinch up.
Van shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Van tries to clinch

and Monger decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Van's guard.

Monger gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Monger tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Van paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Van tries to clinch there but Monger circles away.

Monger has Van up against the cage in a clinch.
Van managing to block the knees to the body from Monger.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Monger crunches a lovely knee into Van's ribcage.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Monger scores with a knee to the head.

It looks like Candy Van has been cut.
Van is looking to break free of the clinch but Monger has double underhooks.
Monger putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Van in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Van avoiding damage as Monger throws knees to the body.
Monger misses with a knee to the head.
A short right from Monger on the inside.
Monger using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Monger throws a knee to the head but misses.
Monger keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Van's efforts to push away.
Monger tries a knee to the head but Van blocks it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kill Monger showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Candy Van's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

A looping hook to the body misses from Van. Monger does a little dance to reset his feet.
Monger swats away the attempt to clinch by Van.

Van darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Monger is not content to let Van control the position.
Van frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Monger working to try and regain half guard.

Van working for a guillotine from mount but Monger is in no mood to give up.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Van stands up from mount. Strange move.
Van shoots in but no luck this time.
Van uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Monger.
Monger leaves Van with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Monger wants to land a leg kick but Van is out of range.
Monger throws a head kick that misses.

Van closes the distance and clinches.
Van can't break the clinch.
Van misses with a short punch on the inside.
Monger misses with a knee to the head.
Monger is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Van is defending well for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Van is trying to break free.
Monger with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Monger throws a knee to the head but misses.

Van's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Monger gets a clinch.
Kill Monger seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Monger with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Monger trying to land knees to the body.
Monger takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Van's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Monger throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.

Van shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Van showed some decent athleticism there.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Van is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Van decides he's had enough of the ground and stands up.
Monger fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Van is out of range.

Monger closes the distance and clinches.
Monger tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Van avoids it.
Candy Van has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Kill Monger is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

Van breaks from the clinch.
Van is looking to clinch.
Monger tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Van throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Monger misses with a jab, cross combination.
Van fails to land the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Candy Van. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Van takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Monger throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Van closes the distance and clinches.
Monger using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Van has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Monger misses with a knee to the head.
Monger tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Monger throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Van blocks it with crossed arms.
Van tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Monger just stands there and leans against the cage.
Van scores with a nice hook to the head.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Monger with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Van tries to land a knee to the head but misses.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Kill Monger.
I've got Monger winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Sam Margolis scores the fight 27:30
Judge James Glass scores the fight 27:30
Judge James Ackerman scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kill Monger!
The defeated Candy Van had this to say: 'Back to the gym!'.