PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Grant Dukes (ranked 3297 p4p, 2324 weight class) and Ryan Henderson (ranked 391 p4p, 288 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Dukes
vs
Henderson

168 cm
28
157
8 - 4 - 2

170 cm
26
165
9 - 8 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

Voodoo Nutrition
Ma Balls Is Hot Clothing

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 4 - 2, fighting out of New York, Grant Dukes!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 8 - 0, fighting out of New York, Ryan Henderson !
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, Tiny Johnson and Chris Downing.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Dukes drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Dukes swings and misses with a hook to the body.
And Henderson tries to counter it with a takedown but Dukes pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Dukes takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Henderson throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Dukes looks for a takedown but Henderson sprawls well.
Dukes catches Henderson with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Dukes swings for the body but Henderson moves out of range.
Henderson on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Henderson throws a hook but Dukes blocks it.
Henderson looks to score with a jab to the body but Dukes is just out of range.
Dukes is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Dukes lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Dukes misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Henderson .
Henderson with the counter takedown but Dukes avoids it easily.
Henderson walks into a straight right hand from Dukes.

Henderson gets caught flat footed, as Dukes shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Henderson is looking to stand up but Dukes isn't so interested in that idea.
Dukes slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dukes seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Henderson for as long as he can get away with.
Dukes passes easily into side control. Nice work.

Dukes goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Henderson has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Dukes but great work by Henderson .
You can see the frustration on Dukes's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Dukes is looking to reverse the position.

Henderson stands up and beckons Dukes to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nice uppercut lands for Henderson . That snapped Dukes's head back.
A jab from Henderson does it's job there.
Nice defenses there by Henderson .
Dukes misses with a lunging right hand

and Henderson decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Dukes's guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Henderson tries to stand but Dukes is controlling from the bottom.

Dukes looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Dukes working a defensive guard here.
Dukes looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Dukes trying to keep a closed guard but Henderson is proving a slippery customer.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Dukes looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Dukes is controlling Henderson 's posture.
Henderson would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Henderson postures up.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Dukes throws a hook but Henderson blocks it.
Ryan Henderson is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Henderson uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Dukes.
Henderson misses with a left hand
and Dukes counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
A looping hook to the body misses from Dukes. Henderson does a little dance to reset his feet.
Dukes seems to be moving with more speed, compared to his last bout. He must have been working on that in the gym.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dukes misses with a telegraphed body shot

and Henderson counters with a takedown into side control! That could mean trouble for Dukes!
Dukes is trying to control Henderson 's posture but Henderson avoids it.
Dukes is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Dukes is working hard here to advance position.

Henderson decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Dukes ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Henderson moves away.
A big left from Henderson misses.
Dukes appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Henderson moves forwards but Dukes connects with a nice, crisp jab.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Henderson 's corner calls for a 1-2. Henderson obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Henderson is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Ryan Henderson dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Henderson drops his hands momentarily and Dukes takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Henderson throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Henderson throws a lazy right hand but Dukes sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
A little feinted left hand from Dukes on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Dukes throws a big shot that misses.
Dukes misses with a wild body shot.
Henderson scores with the left hand. Dukes knows he should have avoided that one.

Henderson clinches up with Dukes and pushes him back against the cage.
Henderson is trying to break the clinch but Dukes is controlling him.
Dukes doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Henderson struggles to land a body shot inside as Dukes controls his hands.
A head punch on the inside from Dukes fails to land.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A nice right hand lands inside from Dukes.
Henderson wants to break the clinch but can't.
Dukes tries to work over Henderson 's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Dukes keeps control of Henderson as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
A short body shot lands from Dukes as the two fighters clinch.
Dukes lands a right hand.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Henderson .

That's one minute gone in the round.
A right hand to the body from Dukes.
Dukes lands a nice uppercut.
Dukes lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Dukes doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Dukes digs a right hand underneath Henderson 's ribcage. Henderson let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Dukes keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Henderson 's efforts to push away.
Dukes misses with a body punch.
Dukes lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Dukes tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Dukes lands a left hand that snaps the head of Henderson backwards.
Dukes misses with a punch to the body.
Henderson wants to break the clinch but can't.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Dukes.
Still in the clinch, Dukes scores with a nice short uppercut.
Dukes cracks Henderson with a nice body shot.
Henderson is breathing heavily.
Dukes lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Henderson .
Dukes lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Henderson tries to circle away but Dukes has him pinned against the cage.
Grant Dukes has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Henderson wants to get back to striking at distance but Dukes won't allow it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Henderson pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
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!
Dukes works Henderson 's body with a nice hook.
Dukes misses the jab.
A jab lands there for Dukes.
Dukes throws a lazy right hand but Henderson sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Henderson tries to bum rush Dukes with a series of wild strikes but Dukes uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Henderson misses with a jab, cross combination.
Henderson takes one to the chin there.

Henderson is rocked!
A telegraphed right hand from Dukes misses the target.
Dukes scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Henderson is still on wobbly legs! Can Dukes finish him?
Dukes gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Henderson seems to have recovered his senses.
Henderson pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Dukes takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Dukes uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Henderson .
Henderson throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Dukes counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dukes misses with a wild body shot.
Henderson throws a right and a left that both miss.

Dukes feints and as Henderson raises his hands in defense, Dukes changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Dukes trying to control the position from guard on top but Henderson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Dukes wants to pass the guard but Henderson is keeping the position.
Dukes trying to control but Henderson is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dukes trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Dukes controls from within his opponent's guard.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Dukes won't allow Henderson to get back to his feet.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Henderson blocks a jab.
Henderson swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
A shot to the liver by Henderson . Beautiful body shot.
Henderson misses the jab.
Henderson takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Henderson looks to score with a jab to the body but Dukes is just out of range.
Dukes lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Henderson backs up against the cage.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Henderson keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Grant Dukes dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Henderson throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Dukes throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Henderson on the side of the head.
Dukes ducks under a wild hook from Henderson .
Dukes throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Dukes keeps the fight on the outside.
Henderson misses with a two punch combination.
Grant Dukes is winning the standup battle so far.
Dukes throws a hook but Henderson avoids it easily.
Henderson misses with a straight left.
Dukes jabbing away but nothing is landing.

Henderson closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Dukes works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dukes misses with a punch on the inside.
Dukes lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Henderson can't break the clinch.
Dukes tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Henderson wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Dukes has him pressed against the cage.
Henderson misses with the head strike.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Henderson is trying to break the clinch but Dukes is controlling him.
Henderson is looking to break free of the clinch but Dukes has double underhooks.
Dukes lands a nice uppercut.

Henderson pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Dukes works Henderson 's body with a nice hook.
Dukes gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Dukes avoids a lazy jab quite easily.

Dukes feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Dukes is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Dukes trying to control the position from guard on top but Henderson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Dukes passes Henderson 's left leg - he's now in half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Dukes is working for a submission of some sort.
Dukes is trying to control the action in half guard but Henderson is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Ryan Henderson has got the better of the ground game so far.

Dukes is working for a kimura but Henderson is defending it quite comfortably.
Dukes is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Dukes continues to stall.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Henderson is looking to escape.
Dukes is looking to advance position but Henderson won't allow it.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Henderson is trying to stand up here but Dukes is controlling him well.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Dukes throws the left hand but Henderson avoids the punch easily.
Dukes steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Henderson .

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Dukes ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Henderson moves away.
Henderson swings for the body but Dukes moves out of range.
Henderson misses the shot to the body.
Dukes fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Henderson manages to avoid it.
Henderson swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Henderson slips under a jab.
Dukes ducks under a wild hook from Henderson .
Henderson swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Henderson lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Henderson walks into a straight right hand from Dukes.
Henderson shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
A telegraphed right hand from Dukes misses the target.
Henderson fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Dukes manages to avoid it.
Henderson swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Dukes misses with a wild body shot.

And that's the end of the fight!
Grant Dukes showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Dukes has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Daniel Franklin scores the fight 29:28
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 29:28
Judge Chris Downing scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Grant Dukes!
A relieved looking Grant Dukes thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.