PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Willy Mataitai (ranked 802 p4p, 2396 weight class) and John Bessant (ranked 106 p4p, 310 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Mataitai
vs
Bessant

195 cm
27
215
13 - 5 - 0

180 cm
35
214
18 - 14 - 0

Good wrestling
World class MT
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Brooklyn Threads
Brooklyn Apothecary

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 13 - 5 - 0, fighting out of New York, Willy Mataitai!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 18 - 14 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, John Bessant!
The judges for this bout are Steve Montenegro, Reed Andrews and Lou da Vinci.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Mataitai gets tackled into the cage by Bessant. Bessant maintains the clinch.
Bessant misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Mataitai lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Bessant blocking some punches.
Mataitai lands with a light punch inside.

Bessant manages to break the clinch.
Mataitai throws a hook but Bessant avoids it easily.
Bessant throws a counter combo.
Mataitai throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.

It looks like John Bessant has been cut.
Mataitai is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Bessant.
Mataitai misses with a right hand
and Bessant counters with a three punch combo that has Mataitai backing up. Mataitai nods at Bessant to acknowledge the strikes.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Bessant scores with a jab to the body.
Mataitai swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Mataitai throws a looping overhand right but Bessant ducks down to avoid it.
Bessant takes one to the chin there.
Mataitai is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Bessant.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mataitai cracks a nice hook into Bessant's ribs.
Mataitai throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Bessant cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

It looks like Willy Mataitai has been cut.
Bessant defending well as Mataitai loads up on a big left hand.
Bessant doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Bessant displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Mataitai throws out the jab.
Bessant appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
Mataitai throws a hook to the side of Bessant's head but Bessant sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Mataitai lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Mataitai throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
A looping hook to the body misses from Mataitai. Bessant does a little dance to reset his feet.
Bessant throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Mataitai counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Bessant keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Mataitai throws a right and a left that Bessant avoids nicely.
Bessant tries to counter with a clinch but Mataitai shakes him off and moves away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mataitai misses with a looping right.
Willy Mataitai seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Bessant ducks under a wild hook from Mataitai.
We've been informed that Bessant has been sparring a lot of Muay Thai in the buildup to this fight so let's see if that has an impact on the result.
Mataitai misses the jab.
Bessant looks like he wants to counter punch here.
A left lands for Mataitai.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Bessant moves away from the strike by Mataitai.
Bessant takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Bessant throws a leg kick but Mataitai checks it.
A big right from Mataitai misses.
Bessant throws a hook but Mataitai blocks it.
Mataitai throws an off balance right hand
and Bessant counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Bessant swings for the body but Mataitai moves out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Mataitai has closed the distance and engaged Bessant in a clinch.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Bessant takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Mataitai struggles to land a body shot inside as Bessant controls his hands.
Bessant throws a head punch that misses.
Come on Bessant - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Mataitai digs a right hand underneath Bessant's ribcage. Bessant let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Mataitai pushes Bessant back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Mataitai working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Bessant misses with a hook from the clinch.
I was talking to Mataitai's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Mataitai digs a right hand into Bessant's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Bessant's gas tank.
Bessant looks winded!
Mataitai lands a nice uppercut.
A right handed body shot lands from Mataitai.
Mataitai gets through Bessant's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Mataitai stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.

Mataitai pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Bessant swings and misses with a hook to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mataitai will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Bessant wants to counter with a clinch but Mataitai pushes him away.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Mataitai lands a nice shot that snaps Bessant's head back.
Mataitai fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Bessant manages to avoid it.
Mataitai is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
Mataitai looks to score with a jab to the body but Bessant is just out of range.

Mataitai closes the distance and clinches.
Bessant wants to stall.
Bessant makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Mataitai struggles to land a body shot inside as Bessant controls his hands.
Bessant leaning against his opponent.
Bessant misses with an elbow over the top.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Willy Mataitai dominated that round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Bessant fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Mataitai manages to avoid it.
Bessant lands a nice leg kick that just misses Mataitai's sensitive parts.
Mataitai throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Bessant.
Bessant tries a quick counter leg kick but Mataitai is wise to it.
A punch combination from Bessant misses.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Bessant lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Mataitai has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Mataitai and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.
A quick step to the side and Mataitai tries to counter with a shot to the body but it doesn't connect.
Mataitai tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Bessant was well out of range. Poor timing from Mataitai.
Mataitai throws a one two combo.
Bessant with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Mataitai to score with a decent uppercut.
Willy Mataitai is winning the standup battle so far.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A jab from Mataitai does it's job there.
Mataitai has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Mataitai lands with a nice combination. Bessant backs away looking to recover.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Mataitai scores with a nice right hand.
Bessant takes one to the side of the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mataitai misses with a hook. Bessant ducked under it nicely.
Bessant takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Mataitai lands a nice looking body shot.
Bessant slips a jab and a cross from Mataitai.
Mataitai moves out of the way of the counter high kick fromBessant.

Mataitai waves his right hand out in front of him, looking to distract Bessant. Oh, he's unloaded a beast of a left hand - it worked! He's dropped Bessant to the canvas! Can he finish him!?

Bessant is rocked!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Mataitai stands and steps away. Bessant gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Bessant is still on wobbly legs! Can Mataitai finish him?
Mataitai cracks Bessant with a hook to the temple - Bessant is on wobbly legs here! Mataitai swarms him with hook after hook, landing with each one! Bessant falls to the canvas face first and the referee dives in to stop the fight! Mataitai wins by TKO!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:42 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Punches). Willy Mataitai!
After the big win, Willy Mataitai made sure to do all the important stuff like thanking his sponsors Brooklyn Apothecary and telling the interviewer how much he loves him.