PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between BJ Penn (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Josh Spitler (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The key to victory for BJ Penn has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Penn
vs
Spitler

175 cm
22
255 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

201 cm
18
265 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Very strong

BJJ White Belt
Counter striker
Determined

•‡• LION Clothing •‡•

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, BJ Penn!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Josh Spitler!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Spitler throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Penn.
Penn fails with a takedown attempt.
A punch combination from Penn misses.
Spitler misses with a wild body shot.
Spitler misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Penn looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Spitler is fending him off so far but Penn persists. Nope, Spitler circles away and we're back to standing.
Spitler lands a jab-cross combination.
Spitler connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Spitler throws a chopping leg kick but Penn manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Penn falls off balance throwing a combination
and Spitler counters with a flying knee. Nice.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Penn lands a two punch combo.
Spitler looks gassed!
Penn with a lazy takedown attempt
and Spitler counters with a two punch combo.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for BJ Penn. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Penn takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Spitler connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Penn shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Spitler counters with a nice body kick.
Penn uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Spitler has time to react.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Penn lands a jab-cross combination.
Penn has his takedown stuffed
and Spitler counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Penn is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Josh Spitler seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Spitler stuffs the takedown attempt from Penn. Penn gets slowly back to his feet.
Spitler throws out a leg kick but Penn moves out of range and Spitler only half commits.
Penn stalks Spitler and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Spitler's face. Spitler staggers backwards, shaken.
Penn shoots and misses
and Spitler counters with a straight right hand.
Penn looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Spitler is fending him off so far but Penn persists. Nope, Spitler circles away and we're back to standing.
No luck for Penn with that takedown attempt.
Spitler throws a sloppy head kick and Penn moves out of range easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Penn shoots in but Spitler avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Horrible takedown by Penn or perhaps it was just good defense by Spitler which made him look bad.
Penn has a takedown stuffed.
Spitler throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Penn shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Spitler counters with a flying knee. Nice.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Spitler throws a head kick that Penn semi-blocks.
Penn has his takedown stuffed
and Spitler counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Penn misses with a takedown
and Spitler counters with a head kick.
Penn shoots and misses
and Spitler counters with a lovely shot to the body.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Spitler swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Penn lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

BJ Penn dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Penn misses with a takedown attempt
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Penn swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Spitler tries a low kick but Penn avoids it.
Penn shoots in but Spitler avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Penn has his takedown stuffed
and Spitler makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for BJ Penn. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Penn throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Penn throws a nice looking combination but Spitler bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Penn looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Spitler avoids a punch combination nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Penn shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Spitler connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Penn misses with a takedown attempt
and Spitler counters with a three punch combo that has Penn backing up. Penn nods at Spitler to acknowledge the strikes.
Penn with a lazy takedown attempt
and Spitler counters with an inside leg kick.
Spitler lands a with a good body shot.
Spitler buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Penn takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Spitler throws a head kick that Penn semi-blocks.
Spitler swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Spitler fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Penn has his takedown stuffed
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Penn misses with a wild combination.
Spitler looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Penn will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Penn shoots and misses
and Spitler counters with a head kick.
Penn lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Spitler circles away quickly and effectively.
Josh Spitler is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Penn tries for a takedown but Spitler circles away easily
and Spitler counters with an outside leg kick.
BJ Penn is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Spitler dodges the punch combination from Penn.
Spitler fails to land with a series of punches.
Spitler throws a left and a right that both miss
and Spitler takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Penn fails with the takedown
and Spitler counters with a leg kick.
Spitler throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Penn shoots and misses
and Spitler counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Penn scores with a sloppy right hand. Spitler should have avoided that one.
Penn misses with a wild combination.
Penn fails with the takedown
and Spitler counters with a big head kick but Penn shrugs it off.
Penn shoots and misses
and Penn takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Penn shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Spitler lands a right hook to the body.
Penn fails with the takedown.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Josh Spitler showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Penn's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Penn has his takedown stuffed
and Spitler counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Penn throws a nice looking combination but Spitler bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Spitler throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Penn shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Spitler counters with a lovely shot to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Penn's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Penn duly obliges.
Spitler fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Penn tries to bum rush Spitler with a series of wild strikes but Spitler uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Penn tries for a takedown but Spitler circles away easily
and Spitler counters with a two punch combo.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for BJ Penn. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Spitler throws a series of punches but Penn moves out of range.
Penn has his takedown stuffed
and Spitler counters with a head kick. That will keep Penn thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
Penn misses with the combination.
Penn swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Spitler counters with a good low kick that Penn was not able to check.
Penn swinging wilding here.
Spitler misses with a double jab
and Penn counters with a straight right hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Penn misses with a takedown
and Spitler counters with a stiff right hand.
Penn doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Spitler counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Spitler clobbers Penn with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
BJ Penn is winning the standup battle so far.
Penn doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Spitler counters with a nice low kick that buckles Penn's knee momentarily.
Penn misses with a takedown
and Spitler counters with a left to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Penn checks a leg kick.
Penn doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Spitler counters with a head kick. That will keep Penn thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
Penn misses with a takedown
and Spitler counters with a two punch combo.
Spitler ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Penn moves away.
Penn gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Spitler makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Spitler slips a jab and a cross from Penn.
Spitler is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Penn rather than just go for the knockout.
Spitler misses with a wild body shot.
Penn fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Penn fails with the takedown
and Spitler cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Spitler misses with the combination.
Penn shoots and misses
and Spitler counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Penn misses with a double jab.
Spitler is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Spitler throws a nice looking combination but Penn bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Josh Spitler comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Spitler has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Andi Peters scores the fight 28:29
Judge Gordon Ramsey scores the fight 28:29
Judge Frank Skinner scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Josh Spitler!