PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Dante Amaranth (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jemaine Clement (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Amaranth
vs
Clement

185 cm
19
205 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

192 cm
22
200 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

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 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Dante Amaranth!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Jemaine Clement!
The judges for this bout are Summer Carpenter, Winston Howard and Hugh Johnson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Clement closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Clement lands in his opponent's guard.
Clement lands a couple of decent looking shots.

Amaranth throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Amaranth keeping full guard, as Clement tries to pass.

Amaranth throws his legs up looking for a submission but Clement uses it to pass to side control.
Clement is looking to take a break and control but Amaranth is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Clement tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
Amaranth is trying to get back to half guard.
Amaranth manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Amaranth tries to pass to full mount but Clement defends it.
Clement is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Amaranth's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Amaranth's back!

Clement working for the choke.
Clement lands a shot to the head.
Clement looking to soften up his opponent with punches.
Clement is punishing Amaranth with strikes - can he finish him?!

Clement is looking to finish the fight by rear naked choke. Amaranth knows exactly what he's got planned though, so he's defending well. Maybe a few strikes would soften Amaranth for a finish.
Clement has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Amaranth looking to stop the rear naked choke attempt by controlling the hands.

Clement is working hard for the rear naked choke here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Clement looking for the choke but no joy.
Clement looks gassed!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Amaranth is taking damage to the body and head.

Clement is looking for the choke from the back position but Amaranth is controlling his hands well.
Amaranth trying to control but not successfully.
Clement tries to keep control of the position but Amaranth is staying busy.
Amaranth tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Amaranth is trying desperately to improve position.
Amaranth wants to try and get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Amaranth is looking to get to half guard.

Clement get's back to his feet.
Amaranth fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Clement lands with a slapping head kick.

Clement drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Clement throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Amaranth works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Clement scoring with punches to the head and body.
Clement scoring with punches to the head and body.
Clement passes easily into side control. Nice work.

Clement decides to stand up, so the ref orders Amaranth to his feet.

Amaranth drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Amaranth advances to half guard.
Clement is positioning himself well to prevent Amaranth advancing to mount.
Clement is looking to control Amaranth's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Clement avoid being mounted?

Amaranth seems to be trying to get a kimura but instead Clement has recovered full guard.
Amaranth wants to stand and escape but instead Clement has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.

Clement drops back looking for a leg! Amaranth is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Amaranth manages to kick Clement off! Clement jumps back into Amaranth's guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Clement distracts Amaranth with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jemaine Clement dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Clement tries to close the distance and clinch up but Amaranth swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Amaranth misses with the combination.
Amaranth avoids a kick to the body.
Dante Amaranth is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Amaranth drives through with a takedown into guard.
Clement looking to hit a scissor sweep but Amaranth is one step ahead there.
Clement manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Amaranth manages to get himself to full guard.

Amaranth is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

Clement postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Amaranth is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Clement, into his guard.
Amaranth working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Clement looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Clement working a defensive guard here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Clement is looking for a triangle but Amaranth pushes his legs off easily.

Amaranth stands and steps away. Clement gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Jemaine Clement seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Amaranth misses with a double jab.
Clement is looking to clinch but Amaranth is avoiding it.
Amaranth throws a hook to the side of Clement's head but Clement sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Clement lands with a kick to the ribs.
Clement throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
Clement pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Clement stalks Amaranth and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Amaranth's face. Amaranth staggers backwards, shaken.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Amaranth swats away the attempt to clinch by Clement.
Clement throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Amaranth circles away from the clinch attempt.
Amaranth doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Clement counters with a nice double leg into side control. Amaranth won't be happy with that.
Clement trying to control the position but Amaranth is working away.
Clement advances to mount.
Clement with a couple of short strikes.
Clement dominating with strikes here.
Clement prevents Amaranth from getting the reversal.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Clement can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Amaranth is looking to escape.
Clement working the ground and pound effectively.
Amaranth is in all sorts of trouble here.

Clement has control of Amaranth's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Amaranth regains control of the situation pretty easily.
Amaranth is trying desperately to improve position.
Clement working Amaranth over with strikes here.
Clement landing strikes, looking to finish!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Amaranth working to try and regain half guard.
Amaranth slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Clement takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.

Clement seems to be looking for submissions.
Clement lands strikes from half guard.
Clement wants to lay and pray for a moment but Amaranth keeps working.
Clement wants to stand up but Amaranth is controlling the position.
Clement is pressing down on Amaranth's thigh, looking to free his foot. Amaranth is holding on for now.
Clement works his way into side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jemaine Clement showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Amaranth's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Amaranth shoots in looking for a takedown. Clement tries to sprawl out of it but Amaranth keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Clement manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Clement lands with a right hand.

Amaranth gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Clement looking to sit in guard and control but Amaranth gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Amaranth has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Clement not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Clement is on top in guard.
Clement stands and throws Amaranth's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Amaranth is not content to let Clement control the position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Clement looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.

Clement decides to stand back up. Clement steps back and let's Amaranth get back to his feet.
Amaranth pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Clement wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Amaranth throws a sloppy head kick

so Clement counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Amaranth striking off his back but it's not causing Clement any problems.
Clement is pushing down on Amaranth's leg trying to pass to half guard. Amaranth is fighting to maintain full guard but Clement has managed to sneak the leg through.
Amaranth looks like he's trying to stand up.
Amaranth is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Clement's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Clement's back!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Clement is really stuck here.
Amaranth is not going to allow Clement to sit and survive in this position.
Amaranth is trying to stick to Clement's back but Clement is turning into Amaranth. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Amaranth's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Clement.
Clement trying to control but Amaranth is working from the bottom.
Clement stands and throws Amaranth's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Clement looking to control but instead Amaranth has slipped a leg in, to regain half guard.
Clement uses his free foot to push down on Amaranth's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Amaranth.
Clement dominating with strikes here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Amaranth is looking to get to half guard.
Clement scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Amaranth?
Amaranth is desperately trying to get back to half guard.

Clement stands up from the dominant position, so we're back on the feet.
Amaranth fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Clement tries to clinch but Amaranth is having none of it.
Amaranth shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Clement counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Jemaine Clement is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Dante Amaranth. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Clement controlling from the top position.

Amaranth working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Clement doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Clement manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Clement pushes down on Amaranth's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Clement is trying to control the action in half guard but Amaranth is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Clement wants to pass to mount but Amaranth is defending the position.
Amaranth is looking to control Clement's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Amaranth avoid being mounted?
Clement is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Amaranth!

And that's the end of the fight!
Jemaine Clement comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Clement has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Summer Carpenter scores the fight for Jemaine Clement!
Judge Winston Howard scores the fight for Jemaine Clement!
Judge Hugh Johnson scores the fight for Jemaine Clement!

Jemaine Clement wins by unanimous decision!