PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Benedicte Swanson (ranked 1033 p4p, 2656 weight class) and Binsar Siregar (ranked 147 p4p, 341 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.

Swanson
vs
Siregar

183 cm
43
179
34 - 36 - 5

172 cm
27
170
5 - 8 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Granite chin

Champion Apparel

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 34 - 36 - 5, fighting out of Los Angeles, Benedicte Swanson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 8 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Binsar Siregar!
The judges for this bout are Steve Smith, Robert Douchet and William Peck.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Siregar steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Swanson. That one must have hurt.
Swanson jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Swanson tries to land a body kick
letting Siregar counter with a right hand.
Benedicte Swanson seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Siregar instigates a clinch.
Siregar looking for a takedown.

Siregar has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Swanson regains guard immediately.
Swanson looking to hit a scissor sweep but Siregar is one step ahead there.
Swanson is working hard here to advance position.
Siregar connects with a couple of short punches.
Siregar wants to control from the top but Swanson keeps moving.
Swanson wants to sweep here but Siregar controlling him for the moment.
Swanson is adopting a defensive guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Siregar postures up.
Swanson looking for a sweep. Not yet Swanson, not yet.

Swanson escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Siregar gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Swanson keeping moving, preventing Siregar from controlling successfully.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Swanson holds on and takes a little breather.
Siregar is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Swanson is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.

Swanson looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

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.
Swanson controlling the position.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Siregar avoids the body shot from Swanson.
Swanson lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Siregar uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Swanson.
Siregar walks into a left hand.
Swanson throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Siregar tries to clinch but Swanson is having none of it.
Siregar shoots for a double leg takedown but Swanson sprawls well. He's pushed Siregar's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Swanson looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Swanson throws a head kick but Siregar moves out of range.
Swanson throws a lazy right hand but Siregar sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.

Siregar clinches up with Swanson and pushes him back against the cage.

Siregar turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Siregar manages to end up in side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
You can see the frustration on Swanson's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Siregar cracks Swanson with an elbow. That is naaassty.
You can see the frustration on Swanson's face as Siregar controls the position.
Swanson tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Siregar wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Swanson holding on.
Swanson manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Swanson wants to get back to full guard.
Siregar missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Swanson moves into full guard.
Siregar wants to control from the top but Swanson keeps moving.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Siregar working his ground and pound in the gym. So far it seems to be working well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Siregar looking to pass the guard.
Swanson definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Siregar is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Swanson keeping moving, preventing Siregar from controlling successfully.
Swanson throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Siregar distracts Swanson with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Siregar preventing the sweep.

Swanson is looking for a triangle but Siregar pushes his legs off easily.
Siregar throwing strikes but missing.
Siregar pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Swanson is keeping the position for now.
Siregar content to stall in guard here.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Benedicte Swanson will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Siregar lands a nice looking body shot.

Siregar drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.

Swanson has his feet on Siregar's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.
Siregar lands with an uppercut that bounces Swanson off the cage and back into range.
Siregar takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Swanson looks to throw a body kick
and Siregar counters with a two punch combo.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Swanson cracks Siregar with a right hand to the side of the head.
Swanson throws a hook but Siregar avoids it easily.
Swanson bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.
A bone on bone clash there as Siregar blocks the leg kick.
Siregar wants to counter with a clinch but Swanson pushes him away.
Swanson works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Siregar shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Swanson as he jumps to the side.
Swanson throws a leg kick that is checked
and Siregar counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Swanson lands a nice looking body kick.
Swanson darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Siregar slips a jab and a cross from Swanson.
Swanson misses with the body kick

and Siregar counters with a nice double leg into half guard.

Swanson makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Swanson misses with a hook
and Siregar counters with a left and a right that stings Swanson.
Swanson missing with a left hand there. Siregar was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Siregar is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Swanson misses with an attempted mid kick.
Swanson misses with a hook.
Swanson is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
Siregar has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Swanson.

Siregar drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Swanson looking to hit a scissor sweep but Siregar is one step ahead there.
Swanson keeping moving, preventing Siregar from controlling successfully.
Siregar lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Swanson utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Siregar content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Swanson is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Siregar pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Swanson is keeping the position for now.
Swanson seems keen to control Siregar's posture.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Siregar stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Swanson swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Siregar wants to control from the top but Swanson keeps moving.
Swanson looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Siregar puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Siregar wants to take a breather but Swanson is having none of it.

Swanson manages to create a bit of space in order to work his way back to his feet. Siregar keeps hold of his opponent and drives him back against the cage.
Swanson misses with some punches.
Siregar tries to score a body lock takedown but Swanson shows good agility there to stay on his feet.

Swanson manages to break the clinch.
Swanson throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nice straight punches there by Swanson. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Swanson.
Binsar Siregar is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Siregar slips under a jab.
Siregar tries a head kick but it misses.
Siregar moves out of range of the strikes.
Siregar tries to counter with a clinch but Swanson shakes him off and moves away.
Swanson loads up on a big right hand but Siregar slips the punch.
Siregar wants to counter with a clinch but Swanson pushes him away.
Swanson will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

Siregar drives through and clinches with Swanson against the cage.
Swanson is pressed up against the cage. Siregar has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Swanson down to the mat. Swanson avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Benedicte Swanson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Binsar Siregar.
Swanson looking to land some kicks to the body here.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Siregar closes the distance and clinches.
Siregar wants to take the fight to the mat but Swanson manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Benedicte Swanson dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Swanson slips under a jab from Siregar.
Swanson slips a jab and a cross from Siregar.
Siregar misses with a combination
and Swanson counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Swanson throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Siregar.
Swanson uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Siregar.

Siregar shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Siregar postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Swanson controls Siregar momentarily but Siregar frees himself.
Siregar stops Swanson from standing up.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Siregar with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Swanson is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Swanson will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Swanson is on top in guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Siregar looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Siregar can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Swanson controls the pace.

Siregar working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Swanson doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Swanson manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Siregar looking for a sweep. Not yet Siregar, not yet.
Swanson is looking to pass into half guard but Siregar pushes him away with his feet and jumps on top - now Siregar is in guard.

Swanson is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Swanson can't keep his opponent in guard - Siregar advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Benedicte Swanson is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Swanson preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.
Swanson looks like he's trying to stand up.
Swanson is trying to maintain the position but Siregar is very close to passing his half guard.
Swanson makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Swanson.
Swanson seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Binsar Siregar has got the better of the ground game so far.
Siregar stopping the sweep attempt from Swanson.
Swanson preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Siregar loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Siregar working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Siregar chips away with some ground and pound.
Siregar tries to free his leg and advance position but Swanson is retaining full guard.

Swanson working for a triangle but Siregar defends it easily.
Swanson avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Swanson looking to hit a scissor sweep but Siregar is one step ahead there.
Swanson preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Siregar prevents Swanson from getting back to his feet.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.

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.
Swanson is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.
Siregar takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Siregar shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Siregar blocks a jab.
Siregar swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Swanson misses with a left hand
and Swanson takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Swanson connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Swanson misses with a looping right.
Swanson scores with a nice strike.
A looping hook to the body misses from Swanson. Siregar does a little dance to reset his feet.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Swanson fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Siregar looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Siregar takes a kick to the side of the head.
Binsar Siregar has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
A big right from Swanson misses.
Siregar appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Benedicte Swanson.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Swanson, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Steve Smith scores the fight 30:27
Judge Robert Douchet scores the fight 30:27
Judge William Peck scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Benedicte Swanson!
A victorious Benedicte Swanson thanked his army of followers in his post fight interview, telling people to make sure they follow him on Twitter.