PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Scooter Dahan (ranked 4746 p4p, 3489 weight class) and Lamont Banner (ranked 320 p4p, 247 weight class). Lamont Banner will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Dahan
vs
Banner

167 cm
25
150
0 - 0 - 0

179 cm
25
145
1 - 0 - 0

Decent wrestler
Counter fighter
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

BANZAI COMBAT NUTRITION

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Scooter Dahan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Lamont Banner!
The judges for this bout are Tatsuya Matsuyama, Yukihiro Shimada and Shigeki Sano.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Dahan has his takedown stuffed
and Banner counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Banner lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Dahan circles away quickly and effectively.
Banner lands an overhand right.
Dahan closes this distance looking for a takedown but Banner circles away.
Dahan tries for a takedown but Banner circles away easily
and Banner counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Scooter Dahan. That's going to take a lot out of him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dahan has his takedown stuffed
enabling Banner to counter with a crisp jab.
Both fighters are looking to counter, which isn't making for the most exciting fight in the world.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dahan shoots in but Banner avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Banner is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
A right-left combo lands from Banner.
Dahan swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Banner counters with a nice uppercut.
Dahan bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Dahan takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Dahan doesn't succeed with the takedown
letting Banner counter with a right hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A slow jab from Banner misses its intended target.
Banner has worked on his takedown defense in the runup to this fight and it is paying off so far.
Dahan shoots and misses
and Banner counters with a stiff right hand.
Banner lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Dahan takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Banner tests Dahan's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Lamont Banner is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Banner throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Dahan on the side of the head.
Dahan misses with a shot to the body
and Banner counters with a straight right hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Banner loads up on a big right hand but Dahan slips the punch.
It looked like Dahan was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Banner pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
An attempted straight right counter from Dahan misses the target.
A punch combination from Banner misses.
Banner tests Dahan's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Banner looks to throw the jab but Dahan is out of range.
Dahan attempts a counter takedown but Banner avoids it well and moves away.
Banner lands a head shot.
Dahan with a lazy takedown attempt
and Banner counters with a straight right hand.
Dahan shoots and misses
and Dahan takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Horrible takedown attempt by Dahan or perhaps it was just good defense by Banner, which made it look bad.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Banner cracks Dahan with a right hand to the side of the head.
Dahan tries for a takedown but Banner circles away easily
and Banner counters with a three punch combo that has Dahan backing up. Dahan nods at Banner to acknowledge the strikes.
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!

Dahan throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Banner was covering up waiting for the punch and Dahan finishes the takedown easily into guard.

Banner is scooting his butt against the cage and has managed to get back to his feet. Dahan presses him back against the cage, presumably looking to take the fight back to the mat.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Lamont Banner dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Dahan shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Banner is trying to escape back to his feet but Dahan uses the scramble to pass into side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Banner is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Dahan asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Dahan sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Banner is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dahan tries to move into full mount but can't pass Banner's legs.
Dahan trying to control the position but Banner is working away.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Dahan tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Banner can do anything to dispel that myth.
Dahan scores with punches from side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Dahan remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
The strikes coming from Dahan are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Dahan advances nicely into full mount.
The referee warns Banner that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
The referee warns Banner that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.

Banner bucks up and throws Dahan to the side - he's got back to his feet. Great escape!
Banner throws a left and a right that both miss

and Dahan counters with a nice double leg into side control. Banner won't be happy with that.
Dahan wants to lay and pray for a moment but Banner keeps working.
Banner dodges the ground and pound from Dahan.
Dahan has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dahan postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.

Dahan is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Banner has escaped the position, nice work there.
Dahan wants to control but Banner is keeping him busy.

Dahan is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Banner knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Dahan throws an elbow but Banner slips to the side and avoids it well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Dahan throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Banner really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Dahan. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

Dahan tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Dahan tries to advance to mount but Banner denies him.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Dahan is working hard here to advance position.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Scooter Dahan dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Nice shot lands for Banner.
Dahan shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Banner but Banner pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Dahan steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Banner.
Banner has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Banner bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Lamont Banner is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dahan shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Banner counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Banner looks to land a combination but Dahan avoids it well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The crowd cheers as Banner lands an impressive looking overhand right. Dahan doesn't seem phased though.
Banner misses with an uppercut. Dahan saw that one coming.
Dahan attempts a counter takedown but Banner avoids it well and moves away.
Dahan has his takedown stuffed
enabling Banner to counter with a crisp jab.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Scooter Dahan. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Banner connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Banner throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Dahan misses with a takedown attempt
letting Banner counter with a right hand.
Dahan misses with a takedown attempt
and Dahan takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dahan with a lazy takedown attempt
and Banner cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Dahan gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Banner moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Dahan shoots and misses
and Banner counters with a series of strikes. Dahan will be more careful next time no doubt.
Dahan shoots and misses
and Banner counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Dahan throws a series of punches but Banner moves out of range.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Banner! But no joy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dahan darts in looking for a takedown but Banner gets double underhooks and turns Dahan into the cage.
Banner unleashes a big counter combination but Dahan bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.

Dahan successfully pulls guard.
Dahan tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Banner avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Banner trying to stand up but can't free himself from Dahan's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Dahan is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Banner is aware though and is defending well.

Dahan is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Banner is aware though and is defending well.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Banner has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Dahan is proving hard to escape from.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Decent striking displayed by Banner there.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Banner looks to land a combination. Dahan sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Banner throws a combination. Dahan tries to block but a couple of punches get through.

And that's the end of the fight!
Lamont Banner comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Banner 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 Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 27:29
Judge Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 27:29
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight 27:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Lamont Banner!
In his post fight interview, Lamont Banner started talking himself up. Luckily his charisma kept the crowd on side and gave him a good reception.