PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between ben dover (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and LJ Whitaker (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). LJ Whitaker has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

dover
vs
Whitaker

180 cm
24
282 lbs
2 - 10 - 0

200 cm
24
275 lbs
4 - 2 - 1

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Experienced

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, ben dover!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 2 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, LJ Whitaker!
The judges for this bout are Tarja Halkonen, Anni Minnemäki and Roosa Järviläinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
dover looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Whitaker looks really tired already! That doesn't bode well for a good, competitive fight!
dover looks for a takedown but Whitaker sprawls well.
dover fails in his attempt to clinch.
Whitaker lands a head kick!
dover shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Whitaker pinned against the cage. Whitaker gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for ben dover. That's going to take a lot out of him.

dover fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Whitaker, pushing him back against the cage.

dover is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. Whitaker can't fight it off and eventually dover manages to take the fight to the floor. Whitaker looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.
dover trying to control the position from guard on top but Whitaker is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
dover works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Whitaker wants to control but dover is keeping busy.

That's one minute gone in the round.

dover escapes and gets back to his feet.
Whitaker tries to clinch up
and dover counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
dover doesn't manage to clinch there - Whitaker circles away.
dover looks for a takedown but Whitaker sprawls well.
dover tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
dover misses with an uppercut. Whitaker saw that one coming.
Whitaker takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
dover will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

Whitaker clinches up against the cage.
dover tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Whitaker smiles and moves away.
dover shoots in but Whitaker avoids the takedown attempt easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Whitaker tries to clinch up but dover circles away and keeps his distance.

Whitaker clinches up against the cage.
dover goes for a takedown attempt but Whitaker pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
dover loads up on a big right hand but Whitaker slips the punch.
dover shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Whitaker defends it nicely.

Whitaker takes the fight into the clinch.

Whitaker's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Whitaker scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
dover tries to close the distance and clinch but Whitaker swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Whitaker.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Whitaker cracks dover with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
dover is trying hard to land a takedown here. Whitaker sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.

dover feints and as Whitaker raises his hands in defense, dover changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Whitaker avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
dover stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Whitaker swivels though and keeps the full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Whitaker is looking to stand up but dover isn't so interested in that idea.
dover stands and throws Whitaker's legs to the side, diving into side control.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
dover creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Whitaker sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.

dover is trying to get an arm triangle but Whitaker is defending well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
dover trying to control the action but Whitaker is working from the bottom.
Whitaker tries to escape but dover is in control.

dover tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no dover has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Whitaker tries to buck dover off but dover is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Whitaker lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.
Whitaker ducks right into an uppercut from dover.
No luck with that takedown attempt from dover.
Whitaker keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
dover shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Whitaker but Whitaker pushes him off and we're back to square one.
ben dover is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
dover misses with a takedown attempt - Whitaker sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for ben dover. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from dover.

Whitaker clinches up against the cage.

Whitaker breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
dover tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Whitaker swivels and escapes.

dover tries to keep at a distance but Whitaker has taken the fight into the clinch.
dover really is a fat lump.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Whitaker stops a takedown attempt from dover.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
dover has Whitaker pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Whitaker manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
dover has Whitaker pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Whitaker manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
The referee calls for Whitaker to work.
dover wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
dover tries to pull guard but Whitaker won't allow it.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
dover tries for a takedown. No joy.
dover tries to pull guard but Whitaker won't allow it.
Whitaker creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through dover's defenses.
dover gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Whitaker.
Whitaker prevents a takedown attempt there.
dover tries for a takedown but Whitaker manages to get underhooks.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Good body shot from Whitaker.
dover is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Whitaker gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Whitaker is pressed up against the cage. dover has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Whitaker down to the mat. Whitaker avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

Whitaker closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Whitaker with an attempt at a knee that misses.
dover is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
dover tries for a takedown. No joy.
dover wants to break free but Whitaker has control.
Whitaker working dover over with knees to the body.
dover goes for a takedown attempt but Whitaker pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
A head kick misses from Whitaker.
Whitaker fails with the takedown.
Whitaker turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Whitaker is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
dover shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Whitaker sprawls well. Whitaker wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. dover gets slowly back to his feet.
dover misses with a takedown

and Whitaker moves into the clinch.

dover gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Whitaker can do anything to dispel that myth.
dover thows a big elbow that misses.
dover passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Whitaker tries to get back to half guard but can't.
dover working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.

dover tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

dover working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

dover tries for a kimura but Whitaker is defending well.

dover tries for a kimura but Whitaker is defending well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that ben dover will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Whitaker is looking to slow dover down with leg kicks.
dover closes this distance looking for a takedown but Whitaker circles away.
dover avoids a punch combination nicely.
dover circles away from the clinch attempt.

dover shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. dover showed some decent athleticism there.
Whitaker pushes dover off looking to stand but dover dives back in and keeps control.
Whitaker is striking from the bottom but he's now found himself mounted! Oh dear - not enough focus on defense there.

dover goes for an armbar but Whitaker turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from Whitaker.
Whitaker must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

That's one minute gone in the round.
dover has a closed guard, preventing Whitaker from standing up.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

dover kicks Whitaker off and gets to his feet.
Whitaker misses with a series of wild punches.
Whitaker wants to clinch up but dover keeps it at a distance.
dover shoots in but no luck this time.

Whitaker closes the distance and clinches.
Whitaker tries to land a knee to the head but dover blocks with his arms.

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.
Whitaker is pressed up against the cage. dover has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Whitaker down to the mat. Whitaker avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for ben dover. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Horrible takedown by Whitaker or perhaps it was just good defense by dover which made him look bad.
A good leg kick by Whitaker.
dover shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Whitaker defends it nicely.
dover lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.

Whitaker clinches up against the cage.
Whitaker prevents a takedown attempt there.
dover is working for takedown but Whitaker is calmly controlling the position for now.
dover drops down looking for an ankle pick but Whitaker pulls his leg out and moves away.
Horrible takedown by dover or perhaps it was just good defense by Whitaker which made him look bad.
Whitaker shoots in but no luck this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Whitaker rushes dover and presses him up against the cage.

dover jumps into guard, dragging Whitaker to the mat.

Whitaker got a little sloppy there for a moment and dover has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Whitaker has managed to get both his arms back between dover's legs - danger averted.
dover is trying to keep Whitaker in close.
dover 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.

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

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Whitaker trying to control the position from guard on top but dover is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

dover throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
ben dover is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Whitaker is looking to stand up but dover won't let him.
Whitaker really doesn't want to stay on the ground with dover. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
LJ Whitaker has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Whitaker is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.

And that's the end of the fight!
ben dover showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for dover, 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 Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 30:27
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 30:27
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... ben dover!