PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Jason Lorusso (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Josh Maignon (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Lorusso
vs
Maignon

160 cm
19
130 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
22
140 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, for the bantamweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Jason Lorusso!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Josh Maignon!
The judges for this bout are Stewart Dunkirk, Tiny Johnson and Daniel Franklin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Lorusso shoots in looking for a takedown. Maignon tries to sprawl out of it but Lorusso keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Maignon manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Maignon fails with an attempt to clinch.
Maignon scores with a nice body kick.

Maignon drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
The referee asks Maignon politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Maignon prefers to stall for the moment though.
Lorusso is looking for a sweep.
Maignon throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Maignon working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Maignon lands some shots froms side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lorusso stops Maignon from passing to mount.
Lorusso can't do much from the bottom here.
Maignon is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Maignon trying to control the position but Lorusso is working away.
Lorusso manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Maignon tries to roll over but Lorusso keeps him under control.

That's two 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.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Lorusso lands a nice short elbow.
Lorusso trying to control from half guard but Maignon is working away.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Maignon has Lorusso up against the cage in a clinch.

Lorusso has clasped his hands together around Maignon's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
Maignon wants to get back to his feet but Lorusso drags him back down.
Lorusso 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.
Maignon is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maignon is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Lorusso has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Maignon looks gassed!
Maignon is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Maignon is pressing down on Lorusso's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Lorusso loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Maignon looking for a sweep. Not yet Maignon, not yet.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Maignon is on top in guard.
Maignon wants to control from the top but Lorusso keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Lorusso not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Lorusso looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Lorusso has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Maignon can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Lorusso might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Maignon sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Lorusso throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Josh Maignon dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Lorusso fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Maignon looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Lorusso thows a body shot but no joy.

Lorusso clinches up with Maignon and pushes him back against the cage.

Maignon breaks from the clinch.
Maignon tries to clinch but Lorusso is having none of it.

Maignon has Lorusso up against the cage in a clinch.

Maignon jumps guard.
Maignon doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Maignon is trying to keep Lorusso in close.
Maignon is pulling down on Lorusso's head to control his posture.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Maignon is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Lorusso gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Maignon tries to bum rush Lorusso with a series of wild strikes but Lorusso uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

Lorusso gets a clinch.

Maignon manages to break the clinch.
Maignon misses with a takedown
and Lorusso counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Maignon with a poor takedown

and Lorusso counters with a takedown into side control.
Lorusso trying to control the position but Maignon is working away.

Lorusso decides to take the fight back to the feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maignon avoids the body shot from Lorusso.
Maignon misses with a takedown attempt

so Lorusso counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Jason Lorusso has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Josh Maignon.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Lorusso throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Maignon looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Lorusso trying to control but Maignon is working from the bottom.
Maignon has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Lorusso has passed into side control.
Maignon sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lorusso is keen to just control but Maignon is a slippery customer.
The fighters are battling for position here. Maignon manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Lorusso preventing the sweep.
Lorusso trying to control the position from guard on top but Maignon is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Maignon wants to stand and escape but Lorusso is having none of it.
Maignon utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Lorusso looking to sit in guard and control but Maignon gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Lorusso working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Maignon doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Maignon manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Maignon wanted to stand there but Lorusso had control of the position.
Lorusso keeping moving, preventing Maignon from controlling successfully.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Lorusso shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Maignon as he jumps to the side.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jason Lorusso dominated that second round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Maignon has his takedown stuffed
and Lorusso counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Jason Lorusso is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Maignon misses with a two punch combination.
Maignon avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Lorusso closes the distance but Maignon moves to the side

and Maignon counters with a nice double leg into side control. Lorusso won't be happy with that.
Lorusso wants to control but Maignon postures up.
Lorusso tries to bench press Maignon off him but Maignon keeps the position.

Lorusso bucks up and manages to escape back to his feet!
Lorusso shoots and misses

and Maignon counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
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!
Maignon is pressing down on Lorusso's thigh, looking to free his foot. Lorusso is holding on for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lorusso slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Maignon looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Josh Maignon has got the better of the ground game so far.
Maignon stops Lorusso from standing up.
Maignon looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Lorusso trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!

That's two 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.
Lorusso is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Lorusso slows the pace down in half guard.
Lorusso is looking to take a break and control but Maignon is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lorusso with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
The fighters are battling for position here. Maignon manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Maignon trying to control the position here.

Maignon is looking for a triangle but Lorusso pushes his legs off easily.

Lorusso thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

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.
Maignon wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.

Lorusso gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Maignon looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Lorusso is fending him off so far but Maignon persists. Nope, Lorusso circles away and we're back to standing.
Lorusso lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Maignon backs up against the cage.
Maignon throws a one two combo.
Maignon fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Lorusso avoids it really well and circles away.
Jason Lorusso has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Josh Maignon.
Lorusso doesn't succeed with the takedown

so Maignon counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.

And that's the end of the fight!
Josh Maignon comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Maignon 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 Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight for Josh Maignon!
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight for Josh Maignon!
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight for Josh Maignon!

Josh Maignon wins by unanimous decision!
Josh Maignon is the new bantamweight champion!