PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Bruce Banner (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nic Bravo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Banner comes to the cage accompanied by xavier rudd - energy song. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Banner
vs
Bravo

180 cm
23
192 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

190 cm
19
192 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter striker
Big heart

BJJ Brown Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

Win Nutritional
Star & Star .Inc

Ka-POW Clothing

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Bruce Banner!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Nic Bravo!
The judges for this bout are Eliza Hachem, Damien Edna and Skip Squint.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Bravo changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Banner tries to avoid it but Bravo manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Banner to the ground. Banner escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Bravo misses with a looping right.
A slapping leg kick lands for Bravo.
Bravo throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.

Banner gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Bravo to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Bravo stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Banner swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Banner tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Bravo in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bravo is fighting to break Banner's control of his arms but Banner is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Banner wants to sweep but no luck.
Banner seems keen to control Bravo's posture.
Bravo postures up in Banner's guard and throws a big left but Banner blocks it.
Bravo trying to control the position from guard on top but Banner is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Bravo closes the distance and clinches up with Banner, looking for a takedown. Bravo pushes Banner against the cage but Banner circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

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.
Bravo throws a sloppy head kick and Banner moves out of range easily.
Bravo tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Bravo fails in his attempt to clinch.
Bravo fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Bravo tries to close the distance and clinch but Banner swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Banner closes the distance and pushes Bravo back into the cage.
Bravo has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Banner avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Bruce Banner has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Nic Bravo.
Bravo is trying to drag Banner to the mat but Banner just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Banner is pressed up against the cage. Bravo has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Banner down to the mat. Banner avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Bravo tries to clinch up but Banner circles away and keeps his distance.
Banner throws a hook but Bravo blocks it.
Banner swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bravo blocks a leg kick.
Bravo feints and then cracks Banner's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Banner down.
Banner ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Bravo moves away.
Bravo feints and then cracks Banner's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Banner down.
Bravo shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Nic Bravo seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Bravo tries to clinch but Banner moves away

and Banner counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Bravo can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Banner controls the pace.
Banner postures up in Bravo's guard and throws a big left but Bravo blocks it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bravo is trying to control the position but Banner postures up.
Banner wants to control from the top but Bravo keeps moving.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Banner working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Banner is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Banner loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Banner loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Bravo misses with a series of wild punches.
Banner throws an overhand right that lands on Bravo's shoulder, as Bravo tries to avoid the shot.
Bravo connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Bravo tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Banner was well out of range. Poor timing from Bravo.
Bravo throws a right hand that Banner ducks under and follows up with a left that Banner also avoids with ease.

Banner drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
The ground and pound from Banner seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Bravo is looking to regain half guard here but Banner keeps moving and retains side control.
Bravo manages to get back to half guard.
Bravo blocking the ground and pound attempt from Banner.
Banner wants to lay and pray for a moment but Bravo keeps working.
Bravo is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Banner's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Banner's back!
Banner trying to control the position but Bravo manages to sink in the hooks.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bravo trying to control.
Banner covering up well under a barage of strikes.
Bravo tries to get the hooks in deep but Banner pushed the leg off.

Banner is staying cool under pressure, defending well against the rear naked choke attempt from his opponent.

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.
Banner tries to escape but Bravo has the hooks in and won't let him break free.
Bravo throwing wild punches that miss their target.
Banner covering up well under a series of strikes from Bravo.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bravo thows a huge left but connects with the canvas and not his opponent.
Despite being in a bad position, Banner is controlling the hands, preventing any submission attempts.
Banner is trying to break free.

Bravo working for the choke.
Banner covering up well under a barage of strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Bravo throwing sloppy strikes.
Bravo has his opponent trapped and is landing shots. Not a good position for Banner.
Banner looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.
Bravo has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Bravo has the hooks in. Banner is trying to push off one leg but he has to do so cautiously to avoid being submitted.
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 Bruce Banner will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Bravo throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Banner keeps the fight on the outside.
Bravo gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Banner counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Bravo's guard now.
Banner postures up and lands a big shot to Bravo's brow.
Banner stopping the sweep attempt from Bravo.
Banner looking to sit in guard and control but Bravo gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Banner trying to control the position.
Bruce Banner overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Banner utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Banner preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Banner 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.
Bravo passes Banner's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Bravo trying to control from half guard but Banner is working away.

That's two 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.
Bravo thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Banner controlling the position well.
Bravo throwing shots but Banner is blocking nicely.
Banner is looking to improve his position.
Bravo trying to control the action but Banner is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bravo not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
An inside leg kick from Bravo misses.
Bravo tries to clinch up but Banner circles away and keeps his distance.
Bravo connects with a solid leg kick.

Bravo instigates a clinch.
Bravo has Banner pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Banner manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.

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.

Bravo jumps into guard, dragging Banner to the mat.
Banner lands a couple of digs.
Banner is stalling in the full guard.
Banner working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Bravo trying to keep a closed guard but Banner is proving a slippery customer.
Nic Bravo has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Banner thows a big elbow that misses.
Bravo tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Banner missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Bruce Banner is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Banner trying to control but Bravo is working from the bottom.
Bravo striking off his back but it's not causing Banner any problems.

And that's the end of the fight!
Bruce Banner showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Banner, 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 Eliza Hachem scores the fight 30:27
Judge Damien Edna scores the fight 30:27
Judge Skip Squint scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Bruce Banner!