PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between James Martin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bono Ravino (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Bono Ravino told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Martin
vs
Ravino

182 cm
20
185 lbs
5 - 4 - 0

185 cm
18
195 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

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 5 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, James Martin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Bono Ravino!
The judges for this bout are , Timothy Bukovac and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Martin is looking to chop away at Ravino's legs.

Martin throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Ravino was covering up waiting for the punch and Martin finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Martin trying to control the position from guard on top but Ravino is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Martin is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Ravino is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Ravino has escaped and now he's on top!
Martin keeping moving, preventing Ravino from controlling successfully.
Ravino wants to stand but Martin is controlling his posture from full guard.

Martin working for a triangle but Ravino defends it easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ravino is looking to stand up but Martin won't let him.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!

Martin is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Ravino is aware though and is defending well.
Ravino has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Martin is proving hard to escape from.
Martin not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Ravino wants to get up but he can't break Martin's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Martin trying to strike off his back.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Ravino tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Martin paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Martin uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Ravino has time to react.
Ravino tries for a takedown but Martin circles away easily

and Martin counters with a shoot takedown. Ravino fights it but they end up in guard.
Ravino looks gassed!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Martin throwing strikes but missing.

Martin thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Martin wants to control from the top but Ravino keeps moving.
Martin with a flurry of punches that miss.
Martin trying to control the position from guard on top but Ravino is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ravino is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Martin is controlling him.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Ravino utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Ravino shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Martin as he jumps to the side.
Ravino throws a big shot that misses.

Martin shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Ravino napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Ravino wants to get back to his feet but Martin drags him back down.
Martin working the head with strikes.
Martin tries to move to mount but Ravino blocks the move with his legs.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Martin wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Ravino, who protects the arm well.
Ravino is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Martin has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Martin landing strikes.
Martin throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Ravino managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Martin.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James Martin dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Martin has closed the distance and engaged Ravino in a clinch.

Martin escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Martin fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Ravino, pushing him back against the cage.
Martin stalls.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Martin.

Martin breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
James Martin is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Ravino fails with the takedown.
Martin shoots in but Ravino avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Martin tries to clinch but Ravino is having none of it.
Martin displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Martin misses with a few strikes there.
Ravino tries to close the distance and clinch but Martin swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Martin forces Ravino back against the cage and clinches.
Ravino wants to break free but Martin has control.
Martin tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

Martin manages to break the clinch.
Martin fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ravino has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Ravino throws a series of punches but Martin moves out of range.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Ravino.

Martin moves into the clinch.
Martin lands an elbow that stopped Ravino in his tracks for a moment.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Ravino just misses with a elbow thrown towards Martin's brow.
Martin blocks an elbow strike.
Martin avoids a wild elbow strike from Ravino.
Martin blocks an elbow strike.

Martin's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Martin fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Ravino sprawls well initially but Martin persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Martin missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

Martin is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Ravino is staying active underneath Martin, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Martin tries to pass to full mount but Ravino defends it.
Martin thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Martin is trying to control the action in half guard but Ravino is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Ravino is looking to escape.
Martin scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Ravino is trying to stand.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Martin.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Martin wants to control but Ravino is keeping him busy.
Martin sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Ravino is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Martin wants to lay and pray for a moment but Ravino keeps working.
Martin cracks Ravino with a big right hand but Ravino just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Martin trying to control the position but Ravino is working away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Martin working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Martin cracks Ravino with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Ravino is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Martin has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Martin in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Martin thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Martin landing a few strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James Martin dominated that second round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Nice sprawl there from Ravino as Martin shoots in.
Martin slaps away a takedown attempt from Ravino, before circling back to the center of the mat.
A solid body kick from Ravino.
The crowd cheers as Ravino lands an impressive looking overhand right. Martin doesn't seem phased though.
Martin shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Ravino defends it nicely.
Martin blocks a head kick by Ravino.
Martin dives in and grabs Ravino's left leg, looking for a takedown. Ravino pushes down on Martin's head and hops out.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for James Martin. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Ravino shoots for a takedown but Martin saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Ravino doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.

Martin is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Ravino's half guard.
Martin is controlling the pace.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Ravino tries to kick Martin off but Martin keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Martin frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Martin lands a heavy elbow.
Martin landing strikes from the mount.
Martin controlling his opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Martin looking to control but Ravino is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Martin working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Ravino blocking the ground and pound.
Martin throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Martin tries to control but Ravino wriggling away.

Martin has hold of Ravino's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Ravino manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Martin wants to control the pace but Ravino is squirming around nicely.
Bono Ravino has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Ravino is trying to escape but when you're mounted that's not too easy.
Martin throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.

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.

Martin goes for an armbar but Ravino turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from Ravino.

Ravino stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Martin misses with a double jab
enabling Ravino to counter with a crisp jab.
Ravino moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Ravino throws a right and a left that both miss.

Martin looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Martin trying to mount his opponent but Ravino defends it.
James Martin is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Martin trying to control from half guard but Ravino is working away.

And that's the end of the fight!
James Martin showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Martin has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Suge Night scores the fight 30:27
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 30:27
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... James Martin!