PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Ben Tumbling (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and John Joseph (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Tumbling comes to the cage accompanied by Sexbomb. The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Tumbling
vs
Joseph

178 cm
21
175 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

180 cm
20
170 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Ben Tumbling!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, John Joseph!
The judges for this bout are Tatsuya Matsuyama, Sosuke Kotani and Taro Takaoka.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Tumbling shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Joseph defends it nicely.
Joseph avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Joseph with a lazy takedown attempt

and Tumbling counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Joseph can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Tumbling controls the pace.
Tumbling wanted to stand there but Joseph had control of the position.
Tumbling landing with the ground and pound.
Tumbling wants to pass the guard but Joseph is keeping the position.
Tumbling would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Tumbling stands and throws Joseph's legs to the side, diving into side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The ground and pound from Tumbling seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Tumbling misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.

Tumbling has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
Joseph looks gassed!
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Tumbling!
Tumbling fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

Tumbling drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Tumbling won't allow Joseph to get back to his feet.

Tumbling drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Joseph manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Tumbling has Joseph in his guard.
Joseph stops Tumbling from standing up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Joseph drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Joseph jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Tumbling keeping moving, preventing Joseph from controlling successfully.
Tumbling seems keen to control Joseph's posture.
Joseph controlling from the top position.
Tumbling is trying to keep Joseph in close.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Joseph tries for a takedown but Tumbling sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

Tumbling closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Tumbling is keen to just control but Joseph is a slippery customer.
Tumbling wants to pass the guard but Joseph is defending well.

Tumbling is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Joseph sees it coming and defends easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tumbling wants to control but Joseph is keeping him busy.
Joseph is looking to improve his position.
Tumbling wants to take a breather but Joseph is having none of it.
Tumbling stops Joseph from getting back to his feet.
Tumbling winds up and cracks Joseph with a swinging punch to the side of the head.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Tumbling tries to clinch there but Joseph circles away.
Tumbling's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Tumbling duly obliges.
Joseph shoots in but Tumbling avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Ben Tumbling has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of John Joseph.
Tumbling lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Joseph circles away from the clinch attempt.
Tumbling keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Tumbling fails with the takedown.
Joseph swats away the attempt to clinch by Tumbling.

Joseph changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Tumbling looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Tumbling tries to get back to half guard but can't.

Joseph thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

Tumbling sneaks out the side door and pushes Joseph away - he's back to his feet. The crowd show their appreciation for the escape.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Joseph circles away from the clinch attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Joseph has his takedown stuffed

and Tumbling counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Tumbling seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Joseph does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Joseph blocking the ground and pound attempt from Tumbling.
Tumbling with the ground and pound but Joseph uses the opportunity to regain guard.
Tumbling would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Tumbling wants to control from the top but Joseph keeps moving.
Joseph keeping full guard, as Tumbling tries to pass.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Joseph being controlled here, momentarily.
Joseph keeping moving, preventing Tumbling from controlling successfully.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Joseph has closed the distance and engaged Tumbling in a clinch.

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

Tumbling clinches up against the cage.
Joseph displaying some good clinch control by pressing Tumbling up against the cage.

Tumbling breaks the clinch.
Tumbling keeps the fight on the outside.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Tumbling feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Tumbling looking to sit in guard and control but Joseph gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Tumbling keeping moving, preventing Joseph from controlling successfully.
Tumbling looking to control.
Joseph stopping the sweep attempt from Tumbling.

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

Joseph drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Joseph jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Joseph controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Let's hope that Joseph has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Joseph won't allow Tumbling to get back to his feet.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Tumbling fails in his attempt to clinch.
Ben Tumbling is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Joseph closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Tumbling wants to improve his position but Joseph is controlling well.
Still in half guard, Joseph seems content to control.
Tumbling is refusing to be controlled, as Joseph sits in half guard.
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 Tumbling will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Joseph showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Tumbling.
Joseph fails with an attempt to clinch.

Joseph pushes Tumbling up against the cage in a clinch.

Tumbling jumps guard and drags Joseph to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Ben Tumbling overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Tumbling looking for a sweep. Not yet Tumbling, not yet.
Tumbling not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Joseph trying to control but Tumbling is working from the bottom.

Tumbling is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tumbling is trying to control the position but Joseph postures up.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Joseph sitting in guard here, content to control.
Tumbling looking to control.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Nice sprawl there from Tumbling as Joseph shoots in.

Joseph shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Joseph was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Tumbling is looking to get to half guard.
Tumbling prevents any damage by holding on tight.

Joseph looking for a guillotine from mount but Tumbling is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tumbling wants to get back to his feet.
Tumbling is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Joseph sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Joseph fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Joseph trying to control but Tumbling is having none of it.
Joseph takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tumbling is squirming around, avoiding Joseph's attempts to control the action.
Tumbling tries to hold on but Joseph postures up.
Tumbling is looking to get to half guard.
Joseph controlling from mount.
Joseph wants to control the pace but Tumbling is squirming around nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Joseph controlling the pace for now.
Tumbling is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Tumbling is in all sorts of trouble here.

Joseph working for a submission but Tumbling is keeping him at bay.
Joseph sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
John Joseph has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Tumbling really trying hard to get back to half guard here.

And that's the end of the fight!
John Joseph comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Tumbling has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 29:28
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 29:28
Judge Taro Takaoka scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ben Tumbling!