PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between BJ Penn (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and KJ Noons (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Penn's entrance music is Hawaii Song. A fine choice. Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Penn
vs
Noons

175 cm
18
159 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

180 cm
18
159 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, BJ Penn!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, KJ Noons!
The judges for this bout are Tiny Johnson, Cecil Peabody and Stewart Dunkirk.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Penn tries to clinch but Noons moves out of range.
Noons fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Penn shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Noons counters with a nice double leg into half guard.

Penn looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Penn blocking the ground and pound attempt from Noons.
Noons not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Penn wants to control but Noons is keeping busy.
Noons not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Noons stops Penn from getting back to his feet.
Noons really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Penn. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Penn wants to improve his position but Noons is controlling well.
Penn makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Penn.
Noons postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Penn throws a left and a right that both miss

and Noons counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Penn tries to throw a body punch but Noons avoids it by throwing Penn back against the cage.
Noons wants a takedown.

Noons's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
BJ Penn seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Noons misses with a takedown attempt - Penn sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
BJ Penn has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of KJ Noons.
Noons clobbers Penn with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
A shot to de liver by Noons. Beautiful body shot.
Penn doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Noons counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Penn is breathing heavily.
No luck for Penn with that takedown attempt.
Noons shoots in for a takedown but Penn shows good takedown defense.
Penn tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Noons swivels and escapes.
Noons tries to score a power double leg takedown but Penn sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Noons somewhat.

Penn gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Noons to score an easy takedown into full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Noons is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Penn wants to sweep here but Noons controlling him for the moment.
Noons must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Noons wants to control from the top but Penn keeps moving.
Noons stays in close to Penn's body and controls the position.

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Penn keeping moving, preventing Noons from controlling successfully.
Penn wants to stand and escape but Noons is having none of it.

Penn throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Noons prevents Penn from getting back to his feet.
Noons looking to sit in guard and control but Penn gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Penn pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Noons is keeping the position for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Noons controls Penn momentarily but Penn frees himself.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Penn misses the body punch

and Noons counters by moving into the clinch.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.

Noons breaks from the clinch.
Penn shoots in for a double leg but Noons sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Penn looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Penn shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Noons sprawls well. Noons wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Penn gets slowly back to his feet.

Noons closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Penn tries for a takedown but Noons circles away easily

and Noons counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Penn keeping full guard, as Noons tries to pass.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Penn tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Noons working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

Penn is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Noons defends well.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Noons wants to stand but Penn has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

Noons gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Nice jab there from Penn.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Noons is trying hard to land a takedown here. Penn sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Penn shoots for a takedown but Noons saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Penn slaps away a takedown attempt from Noons, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Noons slaps away a takedown attempt from Penn, before circling back to the center of the mat.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for BJ Penn. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Noons shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Noons showed some decent athleticism there.
Noons looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Penn with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Penn is pressing down on Noons's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.

Penn is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.

Noons decides to pull guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Noons is trying to control the position from the bottom.

Noons looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Penn wants to get up but he can't break Noons's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Penn trying to control but Noons is working from the bottom.
Noons is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Penn looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Penn trying to hold on to Noons's head to control him but Noons postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Penn gets full guard.
Penn wants to sweep here but Noons controlling him for the moment.

Penn is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

Penn is working actively from the bottom, looking for submissions. He's escaped his hips to the side and he's going for an armbar! Noons has his hands clasped together but Penn extends an breaks Noons's desperate grasp, forcing a tap out due to armbar! Nice BJJ displayed there by Penn.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:58 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). BJ Penn!