PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Mike Benz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ricardo Rotoras (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rotoras is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Remember the Name!. Both fighters look pumped up here. Let's hope this is a good fight!

Benz
vs
Rotoras

171 cm
23
156 lbs
11 - 3 - 0

172 cm
23
155 lbs
10 - 3 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Powerful takedowns
Good kicks
Heavy handed

Broken Halo Pride Nutrition
Firebird Designs

MADE IN GERMANY

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, for the featherweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 11 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Mike Benz!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Ricardo Rotoras!
The judges for this bout are Ren Mimura, Shirou Masuda and Kenichi Hosakawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nice body punch from Rotoras.
Rotoras ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Nice takedown defense from Benz. No joy for Rotoras on that attempt.
Benz misses with a low kick.
Benz tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Rotoras will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Rotoras shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Benz defends it nicely.
Mike Benz has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ricardo Rotoras.
Rotoras looks for a takedown but Benz sprawls well.
Benz waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Rotoras.
Rotoras fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Benz fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Rotoras.
Benz connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Benz will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Benz scores with a punch to the head.
Rotoras scores with a sloppy right hand. Benz should have avoided that one.
Rotoras tries to score with a low kick but Benz moves his leg out of the way.
Benz connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Rotoras on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Rotoras misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Rotoras takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.

It looks like Ricardo Rotoras has been cut.
Benz tries to clinch but Rotoras moves out of range.
Rotoras misses with a head kick.
Benz throws a lazy right hand but Rotoras sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Benz misses with an attempted mid kick.
Benz slaps away a takedown attempt from Rotoras, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Rotoras looks gassed!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Benz scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Rotoras misses with a looping right.
Benz uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Rotoras has time to react.
Benz works Rotoras's body with a nice hook.
Benz throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Nice jab there from Benz.

Rotoras is rocked!

Benz shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Benz was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Rotoras is still in real trouble! Can Benz finish him?
Benz looking to control and managing it successfully.
Rotoras seems to have recovered his senses.
Benz putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Benz prevents Rotoras from getting the reversal.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Benz looking to control and managing it successfully.
Benz lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Rotoras tries to reverse the position but Benz maintains control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Benz tries to control but Rotoras wriggling away.
Benz controlling the pace for now.
Rotoras is squirming around, avoiding Benz's attempts to control the action.
Rotoras tries to get back to half guard but can't.

That's four 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.
Rotoras is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Rotoras is squirming around, avoiding Benz's attempts to control the action.
Rotoras tries to get back to half guard but can't.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Benz controlling his opponent.
Rotoras is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mike Benz dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Ricardo Rotoras's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Rotoras throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Benz moves away from the strike by Rotoras.
Rotoras throws a looping overhand right but Benz ducks down to avoid it.
Benz lands a jab-cross combination.
Benz on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Rotoras tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Benz throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Rotoras with a poor takedown
and Benz counters with a stiff right hand.
Benz keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Benz with a lazy takedown attempt
and Rotoras counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Benz misses with a low kick.
Rotoras thows a left - swing and a miss!
Rotoras is breathing heavily.
Benz looks for the body kick but Rotoras saw that one coming.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rotoras lands a body shot.
Rotoras throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Ricardo Rotoras seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rotoras misses with a head kick.
Benz lands a nice looking body kick.
Rotoras fails with the takedown
and Benz counters with a low kick, right behind Rotoras 's knee.
Benz tries to close the distance and clinch but Rotoras swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Benz has closed the distance and engaged Rotoras in a clinch.
A left hand lands to the body for Benz.
Rotoras wants a takedown but no success here.
Mike Benz has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ricardo Rotoras.
A left hand lands to the body for Benz.
Rotoras wants a takedown but no success here.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Benz.
Benz scores with a hook to the body.
Benz lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Benz digs a right hand underneath Rotoras's ribcage. Rotoras let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Rotoras wants to get back to striking at distance but Benz won't allow it.
Benz scores with an uppercut up the middle.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A right hand to the body from Benz.
Benz scores with a hook to the body.
Benz scores with a hook to the body.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Good body shot from Benz.
Benz lands a body shot.
Benz lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Benz lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.

Rotoras manages to break the clinch.
Rotoras is trying desperately to land a takedown but Benz is having absolutely none of it. This is turning into a bit of a nightmare for Rotoras.
Benz scores with a one two! Rotoras had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Benz throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Benz misses the shot to the body.
Rotoras ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.

Rotoras drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Rotoras working away.

Rotoras is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Benz knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Benz is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Rotoras's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rotoras is looking to take a break and control but Benz is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Benz is looking to control Rotoras's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Benz avoid being mounted?
Rotoras thows a huge punch but Benz dodges it nicely.
Benz has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Rotoras is working away from the top position though.
Benz avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Rotoras.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Rotoras misses with a takedown attempt
and Benz counters with an inside leg kick.
Benz looks to land a left hand but Rotoras moved out of range 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.
Rotoras steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Benz. That one must have hurt.
Benz misses with a low kick.
Benz darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Rotoras throws a sloppy head kick and Benz moves out of range easily.
Rotoras takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Benz takes a swing at Rotoras's ribcage but misses.
Rotoras fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Benz manages to avoid it.
Rotoras throws a nice looking combination but Benz bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Benz tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Rotoras was well out of range. Poor timing from Benz.
Benz throws a hook but Rotoras blocks it.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rotoras misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Rotoras takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mike Benz dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Ricardo Rotoras's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

A low kick from Benz misses

and Rotoras counters with a takedown into side control.
Benz tries to bench press Rotoras off him but Rotoras keeps the position.
Benz gets back to half guard.
Benz on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Rotoras takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Rotoras thows a huge punch but Benz dodges it nicely.
Benz is positioning himself well to prevent Rotoras advancing to mount.
Rotoras wants to pass the guard but Benz is defending well.
Benz controlling the position for now.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Rotoras is trying to control. Benz wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Benz wants to get back to full guard.
Rotoras missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Rotoras thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Rotoras thuds a left hand into Benz's body.
Rotoras shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Benz defends it nicely.
Benz throws a front kick that sends Rotoras stumbling back into the cage.
Benz fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Rotoras.
Benz lands a slapping body shot.
Benz displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rotoras fails to land with a series of punches.
Benz bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Benz throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Rotoras on the side of the head.
Rotoras fails with a takedown attempt.
Rotoras chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Benz can pounce on him.
Mike Benz is winning the standup battle so far.
Benz wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Rotoras checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Rotoras punishes Benz's body with a nice straight punch.
Ricardo Rotoras is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Benz lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Rotoras swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Benz cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Benz misses with a head kick.
Rotoras rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Benz moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Benz moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Rotoras misses with an uppercut.
Rotoras on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Benz swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Benz misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Rotoras.
Rotoras throws a head kick that misses
and Benz counters with an inside leg kick.
Benz misses with a hook. Rotoras ducked under it nicely.
Benz slaps away a takedown attempt from Rotoras, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Mike Benz has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ricardo Rotoras.
Benz lands a nice leg kick that just misses Rotoras's sensitive parts.
Benz lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A swing and a miss from Benz.
Rotoras takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Rotoras takes a swing at Benz's ribcage but misses.
Benz scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Benz ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Rotoras moves away.
Mike Benz is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Rotoras lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Benz at a distance.
Rotoras misses with a looping left.
Benz misses with a wild combination.
A low kick from Benz is predictable there

and Rotoras counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Benz tries to get to full guard but Rotoras has control of the leg.

Rotoras is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Mike Benz.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Benz, 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 Ren Mimura scores the fight 30:27
Judge Shirou Masuda scores the fight 30:27
Judge Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mike Benz!
Mike Benz is the new featherweight champion!