PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Jack Bantou (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Matthew Leach (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Bantou comes to the cage accompanied by Brownvillian. Jack Bantou could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Matthew Leach's chin.

Bantou
vs
Leach

188 cm
26
206 lbs
8 - 14 - 0

180 cm
26
210 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Good elbows
Enjoys gardening

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 14 - 0, fighting out of London, Jack Bantou!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, Matthew Leach!
The judges for this bout are James Glass, Colin Fotheringham and Andrew Berry.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Leach moves in looking to clinch but Bantou pushes him off.
Bantou throws a wild body kick that Leach sees coming a mile off.
Bantou stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Bantou wants it to stay on the feet.
Bantou displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Leach.
Leach fails with an attempt to clinch.
Bantou is looking to land body kicks.
Bantou tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Leach tries to clinch but Bantou is having none of it.
Bantou circles away from the clinch attempt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Leach wants to clinch.
Bantou stuffs the takedown attempt from Leach. Leach gets slowly back to his feet.
Jack Bantou has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Matthew Leach.
Leach thows a body shot but no joy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Leach fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
A head kick by Leach misses
and Bantou finishes the little exchange by landing a big kick to the body.
Leach swinging wildly here.
Leach looks to score with a jab to the body but Bantou is just out of range.
Bantou keeps the fight on the outside.
A thudding body kick lands there by Bantou!
Leach looks gassed!
Leach walks forward, straight into a front kick from Bantou.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
A combination from Bantou does no damage.
Bantou with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Bantou throws a left and a right that both miss

and Leach counters with a shoot takedown. Bantou fights it but they end up in guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bantou wants to stand up but Leach is controlling him.

Bantou wriggles free and stands up.
Bantou scores with a kick to the midsection.
Bantou misses with the combination.
Nice body punch from Bantou.
Leach has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Bantou.
Bantou lands with a kick to the temple. Leach shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Leach darts in trying to clinch
and Bantou counters with a body kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bantou explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Bantou, right into the meat.
Bantou misses with a two punch combination.
Leach closes this distance looking for a takedown but Bantou circles away.
Leach tries to clinch but Bantou moves away
and Bantou counters with a two punch combo.
Leach takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Bantou cracks Leach with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Leach on the wrong end of a kick to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Leach stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Bantou.
Bantou moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Leach takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Leach throws a lazy head kick
and Bantou counters with a series of strikes. Leach will be more careful next time no doubt.
Bantou circles away from the clinch attempt
and Bantou counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Both fighters circling a little - Bantou finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Bantou chopping away at his opponent's legs.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jack Bantou dominated that round.
That's time! Bantou's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Leach steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Bantou. That one must have hurt.
Leach swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Bantou counters with a body kick.
Bantou lands with a slapping head kick.
Bantou tests Leach's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Jack Bantou is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Bantou tries a head kick but it misses.
Bantou scores with a three punch combo!
Leach tries to clinch
and Bantou counters with a good low kick that Leach was not able to check.
Bantou moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Bantou scores with a kick to the body.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Bantou swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Leach darts in trying to clinch
and Bantou counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Bantou scoring well with a low kick there.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Leach crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Bantou - the referee stops the clock and Leach gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Bantou. Leach manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
A slapping body kick lands there for Bantou.
Bantou buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Bantou throws a leg kick which misses Leach's front leg but catches the back leg as Leach tries to avoid it.
Bantou keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Bantou looks to land a combination but Leach avoids it well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bantou goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Leach wants to clinch
and Bantou counters with an inside leg kick.
Jack Bantou is winning the standup battle so far.
Leach tries to clinch up
and Bantou counters with a good, hard body kick but Leach shrugs it off.
Some wild striking there from Bantou.
Leach on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Matthew Leach seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bantou avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Bantou displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Leach throws out the jab.
Leach takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Bantou circles away from the clinch attempt
and Bantou counters with a slapping leg kick.
Leach fails to land with a series of punches.
Bantou circles away from the clinch attempt
and Bantou counters with an inside leg kick.

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.
Leach tries to clinch but Bantou is having none of it.
Bantou shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Bantou throws a sloppy head kick and Leach moves out of range easily.
Leach wants to clinch.
Jack Bantou is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Leach fails to land the takedown.
Leach's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Good work by Leach as he checks the leg kick.

Leach closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Bantou to the mat! Bantou manages to get full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jack Bantou dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Leach will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Leach wants to clinch up but Bantou keeps it at a distance.
Bantou pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Leach misses with a hook to the body
and Bantou counters with a slapping leg kick.
Leach tries to close the distance and clinch up but Bantou swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Leach with a poor takedown
and Bantou counters with a nice kick to the body.
Leach darts in trying to clinch
and Bantou makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Bantou throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Leach's head.

Leach pushes Bantou up against the cage in a clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Leach keeps control of Bantou as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Bantou managing to block the knees to the body from Leach.
Bantou wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Leach slowing the pace effectively.
Bantou is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Leach can do to turn this around?
Leach prevents Bantou from breaking the clinch.
A frustrated look appears on Bantou's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Leach tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Bantou.
Leach throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Bantou blocks it with crossed arms.
Bantou has had enough of the clinch but Leach keeps him there for the moment.
Bantou looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Bantou wants to break free but Leach has control.
Bantou is trying to break the clinch but Leach has him pressed against the cage.
Bantou is trying to break the clinch but Leach is controlling him.
Leach is trying to stall.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Leach obliges.
Leach can't break the clinch.

That's two 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.
Bantou wants to break the clinch but can't.
Bantou wants to break the clinch but can't.
Leach effectively controlling the action here.
Leach pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Leach jumps guard but Bantou stands there with Leach around his waist. Leach gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Jack Bantou has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Matthew Leach.
Bantou avoiding damage as Leach throws knees to the body.
Bantou is trying to break the clinch but Leach has him pressed against the cage.
Bantou wants to get back to striking at distance but Leach won't allow it.
Leach is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.

Bantou breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Leach decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Bantou is trying to stand.
Leach content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Leach stops Bantou from getting back to his feet.
Bantou is looking to get back to is feet but Leach passes into side control.
Bantou wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
You can see the frustration on Bantou's face as Leach controls the position.
Matthew Leach has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Leach working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Jack Bantou is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Bantou is trying to escape the position but Leach is controlling the position.
Bantou managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Leach.
Leach happy to just control the position for now.
Bantou pushes Leach away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Leach gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Bantou tries to get back to his feet but has found himself mounted instead. Damn, that's gotta suck.
Leach controlling his opponent.
Bantou avoids a series of strikes thrown by Leach.
Bantou trying desperately to get to his feet.
BOOM! Leach connects with a massive shot to the dome!

And that's the end of the fight!
Matthew Leach comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Bantou 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 James Glass scores the fight 29:28
Judge Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 29:28
Judge Andrew Berry scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jack Bantou!