PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Sanjin Mrga (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Samuel Banten (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Banten has a niggling injury. He would have liked to come in 100% fit but that's not always possible. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Mrga
vs
Banten

195 cm
21
250 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

222 cm
25
223 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Enjoys gardening

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Sanjin Mrga!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Samuel Banten!
The judges for this bout are Tatsuya Matsuyama, Yuuki Gou and Hirohito Nitta.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Banten closes the distance and lands a one-two.

It looks like Sanjin Mrga has been cut.
Banten scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Mrga is breathing heavily.

A jab-cross combination lands for Banten and sends Mrga crashing to the mat! Banten follows him down to the mat - Mrga regains half guard but he's not out of trouble yet!

Mrga is rocked!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Banten wants to stand but Mrga has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Banten is using up a lot of energy trying to get back to his feet. Perhaps he should improve his position first.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Banten wants to stand up but Mrga manages to regain full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Mrga uses the cage to get back to his feet.
Banten is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Banten shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Mrga pinned against the cage. Mrga gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
A combination from Banten does no damage.
Mrga misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Banten lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Mrga backs up against the cage.

Banten shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Banten showed some decent athleticism there.
Mrga is looking to escape.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Banten seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.
Banten is thwarting Mrga's attempts to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Banten is trying to get back to his feet now but his leg is trapped.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Mrga tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Banten throws a nice looking combination but Mrga bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Mrga throws a right and a left that both miss.
Banten lands a nice shot to the body.
Banten misses with the combination.

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.
Mrga throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Mrga throws a nice head kick!

Banten decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Banten tries to stand but can't do so whilst Mrga controls his leg.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Mrga pushes Banten off and gets back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Samuel Banten dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Sanjin Mrga's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

Banten throws a right and a left that Mrga avoids nicely.
Mrga with a lazy takedown attempt

and Banten counters with a nice double leg into side control. Mrga won't be happy with that.
Mrga sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Banten wants to stand up but Mrga has a hold of him and won't allow it.
Banten is looking to stand up but he'll have to free his leg first. Instead, Mrga manages to get to full guard.
Banten postures up.
Mrga wants to stand but Banten is controlling the position.
Banten would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Banten wants to stand and escape but instead Mrga has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Mrga seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Mrga won't allow Banten to get back to his feet.
Mrga advances to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Mrga wants to lay and pray for a moment but Banten keeps working.
Mrga sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Banten defending well though.
Banten wants to get back to his feet.

Mrga decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.
Banten throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Banten misses with the combination.
Mrga tries a head kick but it misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mrga with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Banten to score with a decent uppercut.
Mrga throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Banten's head.
Banten throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Banten avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Mrga wants to clinch up but Banten keeps it at a distance.
Banten goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Banten keeps the fight on the outside.
Horrible takedown by Mrga or perhaps it was just good defense by Banten which made him look bad.
Mrga wants to clinch.
Banten avoids the head kick by Mrga.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.

Banten shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Banten tries to stand and escape but Mrga actually recovers to full guard.

Mrga scrambles and gets back to his feet.
Sanjin Mrga is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Mrga throws a head kick but Banten moves out of range.
Banten with a lazy takedown attempt

and Mrga counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Mrga wants to lay and pray for a moment but Banten keeps working.
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 Sanjin Mrga will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Sanjin Mrga's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Mrga throws a head kick that Banten semi-blocks.
Banten gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Mrga counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Mrga trying to control the action but Banten is working from the bottom.
Mrga throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Mrga prevents Banten from standing back up.
Mrga is trying to control the action in half guard but Banten is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Mrga prevents Banten from standing back up.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Sanjin Mrga.
Banten takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Mrga throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Mrga blocks a head kick by Banten.
Mrga avoids a punch combination nicely.
Mrga defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Banten.
A head kick from Banten lands but Mrga takes it in his stride.

Mrga bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Mrga tries to advance to mount but can't.
Mrga controls the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Banten is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Mrga asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Mrga trying to control the action but Banten is working from the bottom.
Mrga works to advance to full mount. Banten defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
Mrga controlling his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Banten wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
Mrga tries to control but Banten wriggling away.
Mrga sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Banten in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Banten can do anything to dispel that myth.
Mrga content just to control the position here.
Sanjin Mrga overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Banten is trying to stand up.

And that's the end of the fight!
Sanjin Mrga showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Mrga 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 Yuuki Gou scores the fight 29:28
Judge Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Sanjin Mrga!