PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Joesph Benavidez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Buzz Cloltran (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Cloltran is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Kansas City Shuffle. Joesph Benavidez has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Benavidez
vs
Cloltran

163 cm
26
134 lbs
4 - 4 - 0

168 cm
20
142 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Experienced

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Joesph Benavidez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Buzz Cloltran!
The judges for this bout are Frank Antenori, and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Benavidez 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.
Cloltran pulls Benavidez in close to his closed guard and prevents Benavidez from doing any damage or advancing position.
Benavidez missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Benavidez throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Cloltran works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Benavidez throws and elbow that misses. Cloltran uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Benavidez's guard. Nice move by Cloltran!

Benavidez working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Cloltran has passed into half guard!
Benavidez is looking to get full guard. It looks like he might be successful but at the last minute Cloltran jumps into side control!
Cloltran controlling from side mount.
Benavidez gets back to half guard.
Benavidez is looking for a sweep. Cloltran is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cloltran performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Cloltran's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.

Cloltran moves into side control, avoiding a weak kimura attempt from Benavidez.
Benavidez regains half guard.
Cloltran with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Benavidez is trying to get back to full guard.
Benavidez is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Cloltran scores with a couple of nice shots.

Benavidez is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Cloltran pulls his head out easily.

Benavidez is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Cloltran pulls his head out easily.
Cloltran content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.

Benavidez actively working from the bottom here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Benavidez is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Cloltran pulls his head out easily.
Cloltran passes to full mount!
Cloltran controlling the pace for now.
Benavidez is trying to escape the mount.
Cloltran cracks Benavidez with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Cloltran cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Cloltran is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Benavidez can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Cloltran lands a big shot there that rocks Benavidez but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Benavidez slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Well, if Cloltran is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Cloltran drops an elbow to the side of Benavidez's head.
Benavidez is trying to get back to full guard.
Cloltran works his way into full mount!
Benavidez keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Cloltran controlling his opponent.
Benavidez tries to reverse the position but Cloltran maintains control.
Cloltran sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Benavidez sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Cloltran controlling the action here.
Benavidez is trying to get back to full guard.
Cloltran looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Cloltran is nestled in close to Benavidez, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Cloltran in particular looking to stall.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Buzz Cloltran has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.

Benavidez 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.

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

Cloltran fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Benavidez sprawls well initially but Cloltran persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Cloltran is looking to take a break and control but Benavidez is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Benavidez looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Cloltran has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Benavidez is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Cloltran's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Cloltran's back!
Benavidez misses with a punch to the head.
Cloltran just looking to survive in the bad position.
Cloltran manages to escape to a better position under a series of strikes. Benavidez is now in side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Benavidez with the ground and pound but Cloltran regains half guard under the barage of strikes.
Cloltran is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.
Benavidez missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Cloltran keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Cloltran manages to get to full guard.
Benavidez with a flurry of punches that miss.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Cloltran utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Cloltran is pulling down on Benavidez's head. It's preventing any offense from Benavidez, at least for the moment.
Benavidez is looking to work some ground and pound but Cloltran has wrist control.
Benavidez postures up in Cloltran's guard and throws a big left but Cloltran blocks it.
Benavidez throwing strikes from guard but Cloltran blocks nicely.
Benavidez has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Benavidez working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

Cloltran has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Benavidez off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Cloltran fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Benavidez manages to avoid it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cloltran fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.

Cloltran gets caught flat footed, as Benavidez shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Benavidez throws a strike but Cloltran rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Benavidez is looking for a triangle here but Cloltran uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cloltran gets to mount! Benavidez was on the offensive and wasn't defending properly.
Cloltran sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Cloltran breaks from Benavidez's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Benavidez is in all sorts of trouble here.
Cloltran lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Cloltran is landing with some decent strikes but Benavidez is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Cloltran prevents Benavidez from getting the reversal.
Cloltran controlling his opponent.
Benavidez tries to reverse the position but Cloltran maintains control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Buzz Cloltran showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Cloltran decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Benavidez tries to get to full guard but Cloltran has control of the leg.

Benavidez with the active half guard here but Cloltran passes nicely into side control.
Benavidez tries to improve position but can't.
The referee asks Cloltran politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Cloltran prefers to stall for the moment though.
Buzz Cloltran has got the better of the ground game so far.
Benavidez is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Benavidez is working hard here to advance position.
Cloltran just content to control the position.
Benavidez is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Benavidez looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Cloltran stalling.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Buzz Cloltran.

Benavidez shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Cloltran manages to get to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cloltran is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Cloltran is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Cloltran slips a nice elbow through Benavidez's hands, connecting with Benavidez's forehead.
Cloltran content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Benavidez has a hand on Cloltran's thigh, trying to get back to full guard. Cloltran takes advantage of the position though and mounts him!
Benavidez keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Cloltran landing strikes from the mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cloltran content just to control the position here.
Benavidez taking shots to the head.
Cloltran working the ground and pound effectively.
Cloltran in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.

Benavidez is rocked!
Cloltran sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Cloltran wants to control the pace but Benavidez is squirming around nicely.
Benavidez gets back to half guard.
Cloltran not doing much here.
Cloltran is looking to take a break and control but Benavidez is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Benavidez is looking to improve his position.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Buzz Cloltran wasn't active enough on the ground.
Cloltran dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Cloltran jabs away that one connects to the head of his opponent.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Benavidez has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Cloltran.

And that's the end of the fight!
Buzz Cloltran comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Cloltran has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Frank Antenori scores the fight 27:30
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 27:30
Judge Suge Night scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Buzz Cloltran!