PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Mitchell Joseph (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jimi Banuwa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters really staring eachother down here, as Jimi Banuwa enters the cage!

Joseph
vs
Banuwa

178 cm
29
210 lbs
16 - 13 - 0

182 cm
24
220 lbs
7 - 6 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Great low kicks
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Dangerous knees
Heavy handed

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 16 - 13 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Mitchell Joseph!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Jimi Banuwa!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Joseph throws a lazy head kick
and Banuwa counters with a good low kick that Joseph was not able to check.
A head kick by Joseph misses
and Banuwa counters with a two punch combo.
Joseph throws a lazy head kick
and Banuwa cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
A head kick by Joseph misses
and Banuwa makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Joseph misses with a double jab
and Banuwa counters with a big head kick but Joseph shrugs it off.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Joseph misses with a combination
and Banuwa counters with a two punch combo.
Banuwa closes the distance looking to clinch

and Joseph counters with a head kick that drops Banuwa to the mat! Banuwa scrambles across the canvas and gets back to his feet, still wobbly!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Banuwa tries to clinch

and Joseph counters with a crisp right hand that drops Banuwa! Joseph lets Banuwa back up to his feet, looking for a finish!

It looks like Jimi Banuwa has been cut.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Banuwa closes the distance looking to clinch
and Joseph counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Banuwa thinking.
Joseph throws a sloppy head kick

and Banuwa holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Joseph wants to get back to striking at distance but Banuwa won't allow it.
Joseph on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Banuwa throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Joseph blocks it with crossed arms.
Banuwa misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Joseph.
Banuwa looking to throw knees to the head but Joseph is blocking nicely.
Banuwa keeps control of Joseph as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Banuwa tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Knees in the clinch landing for Banuwa.
Banuwa looks gassed!
Banuwa looking to throw knees to the head but Joseph is blocking nicely.

Joseph breaks from the clinch.
Mitchell Joseph seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Joseph misses with a leg kick

and Banuwa counters by moving into the clinch.

Joseph breaks from the clinch.
A head kick by Joseph misses
and Banuwa connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Banuwa tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Joseph manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Joseph throws a head kick that misses
and Banuwa counters with a one-two to the body.
A head kick by Joseph misses

and Banuwa counters by clinching up.
Joseph managing to block the knees to the body from Banuwa.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Banuwa unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Banuwa tries to land knees in the clinch but Joseph avoids the damage to the body.
Banuwa throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Joseph blocks it with crossed arms.
Joseph is looking to break free of the clinch but Banuwa has double underhooks.
Banuwa with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Mitchell Joseph will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Jimi Banuwa's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Joseph misses with a hook
and Banuwa counters with a head kick.
Joseph swings widly with a right hand

and Banuwa moves into the clinch.
Banuwa lands a knee to the body.
Banuwa using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Joseph has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Joseph blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Joseph wants to break the clinch but can't.
A knee to the head by Banuwa.

Joseph breaks from the clinch.
Joseph throws a sloppy head kick

and Banuwa counters by clinching up.

Joseph breaks from the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Joseph throws a lazy head kick

and Banuwa counters by clinching up.
Banuwa tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Banuwa tries to land knees in the clinch but Joseph avoids the damage to the body.
Banuwa is breathing heavily.
Banuwa trying to land knees to the body.
Joseph blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.

Joseph breaks the clinch.
Mitchell Joseph is winning the standup battle so far.
Joseph lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Joseph misses with a hook

and Banuwa holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Joseph wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Joseph has had enough of the clinch but Banuwa keeps him there for the moment.
Banuwa using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Banuwa missing with knees to the body.
Banuwa with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Joseph avoiding damage as Banuwa throws knees to the body.
Banuwa looking to throw knees to the head but Joseph is blocking nicely.
Banuwa tries to land knees in the clinch but Joseph avoids the damage to the body.
A frustrated look appears on Joseph's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Banuwa looking to throw knees to the head but Joseph is blocking nicely.
Banuwa using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Joseph has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Joseph is trying to break the clinch but Banuwa is controlling him.
Joseph working hard to break the clinch.

Joseph manages to break the clinch.
Joseph throws a sloppy head kick and Banuwa moves out of range easily.
Both fighters are looking to counter, which isn't making for the most exciting fight in the world.
Joseph throws a head kick that misses
and Banuwa counters with a one-two to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Joseph keeps the fight on the outside.
Joseph throws a sloppy body shot

and Banuwa counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Banuwa.
Joseph is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Banuwa tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Joseph avoids it.
Banuwa with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Banuwa tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Joseph avoids it.
Banuwa trying to land knees to the body.
Joseph is trying to break free.
Banuwa keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Joseph's efforts to push away.
Banuwa is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Joseph is defending well for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Joseph wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Joseph is trying to break free.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Banuwa obliges.
Banuwa misses with a knee to the head.
Joseph avoiding damage as Banuwa throws knees to the body.
Joseph working hard to break the clinch.
Banuwa tries to land knees in the clinch but Joseph avoids the damage to the body.
Banuwa with an attempt at a knee that misses.

Joseph breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Joseph closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Banuwa doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Jimi Banuwa will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Jimi Banuwa's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Joseph throws a right hand that Banuwa ducks under and follows up with a left that Banuwa also avoids with ease.
Joseph throws a lazy uppercut
and Banuwa counters with a two punch combo.
Banuwa fails with an attempt to clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Joseph misses with an uppercut

and Banuwa holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Banuwa looking to throw knees to the head but Joseph is blocking nicely.
Banuwa takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Banuwa with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Joseph managing to block the knees to the body from Banuwa.

Joseph breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Joseph throws a sloppy head kick

and Banuwa moves into the clinch.
Banuwa throws a knee to the head but misses.
Banuwa prevents Joseph from breaking the clinch.
Banuwa with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Banuwa lands a good knee to the midsection. Joseph won't want to take too many of those.
Banuwa misses with a knee strike.
Joseph wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Joseph is trying to break the clinch but Banuwa is controlling him.
A frustrated look appears on Joseph's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Joseph is trying to break the clinch but Banuwa is controlling him.
Banuwa tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Joseph is trying to break free.
Joseph looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

Joseph breaks from the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Joseph with a hook.
Joseph throws a right and a left that Banuwa avoids nicely.
Joseph throws a head kick but Banuwa moves out of range.
Banuwa tries to clinch up
and Joseph connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

That has opened up Jimi Banuwa's cut even more.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Joseph moves out of range of the leg kick from Banuwa.
Banuwa on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Joseph tries a head kick but it misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Good work by Banuwa as he checks the leg kick.
Joseph misses with a series of wild punches.
Joseph scores with a head kick. Banuwa tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mitchell Joseph showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Joseph 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 Andi Peters scores the fight 30:28
Judge Gordon Ramsey scores the fight 30:27
Judge Frank Skinner scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mitchell Joseph!