PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Josh James (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jorge Ben (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The atmosphere really building for this one as we go over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

James
vs
Ben

196 cm
23
270 lbs
9 - 3 - 0

195 cm
28
273 lbs
8 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter striker
Very quick

BJJ Blue Belt
Dangerous knees
Heavy handed

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 9 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Josh James!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Jorge Ben!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Cesar, Luis Engracia and Alexandre Firmino.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
James circles away from the clinch attempt

and James counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

Ben breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Ben fails in his attempt to clinch.
Ben fakes a jab and throws a low kick but James checks it well.
Good standup being displayed there by Ben as he connects with a hook.

It looks like Josh James has been cut.
James chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Ben can pounce on him.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Ben tries to close the distance and clinch up but James swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Ben tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Ben tries to clinch up

and James counters by clinching up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
James tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Ben comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Ben misses with a knee strike.

James lands a takedown into guard.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Ben preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
James won't allow Ben to get back to his feet.
James has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
James trying to control but Ben is working from the bottom.
James missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
James loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
James throws a big right hand that misses.
James throwing strikes from guard but Ben blocks nicely.
James trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Ben is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst James is controlling him.
James working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Jamesis looking to pass into half guard but Ben pushes him away with his feet and jumps on top - now Ben is in guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
James not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Ben wants to stand but James is controlling his posture from full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
James looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Ben would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
James tries to land a sweep but no joy.
James looking to control.
Ben won't allow James to sweep him here.
Ben wants to get up but he can't break James's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
James looking for a sweep. Not yet James, not yet.
Ben being controlled here momentarily.
Ben must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

We're going to have a standup here because Josh James wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Ben fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
James on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.

Ben drops James with a beautiful combination! James stares up at his opponent, who ushers him back to his feet - Ben is looking for the KO!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Ben moves in looking to clinch but James pushes him off.
Ben checks the leg kick.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Ben wants to clinch up but James keeps it at a distance.
A right-left combo lands from Ben.
Ben tries to clinch up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jorge Ben dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Josh James'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.

James circles away from the clinch attempt.
Jorge Ben seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Ben is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
James is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Ben.
Ben is looking to clinch.

Ben has managed to clinch.
Ben lands a nice elbow.
Ben tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
James blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.

Ben breaks the clinch.
Ben tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and James cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ben misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

Ben drops James with a beautiful combination! James stares up at his opponent, who ushers him back to his feet - Ben is looking for the KO!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
James showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Ben.
James takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Ben wants to clinch up but James keeps it at a distance.
Ben explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Ben ducks down and throws a hook to the body but James moves away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ben fails in his attempt to clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Ben looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
James takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
James circles away from the clinch attempt.
A slow jab from James misses its intended target.
Ben tries to clinch up.
Ben misses with a body shot.
Ben wants to clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

James closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Ben lands a good knee to the midsection. James won't want to take too many of those.
Ben lands a knee to the head.
Ben lands an elbow inside that James shrugs off.
Ben gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from James.
A knee to the head by Ben.

Josh James's cut is getting worse.
Ben using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Ben with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Ben lands a knee to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ben connects with a nasty looking knee right to James's face.
Ben landing knees to the body.

Ben drops James with a big knee straight up the middle! James is covering up against the cage but manages to escape and gets back to his feet!

James is rocked!
Ben tries to close the distance and clinch up but James swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Oh James is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Ben tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. James manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
James seems to have got his legs back now.
Ben throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Ben keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Ben lands with an overhand left.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Ben tries to clinch but James is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jorge Ben showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Josh James's cut.
That's time! Back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

James swats away the attempt to clinch by Ben.
Ben with a hook.
Ben tries to clinch
and James counters with a nice uppercut.
Ben moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Ben jabs at James's body.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Ben.
Jorge Ben seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Ben lands a nice looking kick to the body. James takes a step back to recover.
Ben tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. James manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ben tries to close the distance and clinch but James swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Ben misses with a two punch combination.
Ben tries a head kick but it misses.
Ben lands with a shot to the body.

Ben moves into the clinch successfully.

Ben breaks from the clinch.
Ben digs a good hook to James's body.
James is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Ben.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Ben will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

Ben gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
James tries for a takedown. No joy.
Ben lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Ben prevents James from breaking the clinch.
Ben with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Ben tries a knee to the head but James blocks it.
Ben comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
James drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Ben connects with a knee to the head.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Ben.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
James misses with some punches.
A left hand lands to the body for Ben.
Ben with a knee to the head.
Ben lands a knee to the body.
Ben landing knees to the head.

Ben escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Ben is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Ben with a hook.
Ben looks to score with a jab to the body but James is just out of range.
Ben lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
James throws a shot from downtown. Ben moves away and avoids it.
Josh James has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
James lands with a shot to the body.
James fails with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Josh James. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Ben closes the distance but James moves to the side

and James decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Ben's guard.
Jorge Ben is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
James stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Ben swivels though and keeps the full guard.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!

And that's the end of the fight!
Jorge Ben comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Ben winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Daniel Cesar scores the fight 26:30
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight 26:30
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jorge Ben!