PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Jeremy Bentham (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dragos Ilie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Bentham comes to the cage accompanied by Jester. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Bentham
vs
Ilie

198 cm
29
205 lbs
15 - 3 - 0

192 cm
23
223 lbs
8 - 5 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

xXx - Voodoo Labs - 159+ Energy - $45
RAW Nutrition * Recovery 159 : 60$ *

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 15 - 3 - 0, fighting out of London, Jeremy Bentham!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 5 - 0, fighting out of London, Dragos Ilie!
The judges for this bout are Steven Brown, Andrew Berry and Chris Edwards.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Bentham moves into the clinch.
Bentham prevents Ilie from breaking the clinch.

Ilie escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Dragos Ilie seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Ilie lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Bentham at a distance.
Bentham tries to clinch there but Ilie circles away.
Ilie clobbers Bentham with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Ilie scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
A slapping leg kick lands for Ilie.
The fight stays on the outside here - Bentham looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Ilie with a hook.
Ilie buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bentham tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Ilie paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Bentham tries to close the distance and clinch but Ilie swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Ilie rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Bentham moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Ilie lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Bentham tries to clinch up but Ilie circles away and keeps his distance.
Bentham moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.

Bentham moves into the clinch successfully.
Bentham misses with a knee strike.
Bentham looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Bentham throws a knee to the head but misses.
Bentham tries to land a knee to the head but Ilie blocks with his arms.
Ilie wants a takedown but no success here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Ilie has picked Bentham up - he's going for a ride! Ilie dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Ilie throwing shots but Bentham is blocking nicely.
Ilie lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Bentham is staying active underneath Ilie, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

Ilie is working for a submission of some sort.
Ilie missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Ilie trying to advance position but Bentham counters by regaining guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ilie throws an elbow that misses. Bentham uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Ilie's guard. Nice move by Bentham!
Ilie throws some shots to the body, keeping his opponent honest.
Ilie keeping moving, preventing Bentham from controlling successfully.
Ilie is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Bentham trying to control the position from guard on top but Ilie is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Ilie looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bentham wants to stand and escape but instead Ilie has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Ilie throwing strikes but missing.
Bentham preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Bentham keeping moving, preventing Ilie from controlling successfully.
Bentham working a defensive guard but Ilie passes into half guard.
Ilie landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Ilie throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Ilie is keen to just control but Bentham is a slippery customer.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Ilie throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dragos Ilie dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Bentham pushes Ilie up against the cage in a clinch.
Bentham pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Bentham using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Ilie has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Bentham misses with a knee to the head.
Ilie wants to break the clinch but can't.
Bentham with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Knees in the clinch landing for Bentham.
Ilie blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Bentham tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Ilie avoids it.
Bentham with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Bentham tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Bentham keeps control of Ilie as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Ilie is looking to take this one to the mat.
Ilie is trying to force a seperation but Bentham has the dominant position.
Bentham unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Bentham with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Bentham with an attempt at a knee that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bentham tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Ilie avoids the elbow strike from Bentham, against the cage.
Bentham looking to throw knees to the head but Ilie is blocking nicely.
Bentham using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Ilie has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Bentham tries to land a knee to the head but Ilie blocks with his arms.
Bentham tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Bentham tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Ilie can't break the clinch.
Bentham throws an elbow that misses.
With the fighters up against the cage, Bentham throws an elbow but misses.
Ilie is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Bentham tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Bentham throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Ilie blocks it with crossed arms.
Ilie tries to circle away but Bentham has him pinned against the cage.

Ilie is trying to trip Bentham. He has hold of a leg but Bentham is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Ilie persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Ilie postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ilie throws a big right hand that misses.

Ilie is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Bentham is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Bentham has escaped and now he's on top!
Ilie working a defensive guard here.
Dragos Ilie has got the better of the ground game so far.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Ilie is on top in guard.
Ilie throws an elbow that misses. Bentham uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Ilie's guard. Nice move by Bentham!
Ilie wants to sweep here but Bentham controlling him for the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ilie is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Ilie trying to strike off his back.
Ilie has a closed guard, preventing Bentham from standing up.
Bentham has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Bentham controls from within his opponent's guard.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Ilie is on top in guard.
Ilie has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Bentham controls Ilie momentarily but Ilie frees himself.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ilie throws an elbow that misses. Bentham uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Ilie's guard. Nice move by Bentham!
Ilie tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Bentham looking to pass the guard.
Bentham stopping the sweep attempt from Ilie.
Bentham trying to control the position from guard on top but Ilie is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Ilie trying to control the position.
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 Jeremy Bentham will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Ilie digs a good body shot into Bentham's ribs.
Ilie misses with a straight left.
Bentham wants to clinch
and Ilie counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Bentham tries to clinch up but Ilie circles away and keeps his distance.
Bentham wants to clinch up but Ilie keeps it at a distance.
Ilie throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Ilie darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Ilie misses with a hook

and Bentham counters by moving into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ilie wants to get back to striking at distance but Bentham won't allow it.

Ilie breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Bentham tries to clinch
and Ilie counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Bentham closes the distance but Ilie moves to the side
and Ilie counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Bentham wants to clinch up but Ilie keeps it at a distance.
Ilie throws a leg kick but Bentham sees it coming and moves out of range.
Bentham wants to clinch.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Ilie!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ilie shoots for a double leg takedown but Bentham sprawls well. He's pushed Ilie's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Bentham wants to clinch.
Bentham takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.

Ilie shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Ilie missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ilie lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Ilie trying to control the action but Bentham is working from the bottom.
Ground and pound from Ilie.
Jeremy Bentham has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Ilie thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Bentham's head.
Ilie prevents Bentham from standing back up.
Ilie landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Ilie missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Ilie seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Bentham does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Ilie throws a strike but Bentham avoids it easily and moves to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ilie slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Bentham parries the strikes from Ilie easily there. Ilie is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Bentham to escape.
Ilie trying to control the action but Bentham is working from the bottom.

Ilie thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

Ilie is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Bentham has escaped the position, nice work there.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Ilie is looking to take a break and control but Bentham is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
Dragos Ilie comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Ilie has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Steven Brown scores the fight for Dragos Ilie!
Judge Andrew Berry scores the fight for Dragos Ilie!
Judge Chris Edwards scores the fight for Dragos Ilie!

Dragos Ilie wins by unanimous decision!
Dragos Ilie managed to slip a mention for his sponsors, RAW Nutrition * Recovery 159 : 60$ *, into his post fight interview.