PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Bj Penn (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rickson Araujo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Penn comes to the cage accompanied by The Matrix. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Penn
vs
Araujo

170 cm
29
195 lbs
5 - 6 - 0

186 cm
26
203 lbs
15 - 10 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Solid boxing
Insanely flexible

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Powerful

Charlie Wang's Nutrition and 95 % Laundry

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Bj Penn!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Rickson Araujo!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Timothy Bukovac and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Penn takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Rickson Araujo seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Penn fails to land with a series of punches.
Araujo scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Penn takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Penn fails with the takedown.
Araujo lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Araujo scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Penn looks to throw a body kick
and Araujo counters with a good low kick that Penn was not able to check.
Penn throws a hook to the side of Araujo's head but Araujo sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Araujo throws a head kick that half lands.
Penn takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Araujo looks to land a combination but Penn avoids it well.
Penn showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Araujo.
Penn misses with a series of wild punches.
Penn blocks a head kick by Araujo.
Araujo lands with an overhand left.
Penn tries to clinch up but Araujo circles away and keeps his distance.
Rickson Araujo is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Araujo throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Araujo moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Penn rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Araujo moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Penn throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Penn fails to land with a series of punches.
Araujo throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Penn fails to land with a series of punches.
Araujo throws a head kick that misses.
Araujo lands a high kick!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Penn dives in and grabs Araujo's left leg, looking for a takedown. Araujo pushes down on Penn's head and hops out.
Araujo goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Araujo throws a series of punches but Penn moves out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Araujo fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Penn slips a jab and a cross from Araujo.
Araujo looks gassed!
Araujo throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
Penn misses with a series of wild punches.
Araujo takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Penn shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Araujo counters with a thumping low kick.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bj Penn. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Araujo lands with a right hand.
Araujo lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Penn circles away quickly and effectively.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Araujo connects with a leg kick. Penn looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Araujo throws a nice looking combination but Penn bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Araujo lands with a nice combination. Penn backs away looking to recover.
Araujo lands with an uppercut that bounces Penn off the cage and back into range.
Araujo is looking to slow Penn down with leg kicks.
Penn fails to land the takedown.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Penn gets a clinch.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!

Penn pulls guard effortlessly.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Penn trying to keep a closed guard but Araujo is proving a slippery customer.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rickson Araujo dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Penn fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Penn wants to clinch up but Araujo keeps it at a distance.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Araujo, right into the meat.
Penn swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Penn avoids the head kick by Araujo.
Araujo has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Penn swings for the body but Araujo moves out of range.
Penn takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Araujo connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Araujo scores with a nice right hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Araujo feints and then cracks Penn's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Penn down.
Penn tries to move into range but Araujo moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Penn tries to close the distance and clinch but Araujo swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Rickson Araujo seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Penn takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Penn moves in looking to clinch but Araujo pushes him off.
Araujo lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Araujo.
Araujo lands a lovely overhand right.
Araujo scores with a jab to the body.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Araujo throws a right hand that Penn ducks under and follows up with a left that Penn also avoids with ease.
Good leg kick by Araujo there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Penn fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Araujo lands a head kick!
Araujo scores with a jab. Penn acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Horrible takedown by Penn or perhaps it was just good defense by Araujo which made him look bad.
Araujo misses with a jab, cross combination.
Araujo thumps Penn with a low kick.
Penn takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Penn rushes Araujo and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Araujo's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Bj Penn is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Penn closes the distance and clinches up with Araujo, looking for a takedown. Penn pushes Araujo against the cage but Araujo circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bj Penn. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Nice uppercut there from Araujo.
Penn wants to clinch but Araujo slips to the side
and Araujo counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Araujo takes a swing at Penn's ribcage but misses.
Araujo wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Penn misses with a few strikes there.
Araujo is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Araujo lands a leg kick that knocks Penn off balance momentarily.
Araujo connects with a solid leg kick.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

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!
Araujo lands a slapping body shot.
Penn will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Araujo lands with a nice combination. Penn backs away looking to recover.
Araujo lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Penn looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Penn shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Araujo but Araujo pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Araujo lands a high kick!
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Araujo closes the distance and lands a one-two.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rickson Araujo showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

A left lands for Araujo.
Penn fails to land with a series of punches.
Penn is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Penn chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Araujo can pounce on him.
Araujo has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Penn misses with a takedown attempt - Araujo sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Araujo circles away from the clinch attempt.
Araujo lands a jab to Penn's midsection.
Penn takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Araujo throws a combination. Penn tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Araujo moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Araujo lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.

Penn clinches.
A short right from Araujo on the inside.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Penn.

Araujo breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Araujo showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Penn.
Araujo lands a nice looking body shot.
Penn misses with a double jab
and Araujo counters with an inside leg kick.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Penn is defended easily by Araujo.
Penn shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Araujo sprawls well. Araujo wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Penn gets slowly back to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bj Penn. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Araujo delivers a nice body kick.
Araujo throws a nice head kick!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Araujo scores with a hook.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A punch combination from Penn misses.
Araujo punishes Penn's body with a nice straight punch.
Araujo scores with a leg kick.
Araujo with a nice cross.
Penn will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Penn fails with the takedown
and Araujo counters with a head kick. That will keep Penn thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!

Penn is rocked!
Araujo lands a glancing blow to the side of Penn's head.
Araujo leaves Penn with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Penn takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Oh Penn is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Araujo lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Penn seems to have got his legs back now.
Araujo connects with a nice looking jab.
Araujo goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Rickson Araujo is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Araujo pushes Penn away with a front kick.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Penn.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Araujo throws a good cross that connects.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rickson Araujo comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Araujo 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 Don Winkell scores the fight 27:30
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 27:30
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rickson Araujo!