PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ben Backman (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Johannah Holmbom (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Backman
vs
Holmbom

184 cm
25
220 lbs
12 - 6 - 0

187 cm
22
220 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
World class boxer
Very quick

Decent wrestler
Great elbows
Good gas tank

GTI - 1337 sponsors VERSUS

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 12 - 6 - 0, fighting out of London, Ben Backman!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, Johannah Holmbom!
The judges for this bout are Colin Fotheringham, James Atkins and Richard Clark.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Holmbom uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Backman.
Holmbom wants to clinch.
Backman lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Holmbom circles away quickly and effectively.
Backman avoids the head kick by Holmbom.
Holmbom slips a jab and a cross from Backman.
Backman throws a sloppy head kick and Holmbom moves out of range easily.
A head kick misses from Backman.
Holmbom tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Backman looks to score with a jab to the body but Holmbom is just out of range.
Backman rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Holmbom moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Holmbom moves out of range of the strikes.
Holmbom wants to clinch up but Backman keeps it at a distance.
Backman throws a jab when Holmbom was well out of range.
Holmbom throws a head kick that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Backman throws a left and a right that both miss
and Holmbom counters with a nice body kick.
Holmbom turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Holmbom moves out of range as Backman strikes.
Backman throws a sloppy head kick and Holmbom moves out of range easily.
Backman misses with a series of wild punches.
Holmbom's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Backman connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Holmbom scrambles back to his feet.
Holmbom buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Backman fails to land with a series of punches.
Backman keeps the fight on the outside.
Holmbom tries to clinch up.
A big right from Backman misses.
Holmbom throws a quick inside leg kick.
Holmbom tries to close the distance and clinch up but Backman swats him away and circles back towards the center.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Backman circles away from the clinch attempt.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Backman connects with a crisp jab.
Holmbom moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Holmbom tries to clinch but Backman moves out of range.
Backman throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Holmbom counters with a big head kick but Backman shrugs it off.
Backman misses with a hook. Holmbom ducked under it nicely.
A nice leg kick lands there from Holmbom.
Holmbom slips under a jab from Backman.
Backman misses with a hook. Holmbom ducked under it nicely.

Holmbom moves into the clinch successfully.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Holmbom.
Holmbom lands a nice elbow from the clinch.

It looks like Ben Backman has been cut.
Backman blocks the elbow strike.
Holmbom throws an elbow but it's blocked.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Backman looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
With the fighters up against the cage, Holmbom throws an elbow but misses.
Backman is trying to break free.
Backman dodges an elbow strike from Holmbom.
Backman wants to break free but Holmbom has control.
Backman tries to break the clinch but Holmbom is controlling the position.
Backman blocks an elbow strike from Holmbom.
Holmbom looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Holmbom pushes off an throws an elbow but Backman leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Holmbom lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Backman drops down looking for an ankle pick but Holmbom pulls his leg out and moves away.
Backman blocks a head kick by Holmbom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Holmbom.
A slapping body kick lands there for Holmbom.
Backman misses with a body shot.
A jab from Backman misses.
Ben Backman seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Backman throws a series of punches but Holmbom avoids them all with ease.
Holmbom thumps Backman with a low kick.
Holmbom throws a head kick but Backman moves out of range.
Holmbom doesn't manage to clinch there - Backman circles away.
Backman lands with an overhand left.
Holmbom throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Backman's head.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Backman jabbing away but nothing is landing.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Holmbom looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Holmbom avoids the body shot from Backman.
A jab from Backman does it's job there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Johannah Holmbom dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Ben Backman's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Backman throws a poor cross that misses

and Holmbom counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Holmbom is trying to maintain a safe position but Backman gets an underhook and turns Holmbom into the cage.
Holmbom throws an elbow but it misses.
Holmbom pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Backman wants to break the clinch but can't.
Backman wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Holmbom just misses with a elbow thrown towards Backman's brow.
Holmbom has Backman pressed against the cage, preventing Backman from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Holmbom creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Holmbom throws an elbow that misses.
Backman tries to break free but Holmbom pushes him back against the cage.
Holmbom is looking to control Backman's arms but Backman gets an underhook and turns him. Now Holmbom has his back to the cage.
Backman can't break the clinch.
Backman tries to break free but Holmbom pushes him back against the cage.
Backman blocks the elbow strike.
Holmbom misses with an elbow strike.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Holmbom lands an elbow inside.
Holmbom stops a takedown attempt from Backman.

Backman manages to break the clinch.
Backman avoids the head kick by Holmbom.
Backman looks for the body kick but Holmbom saw that one coming.
The fight stays on the outside here - Holmbom looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Backman scores with a jab to the head.

It looks like Johannah Holmbom has been cut.
Backman misses with a few strikes there.
Holmbom throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Holmbom tries to close the distance and clinch up but Backman swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Ben Backman is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Backman slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Holmbom tries to close the distance and clinch up but Backman swats him away and circles back towards the center.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Holmbom ducks under a wild hook from Backman.
Backman lands a glancing blow to the side of Holmbom's head.
A cross from Backman lands.
Johannah Holmbom seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Holmbom throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
Holmbom throws a head kick that looked like it stung.

Ben Backman's cut is getting worse.
Backman tries to bum rush Holmbom with a series of wild strikes but Holmbom uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Backman misses with a two punch combination.

Holmbom clinches up against the cage.
Backman blocks an elbow strike from Holmbom.
Holmbom lands an elbow that stopped Backman in his tracks for a moment.
Holmbom keeps control of Backman as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Holmbom throws an elbow but it misses.

Backman's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Backman cracks a nice hook into Holmbom's ribs.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Backman tries to bum rush Holmbom with a series of wild strikes but Holmbom uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Holmbom scoring well with a low kick there.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Holmbom is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Holmbom is looking to clinch.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Backman avoids the elbow strike from Holmbom, against the cage.
Holmbom throws an elbow that misses.
Holmbom pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Backman blocks the elbow strike.
Backman avoids a wild elbow strike from Holmbom.
Holmbom pushes off an throws an elbow but Backman leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
With the fighters up against the cage, Holmbom throws an elbow but misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Backman takes an elbow to the forehead.
Holmbom misses with an elbow strike.
Backman is looking to take this one to the mat.
With the fighters up against the cage, Holmbom throws an elbow but misses.
Holmbom throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Backman tries to break free but Holmbom pushes him back against the cage.

Backman breaks from the clinch.
Backman looks to throw the jab but Holmbom is out of range.
Backman digs a good hook to Holmbom's body.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Holmbom doesn't manage to clinch there - Backman circles away.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Holmbom tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Backman paws at him with a jab and circles away.
A combination from Backman does no damage.
Backman misses with a two punch combination.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Johannah Holmbom showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
That's time! Backman's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Holmbom tries to close the distance and clinch up but Backman swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Holmbom is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Backman misses with a looping right.
Holmbom takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Holmbom uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Backman.
Holmbom wants to land a leg kick but Backman is out of range.
Holmbom moves in looking to clinch but Backman pushes him off.
Both fighters circling a little - Holmbom finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Backman circles away from the clinch attempt.
Holmbom blocks a low kick nicely.

Holmbom has managed to clinch.
Backman avoids the elbow strike from Holmbom, against the cage.
Backman blocks an elbow strike from Holmbom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Backman blocks an elbow strike from Holmbom.
Holmbom creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Backman avoids a wild elbow strike from Holmbom.
Holmbom misses with an elbow over the top.

Backman manages to break the clinch.
Backman wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Backman tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Holmbom throws a nice inside leg kick.
Backman lands a jab.
Holmbom tries to clinch there but Backman circles away.
Backman scores with a jab.
A slapping leg kick lands for Holmbom.
Ben Backman has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Backman misses with the combination.
Backman misses with a body shot.
Holmbom tries to close the distance and clinch up but Backman swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Holmbom tries to clinch but Backman moves out of range.
Backman scores with a body shot.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Holmbom connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Holmbom goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Holmbom misses with an attempted mid kick.

Holmbom instigates a clinch.
Holmbom looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Backman blocks an elbow strike from Holmbom.
Backman blocks an elbow strike.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Holmbom creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Backman is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Backman wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Holmbom creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Holmbom just misses with a elbow thrown towards Backman's brow.
Nice elbow from Holmbom.
Backman blocks the elbow strike.
Backman lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Holmbom backwards.
Backman avoids the elbow strike from Holmbom, against the cage.
Backman is trying to break free.
Backman tries to circle away but Holmbom has him pinned against the cage.
Johannah Holmbom seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Holmbom lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.

Ben Backman's cut is bleeding quite badly. He's got to try and protect it.
Backman has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Holmbom misses with an elbow over the top.
Holmbom throws an elbow that misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Backman wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Holmbom has him pressed against the cage.
Holmbom creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Backman's defenses.

Jeez, Ben Backman's cut is really nasty now. The referee must be thinking about getting that checked.
Holmbom throws an elbow but it misses.
Backman is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Holmbom lands an elbow inside.

The referee calls the doctor in to look at Ben Backman's cut. Oh no, the doctor has called an end to the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:32 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Cut). Johannah Holmbom!