PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Rickie Banks (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jeff Wood (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The fight MMA fans around the world have waited their entire lives for!

Banks
vs
Wood

178 cm
21
170 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

188 cm
25
185 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ Brown Belt
Basic striking
Very confident

5th Round Clothing

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Rickie Banks!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Jeff Wood!
The judges for this bout are Ryoma Takatsuka, Josh West and Jeff Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Wood gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Banks has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Banks preventing the sweep.
Banks controlling from the top position.
Banks pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Wood is keeping the position for now.
Banks slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.

We're going to have a standup here because Rickie Banks wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Banks blocks a jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Wood misses with a wild combination.

Banks clinches up with Wood and pushes him back against the cage.

Banks jumps guard.
Wood wants to control from the top but Banks keeps moving.
Wood wants to get up but he can't break Banks's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Banks preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Wood working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Banks looking for a sweep. Not yet Banks, not yet.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Banks not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

Wood has gone for a leg lock! Banks slips out almost immediately though and dives into Wood's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wood looking to hit a scissor sweep but Banks is one step ahead there.
Wood working a defensive guard but Banks manages to pass into side control anyway.
Banks controls the position.
Banks working away.
Wood sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Wood is staying active underneath Banks, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Wood works his way to full guard. Good work.
Banks wants to control from the top but Wood keeps moving.
Banks looking to pass the guard.
Wood tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Wood is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Banks defends well.
Wood wants to get back to his feet but Banks is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wood will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Wood is trying to keep Banks in close.
Banks knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Wood on the ground.
Banks preventing the sweep.
Wood keeping moving, preventing Banks from controlling successfully.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Banks pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.

Banks gets a double leg takedown into Wood's guard.
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 Rickie Banks 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.

Horrible takedown by Wood or perhaps it was just good defense by Banks which made him look bad.
Wood swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Wood throws a nice looking combination but Banks bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Wood misses with a straight right.

Banks drives through with a takedown into Wood's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Banks controlling from the top position.
Banks stopping the sweep attempt from Wood.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Wood is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Banks is controlling him.
Rickie Banks overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Rickie Banks.
Wood misses with a jab, cross combination.
A jab from Wood finds it's way through Banks's defenses.
A leg kick checked by Wood.

Banks changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Wood looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Wood sneaks back into half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Banks tries to stand but can't do so whilst Wood controls his leg.
Wood is staying active underneath Banks, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Wood regains full guard. Nicely done.
Banks wants to pass the guard but Wood is keeping the position.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Wood wants to stand but Banks is controlling the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Banks won't allow Wood to sweep him here.
Wood keeping full guard, as Banks tries to pass.
Wood keeping moving, preventing Banks from controlling successfully.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Rickie Banks wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Banks's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Wood connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Banks scrambles back to his feet.
Jab from Wood.
Rickie Banks is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Some wild striking there from Wood.
Wood listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
No joy there for Wood, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Banks on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Wood. Wood obviously looking to wear him down.

Banks darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Banks not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Wood moves into full guard.
Wood working a defensive guard here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Wood escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Banks gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Jeff Wood will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Wood throws a series of punches but Banks moves out of range.
Wood throws a series of punches but Banks moves out of range.
Wood takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.

Banks closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Wood to the mat! Wood manages to get full guard.
Wood keeping moving, preventing Banks from controlling successfully.
Banks stands up over Wood, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Wood is looking to stand up but Banks isn't so interested in that idea.

Banks gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Banks avoids a punch combination nicely.

Banks changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Wood looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Banks working away.
Banks just content to control the position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Banks in side control lands a decent elbow.
Wood struggling a bit here.
Wood throws a couple of punches but he's in a bad position and they don't land.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Banks decides to stand up, so the ref orders Wood to his feet.
Wood throws a right hand that Banks ducks under and follows up with a left that Banks also avoids with ease.

Banks clinches with his opponent.
Wood wants to stall.
Wood misses with a knee to the head.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Wood using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Banks has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Wood wants to stall.
Banks taking a break, stalling in the clinch.

Banks's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Banks shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Wood is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Wood is bucking up trying to escape but Banks cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Wood is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Banks controlling from mount.
Wood is bucking up trying to escape but Banks cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Banks can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Wood is looking to escape.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wood is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
A nice elbow there by Banks.
Wood is looking to get to half guard.
Wood is really trying hard to get back to his feet.
This has been an exciting period of action!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Banks avoids the attempt from Wood to control.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rickie Banks showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Banks 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 Ryoma Takatsuka scores the fight 28:29
Judge Josh West scores the fight 29:28
Judge Jeff Smith scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Rickie Banks!