PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between BJ Penn (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Howie Mandell (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Mandell has chosen Yes as his entrance music. Howie Mandell has the eye of the tiger tonight.

Penn
vs
Mandell

176 cm
23
160 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

177 cm
20
160 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Improved boxing
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 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 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Howie Mandell!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, Timothy Bukovac and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mandell swings for the body but Penn moves out of range.
Mandell avoids a punch combination nicely.
Some wild striking there from Penn.
Howie Mandell seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Mandell fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Penn, pushing him back against the cage.

Mandell escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Mandell tries to close the distance and clinch but Penn swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Penn blocks a head kick by Mandell.

Mandell takes the fight into the clinch.

Mandell has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Penn is trying to keep an underhook but Mandell manages to get the takedown into half guard.
Mandell frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Penn tries to reverse the position but Mandell maintains control.
Mandell lands a heavy elbow.
Mandell throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Penn tries to reverse the position but Mandell maintains control.
Penn regains half guard.

Penn looking for submissions off his back.
Mandell seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mandell throwing shots but Penn is blocking nicely.
Mandell trying to control from half guard but Penn is working away.
Penn regains full guard. Nicely done.

Penn working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Mandell has passed into half guard!
Penn trying to control but Mandell postures up.
Penn is trying to get back to full guard.
Mandell missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

Penn is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Mandell pulls his head out easily.
Penn is breathing heavily.
Mandell thows a huge punch but Penn dodges it nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Mandell looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Penn with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Mandell passes the guard and advances to mount!
Penn takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Mandell breaks from Penn's wrist control and lands an elbow.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Mandell cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Mandell in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Penn tries to hold on but Mandell postures up.
Penn is in a bad position, trying to hold on for dear life but he is really struggling to maintain any sort of control.
Mandell fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Penn in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Mandell lands a nice shot to the head.
Mandell scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Mandell landing strikes, looking to finish!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mandell dominating with strikes here.
Penn in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Mandell connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Mandell lands with some strikes.
Penn takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Penn is wriggling around trying to escape.
Penn gets back to half guard.
Mandell missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Mandell thows a huge punch but Penn dodges it nicely.
Mandell throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Penn is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Mandell's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Mandell's back!
Penn is landing with strikes from the back.

Mandell defends a rear naked choke attempt by controlling one of Penn's arms.
Mandell wants to control his opponent's hands but Penn gets his hands free.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Penn is working for the rear naked choke. He has one arm under the chin but Mandell has hold of the other arm. A bit of a stalemate here.
Penn doesn't have the hooks in and Mandell manages to turn into his guard.
Mandell trying to control but Penn is working from the bottom.

Penn is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Penn has momentary wrist control but Mandell slips an elbow through the middle.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Mandell trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Mandell trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

Penn looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Mandell trying to control the position from guard on top but Penn is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
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 BJ Penn will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Mandell tries to clinch there but Penn circles away.
Penn rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Mandell moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Penn checks a leg kick.
Penn throws a right and a left that Mandell avoids nicely.
A jab from Penn does it's job there.
Penn's corner calls for a 1-2. Penn obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Penn lands a jab to the head.
Mandell tries to clinch but Penn is having none of it.
Penn throws a right and a left that Mandell avoids nicely.
Penn misses with a jab, cross combination.
Mandell throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
letting Penn counter with a right hand.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Penn misses with a double jab

and Mandell counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Penn!
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Penn wants to control but Mandell is having none of it.
Mandell is landing with some decent strikes but Penn is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mandell unloads with some shots from mount but Penn bucks and avoids them well.
Penn really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Penn is trying to escape but when you're mounted that's not too easy.
Mandell landing punches.
Mandell landing strikes from the mount.
Mandell has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Penn's face.
Mandell cracks Penn with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Penn wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
Penn is desperately trying to improve his position but Mandell has a good base and remains in mount.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Mandell cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
A nice elbow there by Mandell.
Penn tries to reverse the position but Mandell maintains control.
Penn taking shots to the head.
Mandell lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Mandell misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Mandell looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Mandell thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
Mandell scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Mandell looking to ground and pound but Penn is blocking nicely.
Penn keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mandell fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Penn keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Mandell trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Penn is working to get back to half guard.
Mandell working Penn over with strikes here.
Penn sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.

Mandell stands up out of the half guard.
Mandell is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Mandell swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Penn counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Penn swinging wilding here.

Mandell darts in and clinches Penn up against the cage.
Mandell using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Penn has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Penn wants to break free but Mandell has control.
Penn blocks the elbow strike.
Mandell prevents Penn from breaking the clinch.

Mandell has hold of one of Penn's legs. Penn is fighting the takedown attempt but Mandell gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Penn is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Mandell is controlling him.
Mandell stopping the sweep attempt from Penn.
Penn controls Mandell momentarily but Mandell frees himself.
Mandell throws a big right hand that misses.

Mandell avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Howie Mandell showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Mandell closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Mandell breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Penn misses with the combination.
Penn lands with a cross.
Penn misses with a few strikes there.
Penn misses with a few strikes there.
Penn falls off balance throwing a combination

and Mandell counters by clinching up.
Mandell landing knees to the head.
Mandell controlling the action here for a moment.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Mandell connects with a nasty looking knee right to Penn's face.
Mandell lands a body shot.
Mandell keeps control of Penn as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Mandell tightens his grip and picks Penn up, before dumping him to the ground. Penn manages to land in guard.

Penn looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Mandell passes into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mandell working the head and body with strikes.
Penn is looking to control Mandell's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Penn avoid being mounted?
Penn pushes Mandell off looking to stand but Mandell dives back in and keeps control.
Penn is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Penn wants to get back to full guard but Mandell has mounted him!
Penn is bucking up trying to escape but Mandell cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Mandell unloading with bombs!
Mandell landing strikes from the mount.
Poor strikes thrown by Mandell there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!
Mandell throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Mandell throws some wild stikes that Penn manages to avoid easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Penn is looking to get to half guard.
Mandell working the ground and pound effectively.
Penn is working to get back to half guard.
A nice elbow there by Mandell.
BOOM! Mandell connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Penn is looking to get to half guard.
Mandell lands a heavy elbow.
Penn is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Mandell lands a big shot there that rocks Penn but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Penn is trying to escape the mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mandell fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Howie Mandell has got the better of the ground game so far.
Mandell scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Penn?
Penn is desperately trying to improve his position but Mandell has a good base and remains in mount.
The referee warns Penn that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Mandell scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Penn?
Penn is working to get back to half guard.
Mandell scores with a couple of good head shots there.

Mandell working for a submission but Penn is keeping him at bay.
Penn regains half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Mandell looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Penn with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Penn is pressing down on Mandell's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Penn is trying to keep Mandell in close.

Penn looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Mandell passes into side control.
Penn tries to get back to half guard but can't.

Mandell tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Mandell has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Penn manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Howie Mandell comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Mandell 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 Jack Bonds scores the fight 28:29
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 28:29
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Howie Mandell!