PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Brad Bennett (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Christian Birchmont (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Bennett kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Shipping Up to Boston. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Bennett
vs
Birchmont

176 cm
26
162 lbs
13 - 4 - 0

177 cm
28
147 lbs
16 - 13 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the lightweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 13 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Brad Bennett!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 16 - 13 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Christian Birchmont!
The judges for this bout are Winston Howard, Skip Squint and Bruno Hogan.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Birchmont takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Birchmont listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Bennett cracks Birchmont with an open hand slap.
Birchmont fails with an attempt to clinch.
Birchmont takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Birchmont is looking to clinch but Bennett is avoiding it.
Birchmont slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Birchmont swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Birchmont fails with an attempt to clinch.
Bennett scores with a hook to the body. Birchmont takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Birchmont throws a shot from downtown. Bennett moves away and avoids it.

Bennett looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Bennett pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Birchmont is keeping the position for now.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Bennett is working hard here to advance position.

Bennett got a little sloppy there for a moment and Birchmont has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Bennett has managed to get both his arms back between Birchmont's legs - danger averted.
Bennett throws a big elbow that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Birchmont keeping full guard, as Bennett tries to pass.
Bennett has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Bennett postures up and lands a big shot to Birchmont's brow.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Bennett stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Birchmont swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Bennett loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Birchmont controls Bennett momentarily but Bennett frees himself.

Birchmont escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Bennett gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Bennett looking to pass the guard.
Bennett is looking to work some ground and pound but Birchmont has wrist control.
Bennett postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bennett trying to control the position from guard on top but Birchmont is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Birchmont is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

Birchmont throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Bennett postures up.

Birchmont has his foot on Bennett's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Bennett works his way back into a safe position though.
Bennett trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Bennett throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Bennett with a flurry of punches that miss.
Bennett trying to control the position from guard on top but Birchmont is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Birchmont isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Bennett stacks Birchmont on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Bennett!
You can see the frustration on Birchmont's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Birchmont is trying to get back to half guard.
Bennett working the head and body with strikes.
Birchmont is looking to regain half guard here but Bennett keeps moving and retains side control.
Birchmont takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Bennett is looking to take a break and control but Birchmont is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Birchmont is looking for a sweep.
Birchmont managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Bennett.
Birchmont is trying to improve his position.
Bennett is putting a hurting on Birchmont here, landing some big shots from side control.
Birchmont tries to bench press Bennett off him but Bennett keeps the position.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Birchmont takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Bennett sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Birchmont is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
You can see the frustration on Birchmont's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Bennett scoring with punches from side control.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Birchmont tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Bennett wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Bennett trying to control the position but Birchmont is working away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Brad Bennett dominated that round.
That's time! Bennett's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Bennett throws a body punch but Birchmont moves out of range.
Birchmont tries to clinch up but Bennett circles away and keeps his distance.
The crowd cheers as Bennett lands an impressive looking overhand right. Birchmont doesn't seem phased though.
A punch combination from Bennett misses.
Nice jab there from Bennett.

Birchmont clinches up against the cage.
A short right from Birchmont on the inside.
Bennett blocks an uppercut.

Birchmont manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.

Birchmont is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

Bennett avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Bennett throwing strikes but missing.
Bennett stands and throws Birchmont's legs to the side, diving into side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Birchmont is trying to improve his position.
Bennett lands a nice forearm strike.
Bennett is putting a hurting on Birchmont here, landing some big shots from side control.
Birchmont is trying to get back to half guard.
Bennett trying to control the action but Birchmont is working from the bottom.
Birchmont is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Bennett trying to control the position but Birchmont is working away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Birchmont sneaks back into half guard.
Bennett landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Bennett is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Birchmont is refusing to be controlled, as Bennett sits in half guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Bennett missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Brad Bennett overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Birchmont blocking the ground and pound attempt from Bennett.
Birchmont manages to get to full guard.
Bennett working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Bennett postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Birchmont keeping moving, preventing Bennett from controlling successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bennett preventing the sweep.

Bennett avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Birchmont wants to sweep here but Bennett controlling him for the moment.

Birchmont is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

Birchmont has his foot on Bennett's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Bennett works his way back into a safe position though.
Bennett scoring with some ground and pound.
Bennett pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Birchmont is keeping the position for now.
Bennett trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Bennett slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Bennett pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Birchmont is keeping the position for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bennett loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

Bennett avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Birchmont looking for a sweep. Not yet Birchmont, not yet.

Birchmont looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Bennett trying to control but Birchmont is working from the bottom.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Birchmont working a defensive guard here.
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 Brad Bennett will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Bennett swings for the body but Birchmont moves out of range.
Birchmont scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Bennett doesn't seem bothered though.
Bennett misses with a wild body shot.
Bennett gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Birchmont keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Bennett keeps the fight on the outside.
Bennett lands a nice hook to Birchmont's body. Birchmont takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Birchmont blocks a jab.
Birchmont displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Bennett throws out the jab.
Birchmont getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Bennett throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Bennett fails to land with a series of punches.
Bennett swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Birchmont lands a jab.

Birchmont pushes Bennett up against the cage in a clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Birchmont breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Birchmont misses with a body shot.
Birchmont dips to his left and cracks Bennett with an uppercut!
Bennett throws a looping overhand right but Birchmont ducks down to avoid it.
Birchmont connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Bennett's hands.

It looks like Brad Bennett has been cut.
Birchmont on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Bennett waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Birchmont.
Birchmont avoids the body shot from Bennett.
Bennett throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
The fight stays on the outside here - Birchmont looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Bennett is looking to wear down Birchmont with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.

Bennett drives through with a takedown into Birchmont's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.

Bennett is sitting in close to Birchmont's body. Birchmont has gone for a guillotine from the bottom. Oh damn, that looks pretty tight! Bennett is panicking - it looks like this one could be all over! Yes, Bennett is tapping! That was a very nice submission by Birchmont.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:55 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Guillotine). Christian Birchmont!
Christian Birchmont is the new lightweight champion!
A victorious Christian Birchmont thanked his army of followers in his post fight interview, telling people to make sure they follow him on Twitter.