PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Neria Ben Arie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Don Jonson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Ben Arie
vs
Jonson

186 cm
22
187 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

220 cm
20
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Likes musicals

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Neria Ben Arie!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Don Jonson!
The judges for this bout are Stewart Dunkirk, Frank Dennis and Chris Downing.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Jonson shoots in for a double leg but Ben Arie sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.

Jonson rushes Ben Arie and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Jonson is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Jonson is trying to stall.
Ben Arie lands an elbow inside.

Ben Arie jumps guard and drags Jonson to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Ben Arie is trying to keep Jonson in close.
Ben Arie trying to control the position here.
Ben Arie wants to sweep but no luck.
Jonson trying to control the position from guard on top but Ben Arie is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Ben Arie wants to stand but Jonson is controlling the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Ben Arie doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Jonson counters with a nice uppercut.
Horrible takedown by Jonson or perhaps it was just good defense by Ben Arie which made him look bad.
Jonson misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Ben Arie shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Jonson sprawls well. Jonson wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Ben Arie gets slowly back to his feet.
Neria Ben Arie seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Ben Arie fails with the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Neria Ben Arie. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Ben Arie wants to clinch.
Ben Arie closes this distance looking for a takedown but Jonson circles away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ben Arie has a takedown stuffed.

Jonson has taken the fight to the clinch.

Jonson pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
The fight stays on the outside here - Jonson looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Jonson lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Ben Arie circles away quickly and effectively.
Ben Arie looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Jonson is fending him off so far but Ben Arie persists. Nope, Jonson circles away and we're back to standing.
Jonson throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Ben Arie.
Ben Arie shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Jonson defends it nicely.
Ben Arie pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Ben Arie is breathing heavily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Jonson instigates a clinch.
Jonson tries to pull guard but Ben Arie forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Jonson is looking to take this one to the mat.
A body shot lands from Ben Arie.
Jonson is looking to take this one to the mat.

Jonson manages to pull guard.
Jonson being controlled here, momentarily.
Ben Arie throwing strikes but missing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Jonson being controlled here, momentarily.
Ben Arie postures up in Jonson's guard and throws a big left but Jonson blocks it.
Ben Arie looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.

We're going to have a standup here because Neria Ben Arie wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Jonson closes this distance looking for a takedown but Ben Arie circles away.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Ben Arie tries to clinch but Jonson moves out of range.
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 Neria Ben Arie will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Ben Arie wants to clinch up but Jonson keeps it at a distance.
Jonson tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Ben Arie shoots for a double leg takedown but Jonson sprawls well. He's pushed Ben Arie's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Jonson lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.

Ben Arie closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Ben Arie can't get the takedown.

Ben Arie manages to break the clinch.

Ben Arie darts in and clinches Jonson up against the cage.
Ben Arie is pushing Jonson up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.

Jonson's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Ben Arie blocks a head kick by Jonson.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jonson avoids the body shot from Ben Arie.
Jonson changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Ben Arie tries to avoid it but Jonson manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Ben Arie to the ground. Ben Arie escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Jonson blocks the body kick.
Jonson is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Ben Arie will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Nice sprawl there from Jonson as Ben Arie shoots in.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Neria Ben Arie. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Jonson shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Ben Arie defends it nicely.

Ben Arie moves into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Jonson tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Ben Arie just stands there and leans against the cage.
Jonson tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Ben Arie will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Jonson up against the cage.
Jonson misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Ben Arie lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Jonson backwards.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.

Ben Arie jumps guard and drags Jonson to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Jonson looking to pass the guard.
Jonson throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jonson prevents Ben Arie from getting back to his feet.
Ben Arie tries to strike from the bottom.
Jonson trying to stand up but can't free himself from Ben Arie's guard.
Jonson with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Jonson wants to control from the top but Ben Arie keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ben Arie seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.

Don Jonson has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Jonson tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Ben Arie moves into the clinch.

Ben Arie escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Ben Arie gets a clinch.
Jonson looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Ben Arie avoiding damage as Jonson throws knees to the body.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Ben Arie has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Jonson uses from the top position.
Ben Arie wants to stand up but Jonson is controlling him.

Ben Arie pushes Jonson off and scrambles back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Neria Ben Arie dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Ben Arie doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Jonson moves into the clinch.
Jonson scores a nice knee to the body.
Ben Arie lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Jonson pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Jonson is trying to pull guard but Ben Arie has him pressed against the cage.
Ben Arie tries to land knees in the clinch but Jonson avoids the damage to the body.
Jonson is pressed up against the cage. Ben Arie has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Jonson down to the mat. Jonson avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

Jonson rushes Ben Arie and presses him up against the cage.
With the fighters up against the cage, Ben Arie throws an elbow but misses.
Jonson tries to stall but Ben Arie uses the opportunity to gain a better position.

Jonson successfully pulls guard.
Jonson keeping moving, preventing Ben Arie from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ben Arie missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Jonson wants to get back to his feet but Ben Arie is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Ben Arie has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Ben Arie missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Ben Arie might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Ben Arie content to stall in guard here.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Ben Arie would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ben Arie won't allow Jonson to get back to his feet.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Neria Ben Arie wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Jonson is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Jonson looks to clinch
and Ben Arie counters with a three punch combo that has Jonson backing up. Jonson nods at Ben Arie to acknowledge the strikes.
Ben Arie misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Jonson misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Neria Ben Arie is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Jonson takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Ben Arie closes the distance and clinches.
Ben Arie has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Jonson avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Neria Ben Arie. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jonson has had enough of the clinch but Ben Arie keeps him there for the moment.

Ben Arie's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Jonson tries to close the distance and clinch but Ben Arie swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Nice sprawl there from Jonson as Ben Arie shoots in.
Jonson throws a right and a left that Ben Arie avoids nicely.
Ben Arie misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Ben Arie stuffs the takedown.
Jonson changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Ben Arie tries to avoid it but Jonson manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Ben Arie to the ground. Ben Arie escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Ben Arie shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Jonson pinned against the cage. Jonson gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

Jonson closes the distance and clinches.
Neria Ben Arie has scored more points in the clinch so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Jonson breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Jonson looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Jonson looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

Ben Arie drives through and clinches with Jonson against the cage.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Jonson has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Ben Arie after a bit of a struggle.

Ben Arie successfully pulls guard.
Don Jonson has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Neria Ben Arie is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Jonson accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Don Jonson.
I think Ben Arie 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 Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 30:27
Judge Frank Dennis scores the fight 30:28
Judge Chris Downing scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Neria Ben Arie!