PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Thaddeus Bender (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Joey Caruso (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.

Bender
vs
Caruso

165 cm
18
215 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

188 cm
18
200 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Enjoys gardening

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Thaddeus Bender!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Joey Caruso!
The judges for this bout are Radbod Blank, Albert Achterberg and Wagner Zegers.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Bender slips a jab and a cross from Caruso.

Caruso closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Bender to the mat! Bender manages to get full guard.
Caruso stopping the sweep attempt from Bender.
Bender is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Caruso won't allow Bender to sweep him here.
Caruso wanted to stand there but Bender had control of the position.
Bender wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Caruso is now in half guard.
Bender keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Bender gets full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Caruso drops back, looking for a kneebar! Bender looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Bender looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Bender!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Caruso avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Bender.
Caruso is looking for a sweep.
Caruso holding on.
Caruso is looking to regain half guard here but Bender keeps moving and retains side control.
Bender working away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Caruso wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Bender trying to control the position but Caruso is working away.
Bender wants to stand but Caruso is controlling his arm.
Bender tries to score with some ground and pound. Caruso controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Caruso stops Bender from passing to mount.

Bender stands up and beckons Caruso to his feet.
Bender misses with a few strikes there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Caruso misses with a wild body shot.
Caruso throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Bender's waist but Bender gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Caruso off to one side.
Bender tries to clinch but Caruso is having none of it.
Bender looks for a takedown but Caruso sprawls well.
A combination from Bender does no damage.
Bender shoots in but no luck this time.
Bender avoids the head kick by Caruso.
Bender goes for a double leg but Caruso avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Caruso continues to drive forward.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Thaddeus Bender. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Bender is breathing heavily.
Caruso changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Bender fights it off and pushes away nicely.

Caruso gets a takedown into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Caruso seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.
Caruso is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Caruso prevents Bender from improving his position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Nice strikes from Caruso there.
Bender could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Bender is trying to maintain the position but Caruso is very close to passing his half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Joey Caruso 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.

Bender tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Caruso clinches.
Caruso stalls.
Bender is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.

Caruso breaks the clinch.
Bender looks for a takedown but Caruso sprawls well.
Caruso scores with a one two! Bender had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.

It looks like Thaddeus Bender has been cut.
Caruso misses with a shot to the body

and Bender holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Caruso with an attempt at a knee that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bender is trying to force a seperation but Caruso has the dominant position.

Caruso gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Bender trying to control but Caruso postures up.
Caruso seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

Caruso is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Bender might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Bender is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Bender wants to control but Caruso is keeping busy and won't allow it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Caruso passes to full mount!
Bender wants to control but Caruso is having none of it.

Caruso goes for an armbar but he's not got it… Bender turns into him and now he's in Caruso's guard.
Caruso keeping moving, preventing Bender from controlling successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Caruso trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Bender trying to stand up but can't free himself from Caruso's guard.
Bender trying to control but Caruso is working from the bottom.
Caruso is pulling down on Bender's head. It's preventing any offense from Bender, at least for the moment.

Caruso working for a triangle but Bender defends it easily.
Bender trying to stand up but can't free himself from Caruso's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bender pushing down on Caruso's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Caruso is pressing down on Bender's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.

Bender got a little sloppy there for a moment and Caruso has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Bender has managed to get both his arms back between Caruso's legs - danger averted.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Caruso tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Caruso is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Joey Caruso showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Thaddeus Bender's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Bender fails in his attempt to clinch.
Good work by Caruso as he checks the leg kick.
Bender tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Bender looks for a takedown but Caruso sprawls well.
Bender throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Bender lands with a nice body punch.
Caruso is looking to clinch.
Bender fails in his attempt to clinch.

Caruso closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Joey Caruso has got the better of the ground game so far.

Caruso is working for a submission of some sort.
Caruso controlling the pace.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bender is not content to let Caruso control the position.
Caruso might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Bender haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Bender keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Bender trying to control here.
Bender misses with some strikes from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Caruso trying to control the action but Bender is working from the bottom.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Joey Caruso wasn't active enough on the ground.
Bender wants to clinch.
Bender tries to clinch but Caruso is having none of it.
Thaddeus Bender is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Bender stuffs the takedown attempt from Caruso. Caruso gets slowly back to his feet.
Caruso shoots for a double leg takedown but Bender sprawls well. He's pushed Caruso's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Caruso takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bender misses with a takedown attempt - Caruso sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Bender stuffs the takedown attempt from Caruso. Caruso gets slowly back to his feet.
Thaddeus Bender has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Joey Caruso.
Bender wants to clinch
enabling Caruso to counter with a crisp jab.
A bone on bone clash there as Bender blocks the leg kick.

Bender closes the distance and clinches.
Bender tries to break the clinch but Caruso is controlling the position.
Caruso taking a breather.
Caruso tries to pull guard but Bender holds him up against the cage and eventually Caruso drops back down to his feet.
Bender has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Caruso after a bit of a struggle.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Caruso blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Bender drops down looking for an ankle pick but Caruso pulls his leg out and moves away.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Bender wants to take the fight to the mat but Caruso manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Bender pushes Caruso back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Bender can't get the takedown.

Bender is fighting off a takedown attempt but Caruso is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Bender to the mat. Bender regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.

And that's the end of the fight!
Joey Caruso comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Caruso has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Radbod Blank scores the fight 27:30
Judge Albert Achterberg scores the fight 27:30
Judge Wagner Zegers scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Joey Caruso!