PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Byron Benjamin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Clayton Laurence (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Benjamin
vs
Laurence

190 cm
25
225 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

190 cm
19
240 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter fighter
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Byron Benjamin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Clayton Laurence!
The judges for this bout are Santiago Holmes, Michael Johnstone and Dirk Anderson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Laurence tries to close the distance and clinch up but Benjamin swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Some bone on bone action there as Laurence checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Benjamin is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Laurence closes the distance looking to clinch
and Benjamin connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Benjamin takes a swing at Laurence's ribcage but misses.
Laurence moves in looking to clinch but Benjamin pushes him off.
Laurence tries a head kick but it misses.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Laurence is looking to break free of the clinch but Benjamin has double underhooks.
Laurence tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Benjamin just stands there and leans against the cage.
Laurence scores with a shoulder strike.
Laurence jumps guard but Benjamin turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
A battle for position here, against the cage.

Benjamin breaks from the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Benjamin gets a clinch.
Benjamin lands a damaging elbow.

It looks like Clayton Laurence has been cut.
Laurence looking to stall.
Benjamin works on Laurence's body with a couple of short punches.

Benjamin breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Benjamin lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Laurence at a distance.
Laurence will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Byron Benjamin has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Clayton Laurence.

Benjamin closes the distance and clinches.

Benjamin manages to break the clinch.
Benjamin gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Laurence.
Laurence throws the kick towards the body but Benjamin avoids it.
Laurence wants to clinch up but Benjamin keeps it at a distance.
Benjamin tries to clinch there but Laurence circles away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Laurence tries to clinch up.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Laurence moves out of range as Benjamin strikes.

Benjamin rushes Laurence and presses him up against the cage.
Laurence is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Benjamin is defending well.

Benjamin pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Byron Benjamin is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Laurence looks for a takedown but Benjamin sprawls well.
Laurence fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Laurence fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Laurence wants to clinch.
Benjamin wants to clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Laurence swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Laurence throws a wild body kick that Benjamin sees coming a mile off.
Laurence jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Laurence ducks under a wild hook from Benjamin.
Benjamin tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Benjamin tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Benjamin just misses with a punch to the body.
Laurence tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Benjamin manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Laurence throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Benjamin.

Benjamin fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Laurence, pushing him back against the cage.
Laurence is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Benjamin is keeping busy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Benjamin breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Benjamin tries a low kick but Laurence avoids it.

Benjamin gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Laurence can't break the clinch.
Benjamin scores with a shot to the side of Laurence's head.
Laurence tries to pull guard but Benjamin forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Our sources have told us that Benjamin has been working on his knees in the buildup to the fight.
A nice left hand lands by Benjamin.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Benjamin scores with a hook to the body.
A left hand lands to the body for Benjamin.
Benjamin lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Laurence looks winded!

Benjamin breaks the clinch.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Benjamin throws a nice looking combination but Laurence bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Benjamin ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Laurence moves away.
The fight stays on the outside here - Benjamin looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Byron Benjamin dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Clayton Laurence's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Benjamin tries to clinch but Laurence moves out of range.
Laurence throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Benjamin leaves Laurence with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
A clash of legs there as Benjamin blocks the low kick.
Byron Benjamin is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Benjamin throws a right hand that Laurence ducks under and follows up with a left that Laurence also avoids with ease.
A looping hook to the body misses from Benjamin. Laurence does a little dance to reset his feet.
A punch combination from Laurence misses.
Laurence takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Benjamin tries to clinch up but Laurence circles away and keeps his distance.
Laurence wants to clinch up but Benjamin keeps it at a distance.
Benjamin avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
A head kick misses from Laurence.
Clayton Laurence seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Benjamin clinches up with Laurence and pushes him back against the cage.
Laurence wants a takedown but no success here.
Benjamin pushes Laurence back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.

Laurence manages to break the clinch.
Laurence just misses with a punch to the body.

Benjamin gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Still in the clinch, Benjamin scores with a nice short uppercut.
Benjamin is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Byron Benjamin has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Clayton Laurence.
Benjamin lands a nice knee to the body.
Laurence is breathing heavily.
Benjamin prevents a takedown attempt there.
Benjamin lands an elbow inside that Laurence shrugs off.
Laurence takes an elbow to the temple.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Benjamin working Laurence over with knees to the body.

Benjamin pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Laurence throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Benjamin lands with an overhand left.

That has opened up Clayton Laurence's cut even more.

Benjamin pushes Laurence up against the cage in a clinch.

Benjamin escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Benjamin drives through and clinches with Laurence against the cage.
Benjamin scores a nice knee to the body.
A short left from Benjamin.
A shot in the inside from Benjamin.
Benjamin lands an elbow inside.
Laurence blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Benjamin lands an elbow inside.

Benjamin breaks the clinch.
Benjamin is looking to clinch.

Benjamin has closed the distance and engaged Laurence in a clinch.
Byron Benjamin has scored more points in the clinch so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Laurence looking to slow down the pace here.

Benjamin manages to break the clinch.
Benjamin is looking to clinch but Laurence is avoiding it.

Benjamin has closed the distance and engaged Laurence in a clinch.
Laurence has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Laurence is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Benjamin to keep the fight standing.

Benjamin manages to break the clinch.

The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Benjamin moves into the clinch.
Benjamin lands a left hand.

Laurence pulls guard effortlessly.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Benjamin tries to stand but Laurence is controlling from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Laurence is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Laurence has a closed guard, preventing Benjamin from standing up.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Byron Benjamin dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Clayton Laurence's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Benjamin rushes Laurence and presses him up against the cage.

Laurence breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Benjamin gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Benjamin breaks the clinch.
Benjamin fails with an attempt to clinch.
Laurence shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Benjamin pinned against the cage. Benjamin gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Laurence lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Benjamin moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Benjamin takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
Benjamin tries to clinch but Laurence moves out of range.
Laurence wants to clinch up but Benjamin keeps it at a distance.
Laurence avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Byron Benjamin is winning the standup battle so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A combination from Benjamin does no damage.
Laurence tries a head kick but it misses.
Benjamin keeps the fight on the outside.
Laurence throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Laurence throws a series of strikes that have Benjamin backpedaling.
Benjamin avoids the body shot from Laurence.
Laurence fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Laurence takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Laurence misses with a body shot.
Benjamin tries to close the distance and clinch but Laurence swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Benjamin gets a clinch.
Still in the clinch, Benjamin scores with a nice short uppercut.
Benjamin gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.

The cut above Clayton Laurence's eye is starting to cause him problems now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Benjamin breaks the clinch.
Benjamin tests Laurence's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Benjamin uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Laurence.
Laurence defending well as Benjamin loads up on a big left hand.
Laurence goes for a double leg but Benjamin avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Benjamin continues to drive forward.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Benjamin presses Laurence against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
A short right from Benjamin.
Benjamin lands an elbow just above Laurence 's eye.

The referee calls the doctor in to look at Clayton Laurence's cut. Oh no, the doctor has called an end to the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:49 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Cut). Byron Benjamin!
During a confident post fight interview, Byron Benjamin thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.