PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Tyson Benjamin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Karl Pilkington (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Benjamin's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Pastor Troy - It's About To Go Down. Karl Pilkington told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Benjamin
vs
Pilkington

179 cm
34
156 lbs
18 - 8 - 1

172 cm
30
160 lbs
6 - 3 - 0

Good wrestling
Lethal high kicks
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

West Coast Apparel

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 18 - 8 - 1, fighting out of New York, Tyson Benjamin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 3 - 0, fighting out of New York, Karl Pilkington!
The judges for this bout are Reed Andrews, John Kavanagh and Steve Montenegro.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Pilkington shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Benjamin manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Benjamin looking to hit a scissor sweep but Pilkington is one step ahead there.
Benjamin has improved his flexibility recently so we will have to see if he can use that to his advantage.
Pilkington wants to control from the top but Benjamin keeps moving.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Benjamin is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Pilkington is controlling him.
Pilkington postures up and lands a big shot to Benjamin's brow.
Benjamin wants to get back to his feet but Pilkington is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Pilkington scoring with punches to the head and body.
Benjamin is trying to control the position but Pilkington postures up.
Benjamin working a defensive guard but Pilkington manages to pass into side control anyway.
Pilkington content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
Pilkington wants to lay and pray for a moment but Benjamin keeps working.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Benjamin is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Pilkington asserts his dominance and retains side control.

Benjamin throws Pilkington to one side and escapes!
A left and a right from Benjamin both land. Nice combination.
Nice defenses there by Benjamin.
Pilkington misses with a two punch combination.
Benjamin drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
The fight stays on the outside here - Benjamin looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Pilkington misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pilkington scores with a three punch combo!

It looks like Tyson Benjamin has been cut.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Benjamin tries for a takedown but Pilkington sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Pilkington throws a hook to the side of Benjamin's head but Benjamin sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Benjamin pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Pilkington back to the cage. Benjamin follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.
Pilkington misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

Benjamin clinches up against the cage.
Still in the clinch, Benjamin scores with a nice short uppercut.
Benjamin doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
A bit of stalling here from Benjamin.
Benjamin tries to break free but Pilkington pushes him back against the cage.
Pilkington goes for a takedown attempt but Benjamin pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Pilkington lands a nice hook to Benjamin's body. Benjamin takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Benjamin stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Benjamin wants it to stay on the feet.
Tyson Benjamin has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Karl Pilkington.
Benjamin tries to score a power double leg takedown but Pilkington sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Benjamin somewhat.
Benjamin needs to keep his hands up - Pilkington had a free shot at his head there.
Benjamin tries to score a power double leg takedown but Pilkington sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Benjamin somewhat.
Pilkington fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
A head kick from Benjamin lands but Pilkington takes it in his stride.

It looks like Karl Pilkington has been cut.

Pilkington scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Benjamin is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Check out the look on Pilkington's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Benjamin gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Benjamin punching from the bottom.

Benjamin makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!
Benjamin showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Pilkington.
Pilkington tries to work over Benjamin's front leg with a kick but Benjamin checks it.
Benjamin tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Pilkington manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!

Pilkington gets caught flat footed, as Benjamin shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Benjamin trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Benjamin throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Pilkington works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
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 Tyson Benjamin will probably get the nod.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Pilkington throws an overhand right that lands on Benjamin's shoulder, as Benjamin tries to avoid the shot.
Pilkington lands an overhand right.
Benjamin tries to close the distance and clinch but Pilkington swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Benjamin has taken the fight to the clinch.
Benjamin is struggling to control the position.
Benjamin goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Benjamin wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

Benjamin breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Pilkington throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Benjamin shoots in and drives through. Pilkington sprawls well.
Benjamin pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Nice takedown defense from Pilkington. No joy for Benjamin on that attempt.
Pilkington fails with the takedown.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pilkington lands a slapping body shot.
Pilkington misses with a wild combination.
Benjamin wants to clinch up but Pilkington keeps it at a distance.
Pilkington shoots and misses
and Benjamin counters with a big head kick but Pilkington shrugs it off.
Nice body punch from Pilkington.
Benjamin takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Pilkington is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Benjamin.
Benjamin doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Pilkington counters with a nice body shot.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tyson Benjamin. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Benjamin shoots in but no luck this time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pilkington bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Benjamin lands a body shot.
A nice inside leg kick there by Pilkington. That's going to slow Benjamin down.
Benjamin has a takedown stuffed.
Pilkington dodges the punch combination from Benjamin.
Pilkington throws a wild body kick that Benjamin sees coming a mile off.

Pilkington gets the takedown into side control.
Benjamin is not content to let Pilkington control the position.
Benjamin is trying to get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pilkington in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Pilkington is chipping away with strikes.
Benjamin is looking to reverse the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Pilkington connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Benjamin some visible discomfort.
The strikes coming from Pilkington are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Benjamin dodges the ground and pound from Pilkington.
Pilkington throwing ground and pound but whilst doing so, he forgets to control position and Benjamin works his way back to half guard. Good composure under pressure.
Pilkington controlling the action here.
Karl Pilkington has got the better of the ground game so far.
Pilkington wants to take a breather but Benjamin is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Benjamin wants to get back to his feet.
Pilkington trying to pass the guard but Benjamin defending well.
Pilkington passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Benjamin!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Benjamin really wants to buck Pilkington off and get back to his feet.
Pilkington postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Benjamin looks a forlorn figure.
Pilkington in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Benjamin working to try and regain half guard.
Pilkington breaks from Benjamin's wrist control and lands an elbow.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Karl Pilkington showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
That's time! Benjamin's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Pilkington misses with a wild combination.
Nice sprawl there from Pilkington as Benjamin shoots in.

Benjamin looking to score a takedown here. Pilkington is defending well but Benjamin drives through and ends up in Pilkington's guard.
Pilkington is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Benjamin is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Pilkington wants to sweep here but Benjamin controlling him for the moment.
Benjamin throwing strikes but missing.
Pilkington tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Benjamin throws a big elbow that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pilkington is trying to keep Benjamin in close.
Pilkington wants to stand up but Benjamin is controlling him.
Benjamin distracts Pilkington with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Benjamin missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Benjamin postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Pilkington keeping full guard, as Benjamin tries to pass.
Pilkington looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Pilkington avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Benjamin throwing strikes from guard but Pilkington blocks nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pilkington keeping full guard, as Benjamin tries to pass.
Pilkington is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Benjamin is controlling him.
Benjamin throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Pilkington works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Benjamin landing with the ground and pound.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Benjamin with a nice head shot there.

Pilkington pushes Benjamin off and gets back to his feet.
Benjamin shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Pilkington defends it nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pilkington throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Pilkington throws a series of punches but Benjamin avoids them all with ease.
Karl Pilkington seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Pilkington lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Benjamin takes a head kick and shrugs it off.

Benjamin scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Pilkington pushes Benjamin off looking to stand but Benjamin dives back in and keeps control.
Benjamin missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Benjamin stops Pilkington from getting back to his feet.
Benjamin working the head and body with strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Benjamin sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Pilkington defending well though.
Pilkington keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Pilkington tries to get to full guard but Benjamin has control of the leg.
Benjamin thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Pilkington's head.

Benjamin is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Benjamin looks to land a strike but Pilkington avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
Benjamin postures up and lands a big shot to Pilkington's brow.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Benjamin throws a strike but Pilkington rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Pilkington is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tyson Benjamin showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Benjamin 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 Reed Andrews scores the fight 29:29
Judge John Kavanagh scores the fight 29:28
Judge Steve Montenegro scores the fight 28:29

The fight is ruled a draw!