PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Jess Banks (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Francis Rivest (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighter's entrance songs getting the crowd jumping here.

Banks
vs
Rivest

212 cm
20
177 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

185 cm
22
165 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Experienced

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Jess Banks!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Francis Rivest!
The judges for this bout are William Peck, Dillan Fox and Gregory Folan.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rivest doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Banks counters with a left to the body.
Banks slips a jab and a cross from Rivest.
Francis Rivest seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Banks tries to clinch but Rivest moves out of range.
Rivest tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Banks defends well and Rivest ends up having to push Banks into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.

Banks tries to keep at a distance but Rivest has taken the fight into the clinch.
Rivest blocks an uppercut.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Banks is trying to break the clinch but Rivest has him pressed against the cage.

Rivest breaks from the clinch.
Rivest throws a lazy head kick
and Banks counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

Rivest shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Banks manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Banks looking to control.
Banks tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Banks manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Rivest manages to get himself to full guard.

Rivest throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.

Banks avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

Banks drops back looking for a leg! Rivest is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Rivest manages to kick Banks off! Banks jumps back into Rivest's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Banks slips nicely into half guard.
Banks throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

Banks escapes and gets back to his feet.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Rivest is defended easily by Banks.
Jess Banks has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Francis Rivest.
Rivest looks winded!

Rivest moves into the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rivest has Banks pushed against the cage.
Come on Banks - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Banks trying to control the position but instead, Rivest has worked for underhooks and has pushed Banks into the cage.
Rivest has had enough of the clinch but Banks keeps him there for the moment.
Rivest jumps guard but Banks stands there with Rivest around his waist. Rivest gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Rivest makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Banks is pressed up against the cage. Rivest has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Banks down to the mat. Banks avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

Rivest moves into the clinch successfully.
Banks is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Rivest is keeping busy.
Rivest can't get the takedown.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Rivest jumps guard but Banks stands there with Rivest around his waist. Rivest gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Banks working hard to break the clinch.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Come on Banks - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Banks is pushing Rivest up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Francis Rivest will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Banks jabs at Rivest's body.

Rivest darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Banks moves into full guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Banks pushes Rivest off and scrambles back to his feet.
Banks really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Rivest throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Banks counters with a nice uppercut.
Rivest with a poor takedown
and Banks cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Rivest is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Rivest gets a clinch.
Banks is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Banks is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Maybe Banks would be better served going for some more strikes rather than trying to control so much.
Banks is pushing Rivest up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Banks is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Rivest fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Rivest as Banks tries to tie him up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Jess Banks.
Rivest turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
A head kick misses from Rivest.
Banks feinted there with a counter leg kick.
Banks wants to clinch up but Rivest keeps it at a distance.

Banks moves into the clinch successfully.
Banks tries to break free but Rivest pushes him back against the cage.
Banks tries to stall but Rivest uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Rivest jumps guard but Banks turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Jess Banks has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Francis Rivest.
Rivest working hard to break the clinch.

Banks breaks the clinch.
Banks throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Rivest.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Banks.
Banks dodges the punch combination from Rivest.
Rivest misses with a double jab
and Banks counters with a stiff right hand.
Rivest keeps the fight on the outside.
Banks throws a series of punches but Rivest moves out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rivest slaps away a takedown attempt from Banks, before circling back to the center of the mat.
It seemed like Rivest was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Jess Banks is winning the standup battle so far.
Banks tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Rivest manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Rivest moves into the clinch.
Banks misses with a punch on the inside.
Banks working hard to break the clinch.
Rivest stalling in the clinch.
Banks is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Banks is trying to break free.

Banks breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jess Banks dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Banks gets tackled into the cage by Rivest. Rivest maintains the clinch.
Rivest pushes Banks back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Banks is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Rivest is looking to take this one to the mat.
Rivest wants to break free but Banks has control.
Rivest tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rivest content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Rivest trying to stall but Banks improves his position.
Rivest takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Banks stalling in the clinch but Rivest improves position.
Rivest tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rivest wants to stall.
Rivest jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Banks walks away with a smile on his face. Rivest gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Jess Banks has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Francis Rivest.
Rivest throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Banks rushes Rivest and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Banks prevents a body shot from Rivest.
Banks tries to circle away but Rivest has him pinned against the cage.
Rivest is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Banks pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Banks tries to circle away but Rivest has him pinned against the cage.
Banks tries to break free but Rivest pushes him back against the cage.
Banks is trying to break the clinch but Rivest is controlling him.
Banks is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
The referee is keeping an eye on Banks - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Banks wants to break free but Rivest has control.
Banks tries to circle away but Rivest has him pinned against the cage.
Banks tries to stall but Rivest uses the opportunity to gain a better position.

Banks breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Banks throws a front kick that sends Rivest stumbling back into the cage.

Banks forces Rivest back against the cage and clinches.
Banks wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Banks tries to stall but Rivest uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Banks tries to break free but Rivest pushes him back against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rivest tries to pull guard but Banks holds him up against the cage and eventually Rivest drops back down to his feet.
A battle for position here, against the cage.

Banks escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Rivest misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
It looked like Banks was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Banks wants to clinch up but Rivest keeps it at a distance.
Banks tries to close the distance and clinch but Rivest swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Banks lands with a nice body punch.
Rivest misses with a takedown
and Banks connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Banks throws a shot to the body.
Banks is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
Rivest takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Banks jabs Rivest right on the nose. Rivest blinks but takes it well.
The fight stays on the outside here - Banks looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Rivest misses with a low kick.
Banks stuffs the takedown.
Banks is looking to counter with head kicks.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jess Banks showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Banks 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 William Peck scores the fight 29:28
Judge Dillan Fox scores the fight 30:28
Judge Gregory Folan scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jess Banks!