PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Jonathan Banks (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jeff Gower (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Banks
vs
Gower

170 cm
21
155 lbs
5 - 3 - 0

165 cm
20
156 lbs
7 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Very strong

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

V-Mask Clothing (10%)
Spartan Nutrition

KAISER

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the featherweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of London, Jonathan Banks!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Jeff Gower!
The judges for this bout are Chris Edwards, James Atkins and Paul Tew.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Banks misses with a body shot.
Gower looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Banks throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Gower on the side of the head.
Good shot there by Banks.
Gower throws a shot from downtown. Banks moves away and avoids it.
Banks takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Banks misses with an uppercut
letting Gower counter with a right hand.
Gower avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Gower keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Banks.
Gower takes a swing at Banks's ribcage but misses.
Banks ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Banks throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Jonathan Banks seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Banks connects with a nice looking jab.
A big left from Banks misses.
Banks throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Banks keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Banks thows a left - swing and a miss!
We've been told by Banks's head coaches at Team Finland that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.
A telegraphed right hand from Banks misses the target.
Banks throws a lazy right hand but Gower sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Banks works Gower's body with a nice hook.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Gower clinches up against the cage.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Banks.
Gower misses with a hook from the clinch.
Banks trying to stall but Gower improves his position.
Banks blocks a body shot from Gower.
Gower throws a punch but it's blocked by Banks.
Banks blocks an uppercut.
Gower misses with a punch on the inside.
Banks blocks a body shot from Gower.
Banks looking to slow down the pace here.
Gower misses with a hook from the clinch.
Banks taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Gower working aggressively here.
Gower lands a body punch in the clinch.
Banks blocks an uppercut.
Banks wants to stall.
Banks is trying to maintain a safe position but Gower gets an underhook and turns Banks into the cage.
Banks's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gower misses with the head strike.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Gower.
Gower swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Banks is trying to stall.
Banks blocking some punches.
Gower misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Banks looking to slow down the pace here.
A short left from Gower.
Gower scores with a shot to the side of Banks's head.
Banks is struggling to control the position.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Jonathan Banks.
A jab from Banks misses.
Gower loads up on a big right hand but Banks slips the punch.
Nice defenses there by Banks.
Banks throws a lazy right hand but Gower sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Banks throws a predictable looking body shot
enabling Gower to counter with a crisp jab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gower looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Banks looks to land a left hand but Gower moved out of range nicely.
Gower cracks the inside of Banks's front leg.
Banks lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Banks slips under a jab.
Gower slips under a jab from Banks.
Gower throws a right hand that misses
and Banks counters with a two punch combo.
Banks throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Gower misses the shot to the body.
Gower moves in looking to clinch but Banks pushes him off.
Banks slips a straight right by Gower.
Banks circles away from the clinch attempt.
Banks throwing a counter right hand but Gower manages to avoid it.
Banks connects with a body shot.
Gower doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Gower displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Banks throws out the jab.
Gower throws a hook to the side of Banks's head but Banks sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Gower fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Banks manages to avoid it.
Gower scores with a decent looking hook.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gower slips under a jab.
Banks thows a left - swing and a miss!
Banks connects with a crisp jab.

Gower moves into the clinch.
Gower lands with a short shot to the head.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Gower.
Stalling in the clinch from Banks.
Banks is trying to stall.
Gower misses with a body punch.
Gower tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Banks's elbow.
Banks tries to throw a body punch but Gower avoids it by throwing Banks back against the cage.
Gower tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Banks taking a breather.
Gower working aggressively here.
Banks is trying to stall.
A short right from Gower.
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 Jonathan Banks 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.

Gower defending well as Banks loads up on a big left hand.
Jonathan Banks is winning the standup battle so far.
Banks waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Gower.
Gower tries to counter with a clinch but Banks shakes him off and moves away.
Gower lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Gower bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Banks throws a hook to the side of Gower's head but Gower sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Banks slips under a jab.
Banks misses with a body punch
and Gower counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Banks lands with a good body shot.
Gower is looking to clinch.
Banks throws a big shot that misses.
Banks keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Banks pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Gower tries to counter by closing the distance.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A jab from Banks does it's job there.
Gower stalks Banks and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Banks's face. Banks staggers backwards, shaken.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Gower lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.

Banks is rocked!
Gower has tried to improve his agility in the runup to this fight.
Gower throws a hook but Banks blocks it.
Gower uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Banks.
Gower gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Banks.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A big left from Gower misses.
Banks misses the jab.
Banks looks to throw the jab but Gower is out of range.
Banks throws a sloppy body shot
enabling Gower to counter with a crisp jab.
Banks throws a jab when Gower was well out of range.
Banks swings widly with a right hand
and Gower cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Oh Banks is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Banks keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Gower.
A cross from Gower lands.
Gower avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Gower slips under a jab.
Gower moves out of range of the strikes.
Gower misses with a looping right.
Banks seems to have got his legs back now.
Banks swings widly with a right hand
and Gower counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Gower slips a jab from Banks.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Gower uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Banks.
Gower darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Banks rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Gower counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Banks thinking.
Banks misses with a right hand
letting Gower counter with a right hand.
Gower steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Banks.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gower takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Banks lands with a shot to the body.
Gower takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
Banks takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Gower misses with a hook. Banks ducked under it nicely.
Banks ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Gower moves away.
Gower ducks under a wild hook from Banks.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Gower! But no joy.
The fighters circling - Banks throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Banks throws a jab but it's blocked by Gower.

Gower has Banks up against the cage in a clinch.
Gower lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Gower throws a punch but it's blocked by Banks.
Banks blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Gower swings away with an uppercut that misses.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Banks is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Banks can't seem to implement his control oriented gameplan at the moment. That's no bad thing of course, for those of us who want to see a good fight.
Gower presses Banks against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Gower creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Gower throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Gower lands a nice uppercut.
Gower doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Gower controlling the action here for a moment.
Gower misses with some punches.
Gower tries a body shot but Banks blocks it.
Gower tries to work over Banks's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Gower lands a shoulder strike.
Gower misses with a punch on the inside.
Gower lands a nice uppercut.
Gower lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Banks or not.
Banks trying to stall but Gower improves his position.
Gower tries to work over Banks's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gower misses with a short punch on the inside.
Gower lands with a right to the head.
Gower lands a big right hand that drops Banks! The killer instinct kicks in and Gower finishes his opponent with a series of strikes from mount. A dominating finish by Gower!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:17 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Jeff Gower! Jeff Gower retains his featherweight title!
Jeff Gower decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.