PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Bruce Banner (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Randall Flagg (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Banner's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Pump Up The Jam. Bruce Banner had a look across the cage there at his opponent. He definitely means business

Banner
vs
Flagg

180 cm
42
175 lbs
26 - 15 - 0

185 cm
32
200 lbs
20 - 12 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

BJJ Brown Belt
World class MT
Good gas tank

Tokyo United Fightwear

Revolution Clothing
Spartan Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 26 - 15 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Bruce Banner!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 20 - 12 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Randall Flagg!
The judges for this bout are Paulo Santos, Alexandre Firmino and Emerson Jorge.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Flagg throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Banner tries to counter with a takedown but Flagg is quick to defend against it.
Banner takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Flagg misses with an uppercut. Banner saw that one coming.
Banner throws a lazy right hand but Flagg sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.

Flagg gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Banner trying to control but Flagg is working from the bottom.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Banner passes Flagg's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Banner trying to pass the guard but Flagg defending well.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Banner working to pass to mount. He's got his hand pressing down on Flagg's thigh. Flagg counters though and makes it back to full guard.
Flagg can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Banner controls the pace.
Flagg keeping moving, preventing Banner from controlling successfully.
Banner throwing strikes but missing.
Banner with a flurry of punches that miss.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Flagg keeping moving, preventing Banner from controlling successfully.
Banner has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Flagg is pulling down on Banner's head. It's preventing any offense from Banner, at least for the moment.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Banner lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Flagg at a distance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Flagg throws a big shot that misses.

Flagg instigates a clinch.
Banner misses with a hook to the ribs.
Banner is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Flagg gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Banner blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Banner has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Flagg after a bit of a struggle.

Banner wants the takedown. Flagg is fighting it off but Banner persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Flagg's guard against the cage.
Banner trying to control but Flagg is working from the bottom.
Flagg avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Flagg keeping full guard, as Banner tries to pass.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Flagg being controlled here, momentarily.
Banner with a nice head shot there.
Banner looking to sit in guard and control but Flagg gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Banner keeping full guard, as Flagg tries to pass.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Banner has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Flagg can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bruce Banner dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Banner gets cracked there but stands up to it.
A big right from Banner misses.
Flagg throws the left hand but Banner avoids the punch easily.
Banner smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Banner dives in for a single leg takedown but Flagg sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Flagg is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Banner with a body shot.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Flagg takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Flagg walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Banner looks for a takedown but Flagg sprawls well.
Flagg doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Banner keeps the fight on the outside.
Flagg with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Banner to score with a decent uppercut.
Flagg rushes in with a sloppy looking punch

and Banner counters with a single leg into guard. Flagg didn't expect that.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Flagg keeping moving, preventing Banner from controlling successfully.
Banner throwing strikes from guard but Flagg blocks nicely.
Banner sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Flagg's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Flagg is trying to maintain the position but Banner is very close to passing his half guard.

Banner looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Flagg is staying active underneath Banner, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Banner lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Bruce Banner overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Banner is keen to just control but Flagg is a slippery customer.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Flagg desperately trying to maintain half guard.
Flagg is staying active underneath Banner, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

Banner is working for a kimura but Flagg is defending it quite comfortably.
Banner wants to advance to full mount but Flagg doesn't think that's going to happen and regains full guard instead.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Banner stands and throws Flagg's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Banner throwing strikes but missing, from side control.

Banner working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Banner lands a decent elbow from side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bruce Banner dominated that second round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Flagg misses with a hook.
Banner uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Flagg.
Banner throws a sloppy body shot
and Flagg counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Banner with a lazy takedown attempt
and Flagg counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Banner misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
It really doesn't seem like the step up in weight is hurting Banner here at all. He's more than holding his own against the bigger man.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Donk. Flagg catches Banner right on the button with a cross.
Banner rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
letting Flagg counter with a right hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Banner jabs Flagg to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Flagg throws a shot from downtown. Banner moves away and avoids it.
Flagg lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Banner at a distance.
Banner avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Banner closes the distance and clinches up with Flagg, looking for a takedown. Banner pushes Flagg against the cage but Flagg circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bruce Banner. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Flagg ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Banner moves away.
Banner thows a left - swing and a miss!
Banner keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Flagg.
Banner tries to counter with a takedown but Flagg is quick to defend against it.
Banner misses with a lunging right hand
enabling Flagg to counter with a crisp jab.
Randall Flagg has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Banner connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Flagg's hands.
Banner connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Banner fails with the takedown
and Flagg counters with a straight right hand.
Banner doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Flagg cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A big left from Flagg misses.
Banner feinted with a counter takedown.
Nice jab there from Flagg.
Flagg throws a hook but Banner blocks it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Banner darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Flagg cracks Banner with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Banner shoots for a takedown but Flagg saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Good shot there by Flagg.
Bruce Banner is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Banner scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.

Banner shoots in and bounces Flagg off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Flagg looking to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Banner tries to free his leg and advance position but Flagg is retaining full guard.
Banner controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Banner's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Flagg trying to control the position here.
Banner is stalling in the full guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Randall Flagg comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Banner 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 Paulo Santos scores the fight 29:28
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 29:28
Judge Emerson Jorge scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Bruce Banner!
Bruce Banner thanked the fans post fight for their support.