PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between James Benson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dwayne Gregory (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Benson
vs
Gregory

192 cm
25
265 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

188 cm
20
278 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Enjoys gardening

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 Hilo, James Benson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Dwayne Gregory!
The judges for this bout are Jeff Smith, Chris Saunders and Josh West.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Benson fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Gregory, pushing him back against the cage.
Benson digs a right hand underneath Gregory's ribcage. Gregory let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Benson wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Benson wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Gregory has him pressed against the cage.
A nice left hand lands by Benson.
Gregory pushes Benson back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Benson lands a hook to the side of the head.
Benson could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Benson works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Benson stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Benson tries to work over Gregory's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Benson misses with a short punch on the inside.
Benson lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Gregory backwards.
Benson working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Nice body punch from Benson.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A short right from Benson on the inside.
A short body shot lands from Benson as the two fighters clinch.
Benson will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Gregory up against the cage.
Benson lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Benson has had enough of the clinch but Gregory keeps him there for the moment.

Gregory breaks the clinch.
A punch combination from Benson misses.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Gregory.
Benson slips a straight right by Gregory.
Benson throws a big counter combination but Gregory scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.
James Benson is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Gregory tries to work over Benson's front leg with a kick but Benson checks it.
Benson throws a big counter combination but Gregory scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Benson clinches up against the cage.
Nice body punch from Benson.
Benson wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Benson lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Benson is trying to break the clinch but Gregory has him pressed against the cage.
Benson looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Benson scores with a nice hook to the head.
Benson lands a nice uppercut.
Benson lands a right hand that snaps the head of Gregory backwards.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Benson tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Benson throws a punch but it's blocked by Gregory.
Benson taking a break, stalling in the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
A left hand lands to the body for Benson.
Benson stalling the fight.
Benson lands with a short head shot on the inside.

Gregory breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Gregory avoids a punch combination nicely.
Gregory is clearly looking to counter with head kicks.
Gregory throws a head kick that misses
and Benson counters with a series of strikes. Gregory will be more careful next time no doubt.
Gregory slips a jab and a cross from Benson.
Gregory steps in looking to clinch after the strikes miss from Benson.

Benson rushes Gregory and presses him up against the cage.
Benson lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Benson scores with a shoulder strike.
Benson lands on the inside with an uppercut.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Benson swings away with an uppercut that misses.

Gregory breaks from the clinch.

Benson gets a clinch.
Gregory looking to stall.
Benson lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Gregory prevents Benson from breaking the clinch.
Gregory's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!

Gregory manages to break the clinch.

Benson has taken the fight to the clinch.
Gregory prevents Benson from breaking the clinch.
Benson misses with the head strike.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James Benson dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Gregory takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Benson moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
James Benson seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Benson tries to clinch there but Gregory circles away.
James Benson is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Benson fails with an attempt to clinch.
Gregory is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Benson lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Benson uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Benson tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Gregory paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Gregory tries to counter by closing the distance.
Benson throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Gregory counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Gregory controlling the action here.

Gregory stands up out of the half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Gregory tries to keep at a distance but Benson has taken the fight into the clinch.
Benson will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Gregory up against the cage.

Gregory breaks from the clinch.

Gregory closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Gregory lands in his opponent's guard.
Benson is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Gregory can do to turn this around?
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Gregory looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Benson is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gregory controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Benson is wriggling around but Gregory manages to pass to half guard.
Gregory controlling the pace.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gregory thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Benson's head.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Gregory in particular looking to stall.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Benson closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
A short uppercut from Benson.
Still in the clinch, Benson scores with a nice short uppercut.
Gregory keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Benson's efforts to push away.
Benson misses with a punch on the inside.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Benson throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Gregorys head.

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

Benson closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James Benson dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Gregory takes one to the side of the head.
Benson tries to clinch but Gregory moves out of range.
Despite the aggression on Gregory's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Benson fails in his attempt to clinch.

Gregory shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Benson is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Gregory scores with a couple of nice shots.
Gregory sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Benson defending well though.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gregory is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Gregory perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Gregory working the head and body with strikes.
Gregory is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Benson on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Benson tries to get out of the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.

Gregory stands up from half guard.
Gregory throws a sloppy head kick and Benson moves out of range easily.
Gregory fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

Benson closes the distance and pushes Gregory back into the cage.
Benson misses with a hook to the ribs.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Benson takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Gregory blocking some punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Benson lands with a light punch inside.
Benson wants to get back to striking at distance but Gregory won't allow it.
Benson creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
James Benson is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Benson is trying to push Gregory away but Gregory has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Benson gets through Gregory's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Stalling in the clinch from Benson.
Stalling in the clinch from Benson.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Benson.

Gregory pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Benson displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Gregory.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Benson clinches.
Benson lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Benson tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Benson has Gregory pushed against the cage.
Benson on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Benson lands a body shot in the clinch.
Benson throws a punch but it's blocked by Gregory.
Dwayne Gregory has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Benson tries to circle away but Gregory has him pinned against the cage.

And that's the end of the fight!
James Benson showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Benson, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Jeff Smith scores the fight 30:27
Judge Chris Saunders scores the fight 30:27
Judge Josh West scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... James Benson!