PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Chuck Bennett (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Malvin Maldi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Maldi comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Loituma TECHNO! kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Bennett
vs
Maldi

165 cm
23
142 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

170 cm
19
140 lbs
7 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Chuck Bennett!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Malvin Maldi!
The judges for this bout are Robert Twigg, Gwen Towbar and Alan Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Bennett misses with the combination.
Maldi slips under a jab.
Bennett scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.

It looks like Malvin Maldi has been cut.
A punch combination from Bennett misses.
Maldi uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Bennett.
Bennett throws a hook to the side of Maldi's head but Maldi sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Maldi ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Maldi lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Bennett has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.

Bennett is rocked!
Maldi scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Oh Bennett is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Bennett swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Maldi counters with a takedown into side control.
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!
Bennett is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Maldi is controlling him well.
Maldi is looking to take a break and control but Bennett is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Bennett seems to have got his legs back now.

Maldi stands up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maldi lands with an overhand left.
Maldi lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Bennett circles away quickly and effectively.
Bennett throws a lazy right hand but Maldi sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Maldi dodges the punch combination from Bennett.
Bennett swinging wilding here.

Maldi drives through with a takedown into guard.
Bennett keeping moving, preventing Maldi from controlling successfully.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Maldi drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Maldi jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maldi stops Bennett from standing up.
Bennett wants to get back to his feet but Maldi passes into half guard.
Bennett is breathing heavily.
Bennett keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Bennett is trying to stand up here but Maldi is controlling him well.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Maldi shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Maldi was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!

Maldi working for a guillotine from mount but Bennett is in no mood to give up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Maldi looking to secure an arm triangle but Bennett defends it well.
Maldi looking to finish with strikes here!
Bennett wants to try and get back to his feet.

That's four 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.

Maldi looking for a guillotine from mount but Bennett is having none of it.

Maldi working for a guillotine from mount but Bennett is in no mood to give up.
Bennett tries to buck Maldi off but he can't manage it.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Bennett defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Maldi.

Maldi looking to secure an arm triangle but Bennett defends it well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Malvin Maldi dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Malvin Maldi's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Maldi closes this distance looking for a takedown but Bennett circles away.
Bennett misses with a combination
and Bennett takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Good exchange - Bennett coming out on top.
Bennett slips a jab and a cross from Maldi.
Bennett swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Maldi counters with a left and a right that stings Bennett.
Bennett throws a left and a right that both miss

and Maldi decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Bennett's guard.
Bennett wants to get back to his feet but Maldi is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Bennett can't keep his opponent in guard - Maldi advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.

Maldi stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The fighters circling - Bennett throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Nice defenses there by Maldi.
Maldi uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Bennett.
Maldi connects with a good right hand that stumbles Bennett. Bennett circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Maldi throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Chuck Bennett is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Maldi looks for a takedown but Bennett sprawls well.
Maldi moves out of range as Bennett strikes.
Maldi lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.

Maldi changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Bennett looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.

Maldi tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Bennett is trying to get back to his feet.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Maldi wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Bennett, who protects the arm well.

Maldi is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Bennett knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Bennett stops Maldi from passing to mount.
Malvin Maldi has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Maldi is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Bennett is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Bennett tries to escape but Maldi is in control.

Maldi is trying to get an arm triangle but Bennett is defending well.
Bennett bucks up and tries to throw Maldi off but instead Maldi has got his back!

That's four 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.
Maldi lands with a big left hand that may well have hurt his opponent. Can Bennett hold on?!
Will Maldi go for the finish here or will he try and keep control of the position?
Bennett trying to get back to his feet but Maldi is in full control for now.
Maldi trying desperately to keep hold of the dominant position.

Bennett preventing the rear naked choke attempt from Maldi.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Malvin Maldi showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Malvin Maldi's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

A decent looking cross lands there for Bennett.
Nice shot lands for Maldi.
Bennett takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Bennett loads up on a big right hand but Maldi slips the punch.
Bennett avoids a punch combination nicely.
Bennett connects with a crisp jab.
No joy there for Maldi, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Bennett throws a lazy right hand but Maldi sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Bennett walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Bennett walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Bennett with a hook.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Bennett throws a combination that misses
and Maldi counters with a nice uppercut.
Bennett swinging wilding here.
Maldi fails to land the takedown.
Maldi works over Bennett's head and body with a nice combination.

That's one minute gone in the round.
No joy there for Bennett, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Bennett throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Maldi counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.

Bennett pushes Maldi off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Bennett throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Bennett missing with a left hand there. Maldi was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Maldi lands a body shot.
Bennett showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Maldi.
Bennett thows a left - swing and a miss!
Bennett is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.

Maldi feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Maldi pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Bennett is keeping the position for now.

Bennett pushes Maldi off and scrambles back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bennett throws a jab but it's blocked by Maldi.
Maldi shoots in and drives through. Bennett sprawls well.
Maldi keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Bennett.
Maldi shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Bennett pinned against the cage. Bennett gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Chuck Bennett has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Malvin Maldi.
Bennett's corner calls for a 1-2. Bennett obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Maldi fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Bennett takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Maldi throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Nice defenses there by Maldi.
Chuck Bennett seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Maldi uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Bennett.
Maldi shoots in for a takedown but Bennett shows good takedown defense.

Maldi shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Maldi passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Bennett!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bennett wants to get back to his feet.

Maldi with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Bennett trying desperately to get to his feet.

That's four 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.

Maldi quickly switches position and commits to an armbar! It's a big risk for Maldi but it's paid off an Bennett is forced to tap! Nice work by Maldi.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:29 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Malvin Maldi!