PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Johan Bensing (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Oystein Aarseth (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Johan Bensing has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Bensing
vs
Aarseth

185 cm
20
170 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

170 cm
22
180 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

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 Helsinki, Johan Bensing!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Oystein Aarseth!
The judges for this bout are Arvi Lind, Anni Minnemäki and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Bensing misses with a looping right.
Bensing tries to close the distance and clinch up but Aarseth swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Aarseth throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Bensing.
Aarseth steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Bensing. That one must have hurt.
Aarseth keeps the fight on the outside.
Bensing moves in looking to clinch but Aarseth pushes him off.
Aarseth fails to land with a series of punches.
Aarseth throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Bensing tries to clinch there but Aarseth circles away.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Aarseth will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Aarseth swats away the attempt to clinch by Bensing.
Bensing throws a sloppy head kick and Aarseth moves out of range easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bensing fails with an attempt to clinch.
A telegraphed right hand from Bensing misses the target.

Bensing moves into the clinch successfully.
Bensing changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Aarseth fights it off and pushes away nicely.
A combination from Aarseth does no damage.
Aarseth swinging wilding here.
Aarseth lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Bensing circles away quickly and effectively.
Aarseth misses with a two punch combination.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Aarseth circles away from the clinch attempt.
Aarseth misses with a double jab.
Bensing is looking to chop away at Aarseth's legs.
Aarseth will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Bensing shoots in looking for a takedown. Aarseth tries to sprawl out of it but Bensing keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Aarseth manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Oystein Aarseth seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Bensing tries to clinch up.
Bensing fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Aarseth checks it well.
Oystein Aarseth is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bensing misses with a body shot.
Aarseth throws a right and a left that both miss.
No luck for Bensing with that takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Johan Bensing. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Aarseth avoids a kick to the body.
Bensing wants to clinch up but Aarseth keeps it at a distance.
Aarseth misses with a jab, cross combination.
Bensing looks to score with a jab to the body but Aarseth is just out of range.
Bensing slips a jab and a cross from Aarseth.
Aarseth throws a right and a left that both miss.
Aarseth throws a series of punches but Bensing avoids them all with ease.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Bensing will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Aarseth stalks Bensing and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Bensing's face. Bensing staggers backwards, shaken.

It looks like Johan Bensing has been cut.
Aarseth avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
A combination from Aarseth does no damage.
Bensing shoots for a takedown but Aarseth saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Aarseth looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Aarseth swats away the attempt to clinch by Bensing.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Aarseth moves out of range of the body kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Oystein Aarseth dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Johan Bensing's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Bensing tries a head kick but it misses.
Bensing dodges the punch combination from Aarseth.
Aarseth throws a nice looking combination but Bensing bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Bensing throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

Bensing closes the distance and clinches.
Bensing tries to pull guard but Aarseth won't allow it.
Aarseth can't break the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bensing working aggressively here.
Aarseth prevents the takedown attempt.
Bensing prevents Aarseth from breaking the clinch.
Aarseth has had enough of the clinch but Bensing keeps him there for the moment.
Bensing is working for takedown but Aarseth is calmly controlling the position for now.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Johan Bensing. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Aarseth wants to get back to striking at distance but Bensing won't allow it.

Bensing breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Bensing fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Bensing shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Bensing showed some decent athleticism there.
Aarseth is refusing to be controlled, as Bensing sits in half guard.

Aarseth pushes Bensing off and gets back to his feet.
Aarseth will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Aarseth lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Aarseth.
Aarseth lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Aarseth misses with a series of wild punches.
Aarseth looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Aarseth throws a right and a left that both miss.
Aarseth tries to bum rush Bensing with a series of wild strikes but Bensing uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Aarseth misses with a few strikes there.
Aarseth misses with a wild combination.
Aarseth misses with a double jab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Aarseth misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Aarseth throws a right and a left that Bensing avoids nicely.
Johan Bensing is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Aarseth fails to land with a series of punches.
Bensing fails with the takedown.
Aarseth tries to bum rush Bensing with a series of wild strikes but Bensing uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Bensing is looking to clinch but Aarseth is avoiding it.
Aarseth swinging wilding here.
Bensing avoids a punch combination nicely.

That's four 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.
Aarseth closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Aarseth swinging wilding here.
Aarseth misses with a series of wild punches.
Aarseth closes the distance and lands a one-two.
A left and a right from Aarseth both land. Nice combination.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Oystein Aarseth showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Johan Bensing's cut.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Bensing takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Bensing tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Aarseth paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Aarseth slips a straight right by Bensing.
Aarseth looks to land a combination but Bensing avoids it well.
Horrible takedown by Bensing or perhaps it was just good defense by Aarseth which made him look bad.
Bensing slips a jab and a cross from Aarseth.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Aarseth throws a right and a left that Bensing avoids nicely.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Aarseth stalks Bensing and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Bensing's face. Bensing staggers backwards, shaken.
Bensing tries to close the distance and clinch up but Aarseth swats him away and circles back towards the center.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Aarseth swats away the attempt to clinch by Bensing.
Aarseth lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Bensing circles away quickly and effectively.
Aarseth misses with a two punch combination.
Bensing tries to close the distance and clinch but Aarseth swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Aarseth lands a jab-cross combination.
Bensing doesn't manage to clinch there - Aarseth circles away.
Aarseth lands a jab-cross combination.
Some wild striking there from Aarseth.
Oystein Aarseth is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

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.
Aarseth lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Bensing circles away quickly and effectively.
Aarseth misses with a two punch combination.
Aarseth goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Bensing fails in his attempt to clinch.
Bensing misses with a head kick.
Aarseth showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Bensing.
Aarseth misses with a two punch combination.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Aarseth fails to land with a series of punches.
A left and a right from Aarseth both land. Nice combination.
Aarseth lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Bensing circles away quickly and effectively.
Aarseth misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Aarseth misses with the combination.
Aarseth throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Bensing counters with a one-two to the body.
Bensing tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Aarseth swivels and escapes.
Aarseth misses with a few strikes there.
Aarseth throws a series of punches but Bensing moves out of range.

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.
Aarseth misses with a series of wild punches.
Aarseth misses with a double jab

and Bensing counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Aarseth wants to stand and escape but Bensing is having none of it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Aarseth uses the cage to get back to his feet.
Aarseth swinging wilding here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Oystein Aarseth comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Aarseth winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Arvi Lind scores the fight 27:30
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 27:30
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Oystein Aarseth!