PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Tyrus Shakur (ranked 22797 p4p, 775 weight class) and Christopher Banks (ranked 23416 p4p, 734 weight class). Christopher Banks has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Shakur
vs
Banks

190 cm
28
170 lbs
2 - 6 - 0

177 cm
20
182 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Granite chin

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 - 6 - 0, fighting out of New York, Tyrus Shakur!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of New York, Christopher Banks!
The judges for this bout are Columbo Gatti, Eddie Farnsworth and John Kavanagh.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Banks rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Shakur moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Shakur tries to close the distance and clinch up but Banks swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Shakur scores with a decent looking hook.
Shakur scores with a jab to the jaw.
Banks misses with a head kick.
Banks throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Shakur.
Banks avoids a punch combination nicely.
A head kick misses from Shakur.
Shakur misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Shakur moves in looking to clinch but Banks pushes him off.
Shakur looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Banks fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Shakur tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Banks counters with a stiff right hand.
Shakur misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Banks lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Shakur circles away quickly and effectively.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Shakur lands a high kick!
Shakur throws a head kick but Banks moves out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Banks misses with a head kick.
Shakur misses with the combination.
Banks blocks a head kick by Shakur.
Banks misses with a body kick.
Shakur misses with a combination
and Banks counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Shakur misses with a head kick.
Shakur throws a head kick that misses.
Tyrus Shakur is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Banks throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Shakur sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Shakur tries to clinch up but Banks circles away and keeps his distance.
Shakur throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Banks avoids the head kick by Shakur.
Banks feints and then cracks Shakur's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Shakur down.
Banks swats away the attempt to clinch by Shakur.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Shakur forces Banks back against the cage and clinches.

Banks's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Banks rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Shakur moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

Banks pushes Shakur up against the cage in a clinch.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Banks fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Shakur jumps guard but Banks stands there with Shakur around his waist. Shakur gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Banks misses with a body punch.
Shakur is trying to drag Banks to the mat but Banks just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Shakur wants to break free but Banks has control.
Banks has Shakur pressed against the cage, preventing Shakur from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Still in the clinch, Banks scores with a nice short uppercut.
Shakur really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A right hand to the body from Banks.
Banks pushes Shakur back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Banks lands a hook to the side of the head.

Banks breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Shakur tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Banks let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.
Shakur misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
No joy there for Shakur, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Shakur on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Some wild striking there from Shakur.
Banks scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Shakur tries to close the distance and clinch but Banks swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Shakur lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Banks circles away quickly and effectively.
Banks throws a head kick but Shakur moves out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Banks throws a right and a left that Shakur avoids nicely.
Banks avoids the head kick by Shakur.
Sloppy strikes from Banks. Those never looked like landing.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Banks misses with a head kick.
Shakur lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Banks fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Shakur misses with a double jab
and Banks counters with a leg kick.
Banks scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Banks rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Shakur moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Banks throws a leg kick but Shakur checks it.
Shakur scores with a head kick. Banks tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.
Banks throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Banks has tried to improve his agility in the runup to this fight.
Shakur on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Banks. Banks obviously looking to wear him down.
Banks tries to close the distance and clinch up but Shakur swats him away and circles back towards the center.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Christopher Banks dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

A big left from Banks misses.
Banks throws a hook but Shakur blocks it.
Shakur tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Banks paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Banks throws a counter combo.
Banks takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Christopher Banks seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Banks lands with a cross.
Banks lands a high kick!
Shakur pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Banks gets tackled into the cage by Shakur. Shakur maintains the clinch.
Shakur jumps guard but Banks turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
A left hand lands to the body for Banks.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Banks scores with a shot to the side of Shakur's head.
Shakur wants a takedown.

Banks breaks from the clinch.
Shakur lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Banks has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Shakur fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Banks dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Shakur. That did some damage!
Banks throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Shakur misses with a head kick.
Shakur moves away from the strike by Banks.
Shakur fails to land with a series of punches.
Shakur lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Banks circles away quickly and effectively.
Banks tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Banks tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Shakur throws a head kick but Banks moves out of range.
Banks throws a quick inside leg kick.
Shakur throws a head kick that misses
letting Banks counter with a right hand.
Shakur throws a right hand that Banks ducks under and follows up with a left that Banks also avoids with ease.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Shakur misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Shakur sets himself, and Banks steps forward looking for the clinch! Shakur avoids it this time.
Shakur lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Shakur tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Banks manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
A little jabbing left from Banks on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Banks tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Shakur was well out of range. Poor timing from Banks.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
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 throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Banks connects with a solid leg kick.
Shakur tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Banks buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Shakur lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Banks circles away quickly and effectively.

Banks moves into range and clinches up with Shakur.
Banks dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Banks keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Shakur's efforts to push away.

Banks escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Banks feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Shakur's calf.
Shakur with a nice cross.
Shakur tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Sloppy strikes from Banks. Those never looked like landing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shakur misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Shakur tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Shakur is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
The fight stays on the outside here - Shakur looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Shakur slips a jab and a cross from Banks.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Donk. Shakur catches Banks right on the button with a cross.
Shakur scores with a sloppy right hand. Banks should have avoided that one.
Banks bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Shakur throws a sloppy head kick
and Banks makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. Shakur really felt that one!
Banks throws a nice inside leg kick.
Tyrus Shakur is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Shakur shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Banks eats them both and turns towards Shakur to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
The crowd cheers as Banks lands an impressive looking overhand right. Shakur doesn't seem phased though.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
A head kick misses from Shakur.
Banks with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Banks moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Shakur throws a right and a left that both miss.
Banks scores with a kick to the body.
Shakur avoids the head kick by Banks.
Banks avoids a punch combination nicely.
Banks shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Shakur as he avoids it easily.
Banks blocks a head kick by Shakur.

Banks gets a clinch.
A right handed body shot lands from Banks.
The referee calls for Banks to work.
A short uppercut from Banks.

Banks manages to break the clinch.
The fighters circling - Banks throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
As Banks looks to move away, Shakur throws a big counter combo but Banks just gets out of the way.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Christopher Banks showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

A nice combination there by Banks.
Banks with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.

Banks closes the distance and pushes Shakur back into the cage.
Still in the clinch, Banks scores with a nice short uppercut.
Banks goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Shakur misses with a body punch.
Banks works on Shakur's body with a couple of short punches.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Banks.
Banks lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.

Shakur is rocked!
Banks lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Oh Shakur is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Knees to the body from Banks.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Banks manages to break the clinch.
Banks cracks Shakur's jaw with two stiff jabs then ducks low and throws a soul-severing right uppercut to the mouth!! Shakur slumps to the ground with blood on his lips. The referee steps in before Banks can do further damage! This one is done, son!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:49 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Christopher Banks!