PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Ralph Bonnano (ranked 3274 p4p, 158 weight class) and Gregory Simmons (ranked 22516 p4p, 367 weight class). The fight MMA fans around the world have waited their entire lives for!

Bonnano
vs
Simmons

170 cm
25
144 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

175 cm
29
143 lbs
3 - 9 - 0

Good takedowns
Brawler
KO power

Good wrestler
Brawler
Granite chin

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Ralph Bonnano!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Gregory Simmons!
The judges for this bout are Emerson Jorge, Paulo Santos and Daniel Cesar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Bonnano lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Bonnano misses with a jab, cross combination.
Simmons tries to counter by closing the distance.

Simmons clinches with his opponent.

Simmons drags the fight down to the ground.
Bonnano trying to control the position from guard on top but Simmons is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Simmons keeping full guard, as Bonnano tries to pass.
Simmons controlling Bonnano's posture.
Bonnano trying to control the position from guard on top but Simmons is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Bonnano definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Simmons trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bonnano preventing the sweep.
Bonnano trying to control the position from guard on top but Simmons is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Bonnano jabbing away but nothing is landing.

Simmons drives through and clinches with Bonnano against the cage.

Simmons's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Bonnano on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Simmons shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Bonnano lands a jab to Simmons's midsection.
Bonnano misses with a right hand
and Simmons counters with a left and a right that stings Bonnano.
Bonnano shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Simmons eats them both and turns towards Bonnano to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Bonnano tries for a takedown but Simmons circles away easily

and Simmons counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Simmons.
Bonnano wants a takedown.

Simmons breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bonnano connects with the punch.
Simmons looks to score with a jab to the body but Bonnano is just out of range.

Bonnano gets caught flat footed, as Simmons shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Simmons is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

Bonnano throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Simmons escapes and throws Bonnano's legs to the side, diving into side control!

Simmons tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Bonnano tries to buck Simmons off but Simmons is having none of it.
Simmons working away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bonnano manages to work his way to half guard, despite Simmons's best efforts.
Bonnano wants to get back to full guard.
Simmons is figuring out what he wants to do next.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Simmons is thwarting Bonnano's attempts to control the position.
Simmons wants to take a breather but Bonnano is having none of it.
Simmons prevents Bonnano from improving his position.
Simmons takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Bonnano wants to get back to full guard.
Simmons landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.

Simmons wants to work for an arm triangle but Bonnano is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Simmons wants to get back to his feet.

Simmons wants to work for an arm triangle but Bonnano is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Bonnano is trying to stand back up but Simmons is controlling him

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

Bonnano shoots in and bounces Simmons off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Simmons throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Simmons is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Simmons seems keen to control Bonnano's posture.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Gregory Simmons will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Bonnano shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Simmons but Simmons pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Bonnano darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Bonnano connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Simmons's hands.
Ralph Bonnano seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Bonnano cracks Simmons with a right hand to the side of the head.
Bonnano throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Bonnano tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Simmons was well out of range. Poor timing from Bonnano.
Bonnano looks for a takedown but Simmons sprawls well.

Simmons has managed to clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Simmons leaning his opponent against the cage.
A short right from Simmons on the inside.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Simmons escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Bonnano gets caught napping as Simmons dives in and scores a takedown. Bonnano manages to retain guard.
Bonnano is looking to stand back up but Simmons counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Bonnano.

Simmons tries to pass to full mount but Bonnano defends it.

Simmons is trying to work for a kimura but Bonnano is defending well.
Bonnano is looking to improve his position.

Bonnano is defending against the submission attempts here by Simmons.
Bonnano is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Simmons not doing much here.
Simmons wants to stand up but Bonnano has a hold of him and won't allow it.
Ground and pound from Simmons.
Bonnano trying to control but Simmons postures up.
Bonnano is looking to get back to full guard here but Simmons has managed to pass to side control instead.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Simmons decides to stand up, so the ref orders Bonnano to his feet.
Bonnano throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Simmons shoots in for a takedown but Bonnano shows good takedown defense.
Bonnano misses with a right hand

and Simmons counters with a nice double leg into guard.

The fighters are working up against the cage. Bonnano manages to wriggle his way back to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched against the cage.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Simmons creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.

Simmons breaks from the clinch.
Simmons takes one to the chin there.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Simmons fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Bonnano, pushing him back against the cage.
Bonnano tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Simmons takes a shot to the head.

Simmons gets control of Bonnano's arms and successfully pulls guard. Simmons will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bonnano preventing the sweep.
Simmons is controlling Bonnano's posture.
Bonnano slips nicely into half guard.
Gregory Simmons has got the better of the ground game so far.
Bonnano tries to pass the half guard into mount. Simmons knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

Bonnano seems to be working for a kimura but Simmons defends the submission attempt.
Simmons is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Bonnano is keen to just control but Simmons is a slippery customer.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Gregory Simmons will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Bonnano fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Simmons looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.

Simmons shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.

Bonnano manages to escape and get back to his feet.
Bonnano throws a right and a left that Simmons avoids nicely.

Bonnano shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Simmons keeping control of the position.
Simmons wants to control but Bonnano is keeping busy.
Bonnano wants to control but Simmons is keeping him busy.
Simmons tries to roll over but Bonnano keeps him under control.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Simmons can do anything to dispel that myth.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Simmons wants to control but Bonnano is keeping busy.
Bonnano wants to lay and pray for a moment but Simmons keeps working.
Simmons tries to roll over but Bonnano keeps him under control.
Simmons looks like he's trying to stand up.
Simmons is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Bonnano wants to take a breather but Simmons is having none of it.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Ralph Bonnano is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

Simmons takes the fight into the clinch.
Simmons doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
A head punch on the inside from Bonnano fails to land.
Bonnano misses with some punches.
Bonnano swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Simmons tries for a takedown but Bonnano manages to get underhooks.
Bonnano tries for a takedown. No joy.
Bonnano misses with a short punch on the inside.
Bonnano wants a takedown.
Bonnano misses with a hook from the clinch.

Simmons turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!

Simmons tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Bonnano is looking for a sweep.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bonnano can't do much from the bottom here.

Simmons is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Bonnano is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Bonnano tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Simmons wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
A lull in the action here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.

Simmons tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Bonnano is looking to regain half guard here but Simmons keeps moving and retains side control.
Bonnano is trying to control Simmons's posture but Simmons avoids it.
Simmons really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Bonnano. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Simmons has knee on belly and moves into mount.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Bonnano is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Ralph Bonnano.
I think Simmons has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Emerson Jorge scores the fight 30:28
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 29:28
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Ralph Bonnano!