PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Grim Reaper (ranked 3740 p4p, 367 weight class) and Carlton Banks (ranked 7025 p4p, 530 weight class). Banks has a niggling injury. He would have liked to come in 100% fit but that's not always possible. Carlton Banks has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Grim Reaper's chin.

Reaper
vs
Banks

183 cm
25
252 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

200 cm
25
280 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Cuts easily

Decent wrestler
Decent boxing
Heavy handed

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 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Grim Reaper!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Carlton Banks!
The judges for this bout are Steve Erwin, Topper Green and Chris Dean.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Reaper lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Banks circles away quickly and effectively.
Reaper gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Banks.
Banks looks winded!
Reaper stalks Banks and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Banks's face. Banks staggers backwards, shaken.
Reaper tries to close the distance and clinch up but Banks swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Reaper tries to clinch but Banks moves out of range.

Reaper clinches up against the cage.
Reaper lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Banks or not.
Banks wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Reaper has him pressed against the cage.
Reaper prevents Banks from breaking the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Banks breaks from the clinch.
We've been told by Reaper's head coaches at Arvins Bootcamp that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.
A slow jab from Reaper misses its intended target.
Reaper explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Reaper throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Grim Reaper seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Reaper moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Banks lands a right hook to the body.
Reaper tries to clinch
and Banks makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Reaper tries to clinch there but Banks circles away.
Reaper lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Banks circles away quickly and effectively.
Reaper swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Reaper shoots in looking for a takedown. Banks tries to sprawl out of it but Reaper keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Banks manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Banks fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Reaper manages to avoid it.
Reaper scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Banks scores with a decent looking hook.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Reaper tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Banks paws at him with a jab and circles away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Banks walks into a left hand.
Banks lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Reaper looks to land a left hand but Banks moved out of range nicely.
Banks misses with a two punch combination.
Reaper throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Banks counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Reaper wants to clinch up but Banks keeps it at a distance.
Reaper wants to clinch.
Nice defenses there by Banks.
Reaper takes one to the side of the head.
Reaper misses with a two punch combination.
Reaper shoots for a double leg takedown but Banks sprawls well. He's pushed Reaper's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
A little jabbing left from Banks on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Reaper throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Banks.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Banks!
Banks connects with a body shot that sends Reaper's belly button to the back.
Banks misses with a body shot.
Banks is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Reaper misses with a double jab
and Banks counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Reaper displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Banks lands a jab-cross combination.
Reaper tries to move into range but Banks moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Banks has been working his punching technique in the buildup to the fight and it appears to be paying off.
Reaper misses with a double jab
letting Banks counter with a right hand.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Reaper keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Reaper tries to close the distance and clinch up but Banks swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Banks doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Banks with a jab.
Banks has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Reaper throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Banks.
Danga de danga de dang - Banks scores with a four punch combination!
Reaper throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Banks stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Reaper tries to clinch but Banks is having none of it.
Banks avoids a punch combination nicely.
Banks avoids a punch combination nicely.
Banks fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Reaper on the side of the head.
Reaper is looking to clinch.

Reaper closes the distance and pushes Banks back into the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Carlton Banks will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

A jab lands there for Banks.
Some wild striking there from Banks.
Reaper shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Banks as he jumps to the side.
Reaper swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
A nice combination there by Reaper.
Banks connects with a body shot that sends Reaper's belly button to the back.
Reaper throws the kick towards the body but Banks avoids it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Reaper uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Banks.
Reaper pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Banks back to the cage. Reaper follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.
Reaper closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Grim Reaper is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Some wild striking there from Reaper.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Banks throws a right and a left that Reaper avoids nicely.
A combination from Banks does no damage.
Reaper fails to land with a series of punches.
Reaper wants to clinch.
Reaper waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Banks.
Banks throws a counter combo.
Banks moves away from the strike by Reaper.
It seemed like Banks was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Reaper dodges the punch combination from Banks.
Nice defenses there by Reaper.
Some wild striking there from Reaper.
Banks appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Reaper throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Banks.
Reaper throws a left and a right that both miss
and Banks counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Reaper misses with a double jab
and Banks counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Reaper lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Carlton Banks is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Reaper avoids a punch combination nicely.
Banks misses the shot to the body.
Reaper throws a right and a left that Banks avoids nicely.
Reaper throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Banks.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Reaper misses with an uppercut. Banks saw that one coming.
Banks keeps the fight on the outside.
Banks lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Carlton Banks seems to be getting the better of the standup.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Reaper tries to bum rush Banks with a series of wild strikes but Banks uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Reaper takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Reaper misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Reaper fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Banks takes a swing at Reaper's ribcage but misses.
Banks lands a jab to the nose.
The fight stays on the outside here - Reaper looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Banks looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Reaper looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Reaper fails with a takedown attempt.
Reaper throws a right hand that Banks ducks under and follows up with a left that Banks also avoids with ease.
Banks throws a counter combo.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Banks throws a series of punches but Reaper avoids them all with ease.
Reaper takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Reaper tries to close the distance and clinch but Banks swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Banks thuds a left hand into Reaper's body.
Banks scores with a one two! Reaper had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Reaper tries to close the distance and clinch up but Banks swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Reaper throws a right hand that Banks ducks under and follows up with a left that Banks also avoids with ease.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Banks! But no joy.
Reaper throws a combination that misses
and Banks counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Banks slips a jab and a cross from Reaper.
Banks doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Reaper misses with a series of wild punches.
Reaper misses with a double jab.
Banks throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
It looked like Reaper was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Carlton Banks will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Reaper throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Banks.
Reaper doesn't manage to clinch there - Banks circles away.
Banks tries to bum rush Reaper with a series of wild strikes but Reaper uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Reaper fails to land with a series of punches.
Sloppy strikes from Banks. Those never looked like landing.
Banks dodges the punch combination from Reaper.
Banks showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Reaper.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Banks lands a really nice looking cross but Reaper seems unphased.
Reaper tries to close the distance and clinch but Banks swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Banks! But no joy.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Reaper throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Reaper rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Banks counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Reaper thinking.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Banks keeps the fight on the outside.
Banks swats away the attempt to clinch by Reaper.
Reaper misses with a jab, cross combination.
Banks fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Banks keeps the fight on the outside.
Reaper misses with a combination
and Reaper takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Reaper misses with a wild combination.
A little jabbing left from Banks on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Banks misses with a series of wild punches.
Banks swings and misses with a hook to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Reaper is looking to clinch but Banks is avoiding it.
Banks is looking for the big counter here.
Reaper closes the distance and clinches up with Banks, looking for a takedown. Reaper pushes Banks against the cage but Banks circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Banks circles away from the clinch attempt.
Reaper misses with the combination.
Banks throws a hook to the side of Reaper's head but Reaper sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Reaper shoots in for a takedown but Banks shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
A punch combination from Reaper misses.
Banks fails to land with a series of punches.
Banks throws a one two combo.
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 slips a jab and a cross from Reaper.
Banks scores with a nice strike.
Reaper lunges at Banks with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Banks's hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Reaper misses with a few strikes there.
Banks throws a series of punches but Reaper avoids them all with ease.
Banks tries to bum rush Reaper with a series of wild strikes but Reaper uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Banks misses with a jab, cross combination.
A shot to the liver by Banks. Beautiful body shot.
Banks misses with a two punch combination.
Reaper works over Banks's head and body with a nice combination.
Reaper is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Banks scores with a jab.
Reaper is looking to clinch but Banks is avoiding it.
Banks dips to his left and cracks Reaper with an uppercut!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Reaper darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Reaper looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Reaper tries to clinch but Banks is having none of it.
Banks throws a body shot but no joy.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Reaper tries to clinch but Banks is having none of it.
Banks ducks right into an uppercut from Reaper.
Reaper pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Reaper tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Banks counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Reaper tries to clinch up.
Reaper throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Banks is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Banks takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Reaper misses with a double jab.
Grim Reaper has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Reaper throws a right and a left that Banks avoids nicely.
Reaper throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Carlton Banks.
I've got Banks 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 Steve Erwin scores the fight 27:30
Judge Topper Green scores the fight 27:30
Judge Chris Dean scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Carlton Banks!