PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Monelo Banks (ranked 5173 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dobar Dan (ranked 5032 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Banks
vs
Dan

170 cm
25
143 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

165 cm
24
135 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
KO power

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter fighter
Enjoys gardening

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Monelo Banks!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Dobar Dan!
The judges for this bout are Franklyn Lucas, Alyssa Summers and Dean Styles.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Dan slips a jab and a cross from Banks.
Dan feints the counter takedown.
Banks looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Banks sets himself, and Dan steps forward looking for the clinch! Banks avoids it this time.
Banks swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Banks misses with a two punch combination.
Dan is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.

Banks throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Dan tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Banks is in Dan's guard.
Dan utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Dan wants to sweep here but Banks controlling him for the moment.
Dan trying to strike off his back.
Dan has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Banks trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dan bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Banks's guard.

Banks keeping moving, preventing Dan from controlling successfully.
Dan looking to pass the guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Banks is looking to stand back up... there's a bit of a scramble and Dan dives into side control.
Banks is trying to improve his position.
Banks stops Dan from passing to mount.
Dan trying to control the action but Banks is working from the bottom.
Sloppy strikes there by Dan.

Dan is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Banks knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Dan tries for a kimura but Banks is defending well.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Banks gets back to half guard.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Dan scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Banks is staying active underneath Dan, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Banks trying to control here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dan prevents Banks from improving his position.
Banks is staying active underneath Dan, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Dan seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Banks is looking to improve his position.

Dan is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Banks is trying to get back to full guard.
Dan wants to control but Banks is keeping him busy.

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.
Banks looks like he's trying to stand up.

Banks has guillotine here! It looks pretty tight! Could this be all over! No, Dan escapes and passes into side control at the same time. Nice work there by Dan!
Dan scores with punches from side control.

Dan is trying to get an arm triangle but Banks is defending well.
Banks tries to buck Dan off but Dan is having none of it.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Banks is working hard here to advance position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dobar Dan dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Banks looks to land a combination but Dan avoids it well.
Banks misses with a kick to the body

and Dan counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Dan.
Dan passes easily into side control. Nice work.

Dan decides to stand back up.
Banks misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Dan appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
A head kick misses from Banks.
Dan drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Banks defends it well.
Banks feints a jab promting Dan to slip. Banks then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Dan slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.
Banks tries to clinch but Dan moves away

and Dan decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Banks's guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Dan is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Dan passes into half guard.
Banks is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dan is looking to advance position but Banks won't allow it.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.

Dan is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Dan thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Banks's head.

Dan is working for a kimura but Banks is defending it quite comfortably.

Dan is looking for a kimura. It's pretty deep but Banks still has the half guard so he's probably OK. Oh, Banks has exploded into a beautiful escape there and after a quick scramble, he's ended up in side control on top! Nice work!
Dobar Dan has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Banks wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Dan, who protects the arm well.
Dan is looking for a sweep.
Dan looking for a sweep but Banks has passed into full mount! Oh no!
Banks looking to finish with strikes here!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Banks trying to control but Dan is having none of it.
Banks scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Dan?
Dan bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Dan slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Dan working away.
Banks avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Dan.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Banks is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Dan working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.

Dan decides to stand up, so the ref orders Banks to his feet.

Banks throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Dan tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Banks is in Dan's guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Dobar Dan will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Banks tries to clinch but Dan is having none of it.
Dan appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
Banks throws a right hand that Dan ducks under and follows up with a left that Dan also avoids with ease.

Banks drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Dan is trying to control the position from the bottom.

Dan throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Banks loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dan can't keep his opponent in guard - Banks advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Dan is looking to control Banks's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Dan avoid being mounted?

That's one minute gone in the round.
Banks is trying to control the action in half guard but Dan is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
The fighters are battling for position here. Dan manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Banks wants to control from the top but Dan keeps moving.

Dan is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Banks wants to stand but Dan has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Dan 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.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Dan is on top in guard.

Dan takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dan postures up.
Dan tries to free his leg and advance position but Banks is retaining full guard.
Dan distracts Banks with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Dan trying to control the position from guard on top but Banks is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Banks not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Dan advances to half guard.

Banks looking for submissions off his back.
Dan wants to control but Banks is keeping him busy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dan is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Banks!
Monelo Banks has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Banks prevents Dan from taking his back.
Dan is still trying to improve position.
Dan thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Dan wants to take Banks's back but he can't do it this time.
Banks is trying to get back to his feet but can't.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dan cracks Banks with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Dan wants to take his opponent's back but Banks doesn't allow it.

Dan is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Banks can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Banks can't escape the position.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Dan lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Dobar Dan is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Dan has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Dan prevents Banks from getting the reversal.

And that's the end of the fight!
Dobar Dan comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Dan 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 Franklyn Lucas scores the fight for Dobar Dan!
Judge Alyssa Summers scores the fight for Dobar Dan!
Judge Dean Styles scores the fight for Dobar Dan!

Dobar Dan wins by unanimous decision!