PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Zach Benson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tank Gauthier (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Benson
vs
Gauthier

190 cm
22
275 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

200 cm
18
300 lbs
3 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Good chin

Dangerous GnP
Decent boxing
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Zach Benson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Tank Gauthier!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, George Francis and Chris Downing.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gauthier tries to clinch there but Benson circles away.
Benson cracks Gauthier with a good jab.
Benson changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Gauthier tries to avoid it but Benson manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Gauthier to the ground. Gauthier escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Benson throws a one two combo.
Gauthier doesn't manage to clinch there - Benson circles away.
Gauthier steps into range and cracks Benson with a monster punch that buckles his knees! Benson flops backwards and Gauthier dives into his guard looking to finish!

It looks like Zach Benson has been cut.
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!
Gauthier wants to get up but he can't break Benson's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Benson controls Gauthier momentarily but Gauthier frees himself.
Benson has a closed guard, preventing Gauthier from standing up.
Gauthier wants to stand and escape but instead Benson has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Benson passes into half guard.

Benson escapes and gets back to his feet.
Gauthier misses with a combination
and Benson counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Gauthier is lucky that one didn't land flush.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gauthier throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Benson counters with a head kick that drops Gauthier!
Benson is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.

Gauthier is working an open guard so Benson takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Benson fails to land the takedown.
Thud! ouch! good body kick from Benson - that will leave a mark!
Gauthier looks gassed!
Benson connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Gauthier falls off balance throwing a combination
and Benson counters with a body kick.
Benson tries for a takedown but Gauthier sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Zach Benson. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Gauthier tries to clinch up
and Benson counters with a two punch combo.

Benson has taken the fight to the clinch.

Benson turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Benson manages to end up in side control.
Benson wants to lay and pray for a moment but Gauthier keeps working.
Benson working the head with strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Benson cracks Gauthier with a big elbow.
Benson working the ground and pound.
Gauthier is pushing Benson's head away, looking to escape. Benson manages to hold on to the position though.
Gauthier taking a bit of punishment here - Benson scoring with strikes.
Benson scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Gauthier to see if he's OK.
Benson wants to control but Gauthier is keeping him busy.

Benson decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Benson fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Benson fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Benson works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Benson forces Gauthier back against the cage and clinches.
Gauthier prevents a takedown attempt there.

Benson's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Benson fails to land the takedown.
Gauthier throws a combination that misses
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Benson moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Benson scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Benson lands with a nice combination. Gauthier backs away looking to recover.
Benson will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Gauthier throws a combination that misses
and Benson counters with a right hand to the body.
Horrible takedown by Benson or perhaps it was just good defense by Gauthier which made him look bad.
A nice leg kick lands there from Benson.
Gauthier is looking to clinch but Benson is avoiding it.
Gauthier throws a series of punches but Benson avoids them all with ease.
Left hook, right uppercut from Benson.
Benson feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Gauthier's calf.
Gauthier takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.

Benson gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Benson wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Gauthier wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Benson drops down looking for an ankle pick but Gauthier pulls his leg out and moves away.

Gauthier moves into the clinch.

Benson escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Gauthier tries to clinch but Benson is having none of it.
Benson lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Gauthier backs up against the cage.
Gauthier wants to clinch but Benson slips to the side
and Benson counters with a three punch combo that has Gauthier backing up. Gauthier nods at Benson to acknowledge the strikes.
Tank Gauthier seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Gauthier clinches but Benson breaks the clinch
and Benson counters with a nice uppercut.
Nice straight punches there by Benson. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Benson.

Benson clinches up against the cage.
Gauthier wants to get back to striking at distance but Benson won't allow it.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Gauthier throws a head punch that misses.
Benson is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Gauthier working aggressively here.

Benson breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Benson throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
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!
Gauthier throws a left and a right that both miss
and Benson counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Zach Benson dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Zach Benson'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.

Gauthier tries to clinch
and Benson connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Benson scores with a one two! Gauthier had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Benson wants to clinch up but Gauthier keeps it at a distance.
Gauthier tries to clinch but Benson moves away
and Benson counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Benson shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Gauthier but Gauthier pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Gauthier misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Benson lands a glancing blow to the side of Gauthier's head.
Benson scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Zach Benson is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Benson lands a two punch combo.
Benson tries for a takedown but Gauthier sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Gauthier slips a jab and a cross from Benson.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Gauthier looks to clinch
and Benson makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. Gauthier really felt that one!
Gauthier misses with a combination

and Benson holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Benson is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Benson is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Gauthier pulls him back up using the underhooks.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Zach Benson. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Benson is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
A short right from Gauthier on the inside.
Gauthier is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Benson can't get the takedown.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gauthier misses with a combination
enabling Benson to counter with a crisp jab.
Gauthier closes the distance but Benson moves to the side
and Benson counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Benson fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Gauthier scores with a sloppy right hand. Benson should have avoided that one.
A punch combination from Gauthier misses.
Benson scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Benson is working the combinations to good effect here.
Benson turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Benson fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Ooooh, nice body kick lands from Benson. Gauthier shrugs it off though.
Gauthier swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Benson counters with a body kick.
Benson shoots in for a takedown but Gauthier shows good takedown defense.
Benson scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Gauthier tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Benson paws at him with a jab and circles away.
No luck for Benson with that takedown attempt.
Gauthier works over Benson's head and body with a nice combination.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gauthier wants to clinch

and Benson counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Benson.

Benson's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Gauthier swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Left hook, right uppercut from Benson.
Gauthier has a pretty nasty looking mouse under his right eye.
Benson shoots in for a double leg but Gauthier sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Gauthier swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Benson counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Gauthier is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Benson shoots in for a takedown but Gauthier shows good takedown defense.
Benson walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Zach Benson is winning the standup battle so far.
Benson moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Gauthier misses with a combination

and Benson counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Benson.
Benson drops down looking for an ankle pick but Gauthier pulls his leg out and moves away.
Gauthier avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Gauthier rushes Benson and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Benson tries for a takedown. No joy.
Gauthier misses with a punch on the inside.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gauthier pushes Benson back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.

Gauthier pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Tank Gauthier is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Benson closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Benson looks to land a combination. Gauthier sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Benson shoots in and drives through. Gauthier sprawls well.
Gauthier darts in trying to clinch
and Benson connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Gauthier throws a combination that misses
and Benson counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Benson lands a high kick!
Gauthier misses with a series of wild punches.
Benson thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Gauthier if he has to take too many more of those.
Left hook, right uppercut from Benson.
Benson misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
The fight stays on the outside here - Gauthier looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
A swing and a miss from Gauthier.
Benson fails to land the takedown.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gauthier uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Gauthier is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Gauthier takes one to the side of the head.
Benson scores with a leg kick.
Benson keeps Gauthier at a distance using the push kick.
Benson throws a nice head kick!
Gauthier takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Gauthier takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Benson lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Benson.
Benson clobbers Gauthier with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Gauthier is looking to clinch but Benson is avoiding it.
Gauthier tries to clinch up but Benson circles away and keeps his distance.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Benson scoring well with a low kick there.
Benson lands with a kick to the temple. Gauthier shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Benson moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Benson shoots in looking for a takedown. Gauthier tries to sprawl out of it but Benson keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Gauthier manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Zach Benson dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Zach Benson's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

A nice combination there by Benson.
Gauthier takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Gauthier doesn't manage to clinch there - Benson circles away.
Benson scores with a jab to the jaw.
Gauthier takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Benson throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Benson thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Gauthier if he has to take too many more of those.
Benson plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Gauthier has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Gauthier stuffs the takedown.
Gauthier throws a combination that misses
and Benson counters with a three punch combo that has Gauthier backing up. Gauthier nods at Benson to acknowledge the strikes.
Benson moves into range and lands a nice body kick.

Benson instigates a clinch.
Benson has had enough of the clinch but Gauthier keeps him there for the moment.
Benson changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Gauthier fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Gauthier falls off balance throwing a combination
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Gauthier throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gauthier is looking to clinch.
Benson lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Benson lands with a slapping head kick.
Gauthier tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Benson paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Benson thumps Gauthier with a low kick.
Benson looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Zach Benson. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Gauthier misses with a double jab.
Gauthier throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
A nice combination there by Benson.
Gauthier throws a combination that misses
and Benson counters with a straight right hand.
Gauthier closes the distance looking to clinch
and Benson counters with a thumping low kick.
Benson shoots in but no luck this time.
Gauthier wants to clinch up but Benson keeps it at a distance.
Benson keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Gauthier.
Benson scores with a nice strike.
Benson fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gauthier is looking to clinch.
Benson uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Gauthier has time to react.
Gauthier tries to close the distance and clinch up but Benson swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Benson fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Gauthier tries to clinch up
and Benson counters with a left and a right that stings Gauthier.
Gauthier swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Benson counters with a left to the body.

Benson gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Benson is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Gauthier pulls him back up using the underhooks.

Gauthier pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Gauthier closes the distance looking to clinch
letting Benson counter with a right hand.
Gauthier on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Benson. Benson obviously looking to wear him down.
A left and a right from Benson both land. Nice combination.
Gauthier moves in looking to clinch but Benson pushes him off.
Gauthier's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Benson throws a combination. Gauthier tries to block but a couple of punches get through.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Benson throws a leg kick which misses Gauthier's front leg but catches the back leg as Gauthier tries to avoid it.
Gauthier wants to clinch but Benson slips to the side
and Benson counters with a low kick, right behind Gauthier 's knee.
Benson turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Benson!
Gauthier throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Benson counters with a head kick.
Gauthier has developed a nice purple lump on his ribcage, as a result of some heavy body kicks from Benson.
Benson closes the distance and clinches up with Gauthier, looking for a takedown. Benson pushes Gauthier against the cage but Gauthier circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Benson feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Gauthier's calf.
Gauthier tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Benson counters with a low kick, right behind Gauthier 's knee.
Benson staying out of range there.
Gauthier throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Benson fails with a takedown attempt.
A punch combination from Benson misses.
A head kick from Benson lands but Gauthier takes it in his stride.
Benson fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gauthier wants to clinch.
Gauthier throws a left and a right that both miss
and Benson counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Gauthier clinches but Benson breaks the clinch
and Benson counters with an inside leg kick.
Gauthier fails with an attempt to clinch.
Benson moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Benson throws a head kick that Gauthier semi-blocks.
Benson connects with a solid leg kick.
Gauthier lands an overhand right.
Gauthier throws a combination that misses
enabling Benson to counter with a crisp jab.
Tank Gauthier has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Gauthier on the wrong end of a nice jab.

Benson clinches with his opponent.
A nice right hand lands inside from Gauthier.
Benson has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Gauthier is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Benson has Gauthier pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Gauthier manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Gauthier.
Gauthier wants to break the clinch but can't.
Gauthier throws a head punch that misses.
Gauthier throws a head punch that misses.
Zach Benson is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Gauthier.
Gauthier working aggressively here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Zach Benson showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Benson has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Daniel Franklin scores the fight 30:27
Judge George Francis scores the fight 30:27
Judge Chris Downing scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Zach Benson!