PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Lon Whitaker (ranked 24301 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mark Monroe (ranked 4970 p4p, 0 weight class). Mark Monroe has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Whitaker
vs
Monroe

201 cm
19
140 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

170 cm
19
137 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
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 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Lon Whitaker!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Mark Monroe!
The judges for this bout are Frank Dennis, Alan Glass and Daniel Franklin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Whitaker swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Whitaker avoids the body shot from Monroe.

Whitaker moves into range and clinches up with Monroe.
Whitaker wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Monroe has him pressed against the cage.

Monroe is trying to trip Whitaker. He has hold of a leg but Whitaker is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Monroe persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Monroe prevents Whitaker from getting back to his feet.
Whitaker wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Monroe throwing strikes from guard but Whitaker blocks nicely.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Monroe wants to control from the top but Whitaker keeps moving.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Whitaker had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Monroe defends it easily.
Whitaker will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Whitaker keeping moving, preventing Monroe from controlling successfully.
Monroe pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Whitaker is keeping the position for now.

Whitaker is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Monroe defends well.
Monroe sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Whitaker's guard.
Whitaker is holding on to half guard well.

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.
Monroe is looking to advance position but Whitaker won't allow it.
Monroe looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Whitaker wants to get back to his feet.

Monroe is looking for a kimura here.
Whitaker is looking to escape.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Monroe throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Monroe tries to close the distance and clinch up but Whitaker swats him away and circles back towards the center.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Whitaker checks a leg kick.
Whitaker throws a quick counter head kick but Monroe was just out of range.

Monroe manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Whitaker on his heels. He'll look to pass Whitaker's guard now, I'm sure.
Whitaker is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Monroe is controlling him.
Monroe being controlled here momentarily.
Monroe pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Whitaker is keeping the position for now.

Monroe got a little sloppy there for a moment and Whitaker has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Monroe has managed to get both his arms back between Whitaker's legs - danger averted.
Whitaker really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Whitaker keeping moving, preventing Monroe from controlling successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Monroe trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Monroe prevents Whitaker from getting back to his feet.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.

Whitaker throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Whitaker is scooting his butt against the cage and has managed to get back to his feet. Monroe presses him back against the cage, presumably looking to take the fight back to the mat.

Monroe gets a trip takedown into half guard.

Whitaker makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!
Mark Monroe seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
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!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Monroe looking to score a takedown here. Whitaker is defending well but Monroe drives through and ends up in Whitaker's guard.

Whitaker pushes Monroe off and gets back to his feet.
Whitaker looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Monroe is fending him off so far but Whitaker persists. Nope, Monroe circles away and we're back to standing.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Lon Whitaker will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Whitaker clinches up with Monroe and pushes him back against the cage.

Monroe jumps guard and drags Whitaker to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.

Monroe is looking for a triangle here but Whitaker uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
Monroe is looking to slip a leg under and get half guard but Whitaker is one step ahead and moves to full mount!
Monroe is working to get back to half guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Whitaker working Monroe over with strikes here.
Whitaker looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Monroe is in a horrible position here. Whitaker smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Monroe tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Monroe wants to hold on but Whitaker pushes him away.
Whitaker in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Monroe tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Whitaker scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Monroe?
Monroe keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Whitaker pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Whitaker landing shots from mount.
Whitaker landing strikes, looking to finish!
Whitaker unloading with bombs!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Monroe is desperately trying to improve his position but Whitaker has a good base and remains in mount.
Monroe is breathing heavily.
Whitaker raining down shots from the mount!
Whitaker with shots to the head and body - Monroe looks very uncomfortable down there.
Monroe is wriggling around trying to escape.
Whitaker fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Monroe tries to reverse the position but Whitaker maintains control.
Monroe in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Whitaker lands a heavy elbow.
Monroe tries to lock up and control but Whitaker gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Monroe is looking to get to half guard.

Whitaker with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Monroe wants to hold on but Whitaker pushes him away.
Whitaker has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Monroe might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Whitaker haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Whitaker working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Lon Whitaker overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Whitaker lands a nice shot to the head.
Monroe is desperately trying to get back to half guard.

Whitaker looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Lon Whitaker dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Monroe is looking to clinch.
Whitaker is looking to counter punch.

Monroe scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Monroe trying to control the position but Whitaker is working away.
Whitaker tries to buck Monroe off but Monroe is having none of it.
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Monroe wants to control but Whitaker is keeping him busy.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Whitaker struggling a bit here.

Monroe thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Monroe working away.
Whitaker is pushing Monroe's head away, looking to escape. Monroe manages to hold on to the position though.
Monroe wants to lay and pray for a moment but Whitaker keeps working.
You can see the frustration on Whitaker's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Whitaker is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Monroe has just dragged him back down to the mat.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Whitaker is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Monroe can do to turn this around?
Monroe swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

Monroe looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.

Whitaker kicks off Monroe and gets to his feet.
Monroe takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Monroe darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Whitaker has managed to escape just enough to sneak back to his feet but Monroe is on him like a limpet, forcing Whitaker back against the cage.
Whitaker misses with a knee strike.
Whitaker throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Monroe wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

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

Monroe shoots in and bounces Whitaker off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.

Whitaker is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Whitaker wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Monroe has him pressed against the cage.

Whitaker breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Monroe shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Whitaker is trying to defend but Monroe finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.

Whitaker kicks off Monroe and gets to his feet.
Mark Monroe is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Whitaker misses the shot to the body.
Monroe wants to clinch.

Whitaker gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Monroe tries to land knees in the clinch but Whitaker avoids the damage to the body.
Whitaker is looking to break free of the clinch but Monroe has double underhooks.
Mark Monroe has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Lon Whitaker is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Whitaker tries to break free but Monroe pushes him back against the cage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Lon Whitaker showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Whitaker, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Frank Dennis scores the fight 30:26
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 30:26
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Lon Whitaker!