PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Benny Woody (ranked 1705 p4p, 219 weight class) and Stefan De Jong (ranked 2333 p4p, 284 weight class). De Jong has chosen Nipsey Hussle - I Don't Stress as his entrance music. Stefan De Jong has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Benny Woody's chin.

Woody
vs
De Jong

176 cm
20
184 lbs
5 - 4 - 0

178 cm
25
189 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Experienced

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter fighter
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Benny Woody!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Stefan De Jong!
The judges for this bout are Tiny Johnson, Wesley Smith and Stewart Dunkirk.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Woody throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
De Jong keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Woody looks to score with a jab to the body but De Jong is just out of range.
De Jong looks for a takedown but Woody sprawls well.
Some wild striking there from Woody.
De Jong uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Woody.
De Jong's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and De Jong duly obliges.
Woody throws a nice looking combination but De Jong bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Woody lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Woody tries to clinch up but De Jong circles away and keeps his distance.
De Jong feints the counter takedown.
Woody loads up on a big right hand but De Jong slips the punch.

De Jong fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Woody, pushing him back against the cage.
De Jong is pressed up against the cage. Woody has hold of a leg and is looking to drag De Jong down to the mat. De Jong avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Woody lands the left hand.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Woody swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and De Jong counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.

That's one minute gone in the round.
De Jong trying to control but Woody is working from the bottom.
Woody wants to get back to his feet but De Jong passes into half guard.
De Jong seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Woody does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Woody makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Woody.
Woody striking off his back.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw De Jong working his ground and pound in the gym. He isn't landing a great percentage of his ground strikes so far though.
De Jong postures up in Woody's guard and throws a big left but Woody blocks it.

Woody looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as De Jong accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Woody keeping moving, preventing De Jong from controlling successfully.
De Jong trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Woody is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

Woody pushes De Jong off and scrambles back to his feet.
De Jong looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Woody misses with a straight right.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Woody throws a head punch that misses.
De Jong with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Woody has had enough of the clinch but De Jong keeps him there for the moment.
Woody wants to break the clinch but can't.
Woody prevents a takedown attempt there.
Woody lands a nice uppercut.
Woody misses with an elbow over the top.
Woody is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Benny Woody has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Stefan De Jong.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
De Jong managing to block the knees to the body from Woody.
Woody with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Woody is trying to work for a single leg takedown but De Jong pulls him back up using the underhooks.
De Jong using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Woody has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Woody.

De Jong lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Woody tries to kick De Jong off in order to stand up. De Jong Avoids the leg push though and dives into side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Woody defending against the ground and pound.
Woody is trying to buck De Jong off.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.

De Jong is trying to get an arm triangle but Woody is defending well.
Woody is trying to buck De Jong off.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Woody tries to improve position but can't.

De Jong working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Woody wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
We've been hearing good reports from Woody's training camp. Apparently he has been rolling around with some good quality BJJ practitioners and has been sharpening his skills. Let's see if that has an impact on the fight today.
Woody is looking for a sweep.
Woody on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Woody is trying to improve his position.

De Jong is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Woody is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
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 Benny Woody will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

De Jong tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Woody defends well and De Jong ends up having to push Woody into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
De Jong has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Woody finds it's way round the side to connect with De Jong's head.
Woody throws a body shot but no joy.
Woody throws a body punch but De Jong moves out of range.
Woody lands a nice hook to De Jong's body. De Jong takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
De Jong has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from De Jong there as he acknowledges the shot.

De Jong closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Woody wants to get back to his feet.
De Jong trying to control from Woody's half guard. Woody has other ideas though and has regained full guard.
Woody looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
De Jong stands and throws Woody's legs to the side, diving into side control.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Woody is looking to reverse the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Woody is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.
Woody dodges the ground and pound from De Jong.
Woody wants to get back to his feet but De Jong drags him back down.

De Jong is trying to get an arm triangle but Woody is defending well.
De Jong tries to advance to mount but can't.
Woody tries to escape but De Jong is in control.
Woody tries to buck De Jong off but De Jong is having none of it.
Woody managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by De Jong.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

Woody explodes and escapes back to his feet! Nice escape there!
Woody rushes in with a sloppy looking punch

and De Jong counters with a single leg into guard. Woody didn't expect that.
De Jong stops Woody from standing up.
Woody keeping moving, preventing De Jong from controlling successfully.
De Jong pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Woody is keeping the position for now.
Woody wants to stand up but De Jong is controlling him.

Woody kicks De Jong off and gets to his feet.

De Jong has managed to clinch.

De Jong manages to pull guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Woody won't allow De Jong to sweep him here.
Woody lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Woody lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Woody keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of De Jong's head.
Woody would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Woody cracks De Jong with a solid left hand.
Woody working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Woody is working De Jong over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Woody has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Woody lands a couple of elbows.
Woody postures up.
Woody working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of De Jong's head.
De Jong is breathing heavily.
Woody throwing strikes from guard but De Jong blocks nicely.
Woody postures up in De Jong's guard and throws a big left but De Jong blocks it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Woody wants to control from the top but De Jong keeps moving.
Woody keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of De Jong's head.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Woody accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
De Jong is trying to control the position but Woody postures up.
Woody postures up and lands a big shot to De Jong's brow.
De Jong being controlled here, momentarily.
De Jong working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Woody.
Woody throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as De Jong works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
De Jong not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Woody is working De Jong over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Woody with a nice head shot there.

De Jong is rocked!
Woody with a nice head shot there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Benny Woody dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Woody has closed the distance and engaged De Jong in a clinch.
De Jong is still on wobbly legs! Can Woody finish him?
De Jong blocks the elbow strike.
De Jong working aggressively here.
De Jong seems to have recovered his senses.
Woody can't break the clinch.
Woody avoiding damage as De Jong throws knees to the body.
De Jong tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Woody smiles and moves away.
De Jong with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Woody to score with a decent uppercut.
Woody drops De Jong with a straight right hand, right on the button! Woody follows him down to the mat and pounds him out with hammerfists until the referee jumps in to end the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:35 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Benny Woody!
In defeat, Stefan De Jong stepped up to the mic, saying 'Man, look. When I get home from this shit, I'mma light me a fat ass blunt. Tomorrow, I'm hitting the gym, working on my skills and taking notes of my mistakes afterwards. Go through the tape of this fight. I will be back stronger from this one. Give me a minute. I'll be back better and wiser.'.