PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Clayton Riggs (ranked 4905 p4p, 6032 weight class) and Ben Mason (ranked 421 p4p, 464 weight class). Mason comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Till I collapse kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Riggs
vs
Mason

175 cm
25
151
1 - 2 - 0

168 cm
20
151
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter fighter
Very confident

Bondi MMA

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Clayton Riggs!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Ben Mason!
The judges for this bout are Chad Campbell, Dean Styles and Jorge Garcia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Riggs throws out a powerful jab.

Riggs gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Riggs lands a nice knee to the body.
Riggs slowing the pace effectively.
Riggs lands a nice knee to the body.
Mason goes for a takedown attempt but Riggs pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Mason on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Riggs moves into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Riggs's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Riggs with a hook.
Riggs seems to be moving with more speed, compared to his last bout. He must have been working on that in the gym.
Riggs scores with a hook.
Riggs throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Mason on the side of the head.
Riggs swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Mason lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.

Riggs clinches.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Riggs takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Riggs is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Mason is defending well for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A knee to the head by Riggs.
Riggs tries to work over Mason's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Riggs lands a good knee to the midsection. Mason won't want to take too many of those.

Riggs breaks from the clinch.
Clayton Riggs is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Mason moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Riggs throws a shot from downtown. Mason moves away and avoids it.
Mason tries to counter by closing the distance.
No joy there for Riggs, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Despite the aggression on Mason's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Mason takes a body punch but keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Riggs moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.

Riggs clinches.
Riggs is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Riggs lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Mason backwards.
Riggs misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Mason.
Mason managing to block the knees to the body from Riggs.
Riggs will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Mason up against the cage.

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

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mason shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.

Riggs fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Mason, pushing him back against the cage.
Riggs manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Mason is looking for a takedown.
Riggs is struggling to control the position.

Riggs manages to break the clinch.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Clayton Riggs dominated that round.
That's time! Riggs's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Riggs scores with a jab to the head.
Clayton Riggs seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Riggs lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.

Riggs takes the fight into the clinch.
Riggs presses Mason against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Riggs missing with knees to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Riggs is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Mason drops down looking for an ankle pick but Riggs pulls his leg out and moves away.
Mason takes one on the chin but seems OK.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Riggs scores with a shot to the body.
Riggs lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Mason at a distance.

Riggs clinches up against the cage.

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

Riggs clinches up with Mason and pushes him back against the cage.
Riggs holding his opponent close, against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Riggs slows down the pace here.
Riggs seems to have come into the fight with the intention of avoiding any damage in the clinch, rather than actually showing any aggression.

Riggs manages to break the clinch.

Riggs clinches up against the cage.
Riggs landing knees to the body.
Riggs is leaning against Mason and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Riggs cracks Mason with a nice body shot.
Riggs missing with knees to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Riggs is struggling to control the position.

Riggs breaks the clinch.
Riggs scores with a jab to the body.
Mason takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.

Riggs fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Mason, pushing him back against the cage.
Riggs working Mason over with knees to the body.
Riggs using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Mason is breathing heavily.
Riggs landing knees to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mason tries for a takedown. No joy.
Riggs unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Riggs with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Riggs scores a nice knee to the body.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Riggs lands with a short shot to the head.

Riggs manages to break the clinch.
Riggs lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Mason at a distance.
Riggs lands a right hook to the body.

Riggs has closed the distance and engaged Mason in a clinch.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Clayton Riggs dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Riggs pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Mason back to the cage. Riggs follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.
Mason ducks right into an uppercut from Riggs.

Mason gets tackled into the cage by Riggs. Riggs maintains the clinch.
Riggs tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Mason avoids it.
Riggs lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Mason backwards.
Riggs scores a nice knee to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Riggs stops a takedown attempt from Mason.
Riggs is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Mason can do to turn this around?
Riggs lands a good knee to the midsection. Mason won't want to take too many of those.
Mason takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Riggs lands a nice knee to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Riggs lands a knee to the body.
Riggs holding his opponent close, against the cage.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Mason's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Riggs using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Riggs unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Mason goes for a takedown in the clinch but Riggs prevents it.

Riggs breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Clayton Riggs is winning the standup battle so far.
Riggs throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Mason is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.

Riggs closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Riggs lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Mason looking for a takedown.
Clayton Riggs has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ben Mason.
Riggs lands a shoulder strike.
Riggs using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Riggs lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.

Riggs escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Clayton Riggs is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Riggs clinches up against the cage.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Riggs.
Riggs presses Mason against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Riggs breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Riggs lands a head shot.

Riggs clinches up with Mason and pushes him back against the cage.
Riggs with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.

Riggs breaks from the clinch.

Riggs has taken the fight to the clinch.
Riggs lands a left hand that snaps the head of Mason backwards.
Riggs is pushing Mason up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Knees to the body from Riggs.
Clayton Riggs is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Riggs lands a good knee to the midsection. Mason won't want to take too many of those.

Riggs breaks from the clinch.
Mason has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Riggs cracks a nice hook into Mason's ribs.

Riggs moves into the clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
Clayton Riggs showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Riggs 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 Chad Campbell scores the fight 30:24
Judge Dean Styles scores the fight 30:24
Judge Jorge Garcia scores the fight 30:24

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Clayton Riggs!
Clayton Riggs managed to slip a mention for his sponsors, Bondi MMA, into his post fight interview.