PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Conner Briggs Bonton (ranked 5069 p4p, 5618 weight class) and Jeremiah Salem (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). On his way into the cage it seems that Conner Briggs Bonton has been attacked by a crazed fan! It looks like it might have been the just bleed guy! Luckily Conner Briggs Bonton seems to be OK! I thought that lunatic was in prison!?

Bonton
vs
Salem

156 cm
25
145
0 - 1 - 0

176 cm
21
144
1 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Likes musicals

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 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Conner Briggs Bonton!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of London, Jeremiah Salem!
The judges for this bout are Taro Takaoka, Hirohito Nitta and Kenichi Hosakawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Some wild striking there from Salem.
Salem avoids a kick to the body.
Salem changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Bonton changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Salem tries to avoid it but Bonton manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Salem to the ground. Salem escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Bonton.
Salem lands the left hand.
A head kick misses from Bonton.
Salem is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.
Bonton shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Salem defends it nicely.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Conner Briggs Bonton. That's going to take a lot out of him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Salem fails in his attempt to clinch.
Bonton takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.

Salem clinches with his opponent.
Salem tries to score a body lock takedown but Bonton shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Salem goes for a takedown attempt but Bonton pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Salem looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The fight stays on the outside here - Salem looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Salem tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Bonton paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Bonton looks for the body kick but Salem saw that one coming.
Salem moves forwards but Bonton connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Salem tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Bonton manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Salem throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Bonton.
Bonton looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Salem shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Bonton eats them both and turns towards Salem to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Jeremiah Salem seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Bonton rushes Salem and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Salem breaks from the clinch.
Salem fails to land with a series of punches.
Salem throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Bonton.
Bonton throws a sloppy head kick and Salem moves out of range easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bonton misses with a head kick.
Salem swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Bonton counters with a series of strikes. Salem will be more careful next time no doubt.
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!
Bonton is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Salem.
Bonton shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Salem as he jumps to the side.
Salem keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Salem is looking for the big counter here.
Bonton throws a head kick that misses.
Bonton is breathing heavily.
Bonton circles away from the clinch attempt.

Salem closes the distance and pushes Bonton back into the cage.
Bonton stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Salem tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Bonton smiles and moves away.
Horrible takedown attempt by Bonton or perhaps it was just good defense by Salem, which made it look bad.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Salem tries to close the distance and clinch up but Bonton swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Bonton forces Salem back against the cage and clinches.
Salem can't break the clinch.
A head punch on the inside from Salem fails to land.
Salem wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Bonton tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

Salem breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Bonton walks forward, straight into a front kick from Salem.
Salem throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

Bonton pushes Salem up against the cage in a clinch.
Bonton is looking to take this one to the mat.
Salem wants to break the clinch but can't.

Salem manages to break the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Salem manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Bonton on his heels. He'll look to pass Bonton's guard now, I'm sure.
Salem works over Bonton with some ground and pound from guard.
Bonton keeping moving, preventing Salem from controlling successfully.
Bonton working a defensive guard but Salem passes into half guard.
Bonton might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Salem is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Bonton has managed to free his arm - good work.

Bonton has one foot on Salem's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.
Salem misses with a wild combination.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Jeremiah Salem dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Salem falls off balance throwing a combination
and Bonton counters with a straight right hand.
Bonton dodges the punch combination from Salem.
Bonton throws a sloppy head kick and Salem moves out of range easily.
Bonton pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Salem tries to clinch up
and Bonton counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Salem thinking.
Salem moves in looking to clinch but Bonton pushes him off.
Salem fails to land with a series of punches.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Salem misses with a few strikes there.
Bonton attempts a counter takedown but Salem avoids it well and moves away.

Bonton closes the distance and pushes Salem back into the cage.
Salem stops a takedown attempt from Bonton.
Bonton has had enough of the clinch but Salem keeps him there for the moment.
Salem wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Bonton has him pressed against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Salem drags the fight down to the ground.
Bonton wants to pass the guard but Salem is keeping the position.
Salem being controlled here, momentarily.
Salem is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Bonton slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Bonton advances to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Salem trying to hold on to Bonton's head to control him but Bonton postures up.
Bonton working the head and body with strikes.
Bonton thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Salem wants to control but Bonton is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Salem tries to kick Bonton off but Bonton keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Bonton is taking a breather. Salem says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Bonton's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bonton slips a jab and a cross from Salem.
Salem slaps away a takedown attempt from Bonton, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Bonton avoids a punch combination nicely.

Bonton gets caught flat footed, as Salem shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Salem preventing the sweep.
Bonton is adopting a defensive guard.
Salem trying to control but Bonton is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Salem pushes down on Bonton's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Bonton works his way to full guard. Good work.

Salem avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Bonton controls Salem momentarily but Salem frees himself.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Bonton keeping moving, preventing Salem from controlling successfully.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Conner Briggs Bonton will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Salem throws a right and a left that Bonton avoids nicely.
Salem scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Bonton looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Salem tries to close the distance and clinch up but Bonton swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Bonton shoots in for a double leg but Salem sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Salem throws a nice looking combination but Bonton bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Salem doesn't manage to clinch there - Bonton circles away.
Salem blocks a leg kick.
Bonton misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Bonton shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Salem as he jumps to the side.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Conner Briggs Bonton. That's going to take a lot out of him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bonton looks for a takedown but Salem sprawls well.
Bonton avoids a punch combination nicely.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A nice combination there by Salem.

Salem clinches up with Bonton and pushes him back against the cage.

Salem breaks from the clinch.
Salem throws a series of strikes that have Bonton backpedaling.
Salem tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Bonton counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Bonton looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Salem swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Bonton counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Salem misses with the combination.
Salem misses with a two punch combination.
Salem misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Salem throws a series of punches but Bonton avoids them all with ease.
Bonton is trying to close the distance and clinch up, after that failed offence from Salem.
Salem needs to keep his hands up - Bonton had a free shot at his head there.
Salem throws a right and a left that both miss.
Bonton shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Salem defends it nicely.
Bonton showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Salem.
Salem lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Salem.
Salem fails with an attempt to clinch.
Salem swats away the attempt to clinch by Bonton.
Salem with the counter takedown but Bonton avoids it easily.
Bonton fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Salem's jab looks to have found its range, popping Bonton under the eye.
Salem keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.

Salem closes the distance and pushes Bonton back into the cage.
Bonton can't break the clinch.
Salem wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Salem tries to break free but Bonton pushes him back against the cage.
Salem has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Bonton after a bit of a struggle.
Bonton tries to pull guard but Salem won't allow it.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Salem is looking to break free of the clinch but Bonton has double underhooks.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Salem's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Bonton tries a head kick but it misses.
Bonton shoots in looking for a takedown but Salem manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Bonton's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Salem tries to bum rush Bonton with a series of wild strikes but Bonton uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Bonton tries to counter with a takedown but Salem is quick to defend against it.
Salem looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Bonton wants to clinch.
Salem tries to close the distance and clinch but Bonton swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Jeremiah Salem seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Salem looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Salem keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Salem looks to throw the jab but Bonton is out of range.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jeremiah Salem comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Salem has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Taro Takaoka scores the fight 28:29
Judge Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 28:29
Judge Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jeremiah Salem!