PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Erard Beni (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Regan Meredith (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters will be looking to make this an exciting fight for the fans, I'm sure!

Beni
vs
Meredith

178 cm
22
140 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

173 cm
21
137 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
KO power

Good wrestler
Brawler
Determined

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Erard Beni!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Regan Meredith!
The judges for this bout are George Francis, Frank Dennis and Tiny Johnson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Meredith tries to keep at a distance but Beni has taken the fight into the clinch.
Beni blocks the elbow strike.
Meredith jumps guard but Beni stands there with Meredith around his waist. Meredith gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Meredith tries to pull guard but Beni holds him up against the cage and eventually Meredith drops back down to his feet.

Beni pulls guard successfully.
Meredith trying to control but Beni is working from the bottom.
Meredith trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

Beni is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Beni looking to control.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Meredith trying to control but Beni is working from the bottom.

Meredith stands up from guard. Let's bang!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Meredith tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Beni cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Meredith looks to clinch

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

Beni gets control of Meredith's arms and successfully pulls guard. Beni will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Meredith trying to control but Beni is working from the bottom.
Beni has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Meredith trying to control the position from guard on top but Beni is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Meredith thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Beni looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Meredith puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Meredith wants to control but Beni is keeping him busy.
Beni keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Beni is trying to maintain the position but Meredith is very close to passing his half guard.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Beni fails with the takedown.
Meredith misses with a takedown

and Beni counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Erard Beni has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Regan Meredith.
Meredith wants to get back to striking at distance but Beni won't allow it.
Meredith changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Beni fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Meredith closes the distance and clinches up with Beni, looking for a takedown. Meredith pushes Beni against the cage but Beni circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Beni throws a sloppy head kick and Meredith moves out of range easily.
Meredith stuffs the takedown attempt from Beni. Beni gets slowly back to his feet.
Beni misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Meredith avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Meredith scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Beni trying to remain calm as Meredith controls from the top position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Meredith lands a nice forearm strike.
Beni manages to work his way to half guard, despite Meredith's best efforts.
Meredith is trying to control. Beni wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Beni really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Still in half guard, Meredith seems content to control.
Beni is trying to control but can't.
Meredith perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Beni misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Beni is refusing to be controlled, as Meredith sits in half guard.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Meredith avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Nice sprawl there from Beni as Meredith shoots in.
Meredith closes the distance and clinches up with Beni, looking for a takedown. Meredith pushes Beni against the cage but Beni circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Meredith looks gassed!
Beni misses with a takedown attempt - Meredith sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
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 Erard Beni will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Meredith tries for a takedown but Beni circles away easily

and Beni counters by moving into the clinch.
Meredith wants a takedown.
Meredith wants to break free but Beni has control.
Beni is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Meredith is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.

Beni gets control of Meredith's arms and successfully pulls guard. Beni will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Beni keeping moving, preventing Meredith from controlling successfully.

Beni has an active guard here but Meredith has managed to pass into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Meredith is keen to just control but Beni is a slippery customer.
Meredith with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Beni has his hands clasped together around Meredith's back. He's all about the action.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Beni is trying to stand.
Meredith is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Meredith looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Meredith in particular looking to stall.
Meredith seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Meredith wants to control but Beni is keeping him busy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Beni is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Well, if Meredith is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.

Meredith stands up from half guard.
Beni tries for a takedown but Meredith sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Beni misses with a takedown

and Meredith counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Meredith.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Meredith's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Meredith pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Beni is keeping the position for now.
Meredith controlling from the top position.
Meredith wants to control from the top but Beni keeps moving.
Beni on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Beni tries to get out of the position.
Meredith wants to get up but he can't break Beni's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Regan Meredith showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Meredith misses with a takedown attempt - Beni sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Beni shoots in but Meredith avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Beni tries for a takedown but Meredith circles away easily

and Meredith counters with a nice double leg into side control. Beni won't be happy with that.
Beni tries to bench press Meredith off him but Meredith keeps the position.
Meredith wants to lay and pray for a moment but Beni keeps working.
Beni is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Beni struggling a bit here.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Beni is not content to let Meredith control the position.
Beni knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Meredith on the ground.

Despite being in the dominant position, Regan Meredith just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Beni tries to clinch up.
Meredith changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Beni tries to avoid it but Meredith manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Beni to the ground. Beni escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Meredith with a lazy takedown attempt

and Beni counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Erard Beni has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Regan Meredith.
Beni trying to control the position from guard on top but Meredith is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Beni is looking to stand up but Meredith won't let him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Meredith is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Beni wants to control from the top but Meredith keeps moving.
Beni won't allow Meredith to sweep him here.
Meredith is trying to keep Beni in close.

Beni avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Beni working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Meredith with a lazy takedown attempt

and Beni counters by clinching up.
Meredith looking for a takedown.

Beni turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!
Beni tries to advance to mount but can't.
The ground and pound from Beni seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Beni tries to score with some ground and pound. Meredith controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Meredith regains half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Meredith regains full guard. Nicely done.
Beni prevents Meredith from getting back to his feet.
Beni trying to control the position from guard on top but Meredith is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Beni has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Meredith controls Beni momentarily but Beni frees himself.
Meredith wants to sweep but no luck.
Meredith trying to strike off his back.

And that's the end of the fight!
Erard Beni showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Beni has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 George Francis scores the fight 29:29
Judge Frank Dennis scores the fight 29:28
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 29:29

The fight is ruled a majority draw!