PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Stephen Dyer (ranked 4839 p4p, 3441 weight class) and Julius Benedict (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Dyer
vs
Benedict

188 cm
19
215
0 - 0 - 0

188 cm
32
205
10 - 6 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Very quick

Good wrestler
World class MT
Heavy handed

Hakaka La'au Performance
RECHARGE

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Stephen Dyer!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Julius Benedict!
The judges for this bout are Ian Loll, William Peck and Gregory Folan.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Benedict has taken the fight to the clinch.
Benedict dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Dyer.
We've been informed that Benedict has been sparring a lot of Muay Thai in the buildup to this fight so let's see if that has an impact on the result.

Benedict breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Benedict with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Dyer lands a slapping body shot.
Dyer leaves Benedict with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Dyer lands the left hand.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Benedict misses with a takedown attempt
and Dyer connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Benedict tries to clinch there but Dyer circles away.
Benedict goes for a double leg but Dyer avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Dyer continues to drive forward.
It looked like Dyer was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Stephen Dyer has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Julius Benedict.
Dyer throws a body punch but Benedict moves out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Benedict dives in for a single leg takedown but Dyer sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
A left lands for Dyer.
Benedict uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Dyer.
Benedict shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Benedict dives in and grabs Dyer's left leg, looking for a takedown. Dyer pushes down on Benedict's head and hops out.
A counter left hand to the body from Dyer misses its target.
Benedict looks to clinch
enabling Dyer to counter with a crisp jab.
Dyer is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.

Benedict has managed to clinch.
Benedict tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Dyer on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Dyer prevents a takedown attempt there.
Benedict manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dyer lands a shoulder strike.
Benedict trying to land knees to the body.

Benedict escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Dyer stuffs the takedown.
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!
Benedict shoots in but no luck this time.
Dyer lands with a nice body punch.
Julius Benedict seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Benedict misses with a takedown
and Dyer makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Benedict looks winded!
Benedict misses with a kick to the body.
Benedict shoots in for a double leg but Dyer sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Benedict walks into a left hand.
Dyer fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Benedict throws a leg kick
and Dyer counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Stephen Dyer is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Benedict doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Dyer counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Benedict thinking.
Dyer throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Benedict staying out of range there.
Dyer misses with a looping left.
Dyer throws a big shot that misses.
Dyer misses the jab.
Benedict closes the distance but Dyer moves to the side
and Dyer connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Benedict.
A quick step to the side and Dyer tries to counter with a shot to the body but it doesn't connect.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Dyer gets tackled into the cage by Benedict. Benedict maintains the clinch.
Dyer wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Benedict is pushing Dyer up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Dyer is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Benedict misses with some punches.

Benedict breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Benedict tries to clinch up
and Dyer counters with a series of strikes. Benedict will be more careful next time no doubt.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Dyer scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Stephen Dyer dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Benedict closes the distance and clinches up with Dyer, looking for a takedown. Benedict pushes Dyer against the cage but Dyer circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

Dyer gets tackled into the cage by Benedict. Benedict maintains the clinch.

Benedict pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Stephen Dyer is winning the standup battle so far.
Benedict dodges the punch combination from Dyer.
Despite the aggression on Benedict's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Benedict tries to clinch up
and Dyer counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Benedict throws a head kick that misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dyer takes a swing at Benedict's ribcage but misses.
Julius Benedict is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Benedict throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Dyer's waist but Dyer gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Benedict off to one side.
Benedict keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
As Dyer backs off Benedict throws a huge counter combo but Dyer manages to avoid it all.
Dyer pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
A countering left hand to the body from Benedict misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Benedict slips a jab from Dyer.
Benedict shoots and misses
and Benedict takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Stephen Dyer has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Julius Benedict.

Benedict has Dyer up against the cage in a clinch.
Benedict is trying to drag Dyer to the mat but Dyer just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Dyer takes a shot to the head.
Benedict is trying to pull guard but Dyer has him pressed against the cage.
Dyer wants to break free but Benedict has control.
Dyer tries to work over Benedict's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Dyer has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Benedict taking a breather.
Benedict slowing the pace effectively.
The crowd are getting on Benedict's back here. They're not happy about his lack of aggression in the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dyer tries to break free but Benedict pushes him back against the cage.
Dyer is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Benedict pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Dyer struggles to land a body shot inside as Benedict controls his hands.
Dyer gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Benedict.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Dyer.
Dyer has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Dyer doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Dyer wants to break free but Benedict has control.
Dyer blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Benedict prevents a body shot from Dyer.
Benedict is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Dyer is trying to break the clinch but Benedict is controlling him.
Benedict wants to take the fight to the mat but Dyer manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Benedict wants to take the fight to the mat but Dyer manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Dyer is looking to break free of the clinch but Benedict has double underhooks.
Dyer is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Dyer wants to get back to striking at distance but Benedict won't allow it.

Benedict manages to break the clinch.

Benedict takes the fight into the clinch.
Dyer tries to stall but Benedict uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Benedict tries to throw a body punch but Dyer avoids it by throwing Benedict back against the cage.
A short body shot lands from Dyer as the two fighters clinch.
Benedict has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Dyer avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Julius Benedict seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Dyer misses with the head strike.
Benedict misses with a hook to the ribs.
Dyer works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Benedict is breathing heavily.
Benedict tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Dyer stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dyer is trying to break free.
Benedict fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Dyer is looking to control Benedict's arms but Benedict gets an underhook and turns him. Now Dyer has his back to the cage.
Benedict tries to pull guard but Dyer holds him up against the cage and eventually Benedict drops back down to his feet.
Dyer tries to break free but Benedict pushes him back against the cage.

Dyer escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Benedict tries to clinch up
and Dyer counters with a left to the body.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Benedict misses with a takedown attempt
and Dyer counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Benedict throws a series of punches but Dyer avoids them all with ease.
Dyer swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.

Benedict darts in and clinches Dyer up against the cage.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Stephen Dyer dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Dyer misses with a body shot.
Good standup being displayed there by Dyer as he connects with a hook.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Dyer prevents a body shot from Benedict.

Benedict escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Dyer digs a good hook to Benedict's body.
Benedict looks for a takedown but Dyer sprawls well.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Benedict misses with a leg kick.
Dyer throws a body punch but Benedict moves out of range.
Dyer thuds a left hand into Benedict's body.
Dyer throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dyer lands a body shot.
Dyer scores with a body shot.
Benedict gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Dyer counters with a nice uppercut.
Dyer connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Benedict fails with an attempt to clinch.
Benedict fails to land the takedown.
Stephen Dyer has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Julius Benedict.
Benedict takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Dyer throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Dyer avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
It looked like Dyer wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.

Benedict darts in and clinches Dyer up against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Benedict drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Dyer gets the underhooks and prevents it.

Benedict escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Dyer scores with a shot to the body.
Dyer lands a jab to the head.
Benedict misses with a head kick.
Benedict is looking to clinch.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Benedict is looking to clinch.
Benedict tries to clinch up.
Dyer misses with a wild body shot.
Benedict lands a nice leg kick that just misses Dyer's sensitive parts.
Dyer is looking to wear down Benedict with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Benedict is defended easily by Dyer.
Dyer slips a jab and a cross from Benedict.
Dyer throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Dyer lands a left hand that snaps the head of Benedict backwards.
Dyer can't find room to land a body shot as Benedict controls the action.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Dyer throws a head punch that misses.
Dyer has had enough of the clinch but Benedict keeps him there for the moment.
Stephen Dyer is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Benedict escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Dyer fails to land with a series of punches.
Benedict ducks under a wild hook from Dyer.
Dyer misses with a looping left.
Benedict shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Dyer as he avoids it easily.
Dyer was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
Nice shot by Dyer.
Dyer cracks Benedict with a good jab.
Dyer cracks Benedict with an open hand slap.
Benedict darts in trying to clinch
and Dyer counters with a straight right hand.
Julius Benedict has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Benedict misses the body punch
and Dyer counters with a lovely straight right hand!

And that's the end of the fight!
Stephen Dyer showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Dyer, 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 Ian Loll scores the fight 30:27
Judge William Peck scores the fight 30:27
Judge Gregory Folan scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Stephen Dyer!