PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Bruce Banner (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sonny jnr Mcelroy (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Sonny jnr Mcelroy struggled to make weight for this fight. He only made it down to 186.8lbs at the first attempt and had to take the additional two hours to make the official bout weight. Let's see how much it's taken out of him. Sonny jnr Mcelroy has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Banner
vs
jnr Mcelroy

180 cm
22
192 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

190 cm
18
198 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter striker
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Bruce Banner!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Sonny jnr Mcelroy!
The judges for this bout are Bruno Hogan, Donatello Bradman and Winston Howard.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mcelroy uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Banner.
Banner misses with a few strikes there.
Banner lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Mcelroy circles away quickly and effectively.
Mcelroy changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Banner tries to avoid it but Mcelroy manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Banner to the ground. Banner escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.

Mcelroy knocks Banner to the floor with a head kick! Can he finish him!?

Banner is rocked!

It looks like Bruce Banner has been cut.
Banner gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Oh Banner is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Banner makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Banner.
Banner seems to have got his legs back now.
Connects with an elbow from the bottom, proving to the judges that he's still active off his back.
Banner tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Banner on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Banner tries to get out of the position.
Mcelroy postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Banner uses the cage to get back to his feet.
Mcelroy shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Banner but Banner pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Mcelroy shoots in looking for a takedown. Banner tries to sprawl out of it but Mcelroy keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Banner manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Bruce Banner has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Sonny jnr Mcelroy.
Mcelroy blocks a head kick by Banner.

Banner closes the distance and clinches.

Banner has picked Mcelroy up - he's going for a ride! Banner dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Banner seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Banner looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Mcelroy with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Banner drops an elbow to the side of Mcelroy's head.
Banner scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Banner looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Mcelroy looks gassed!
Banner working over Mcelroy with some ground and pound. Mcelroy looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Banner looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Mcelroy with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mcelroy is trying to stand.
Banner has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

Banner is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Banner works his way into full mount!
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Banner landing shots from mount.

Banner working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Banner scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Mcelroy?

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Banner with shots to the head and body - Mcelroy looks very uncomfortable down there.
Banner scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Mcelroy?
Banner looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Banner lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Banner unloading with bombs!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Mcelroy taking shots to the head.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Banner putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bruce Banner dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Bruce Banner's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

Banner closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Banner lands in his opponent's guard.
Banner working some strikes from top position.
Banner is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Banner scoring with punches to the head and body.
Mcelroy is breathing heavily.
Banner pushing down on Mcelroy's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Nice strikes from Banner there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Banner looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Mcelroy is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Banner scores with a couple of nice shots.
Banner takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Mcelroy tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.

Banner stands up and beckons Mcelroy to join him on the feet.
Mcelroy tries for a takedown but Banner circles away easily

and Banner counters with a single leg into guard. Mcelroy didn't expect that.
Banner with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Banner is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Banner lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Banner connects with a couple of short punches.

Banner decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Sonny jnr Mcelroy seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
A big right from Banner misses.
Banner swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Mcelroy misses with a takedown attempt

and Banner counters by clinching up.
Banner is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.

Banner gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Mcelroy regains guard.
Banner content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mcelroy has momentary wrist control but Banner slips an elbow through the middle.

Banner thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Banner passes into half guard.
Mcelroy has hold of Banner's hands but Banner slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Banner drops an elbow to the side of Mcelroy's head.
Banner not doing much here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Mcelroy has hold of Banner's hands but Banner slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Banner decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.
Banner misses with a wild combination.

Banner shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Mcelroy manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Banner works over Mcelroy with some ground and pound from guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Banner lands a couple of elbows.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bruce Banner dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Bruce Banner's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Banner lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.

Banner gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Mcelroy goes for a takedown in the clinch but Banner prevents it.
Banner wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Mcelroy letting Banner take a breather here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Banner managing to block the knees to the body from Mcelroy.
Mcelroy throws an elbow that misses.
Mcelroy tries for a takedown. No joy.
Mcelroy is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Banner taking a breather.
Mcelroy takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mcelroy wants to get back to striking at distance but Banner won't allow it.
Banner taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Bruce Banner.
Mcelroy ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Mcelroy dodges the punch combination from Banner.
Mcelroy gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Banner counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Mcelroy's guard now.
Bruce Banner has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Sonny jnr Mcelroy.
Mcelroy being controlled here, momentarily.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Banner distracts Mcelroy with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Banner drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Banner jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Banner not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Banner passes into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Banner controlling the pace.
Banner looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Banner is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Banner working the head and body with strikes.
Banner has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Banner controlling from the full mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Banner has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Mcelroy's face.
Banner landing strikes from the mount.
Banner with a couple of short strikes.
Banner scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Mcelroy?
Bruce Banner is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Banner is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Mcelroy can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Sonny jnr Mcelroy has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Banner lands with some strikes.

And that's the end of the fight!
Bruce Banner showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Banner, 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 Bruno Hogan scores the fight 30:25
Judge Donatello Bradman scores the fight 30:25
Judge Winston Howard scores the fight 30:25

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Bruce Banner!