PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Justin Case (ranked 3385 p4p, 3896 weight class) and Ritanzo Benzo (ranked 328 p4p, 366 weight class). Justin Case has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Case
vs
Benzo

178 cm
23
165
6 - 8 - 1

177 cm
23
156
1 - 1 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Basic striking
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Lethal high kicks
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 8 - 1, fighting out of Los Angeles, Justin Case!
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, Ritanzo Benzo!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, Tiny Johnson and Alan Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Case lands with an overhand left.
Benzo connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.

Case looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Benzo!
Benzo tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Case wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Benzo is trying to buck Case off.
Benzo takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
You can see the frustration on Benzo's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Benzo really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Case. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Benzo is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Case has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Benzo struggling a bit here.
We've been hearing that Case has been drilling a lot of ground and pound in training, so let's see if he get the finish.
Benzo takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Benzo struggling a bit here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Benzo is trying to avoid being dragged into an even worse position than he's already in but Case is staying active.
Case tries to move to mount but Benzo blocks the move with his legs.
Case is working hard here to advance position.
Benzo tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Case wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Benzo is not content to let Case control the position.
Case grinds an elbow into Benzo's temple.
Case scores with a couple of short elbows.
Benzo tries to improve position but can't.
Case tries to advance to mount but can't.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Benzo is trying to control Case's posture but Case avoids it.
Case tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
Case 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.
Benzo is trying to get back to half guard.

Case tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Case is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Benzo knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Benzo is trying to control Case's posture but Case avoids it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Benzo is trying to get back to half guard.
Benzo prevents Case from moving into mount.
Case in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Case cracks Benzo with a big elbow.
Benzo prevents Case from moving into mount.
Case wants to control but Benzo is keeping him busy.
Benzo is trying to improve his position.
Case working away.
Benzo felt the need to train up his defensive grappling in the buildup to the fight. Presumably he was expecting to be in a difficult position like this, so let's see if he can get out of it.
Benzo wants to get back to his feet but Case drags him back down.

Case is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Benzo knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Benzo is not content to let Case control the position.

Case is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Benzo is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Benzo is not content to let Case control the position.
Case in side control lands a decent elbow.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Benzo is looking to reverse the position.
Benzo takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Justin Case dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Nice shot by Benzo.
Case steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Benzo.
Case looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Case fails with the takedown
and Benzo counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Case throws an overhand right that lands on Benzo's shoulder, as Benzo tries to avoid the shot.
Case is looking to chop away at Benzo's legs.
Benzo chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Benzo slips under a jab.
Benzo steps in looking to clinch after the strikes miss from Case.
Case steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Benzo.
Benzo defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Case.
Case just misses with a punch to the body.
Benzo moves out of range of the body kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Case shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Benzo defends it nicely.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Justin Case. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Case scores with a decent looking hook.
Ritanzo Benzo is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Case throws a hook to the side of Benzo's head but Benzo sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Benzo now looks to counter with a shot at the body.
Case is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Benzo can do to turn this around?

Case shoots in and bounces Benzo off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Benzo is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Case won't allow Benzo to get back to his feet.
Benzo looking to hit a scissor sweep but Case is one step ahead there.
Benzo keeping moving, preventing Case from controlling successfully.
Case advances position into side control!
Benzo is trying to control Case's posture but Case avoids it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Case lands a few punches from side control.
An elbow from Case crashes against the mat.
Case wants to control but Benzo is keeping him busy.

Case tries for a kimura but Benzo is defending well.
Case grinds an elbow into Benzo's temple.
Benzo is looking for a sweep.
Benzo on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Justin Case overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Benzo can't do much from the bottom here.
Case working the ground and pound.
Case lands a nice forearm strike.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Case tries to advance to mount but can't.
Case lands an elbow.
Benzo wants to get back to his feet.
Case working away.
Benzo is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Case has just dragged him back down to the mat.

Case wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Benzo, who protects the arm well.
Case lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Benzo is looking for a sweep.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Case lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Case prevents Benzo from escaping the position.

Case tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Case landing strikes.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Case in side control, just content to control the action for now.

Case working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Justin Case dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Case pivots, looking for a leg kick but Benzo is out of range and Case settles back down.
Nice takedown defense from Benzo. No joy for Case on that attempt.
Case with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Benzo to score with a decent uppercut.
Benzo cracks a nice hook into Case's ribs.
Benzo fails with an attempt to clinch.
Case looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Benzo is fending him off so far but Case persists. Nope, Benzo circles away and we're back to standing.
Benzo scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Case fails with the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Justin Case. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Case throws a left and a right that both miss
and Benzo counters with a good, hard body kick but Case shrugs it off.
Benzo's corner calls for a 1-2. Benzo obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Benzo moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.

It looks like Justin Case has been cut.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Case throws a push kick but Benzo slaps the foot to one side.
Benzo swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Benzo misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Case.
Benzo moves away from the strike by Case.
Benzo appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
Benzo uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Case.
Benzo bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
A decent looking cross lands there for Benzo.

Case is rocked!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Case will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Nice takedown defense from Benzo. No joy for Case on that attempt.
Case shoots for a double leg takedown but Benzo sprawls well. He's pushed Case's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Nice takedown defense from Benzo. No joy for Case on that attempt.
Case drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Oh Case is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
A looping hook to the body misses from Case. Benzo does a little dance to reset his feet.
Benzo lands a leg kick that knocks Case off balance momentarily.
Case shoots in but Benzo avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Case seems to have got his legs back now.
Case will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Case on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Benzo slaps away a takedown attempt from Case, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Benzo scores with a spinning back kick!
A low kick lands for Benzo.
Benzo is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Ritanzo Benzo seems to be getting the better of the standup.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Benzo misses with a body kick.
Benzo stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Case throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Benzo is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Case with a body shot.
Case misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Benzo scores with a body shot.
Benzo lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.
Case walks into a straight right hand from Benzo.
Benzo lands with a nice body punch.
Benzo is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Benzo has taken the fight to the clinch.
Benzo tries a body shot but Case blocks it.
Benzo is leaning against Case and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Benzo misses with a hook from the clinch.
Benzo lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Case backwards.
Case is looking for a takedown.
Benzo lands a right hand that snaps the head of Case backwards.
A left hand lands to the body for Benzo.
Case has Benzo pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Benzo manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Ritanzo Benzo has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Still in the clinch, Benzo scores with a nice short uppercut.
Benzo scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Benzo lands with a right to the head.
Case is trying to break the clinch but Benzo is controlling him.
Benzo swings away with an uppercut that misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Benzo fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Benzo swings wildly with an uppercut but Case uses good head movement to avoid it.
Benzo misses with a body punch.
Benzo throws a head punch that misses.
Benzo throws a head punch that misses.
Benzo lands a shoulder strike.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Case jumps guard but Benzo stands there with Case around his waist. Case gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Case tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Case prevents a body shot from Benzo.
Benzo lands a body shot in the clinch.
Benzo working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Benzo tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ritanzo Benzo comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Case 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 Daniel Franklin scores the fight 28:28
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 28:28
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 28:28

The fight is ruled a draw!