PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Chris Stryker (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and PJ Benn (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). PJ Benn will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Stryker
vs
Benn

180 cm
20
185 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

225 cm
22
185 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Very confident

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 Tokyo, Chris Stryker!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, PJ Benn!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Fujiwara, Yuuki Gou and Yukihiro Shimada.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Benn shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Benn is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Benn closes this distance looking for a takedown but Stryker circles away.

Benn instigates a clinch.
Stryker tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Stryker misses with a knee to the head.

Stryker escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Benn closes the distance and clinches.
Stryker misses with a knee strike.

Benn pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Stryker tries to clinch but Benn is having none of it.

Benn fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Stryker sprawls well initially but Benn persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Stryker makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Stryker.

Stryker kicks Benn off and gets to his feet.

Stryker scores a takedown into full mount!
Stryker misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Stryker throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Poor strikes thrown by Stryker there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!
Stryker misses with a head shot.
Stryker lands a big elbow.
Benn is bucking up trying to escape but Stryker cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Benn is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Stryker misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Stryker throwing strikes here but Benn is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Benn wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
Stryker scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Benn?
Stryker with good strikes from the mount here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Stryker breaks from Benn's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Stryker is breathing heavily.
Stryker fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Benn tries to hold on but Stryker postures up.
Benn is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Benn holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Stryker tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.

Benn somehow manages to escape the mount and get back to his feet!
Benn fails with the takedown

and Stryker counters with a takedown into side control.
Chris Stryker has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of PJ Benn.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Stryker with the ground and pound but Benn regains half guard under the barage of strikes.

Benn is defending against the submission attempts here by Stryker.
The fighters are battling for position here. Benn manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Stryker throwing strikes from guard but Benn blocks nicely.
Stryker thows a big elbow that misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Stryker cracks Benn with a solid left hand.
Stryker might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Stryker throws and elbow that misses. Benn uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Stryker's guard. Nice move by Benn!

Benn thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Stryker preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

Stryker pushes Benn off and scrambles back to his feet.
Benn closes the distance but Stryker moves to the side

and Stryker counters by clinching up.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Benn has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Stryker is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Benn tries to land a knee to the head but Stryker blocks with his arms.
Benn stops a takedown attempt from Stryker.
Benn connects with a nasty looking knee right to Stryker's face.
Benn blocks the elbow strike.
Stryker tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Chris Stryker dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Benn shoots and misses

and Stryker counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Benn avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Stryker.
Stryker looks to land a strike but Benn avoids it nicely and regains full guard.

Stryker drops back, looking for a kneebar! Benn looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Benn looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Benn!
Stryker wants to get back to his feet but Benn drags him back down.
Benn lands a decent elbow from side control.
Stryker taking a bit of punishment here - Benn scoring with strikes.
Stryker is trying to improve his position.
Benn lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Stryker down.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Benn connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Stryker some visible discomfort.
Stryker tries to buck Benn off but Benn is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Benn tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Benn has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Stryker is looking to regain half guard here but Benn keeps moving and retains side control.
Stryker is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Benn off and has taken his back!

Benn preventing the rear naked choke attempt from Stryker.
Benn breaks Stryker's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
Stryker wants to get back to his feet but Benn is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

Benn is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Benn stops Stryker from standing up.
Stryker 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.

Benn drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Benn jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

Stryker wriggles free and stands up.

Stryker forces Benn back against the cage and clinches.
Stryker prevents the takedown attempt.
Benn with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Benn as Stryker tries to tie him up.
Benn wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Stryker has him pressed against the cage.
Stryker using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.

Benn breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Benn fails with a takedown attempt.
Chris Stryker has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of PJ Benn.

Stryker clinches.
Benn lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Benn wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Stryker has a couple of punches blocked by Benn.
Stryker looking to stall.
Benn is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Benn lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Benn trying to land knees to the body.
Stryker lands a right hand.
Stryker tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Benn just stands there and leans against the cage.
Benn scores with a knee to the head.
Benn tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Stryker avoids it.
Benn tries a knee to the head but Stryker blocks it.

Stryker breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Benn tries to clinch but Stryker moves away

and Stryker moves into the clinch.
Benn tries to score a body lock takedown but Stryker shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Stryker takes a knee right on the jaw!
Benn looking for a takedown.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Stryker breaks from the clinch.
Stryker bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Benn's head backwards.
Benn tries for a takedown but Stryker circles away easily

and Stryker counters by moving into the clinch.
Stryker pushes Benn back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Stryker looking for a takedown.
With the fighters up against the cage, Stryker throws an elbow but misses.
Benn is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Stryker is defending well for now.
Benn tries to land knees in the clinch but Stryker avoids the damage to the body.
Stryker with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Stryker throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Benns head.
Benn lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Benn looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Stryker working aggressively here.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Benn obliges.
Benn connects with a knee to the head.
A short left from Stryker.
Benn lands a nice elbow.
Benn is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Stryker pulls him back up using the underhooks.
A short right from Stryker on the inside.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Chris Stryker dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Benn throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Stryker.
Benn shoots for a takedown but Stryker saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

Stryker shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Stryker looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Benn keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Stryker lands a heavy elbow.
Benn taking shots to the head.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Stryker lands a nice shot to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Benn is bucking up trying to escape but Stryker cracks him with another couple of good strikes.

Stryker goes for an armbar but Benn turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from Benn.
Benn postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Benn working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Stryker is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Benn is controlling him.
Chris Stryker overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Stryker working a defensive guard here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Benn stops Stryker from standing up.
Benn scoring with some ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Benn misses with a takedown

and Stryker decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Benn's guard.
Stryker missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

Benn pushes a forearm under Stryker's chin to create some space. He's escaped his hips and pivoted quickly for an armbar! Can he extend the arm? Yes, Stryker is tapping out! Damn, that was fast!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:41 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). PJ Benn!