PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Ben Avit (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Emilio Martinez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Avit
vs
Martinez

170 cm
21
144 lbs
6 - 7 - 0

175 cm
21
143 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Experienced

BJJ Purple Belt
Good kicks
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Ben Avit!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Emilio Martinez!
The judges for this bout are John Mangel, Winston Howard and Bruno Hogan.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Avit keeps the fight on the outside.
Avit clinches but Martinez breaks the clinch

and Martinez counters with a takedown into side control.
The strikes coming from Martinez are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Avit gets back to half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Avit wants to improve his position but Martinez is controlling well.

Martinez stands, ready to strike. The ref makes him back up and allows Avit to get to his feet.
Avit tries to clinch

and Martinez counters by clinching up.
Martinez blocks the elbow strike.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Avit.
The referee is keeping an eye on Avit - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Martinez is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
A bit of stalling here from Avit.
Avit misses with an elbow over the top.
Martinez looking to throw knees to the head but Avit is blocking nicely.
Still in the clinch, Martinez scores with a nice short uppercut.
Martinez lands an elbow just above Avit 's eye.
Martinez lands a damaging elbow.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Martinez looking to throw knees to the head but Avit is blocking nicely.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Avit just misses with a elbow thrown towards Martinez's brow.
Martinez tries a knee to the head but Avit blocks it.
Avit wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Martinez takes an elbow to the forehead.
Martinez goes for a takedown attempt but Avit pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

Avit shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Martinez tries to get to full guard but Avit has control of the leg.
Martinez is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.
Avit working the head and body with strikes.
Martinez is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Martinez keeping control of the position.
Avit lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Martinez is trying to get back to full guard.
Avit missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Martinez avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Avit.
Avit trying to control the action but Martinez is working from the bottom.
The fighters are battling for position here. Martinez manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Avit 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.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Martinez utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Martinez wants to sweep but no luck.
Avit trying to control the position from guard on top but Martinez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Avit looking to sit in guard and control but Martinez gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Martinez throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Avit works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Avit not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Martinez wants to pass the guard but Avit is keeping the position.
Avit keeping moving, preventing Martinez from controlling successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Avit is trying to control the position but Martinez postures up.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Ben Avit wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Avit wants to clinch but Martinez slips to the side

and Martinez counters by moving into the clinch.
Martinez takes an elbow to the forehead.
Martinez misses with an elbow strike.
Martinez is pushing Avit up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Martinez changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Avit fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Martinez has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Avit finds it's way round the side to connect with Martinez's head.
Avit closes the distance but Martinez moves to the side

and Martinez counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Avit blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Martinez tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Avit avoids it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Emilio Martinez will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Martinez darts in and clinches Avit up against the cage.
Martinez tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Avit tries for a takedown. No joy.
Martinez misses with a knee to the head.
Avit wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Martinez has him pressed against the cage.
Avit misses with an elbow over the top.
Martinez connects with a nasty looking knee right to Avit's face.

Avit breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Avit clinches but Martinez breaks the clinch

and Martinez counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Avit looking to hit a scissor sweep but Martinez is one step ahead there.
Martinez throwing strikes but missing.
Martinez has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Avit is proving hard to escape from.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Martinez wants to pass the guard but Avit is keeping the position.
Martinez wants to stand and escape but instead Avit has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Avit is looking to work some ground and pound but Martinez has wrist control.
Avit is looking to work some ground and pound but Martinez has wrist control.
Martinez avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Martinez is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Avit is controlling him.
Avit passes Martinez's right leg, so he's now in half guard.

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.
Martinez is not content to let Avit control the position.
Avit tries to pass to full mount but Martinez defends it.
Avit is thwarting Martinez's attempts to control the position.
Avit trying to control from half guard but Martinez is working away.
Avit not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Avit throwing shots but Martinez is blocking nicely.
Avit trying to control the action but Martinez is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Avit throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Martinez has hold of Avit's hands but Avit slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Martinez trying to control but Avit postures up.
Martinez is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Avit scores with a couple of nice shots.
Avit is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Avit thows a huge punch but Martinez dodges it nicely.

Avit is working for a submission of some sort.
Martinez is doing well to control the position and prevent Avit from advancing to side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Avit takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Martinez trying to control but Avit postures up.
Nice strikes from Avit there.
Martinez is holding on to half guard well.
Martinez gets full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Emilio Martinez showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Avit closes the distance and clinches up with Martinez, looking for a takedown. Avit pushes Martinez against the cage but Martinez circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Avit throws the left hand but Martinez avoids the punch easily.
Ben Avit seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Martinez tries to clinch up but Avit circles away and keeps his distance.
Ben Avit is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Avit throws a jab when Martinez was well out of range.
Avit darts in trying to clinch

and Martinez counters with a takedown into side control.

Martinez stands up.
Avit clinches but Martinez breaks the clinch

and Martinez counters with a nice double leg into guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Martinez wants to stand but Avit has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Martinez won't allow Avit to sweep him here.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Avit has a closed guard, preventing Martinez from standing up.
Avit keeping moving, preventing Martinez from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Martinez wants to stand but Avit has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.

Avit has his feet on Martinez's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.

Avit rushes Martinez and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Martinez takes an elbow to the forehead.
Avit drops down looking for an ankle pick but Martinez pulls his leg out and moves away.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Martinez is defended easily by Avit.
Avit throws a combination that misses

and Martinez counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Martinez.
Avit pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Martinez taking a breather.

Martinez successfully pulls guard.
Avit in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Avit stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Martinez swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Avit thows a big elbow that misses.
Martinez pulls Avit in close to prevent any damage.
Martinez has a closed guard, preventing Avit from standing up.
Avit with a flurry of punches that miss.
Martinez trying to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Avit preventing the sweep.
Avit throws a strike but Martinez rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Martinez loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Avit wants to get back to his feet but Martinez passes into half guard.
Avit regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Martinez.
Martinez trying to control but Avit is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Avit tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Martinez content to stall in guard here.
Emilio Martinez is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Let's hope that Martinez has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Ben Avit has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Martinez has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Avit is proving hard to escape from.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Emilio Martinez.
Avit darts in trying to clinch
and Martinez counters with a series of strikes. Avit will be more careful next time no doubt.

And that's the end of the fight!
Emilio Martinez comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Martinez winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 John Mangel scores the fight 27:30
Judge Winston Howard scores the fight 28:29
Judge Bruno Hogan scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Emilio Martinez!