PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Dak Ishii (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and BJ Penn (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ishii comes to the cage accompanied by Insane in the membrane by Cypress Hill. 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.

Ishii
vs
Penn

164 cm
28
142 lbs
12 - 8 - 0

172 cm
27
134 lbs
8 - 7 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Solid boxing
KO power

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 8 - 0, fighting out of New York, Dak Ishii!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, BJ Penn!
The judges for this bout are Yves DeLean, Steve Smith and Robert Douchet.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Penn shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Penn was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Ishii is working to get back to half guard.
Ishii really wants to buck Penn off and get back to his feet.

Penn working for a submission but Ishii is keeping him at bay.
Ishii tries to lock up and control but Penn gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.

Penn with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Ishii is desperately trying to get back to half guard.

Penn jumps to the side looking to secure the arm triangle…. Ooooh, that looks tight… Ishii is gargling but he's managed to escape! Nice work there by Ishii and Penn has given up the dominant position trying to land that submission.
Ishii is looking to regain half guard here but Penn keeps moving and retains side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ishii wants to get back to his feet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Ishii is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.

Penn seems to be working for a kimura but Ishii defends the submission attempt.

Penn is working for a kimura but Ishii is defending it quite comfortably.
Ishii wants to get back to his feet.

Penn is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.

Penn seems to be looking for submissions.
Penn tries to pass to full mount but Ishii defends it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Ishii keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

Penn is working for a submission of some sort.
Ishii looks like he's trying to stand up.
Penn trying to control from half guard but Ishii is working away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ishii pushes Penn off looking to stand but Penn dives back in and keeps control.

Penn is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Ishii sees it coming and defends easily.
Ishii is trying to stand.
Ishii makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Ishii.
Ishii wants to stand and escape but Penn is having none of it.

Penn thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.

Ishii has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Penn off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Ishii is breathing heavily.
Ishii wants to clinch.

Penn gets caught flat footed, as Ishii shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Penn is on top in guard.
Penn connects with a couple of short punches.
Penn looking to pass the guard.
Penn must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Pennis looking to pass into half guard but Ishii pushes him away with his feet and jumps on top - now Ishii is in guard.
Ishii postures up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but BJ Penn will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Ishii throws a series of punches but Penn avoids them all with ease.
Penn avoids the head kick by Ishii.
Ishii misses with a two punch combination.
Penn fails with the takedown.
Good leg kick by Ishii there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Penn moves in looking to clinch but Ishii pushes him off.
Penn fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Penn changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Ishii tries to avoid it but Penn manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Ishii to the ground. Ishii escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Dak Ishii has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of BJ Penn.
Penn tries to clinch up.
Ishii takes a swing at Penn's ribcage but misses.
An inside leg kick lands from Ishii.
Penn fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

Ishii scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Penn can't do much from the bottom here.
Penn is breathing heavily.
Ishii is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Penn is working to avoid the ground and pound but Ishii connects with a decent elbow.

Ishii decides to stand back up.

Penn gets tackled into the cage by Ishii. Ishii maintains the clinch.
Penn wants a takedown.
Ishii pressing his opponent against the cage.

Ishii escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Penn takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Penn is looking to clinch.
Penn misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Ishii thuds a left hand into Penn's body.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Penn enables Ishii to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Penn manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.

Penn working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Ishii has passed into half guard!
Ishii landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Ishii is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Penn doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Ishii.
Penn tries to get to full guard but Ishii has control of the leg.
Ishii looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Ishii lands strikes from half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Penn trying to control here.
Ishii wants to pass the guard but Penn is defending well.
Ishii content to control rather than advance.

Ishii stands up out of the half guard.
Dak Ishii is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Ishii tries to keep at a distance but Penn has taken the fight into the clinch.
Penn with a knee to the head.

Ishii breaks from the clinch.

Penn feints and as Ishii raises his hands in defense, Penn changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Dak Ishii overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Ishii trying to keep a closed guard but Penn is proving a slippery customer.

Ishii pushes Penn off and scrambles back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Ishii shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Ishii was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Penn tries to reverse the position but Ishii maintains control.
Penn is squirming around, avoiding Ishii's attempts to control the action.
Penn throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Ishii is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Penn tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Ishii avoids the attempt from Penn to control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dak Ishii dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Penn throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Ishii's waist but Ishii gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Penn off to one side.
Penn fails in his attempt to clinch.
Penn blocks a head kick by Ishii.

Ishii closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Ishii lands in his opponent's guard.

Penn looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

Penn is looking for a triangle but Ishii pushes his legs off easily.
Ishii trying to control the position from guard on top but Penn is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Ishii slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Penn takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Penn is looking for a triangle but Ishii pushes his legs off easily.
Ishii is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.

We're going to have a standup here because Dak Ishii wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Penn shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Ishii as he avoids it easily.

Ishii closes the distance and clinches.

Ishii breaks from the clinch.
Penn shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Ishii moves into the clinch.
Dak Ishii has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of BJ Penn.

Ishii escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Ishii will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

Ishii has Penn up against the cage in a clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ishii is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Penn gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Ishii throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Penn blocks it with crossed arms.
Penn lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Ishii missing with knees to the body.
Ishii gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Penn.
Ishii tries to circle away but Penn has him pinned against the cage.

Ishii breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Penn takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Penn will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

Ishii shoots in and gets a takedown into Penn's guard.
Ishii not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

Ishii got a little sloppy there for a moment and Penn has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Ishii has managed to get both his arms back between Penn's legs - danger averted.

Penn looking for a guillotine here but Ishii defends easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Penn has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Ishii has passed into side control.
Ishii taking a breather here.
Ishii is putting a hurting on Penn here, landing some big shots from side control.
Ishii landing a few strikes.
Ishii is looking to take a break and control but Penn is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Ishii decides to stand up, so the ref orders Penn to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ishii throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Penn misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Ishii throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Ishii rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Penn moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Ishii slaps away a takedown attempt from Penn, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Ishii shoots in looking for a takedown but Penn manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Ishii's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.

Ishii closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Penn did well to prevent Ishii getting side control.
Ishii trying to control from half guard but Penn is working away.
Penn trying to control but Ishii postures up.
Penn is looking for a sweep. Ishii is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Dak Ishii showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Ishii has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Yves DeLean scores the fight 29:28
Judge Steve Smith scores the fight 29:28
Judge Robert Douchet scores the fight 30:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Dak Ishii!