PBP Commentary

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

Banks
vs
Hartman

175 cm
23
152 lbs
8 - 4 - 0

180 cm
22
155 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Very strong

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
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 8 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Will Banks!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Nathan Hartman!
The judges for this bout are Paulo Santos, Leandro Rodrigues and Felipe Paraventi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hartman shoots for a takedown but Banks saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Sloppy strikes from Banks. Those never looked like landing.
A lazy left from Hartman finds it's target.
Hartman throws a nice looking combination but Banks bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Banks slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Hartman swinging wildly here.
Banks will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Hartman swinging wildly here.
Hartman stalks Banks and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Banks's face. Banks staggers backwards, shaken.

Hartman forces Banks back against the cage and clinches.

Hartman turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Hartman manages to end up in side control.
Hartman wants to control but Banks is keeping him busy.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Hartman prevents Banks from escaping the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hartman wants to lay and pray for a moment but Banks keeps working.
Banks is pushing Hartman's head away, looking to escape. Hartman manages to hold on to the position though.
Banks prevents Hartman from moving into mount.
Hartman wants to control but Banks is keeping him busy.
Hartman remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
Hartman tries to advance to mount but Banks denies him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hartman cracks Banks with a big elbow.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Hartman trying to control the action but Banks is working from the bottom.
Hartman misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Hartman takes a little break here. Banks wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.
Banks defending against the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hartman taking a breather here.

Hartman thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Hartman is looking to take a break and control but Banks is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Hartman misses with the ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hartman misses with the ground and pound.
Banks wants to get back to his feet but Hartman drags him back down.
Hartman misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Hartman trying to control the action but Banks is working from the bottom.
Banks is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Hartman is controlling him well.

Hartman is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Banks has escaped the position, nice work there.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Banks is trying to control Hartman's posture but Hartman avoids it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Hartman rushes Banks and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Hartman has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Banks avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Hartman can't get the takedown.
Banks changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Hartman fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Banks throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Hartman.

Banks gets a clinch.

Banks pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Banks throws a nice looking combination but Hartman bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Banks shoots in but Hartman avoids the takedown attempt easily.

Hartman gets in close and instigates a clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hartman has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Hartman gets underhooks to prevent Banks's takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Will Banks. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Hartman tries to break free but Banks pushes him back against the cage.
Banks tries to pull guard but Hartman holds him up against the cage and eventually Banks drops back down to his feet.
Hartman wants to get back to striking at distance but Banks won't allow it.
Hartman tries to break free but Banks pushes him back against the cage.
Banks tries to pull guard but Hartman holds him up against the cage and eventually Banks drops back down to his feet.
Banks throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Hartman is trying to force a seperation but Banks has the dominant position.
Banks can't get the takedown.
Hartman tries for a takedown but Banks manages to get underhooks.
Banks wants to break the clinch but can't.

Banks breaks from the clinch.
Banks displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Hartman.
Hartman shoots in looking for a takedown but Banks manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Hartman's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Banks shoots in looking for a takedown. Hartman tries to sprawl out of it but Banks keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Hartman manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Banks misses with the combination.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hartman tries to close the distance and clinch but Banks swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Hartman throws a series of punches but Banks moves out of range.
Hartman fails with the takedown
and Banks cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Hartman lands a two punch combo.
Will Banks is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Hartman throws a series of punches but Banks moves out of range.
Hartman has a takedown stuffed.
Hartman throws a series of punches but Banks avoids them all with ease.

Banks decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Banks performing his best blanket impression for a moment.

Hartman looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Hartman is breathing heavily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Banks uses his free foot to push down on Hartman's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Hartman.
Nathan Hartman has got the better of the ground game so far.
Banks putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Banks with good strikes from the mount here!
Banks trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Hartman is working to get back to half guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Banks is in the full mount, landing strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Will Banks dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. 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.

Hartman swinging wildly here.
Hartman misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

Hartman shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Hartman thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Hartman trying to control from half guard but Banks is working away.
Banks is looking to escape.
Banks is staying active underneath Hartman, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Hartman sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Banks defending well though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hartman trying to control the action but Banks is working from the bottom.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Hartman looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Nathan Hartman.
Hartman misses with a straight right.
Hartman scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Hartman tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Banks swivels and escapes.
Banks shoots in for a takedown but Hartman shows good takedown defense.
Hartman tries to clinch but Banks moves out of range.
Hartman slips a jab and a cross from Banks.
Banks looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Hartman is fending him off so far but Banks persists. Nope, Hartman circles away and we're back to standing.
Hartman takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hartman throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Hartman shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Hartman will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Hartman takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Hartman takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Hartman displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Banks.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Will Banks. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Banks fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Hartman avoids it really well and circles away.
Banks fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Hartman looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Banks lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Hartman backs up against the cage.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Banks throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Hartman counters with a nice double leg into side control. Banks won't be happy with that.
Hartman wants to lay and pray for a moment but Banks keeps working.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Nathan Hartman was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Banks takes one to the chin there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hartman misses with the combination.
A right-left combo lands from Banks.
Hartman fails with an attempt to clinch.

Banks shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Hartman manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Banks trying to control the position from guard on top but Hartman is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Hartman looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Banks missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Nathan Hartman comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Hartman has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Paulo Santos scores the fight 28:29
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 28:29
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Nathan Hartman!