PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Andrew Benavidez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Takeshi Kitano (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Takeshi Kitano told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Benavidez
vs
Kitano

170 cm
27
151 lbs
3 - 4 - 0

172 cm
23
160 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Basic striking
Prefers standup

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 3 - 4 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Andrew Benavidez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Takeshi Kitano!
The judges for this bout are Illya Tyunina, Fedor Mirinova and Konstantin Menshow.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A slow jab from Kitano misses its intended target.
Benavidez closes the distance looking to clinch
and Kitano counters with a left and a right that stings Benavidez.
Kitano misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Benavidez.
Kitano throws a lazy uppercut
and Benavidez counters with a nice uppercut.
Kitano throws a right hand that misses
and Benavidez connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Kitano falls off balance throwing a combination
and Benavidez counters with a nice uppercut.
Kitano checks a leg kick.
The fighters circling - Kitano throws out the jab but it was never going to land.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kitano digs a good body shot into Benavidez's ribs.
Kitano lands a jab to the nose.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Kitano checks a leg kick.
Kitano slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Kitano just misses with a punch to the body.
Kitano misses with a hook
and Benavidez counters with a slapping leg kick.
Kitano swings widly with a right hand
and Benavidez counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Benavidez tries to clinch but Kitano is having none of it.
Kitano swings and misses with a hook to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kitano throws a hook but Benavidez blocks it.
Benavidez slips a jab and a cross from Kitano.
A swing and a miss from Kitano.
Kitano throws a sloppy body shot
and Benavidez counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Takeshi Kitano seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Benavidez avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Kitano throws an overhand right that lands on Benavidez's shoulder, as Benavidez tries to avoid the shot.
Benavidez moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Kitano misses with a looping left.
Kitano throws a hook but Benavidez avoids it easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kitano connects with the punch.
Benavidez uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Kitano.
Kitano checks a low kick from Benavidez.
Kitano throws a predictable looking body shot

and Benavidez holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Kitano will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Benavidez up against the ropes.
Kitano lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Benavidez has Kitano pressed up against the ropes and is working for takedown. Kitano manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.

Kitano breaks the clinch.
Benavidez staying out of range there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kitano lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Benavidez circles away quickly and effectively.
Kitano blocks a leg kick.
Kitano misses with a lunging right hand
and Benavidez counters with an inside leg kick.
Kitano keeps the fight on the outside.
Benavidez is looking to chop away at Kitano's legs.
Benavidez fails in his attempt to clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Benavidez slips a jab and a cross from Kitano.
Kitano throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Benavidez sees it coming and avoids it easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Takeshi Kitano dominated that round.
That's time! Benavidez's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Kitano swings for the body but Benavidez moves out of range.
Kitano throws a poor cross that misses
and Benavidez counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Kitano displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
A big left from Kitano misses.
Kitano throws a nice looking combination but Benavidez bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Kitano throws an off balance right hand
and Benavidez counters with a slapping leg kick.
A lazy left from Kitano finds it's target.
Benavidez uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Kitano.
Kitano throws a hook to the side of Benavidez's head but Benavidez sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Benavidez will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Kitano misses with a right hand
and Kitano takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Benavidez wants to clinch.
Kitano throws a poor cross that misses
and Benavidez makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Takeshi Kitano seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Kitano just misses with a punch to the body.
Benavidez staying out of range there.
Benavidez tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Kitano counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kitano throws a poor cross that misses
and Benavidez counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Benavidez tries to close the distance and clinch but Kitano swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Kitano throws a combination that misses

and Benavidez moves into the clinch.
Benavidez has a couple of punches blocked by Kitano.
Kitano lands a nice uppercut.
Benavidez tries to pull guard but Kitano forces him back to his feet, against the ropes.
Kitano lands a nice shot to the body.
Kitano lands an uppercut.
A body shot lands from Kitano.
Kitano prevents Benavidez from breaking the clinch.

Kitano's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Kitano throws an ugly left hook that misses

and Benavidez counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Benavidez.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Kitano breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Kitano just misses with a punch to the body.
Kitano throws an off balance right hand
and Benavidez counters with an inside leg kick.
Benavidez finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Kitano throws an off balance right hand
and Benavidez counters with a thumping low kick.
Kitano throws an ugly left hook that misses

and Benavidez counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Benavidez can't get the takedown.
Kitano manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Kitano lands a hook that snaps the head of Benavidez backwards.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A battle for position here, against the ropes.
Kitano throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Benavidezs head.
Stalling in the clinch from Kitano.
A right hook to the body lands for Kitano.
Kitano throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Benavidezs head.
Benavidez is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the ropes enables Kitano to keep the fight standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Andrew Benavidez. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Kitano lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
A right hook to the body lands for Kitano.
Benavidez is looking for a takedown.
Kitano lands a left hand.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Takeshi Kitano showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Kitano throws the left hand but Benavidez avoids the punch easily.
Benavidez swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Kitano ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Benavidez moves away.
Kitano throws a good cross that connects.
Benavidez moves away from the strike by Kitano.
Benavidez uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Kitano.
Kitano throws an overhand right that lands on Benavidez's shoulder, as Benavidez tries to avoid the shot.
Kitano missing with a left hand there. Benavidez was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Kitano throws a big shot that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kitano circles away from the clinch attempt.
A looping hook to the body misses from Kitano. Benavidez does a little dance to reset his feet.
Kitano misses the shot to the body.
Kitano looks to throw the jab but Benavidez is out of range.
Kitano misses with a body shot
enabling Benavidez to counter with a crisp jab.
Benavidez tries to clinch
and Kitano counters with a stiff right hand.
A combination from Kitano does no damage.
Kitano rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Benavidez counters with a nice leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Benavidez ducks under a wild hook from Kitano.
Kitano misses with a left hand
and Benavidez counters with an inside leg kick.
Kitano rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Benavidez counters with a nice low kick that buckles Kitano's knee momentarily.
Kitano connects with a jab.
Benavidez staying out of range there.
Kitano misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Benavidez.
Kitano lands a lovely overhand right.
Kitano swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Kitano misses with a straight right.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kitano will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Kitano misses with a left hand
and Benavidez counters with a thumping low kick.
Kitano takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Kitano checks a low kick from Benavidez.
Andrew Benavidez is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Kitano swings widly with a right hand
and Benavidez counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Benavidez slips under a jab from Kitano.
Benavidez tries to clinch up.
Kitano misses with a left hand
and Benavidez counters with an outside leg kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Benavidez ducks under a wild hook from Kitano.
Kitano misses with a shot to the body
and Benavidez counters with a low kick, right behind Kitano 's knee.
Nice defenses there by Benavidez.
Benavidez misses with a low kick.
Kitano throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Benavidez tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Kitano counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Andrew Benavidez has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Benavidez throws a front kick aimed at Kitano's knee but Kitano avoids it well.

And that's the end of the fight!
Takeshi Kitano comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Kitano 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 Illya Tyunina scores the fight 27:30
Judge Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 27:30
Judge Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Takeshi Kitano!