PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ken Banners (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sean Stone (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Banners comes into the arena with Rage Against The Machine - Bombtrack blaring out of the sound system. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Banners
vs
Stone

194 cm
35
275 lbs
17 - 10 - 0

188 cm
34
275 lbs
20 - 13 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Excellent grappler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 17 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Ken Banners!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 20 - 13 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Sean Stone!
The judges for this bout are Stewart Dunkirk, Robert Twigg and Frank Dennis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Stone lands a slapping body shot.
Stone tries to clinch up.
Banners misses with a body kick.
Banners swats away the attempt to clinch by Stone.
Banners has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.
Stone is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Banners feints and then cracks Stone's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Stone down.
A swing and a miss from Stone.
Banners throws out a leg kick but Stone moves out of range and Banners only half commits.
A leg kick checked by Banners.
Banners tries to work over Stone's front leg with a kick but Stone checks it.
Stone tries to clinch there but Banners circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Stone takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Stone feints and then cracks Banners's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Banners down.
Banners throws a one two combo.

It looks like Sean Stone has been cut.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A nice inside leg kick there by Stone. That's going to slow Banners down.
Banners misses with a leg kick
and Banners takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Banners throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Banners.
Banners on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Stone. Stone obviously looking to wear him down.
Banners swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Banners finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Ken Banners is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Stone uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Banners.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Stone scores with a takedown into Banners's guard.
Stone scoring with punches to the head and body.
Stone working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Stone throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Stone trying to control the position from guard on top but Banners is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Banners avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Stone stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Banners swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Banners keeping moving, preventing Stone from controlling successfully.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Stone accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Stone postures up in Banners's guard and throws a big left but Banners blocks it.
Stone is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Stone is looking to work some ground and pound but Banners has wrist control.
Stone throws a big elbow that misses.
My spies in Personal Training inform me that Stone has been getting involved in the gym's BJJ sparring sessions. Let's see whether that pays dividends!
Stone stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Banners swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Banners can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Stone controls the pace.
Stone missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Stone trying to control the position from guard on top but Banners is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Stone postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sean Stone dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Sean Stone's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Stone fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Banners.
Stone avoids the head kick by Banners.
Stone shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Banners eats them both and turns towards Stone to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Banners throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Stone checks the leg kick.
Banners lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.
Banners swings for the body but Stone moves out of range.
Stone scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Banners is looking to chop away at Stone's legs.
Stone fails with an attempt to clinch.
Banners scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Stone closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Banners to the mat! Banners manages to get full guard.
Banners utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Stone pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Banners is keeping the position for now.
Banners has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Stone sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Banners's guard.
Stone not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Banners is refusing to be controlled, as Stone sits in half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Stone looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Banners trying to control but Stone postures up.
Stone seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Banners does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Banners avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Stone.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Banners has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Stone is working away from the top position though.

Stone is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Stone throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

Stone is trying to work for a kimura but Banners is defending well.
Stone takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Stone working over Banners with some ground and pound. Banners looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Stone has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Stone working Banners over with strikes.
Banners gets full guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Stone throws a big right hand that misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Stone throwing strikes but missing.
Banners preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Banners keeping moving, preventing Stone from controlling successfully.
Banners wants to stand up but Stone is controlling him.
Stone landing with the ground and pound.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Stone won't allow Banners to get back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sean Stone showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Sean Stone's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Stone moves in looking to clinch but Banners pushes him off.
Stone fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Stone swings away with a leg kick that misses.

Stone clinches.
Stone misses with a hook to the ribs.
Stone can't find room to land a body shot as Banners controls the action.
Banners misses with a body punch.
Stone lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Stone creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Banners prevents a body shot from Stone.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Stone misses with a hook to the ribs.
Banners looking to slow down the pace here.
A right hook to the body lands for Banners.
Stone scores with a shoulder strike.
Stone fails to pull guard.
Banners lands with a left to the head.
Banners prevents a body shot from Stone.
Stone has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Banners after a bit of a struggle.
Ken Banners has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Sean Stone.
Stone jumps guard but Banners turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Banners working some nice short punches in the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Banners lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Stone backwards.
Ken Banners has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Banners lands a shoulder strike.
Banners throws a knee to the head but misses.
Banners is working Stone over against the cage.
Banners stalling against the cage.
Banners throws an elbow that misses.
Stone swings wildly with an uppercut but Banners uses good head movement to avoid it.
Stone lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Banners trying to stall but Stone improves his position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Stone blocks a body shot from Banners.
Banners goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
A right hook to the body lands for Stone.
Banners taking a breather.
Stone goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Stone misses with a hook to the ribs.
Banners misses with a short punch on the inside.
Stone on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Banners stalling the fight.
Stone pushes Banners back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Stone has a couple of punches blocked by Banners.
Stone works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Stone takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Stone swings wildly with an uppercut but Banners uses good head movement to avoid it.
Stone is looking to control Banners's arms but Banners gets an underhook and turns him. Now Stone has his back to the cage.
Stone tries a body shot but Banners blocks it.
Banners tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Stone lands a nice shot to the body.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Banners with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Stone struggles to land a body shot inside as Banners controls his hands.
Stone tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Banners's elbow.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Ken Banners.
I think Stone has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 28:29
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 28:29
Judge Frank Dennis scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Sean Stone!
Our winner, Sean Stone, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.