PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Toney Benjamin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Phil Roster (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Roster has chosen Welcome Home as his entrance music. Toney Benjamin has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Benjamin
vs
Roster

152 cm
18
140 lbs
0 - 4 - 0

170 cm
25
134 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Very confident

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 0 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Toney Benjamin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Phil Roster!
The judges for this bout are Chris Dean, Steve Erwin and Ben Watson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Benjamin gets caught napping as Roster dives in and scores a takedown. Benjamin manages to retain guard.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Roster stands and throws Benjamin's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Roster sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Benjamin is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Roster slows the pace down.
Roster lands some shots froms side control.
Roster has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for Benjamin!
Roster lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Benjamin hang on?
Roster controlling from the full mount.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Benjamin is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Roster looking to control but Benjamin is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Roster takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Roster looking to control but Benjamin is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Roster takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Roster looking for a guillotine from mount but Benjamin is having none of it.
Roster controlling from the full mount.
Benjamin really is a fat lump.
Roster's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.

Roster goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Benjamin is on top in guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Roster has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Benjamin off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Benjamin takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.
Benjamin takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.

It looks like Toney Benjamin has been cut.
Roster lands a jab to the nose.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Roster shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Benjamin's guard.
Roster is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Roster tries to free his leg and advance position but Benjamin is retaining full guard.
Roster looking to sit in guard and control but Benjamin gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Roster is controlling Benjamin's posture.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Roster lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Benjamin!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Phil Roster dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Toney Benjamin's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Roster darts in and clinches Benjamin up against the cage.

Roster turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Roster manages to end up in side control.
You can see the frustration on Benjamin's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Benjamin being controlled for a moment.

Roster decides to take the fight back to the feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Roster looks to throw a body kick

and Benjamin counters by moving into the clinch.

Roster's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Roster clinches up against the cage.
Benjamin tries to pull guard but Roster holds him up against the cage and eventually Benjamin drops back down to his feet.
Benjamin tries to pull guard but Roster holds him up against the cage and eventually Benjamin drops back down to his feet.
Roster stalling the fight.
Roster lands a shoulder strike.
A frustrated look appears on Roster's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Roster working hard to break the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Benjamin throws a punch but it's blocked by Roster.
Benjamin tries to pull guard but Roster forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Toney Benjamin. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Roster takes a shot to the head.
Benjamin blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Benjamin tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Roster just stands there and leans against the cage.
Roster blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Roster misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Benjamin.
The referee is keeping an eye on Benjamin - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.

Roster has hold of one of Benjamin's legs. Benjamin is fighting the takedown attempt but Roster gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Roster passes Benjamin's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Roster is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Benjamin is trying to maintain the position but Roster is very close to passing his half guard.
Still in half guard, Roster seems content to control.

Roster stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.

Roster closes the distance and clinches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Roster escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Roster moves into the clinch.

Roster pulls guard.
Roster pulls Benjamin in close to prevent any damage.

Roster has managed to work for a loose triangle. I think Benjamin should be able to defend this one pretty easily though. Oh, Roster has tightened it up now! Benjamin should have reacted faster there - he's in big trouble and yes, he's tapped out! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:46 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle). Phil Roster!
A pretty intense looking Phil Roster took the opportunity post-fight to ask for a shot at the title.