PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Merle Bishop (ranked 4697 p4p, 0 weight class) and Requis Bently (ranked 24771 p4p, 0 weight class). 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.

Bishop
vs
Bently

155 cm
18
278 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

225 cm
18
250 lbs
2 - 5 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Merle Bishop!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Requis Bently!
The judges for this bout are Paul Gruel, Micheangelo Fripello and Roger Salmon.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Bently tries to clinch but Bishop moves out of range.
Bishop throws a quick counter kick to the body but Bently avoids it.
Bently shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Bishop pinned against the cage. Bishop gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Bishop is looking to counter with a shot to the body.

Bishop shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Bently manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.

Bently has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Bishop off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Bishop fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Bently, pushing him back against the cage.
Knees in the clinch landing for Bently.
Bishop is trying to force a seperation but Bently has the dominant position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bently misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Bishop.
Bishop is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Bently has hold of one of Bishop's legs. Bishop is fighting the takedown attempt but Bently gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
Bishop is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Bishop really is a fat lump.
Bishop looking to control.
Bently trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

Bently stands and steps away. Bishop gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Bishop bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.
Nice takedown defense from Bently. No joy for Bishop on that attempt.
Bently lands with a kick to the temple. Bishop shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"

It looks like Merle Bishop has been cut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bishop swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

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

Bently breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Bently closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Bishop wants to get back to his feet but Bently is dominant here and he's now got Bishop's back!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Bently misses with punches from the back.
So, who will make the next big move? In this position it could be crucial.
Bishop tries to escape the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
I would not like to be Bishop right now.
Bently missing with punches from the back.
Bently missing with strikes from the back.
Bently wants to control but Bishop manages to buck him off and is now in Bently's guard! Nice work there by Bishop!
Bishop is fighting to break Bently's control of his arms but Bently is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Bently has scooted to the edge of the canvas and used the cage to get back to his feet. Bishop has stuck on his opponent and is forcing him back against the cage.
Bently manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Bishop looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

Bently breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Bently closes the distance and clinches.
Bently is struggling to control the position.
Bishop tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Bently's elbow.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Requis Bently dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Merle Bishop's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Bently pushes Bishop up against the cage in a clinch.
Bishop has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Bishop looking for a takedown.
Bently has been looking to improve his clinch game in recent weeks. Bishop seems to have the measure of him in the clinch so far, so let's see if Bently can turn it around.
Bishop tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

Bently drags the fight down to the ground.
Bishop wants to control from the top but Bently keeps moving.
Bently has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Bishop trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bishop with a flurry of punches that miss.
Bishop stands up over Bently, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Bently is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Bently looking for a sweep. Not yet Bently, not yet.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Bently is on top in guard.

Bently trying to control but Bishop is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Bishop throws his legs up looking for a submission but Bently uses it to pass to side control.
Bishop tries to buck Bently off but Bently is having none of it.
Bishop tries to slip a leg under to move to half guard but Bently presses down on the leg and jumps into full mount!
Bently avoids the attempt from Bishop to control.
Bishop is in a bad position, trying to hold on for dear life but he is really struggling to maintain any sort of control.
Bishop might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bishop is trying desperately to improve position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Bishop is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Bently controlling his opponent.
Bishop tries to hold on but Bently pushes him away.
Bently controlling the position easily from mount.
Bishop is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Bently looking to secure an arm triangle but Bishop defends it well.
Bishop is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Bently controlling from mount.
Bently throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
Bently trying to control but Bishop is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Bently controlling from the full mount.
Bently unloads with some shots from mount but Bishop bucks and avoids them well.
Bently can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Bishop is looking to escape.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Bently controlling from mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Requis Bently showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Merle Bishop'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!

Bently is looking to clinch.
Bently goes for a double leg but Bishop avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Bishop continues to drive forward.
Bishop is looking for a counter combo.
Bishop tries to close the distance and clinch up but Bently swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Bishop tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Bently closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Bently tries to pull guard but Bishop forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Bently drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Bishop gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Merle Bishop has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Requis Bently.

Bishop manages to break the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bishop misses the shot to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bishop lands with a good body shot.
Bishop looks to score with a jab to the body but Bently is just out of range.
Requis Bently seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Bently tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Bishop defends well and Bently ends up having to push Bishop into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Bishop tries to clinch but Bently moves out of range.
Bently shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Bishop as he jumps to the side.
Bently goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Bishop circles away from the clinch attempt
and Bishop counters with a lovely straight right hand!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bishop keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Bently shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Bishop sprawls well. Bishop wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Bently gets slowly back to his feet.
Bently looks for a takedown but Bishop sprawls well.
As Bently looks to move away, Bishop throws a big counter combo but Bently just gets out of the way.
Bently keeps Bishop at a distance using the push kick.
Nice takedown defense from Bishop. No joy for Bently on that attempt.
Bently takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bishop is trying hard to land a takedown here. Bently sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Bishop fails with an attempt to clinch.

Bently gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Requis Bently has got the better of the ground game so far.
Bishop landing some decent shots from guard.
Bishop has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Bishop scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Bishop postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Bently will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Bishop throwing strikes from guard but Bently blocks nicely.
Bently preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bently looking to control.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Bently is adopting a defensive guard.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Bishop looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Bently tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Bishop misses with a knee strike.
Bently jumps guard but Bishop turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Bently managing to block the knees to the body from Bishop.
Bishop tries to break free but Bently pushes him back against the cage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Merle Bishop showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Bently 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 Paul Gruel scores the fight 28:29
Judge Micheangelo Fripello scores the fight 28:29
Judge Roger Salmon scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Requis Bently!