PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Caspian Tennessen (ranked 2645 p4p, 20862 weight class) and Wayne Benning (ranked 335 p4p, 642 weight class). Tennessen's entrance music is Manowar - Warriors of the World. A fine choice. Wayne Benning has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Tennessen
vs
Benning

185 cm
26
185
6 - 10 - 0

182 cm
30
193
14 - 8 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Caspian Tennessen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 14 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Wayne Benning!
The judges for this bout are Aafke Stam, Paulsen Ambrosius and Nard Betker.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Tennessen swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Benning tries to clinch but Tennessen moves out of range.
Tennessen misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Tennessen takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Benning has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.

Benning has managed to clinch.
Benning throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Tennessens head.
Benning can't find room to land a body shot as Tennessen controls the action.
A short left from Benning.
Benning misses with a punch to the body.
Tennessen throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Benning blocks it with crossed arms.
Tennessen blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Benning lands a right hand that snaps the head of Tennessen backwards.
I was talking to Tennessen's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
A left hand lands to the body for Tennessen.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Benning avoids the elbow strike from Tennessen, against the cage.
Benning tries to throw a body punch but Tennessen avoids it by throwing Benning back against the cage.
Benning throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Tennessens head.
Tennessen tries to throw a body punch but Benning avoids it by throwing Tennessen back against the cage.
Tennessen tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Tennessen tries to land knees in the clinch but Benning avoids the damage to the body.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Tennessen.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Benning's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Tennessen tries a knee to the head but Benning blocks it.
Tennessen prevents a body shot from Benning.

Benning's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Benning takes a jab right on the kisser.
Benning lands with a nice body punch.
Benning fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Tennessen manages to avoid it.
Tennessen fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Benning manages to avoid it.
Tennessen darts in looking for a takedown but Benning gets double underhooks and turns Tennessen into the cage.
Tennessen throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Benning stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Tennessen throws a good cross that connects.
Benning takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Tennessen shoots for a double leg takedown but Benning sprawls well. He's pushed Tennessen's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Tennessen misses with an uppercut.

Tennessen looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!

Tennessen is trying to work for a kimura but Benning is defending well.

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

Tennessen is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Tennessen missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Benning is trying to stand.
Tennessen slips a nice elbow through Benning's hands, connecting with Benning's forehead.
Tennessen not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Tennessen stops Benning from getting back to his feet.
Tennessen throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Tennessen with the ground and pound but Benning uses the opportunity to regain guard.
Tennessen scoring with punches to the head and body.
Tennessen passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Tennessen in side control, throwing shots but Benning defends.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tennessen working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Benning dodges the ground and pound from Tennessen.
Benning parries the strikes from Tennessen easily there. Tennessen is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Benning to escape.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Tennessen landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Benning manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Tennessen missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Tennessen throwing shots but Benning is blocking nicely.

Tennessen is looking for a kimura here.

Tennessen seems to be looking for submissions.
Tennessen seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Benning gets back to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tennessen won't allow Benning to get back to his feet.
Tennessen throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Benning works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Tennessen throws a big right hand that misses.
Benning managing to control the position.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Tennessen accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Tennessen pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Benning is keeping the position for now.
Tennessen loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Benning avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Tennessen throwing strikes but missing.
Benning preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Tennessen is working Benning over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Caspian Tennessen dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Tennessen takes a swing at Benning's ribcage but misses.
A little jabbing left from Benning on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Tennessen will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Tennessen looks to land a right hand but Benning moved out of range.
Benning misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Tennessen.
Tennessen tries to clinch but Benning moves out of range.
Benning doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Tennessen rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Benning moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Tennessen throws a series of punches but Benning avoids them all with ease.
Tennessen changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Tennessen takes a swing at Benning's ribcage but misses.
Benning let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tennessen misses with a shot to the body
and Benning counters with a straight right hand.
Tennessen tries to clinch up
and Benning counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.

Benning pushes Tennessen up against the cage in a clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tennessen tries to land a knee to the head but Benning blocks with his arms.
Tennessen goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Benning blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Benning lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Benning working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Tennessen tries to score a body lock takedown but Benning shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
A short right from Benning.
Tennessen missing with knees to the body.
Benning lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Benning goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Tennessen tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Benning avoids it.
Tennessen tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Benning avoids it.
Tennessen misses with a shot to the kidneys.
A nice left hand lands by Benning.
Benning lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Tennessen goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Tennessen misses with a punch on the inside.
Tennessen missing with knees to the body.
Tennessen wants to take the fight to the mat but Benning manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Tennessen tries to land a knee to the head but misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tennessen misses with a punch to the body.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Tennessen just misses with a elbow thrown towards Benning's brow.
Benning lands a nice shot to the body.
Tennessen lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Benning.
Benning lands a right hand that snaps the head of Tennessen backwards.
Benning pushes Tennessen back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Tennessen swings wildly with an uppercut but Benning uses good head movement to avoid it.
Tennessen misses with a knee to the head.
Wayne Benning seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Tennessen lands a left hand.
A nice right hand lands inside from Benning.
Benning lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Benning lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Tennessen or not.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Tennessen.
Tennessen tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Benning avoids it.
Tennessen's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Benning lands a left hand.

Benning manages to break the clinch.
Benning swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tennessen fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Caspian Tennessen is winning the standup battle so far.
Tennessen misses with a lunging right hand
and Benning counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Tennessen thinking.
Benning scores with a hook.
Benning swings for the body but Tennessen moves out of range.
Benning avoids the body shot from Tennessen.
Tennessen looks to land a left hand but Benning moved out of range nicely.
Tennessen is looking to wear down Benning with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.

Benning clinches up against the cage.
Tennessen is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Benning is defending well for now.
Benning prevents a body shot from Tennessen.
Benning gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Tennessen.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Caspian Tennessen. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A short right from Tennessen on the inside.

Tennessen lands a takedown into guard.
Tennessen throwing strikes but missing.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Tennessen throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Tennessen accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Benning is pulling down on Tennessen's head. It's preventing any offense from Tennessen, at least for the moment.
Tennessen throws an elbow that misses. Benning uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Tennessen's guard. Nice move by Benning!

Tennessen being controlled here, momentarily.
Tennessen managing to control the position.
Tennessen manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Benning manages to get himself to full guard.

Tennessen missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Tennessen throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Benning works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Wayne Benning showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Tennessen misses with a wild body shot.
Benning wants to counter the offense by Tennessen and move into the clinch position.
Benning swings and misses with a hook to the body.

Tennessen has taken the fight to the clinch.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Benning.
Tennessen tries for a takedown but Benning manages to get underhooks.
Tennessen tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Benning makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Still in the clinch, Benning scores with a nice short uppercut.
Benning stops a takedown attempt from Tennessen.
Benning lands a nice uppercut.
Tennessen misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Benning.
Benning softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tennessen takes a shot to the head.
A nice left hand lands by Benning.
Benning lands a hook that snaps the head of Tennessen backwards.

Tennessen is rocked!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Benning lands a shot to the body.
Tennessen's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Oh Tennessen is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Benning prevents a body shot from Tennessen.
A body shot lands from Benning.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Benning working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Benning lands a shoulder strike.
Benning pushes Tennessen against the cage. Benning is working some dirty boxing. Benning pushes off with a quick right hook! Tennessen goes down! Tennessen tries to stand but stumbles back to his kness! Benning moves in to finish and the ref steps in to prevent any more damage!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:13 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Wayne Benning!
Wayne Benning thanked the fans post fight for their support.