PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between PJ Benn (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bully Burks (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Bully Burks is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Benn
vs
Burks

169 cm
24
173 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

175 cm
23
180 lbs
4 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

FNF Energy - (Sale!)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, PJ Benn!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Bully Burks!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Benn changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Burks looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Burks is trying to get back to half guard.
Burks is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Benn asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Benn scores with a couple of short elbows.
Burks is looking to regain half guard here but Benn keeps moving and retains side control.
Burks is trying to get back to his feet.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Burks seems a little lost for a moment, as Benn dominates the positioning.
Benn has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Burks is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Benn is controlling him well.
Burks is looking to reverse the position.
Benn prevents Burks from escaping the position.

Benn tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Benn has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Burks tries to slip a leg under to move to half guard but Benn presses down on the leg and jumps into full mount!
Benn looking to control but Burks is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Benn is really struggling to control Burks but he's trying to hold on to the position.
Benn dominating with strikes here.
Burks working to try and regain half guard.
Benn has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Burks's face.
Benn working away from the top, dropping strikes.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Benn controlling the pace for now.
Burks wants to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Burks tries to reverse the position but Benn maintains control.
Burks is really trying hard to get back to his feet.
Benn scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Burks is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Burks looks gassed!

Benn working for a guillotine from mount but Burks is in no mood to give up.
Benn raining down shots from the mount!
Burks really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Benn tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Benn tries to control but Burks wriggling away.
Burks is desperately trying to improve his position but Benn has a good base and remains in mount.
Benn fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Burks keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Benn lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Burks is looking to get to half guard.
Burks is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Benn looking to control but Burks is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Burks is trying desperately to improve position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Benn lands a heavy elbow.
Benn lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Burks hang on?
Benn looking to control and managing it successfully.
Burks working to try and regain half guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Benn blocks Burks's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Benn cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Benn connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Benn scoring with strikes but Burks is staying in there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

PJ Benn dominated that round.
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.

Benn shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Benn was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Benn landing punches.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Benn connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Burks is trying to stand up.
Burks swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.
Burks slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Benn wants to take a breather but Burks is having none of it.
Burks is looking to improve his position.
Burks is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Benn scores with a couple of nice shots.
Burks is trying to stand up here but Benn is controlling him well.
Benn content to control rather than advance.
Benn is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Benn with good strikes from the mount here!
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Burks is wriggling around trying to escape.
Benn can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Burks is looking to escape.
Benn prevents Burks from getting the reversal.
Benn landing shots from mount.
Benn dominating with strikes here.
Benn wants to control the pace but Burks is squirming around nicely.

Benn jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Burks manages to avoid the submission attempt.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Burks pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Burks fails with the takedown

so Benn counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Benn passes into half guard.
Burks pushes Benn off but Benn dives into side control.
Benn prevents Burks from escaping the position.
Burks sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Burks wants to get back to his feet.
Burks is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Burks tries to push off, looking to stand up, but Benn manages to move to mount!
Burks in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Burks tries to reverse the position but Benn maintains control.
Benn sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Benn in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Burks is looking to improve his position but Benn isn't that keen on the idea.
Benn wants to control the pace but Burks is squirming around nicely.
Benn lands a big shot there that rocks Burks but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Burks flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.
Burks is in all sorts of trouble here.
Burks really wants to buck Benn off and get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Benn tries to control but Burks wriggling away.
Burks is trying to stand.
Benn landing strikes, looking to finish!
Benn looking to control but Burks is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Burks tries to get back to half guard but can't.

Benn has hold of Burks's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Burks manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Benn landing strikes from the mount and Burks is in trouble!
Benn looking to control and managing it successfully.
Burks is trying desperately to improve position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

PJ Benn dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Burks tries to score a power double leg takedown but Benn sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Burks somewhat.
Benn misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Burks with a lazy takedown attempt

and Benn counters with a nice double leg into side control. Burks won't be happy with that.
Benn lands some shots froms side control.
Benn trying to control the position but Burks is working away.
Burks is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Benn working the ground and pound but Burks is defending the strikes.
Benn misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Benn throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Burks tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Burks is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Benn working the head and body with strikes.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Burks misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

Benn gets the takedown into side control.
Burks tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Benn wants to lay and pray for a moment but Burks keeps working.
Burks wants to get back to his feet but Benn drags him back down.
Benn cracks Burks with a big right hand but Burks just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Burks is pushing Benn's head away, looking to escape. Benn manages to hold on to the position though.
Benn avoids the strikes from the bottom by Burks.
Burks manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Benn wants to get back to full guard.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Burks with a lazy takedown attempt

and Benn counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Benn.
PJ Benn has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bully Burks.

Burks is looking for a triangle but Benn pushes his legs off easily.
Benn stands up over Burks, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Bully Burks has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Benn wants to control from the top but Burks keeps moving.
Benn in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

Benn got a little sloppy there for a moment and Burks has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Benn has managed to get both his arms back between Burks's legs - danger averted.
Burks throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Benn trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Burks wants to sweep here but Benn controlling him for the moment.
Burks is looking to stand back up... there's a bit of a scramble and Benn dives into side control.
Burks is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Benn trying to control the position but Burks is working away.
Burks sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Burks makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Burks.

Benn avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Benn trying to control but Burks is working from the bottom.
Burks 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.
Benn landing some decent shots from guard.
Burks tries to strike from the bottom.
Benn passes easily into side control. Nice work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Benn is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Burks has escaped the position, nice work there.
Benn creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Burks tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Benn is looking to take a break and control but Burks is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Benn has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for Burks!
Benn prevents Burks from getting the reversal.
Benn landing strikes from the mount.
Benn landing strikes, looking to finish!
PJ Benn is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Burks is trying desperately to improve position.

And that's the end of the fight!
PJ Benn showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Benn has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Andi Peters scores the fight 30:27
Judge Gordon Ramsey scores the fight 30:27
Judge Frank Skinner scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... PJ Benn!