PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Jan Banan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Robin Gillette (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). This should be a great matchup!

Banan
vs
Gillette

179 cm
18
168 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

178 cm
20
177 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Basic striking
Solid chin

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Jan Banan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Robin Gillette!
The judges for this bout are Mauricio Rocha, Daniel Cesar and Edson Gomes.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Banan tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Gillette swivels and escapes.
Gillette misses with a body kick.
Banan takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
The fighters circle momentarily. Gillette darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Banan takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Gillette throws a low kick but it's checked well by Banan.
Gillette lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.
Gillette misses with a two punch combination.
Gillette misses with a double jab.
Banan blocks a jab.
Gillette throws a right and a left that Banan avoids nicely.

Banan drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Banan trying to control but Gillette is working from the bottom.
Gillette is pulling down on Banan's head to control his posture.
Gillette bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Banan's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gillette pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Banan is keeping the position for now.
Banan knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Gillette on the ground.
Banan controls Gillette momentarily but Gillette frees himself.
Banan wants to sweep but no luck.
Banan on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Banan tries to get out of the position.
Banan trying to control the position.
Gillette trying to stand up but can't free himself from Banan's guard.
Banan looking to hit a scissor sweep but Gillette is one step ahead there.
Banan is breathing heavily.
Banan is trying to keep Gillette in close.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.

Banan clinches up with Gillette and pushes him back against the cage.
Banan prevents Gillette from breaking the clinch.

Gillette breaks the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Gillette throws a right and a left that Banan avoids nicely.
Gillette lands an overhand right.
Gillette throws a low kick but it's checked well by Banan.
Gillette looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Gillette throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Banan on the side of the head.
Gillette fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Gillette will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Gillette misses with a low kick.
Gillette throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Banan tries to clinch up but Gillette circles away and keeps his distance.
Banan throws a wild body kick that Gillette sees coming a mile off.
Gillette throws a right and a left that both miss.
Gillette will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

Banan drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gillette regains half guard.
Gillette is not content to let Banan control the position.
Banan content to control rather than advance.
Gillette is refusing to be controlled, as Banan sits in half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Banan is looking to advance position but Gillette won't allow it.
Gillette trying to control but Banan postures up.

Gillette kicks Banan off and gets back to his feet.
Gillette stuffs the takedown.
Banan shoots in for a takedown but Gillette shows good takedown defense.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jan Banan. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
No joy there for Gillette, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

Banan shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Banan showed some decent athleticism there.
Banan missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Banan slips a nice elbow through Gillette's hands, connecting with Gillette's forehead.
Gillette is refusing to be controlled, as Banan sits in half guard.
Banan content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Gillette is trying to stand up here but Banan is controlling him well.
Banan is tying to control. Gillette wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Gillette is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Gillette moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Gillette manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Robin Gillette dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Jan Banan's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Gillette lands a jab to the nose.
The fighters circling - Gillette throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Banan doesn't manage to clinch there - Gillette circles away.
Banan fails with an attempt to clinch.
Gillette throws a right hand that Banan ducks under and follows up with a left that Banan also avoids with ease.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Gillette.
Banan looks frusrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Gillette throws a right and a left that both miss.
Gillette throws a series of punches but Banan moves out of range.

Banan fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Gillette, pushing him back against the cage.

Banan breaks from the clinch.
Gillette just misses with a punch to the body.
Gillette throws a jab when Banan was well out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gillette avoids the head kick by Banan.
We are yet to see a takedown attempt from Gillette in the fight. On paper you would think he is the more dominant ground fighter so let's see if these unusual tactics pay off.
Gillette throws a nice looking combination but Banan bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Gillette fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Banan checks it well.
Banan doesn't manage to clinch there - Gillette circles away.
Robin Gillette seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Banan fails in his attempt to clinch.
Gillette swats away the attempt to clinch by Banan.
Gillette throws a nice looking combination but Banan bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Banan checks the leg kick.
Banan avoids the body shot from Gillette.
Banan tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Gillette fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Banan tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Gillette swivels and escapes.
Gillette scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Gillette throws a leg kick but Banan moved away.

Banan darts in and clinches Gillette up against the cage.

That's two 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.

Gillette breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Banan shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Gillette is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Banan is controlling him.
Gillette keeping moving, preventing Banan from controlling successfully.
Banan is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Banan prevents Gillette from getting back to his feet.
Banan is stalling in the full guard.
Banan prevents Gillette from getting back to his feet.
Banan seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Gillette is looking to stand up but Banan isn't so interested in that idea.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Banan wants to control from the top but Gillette keeps moving.
Gillette wants to sweep but no luck.
Banan won't allow Gillette to get back to his feet.
Banan has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Banan wants to clinch up but Gillette keeps it at a distance.
Banan fails with the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jan Banan. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A combination from Gillette does no damage.
Robin Gillette is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Gillette ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Banan moves away.
Banan has a takedown stuffed.
Gillette swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Gillette swings for the body but Banan moves out of range.
Banan on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Gillette scoring well with a low kick there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gillette throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Banan.
Gillette ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Banan moves away.
Gillette misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Banan avoids a punch combination nicely.
Banan will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Banan shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Gillette but Gillette pushes him off and we're back to square one.

Banan has taken the fight to the clinch.

Gillette breaks the clinch.
Banan shoots in for a takedown but Gillette shows good takedown defense.
Gillette tries to land a front kick but Banan steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Banan tries to clinch up but Gillette circles away and keeps his distance.
Banan shoots in and drives through. Gillette sprawls well.
Gillette misses with a few strikes there.
Banan tries to clinch but Gillette is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Robin Gillette will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Jan Banan's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Banan wants to clinch.

Banan moves into the clinch successfully.
Banan using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Gillette has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Banan looking to slow down the pace here.
Banan keeps control of Gillette as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Gillette wants to get back to striking at distance but Banan won't allow it.
Banan keeps control of Gillette as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Banan connects with a knee to the head.
Banan goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Gillette on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Banan has had enough of the clinch but Gillette keeps him there for the moment.
Banan landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Banan breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Banan tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Gillette lands a two punch combo.
Gillette looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Gillette takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Gillette gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Banan wants to control from the top but Gillette keeps moving.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gillette bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Banan's guard.
Gillette slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Banan trying to keep a closed guard but Gillette is proving a slippery customer.
Banan wants to sweep here but Gillette controlling him for the moment.
Gillette wants to stand but Banan is controlling his posture from full guard.
Banan trying to control the position.
Gillette passes easily into side control. Nice work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Banan is looking to reverse the position.
Banan takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Banan tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Banan darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Gillette taking some punishment here, with Banan in his half guard.
Gillette is refusing to be controlled, as Banan sits in half guard.
Gillette is looking to get back to is feet but Banan passes into side control.
Banan misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Gillette gets back to half guard.
Banan controlling the action here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Gillette wants to control but Banan is keeping busy and won't allow it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Banan trying to control the action but Gillette is working from the bottom.
Banan keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Gillette is trying to maintain the position but Banan is very close to passing his half guard.
Gillette is looking to escape.
Banan is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Banan is trying to control the action in half guard but Gillette is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Jan Banan just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Banan keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Banan misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Gillette throws a front kick aimed at Banan's knee but Banan avoids it well.
Gillette throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Banan counters with a takedown into side control.
Gillette is not content to let Banan control the position.
Gillette is trying to get back to his feet.
Jan Banan has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Banan working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Banan wants to control but Gillette is keeping him busy.
Banan controlling the position from side mount.
Banan is looking to take a break and control but Gillette is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jan Banan showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Gillette 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 Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 28:29
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 28:29
Judge Edson Gomes scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Robin Gillette!