PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Christian Benavidez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Andrew Stull (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Stull is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Numb/Encore by Linkin Park & Jay-Z. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Benavidez
vs
Stull

188 cm
24
155 lbs
3 - 4 - 0

177 cm
20
155 lbs
6 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Christian Benavidez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Andrew Stull!
The judges for this bout are Wesley Smith, Tiny Johnson and Chris Downing.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Stull shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Stull showed some decent athleticism there.
Stull thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Benavidez's head.

Stull is trying to work for a kimura but Benavidez is defending well.
Stull wants to get back to his feet.

Stull is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Benavidez has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Stull is working away from the top position though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Benavidez works his way to full guard. Good work.

Stull is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Benavidez looking for a sweep. Not yet Benavidez, not yet.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Benavidez tries to close the distance and clinch but Stull swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Benavidez tries to score a power double leg takedown but Stull sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Benavidez somewhat.

Stull closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Benavidez is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Benavidez is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Stull stalling away here and it's allowed Benavidez to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Benavidez is looking to stand up but Stull isn't so interested in that idea.

Benavidez pushes Stull off and scrambles back to his feet.
Benavidez tries to clinch but Stull moves out of range.
Stull circles away from the clinch attempt.
Stull swats away the attempt to clinch by Benavidez.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Stull instigates a clinch.
Stull tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.

Stull gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Benavidez really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

Stull is looking for a kimura here.
Benavidez trying to hold on to Stull's head to control him but Stull postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Stull working over Benavidez with some ground and pound. Benavidez looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Benavidez regains full guard. Nicely done.
Benavidez will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Stull lands a couple of digs.

Stull decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Stull throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Christian Benavidez seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Stull throws a head kick that misses.
Stull looks gassed!
Benavidez displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Stull.
Some wild striking there from Stull.
Benavidez tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Stull counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Benavidez tries to clinch

and Stull holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Benavidez tries to pull guard but Stull won't allow it.
A head punch on the inside from Stull fails to land.
Stull with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Andrew Stull dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Benavidez is looking to clinch.

Benavidez shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Stull manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Benavidez stands and steps away. Stull gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Stull tries to clinch there but Benavidez circles away.
Benavidez tries to clinch up

and Stull holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Stull tries to land a knee to the head but Benavidez blocks with his arms.
Stull misses with a knee strike.
Stull using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Benavidez has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Stull fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Benavidez tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Stull tries to stall but Benavidez uses the opportunity to gain a better position.

Benavidez's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Stull tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Benavidez paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Stull is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Stull tries a head kick but it misses.
Benavidez throws a head kick but Stull moves out of range.
Stull avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Stull looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Stull avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Benavidez drives through and clinches with Stull against the cage.

Benavidez is trying to trip Stull. He has hold of a leg but Stull is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Benavidez persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Benavidez wants to get up but he can't break Stull's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Stull is trying to control the position but Benavidez postures up.
Benavidez has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Stull is proving hard to escape from.

Stull looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Stull wants to control but Benavidez passes easily into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Stull makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Stull.
Stull wants to stand up but Benavidez is controlling him.
Benavidez stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Stull swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Stull has his foot on Benavidez's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Benavidez works his way back into a safe position though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Stull is trying to keep Benavidez in close.
Benavidez trying to control but Stull is working from the bottom.

Benavidez drops back looking for a leg! Stull is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Stull manages to kick Benavidez off! Benavidez jumps back into Stull's guard.
Stull managing to control the position.

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.
Stull is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Benavidez fails with an attempt to clinch.

Stull instigates a clinch.

Stull successfully pulls guard.

Benavidez got a little sloppy there for a moment and Stull has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Benavidez has managed to get both his arms back between Stull's legs - danger averted.
Stull controls Benavidez momentarily but Benavidez frees himself.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Christian Benavidez dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Benavidez tries a head kick but it misses.
Christian Benavidez is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Benavidez shoots in for a takedown but Stull shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Stull throws a nice head kick!

It looks like Christian Benavidez has been cut.
Stull misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Benavidez avoids the head kick by Stull.
Benavidez closes the distance but Stull moves to the side

and Stull counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Benavidez's guard now.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Stull looking to pass the guard.
Benavidez is looking to sweep but instead, Stull has passed into half guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Benavidez is trying to get back to full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Benavidez is looking to control Stull's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Benavidez avoid being mounted?

Stull is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Stull content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Benavidez trying to hold on to Stull's head to control him but Stull postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Stull seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Benavidez does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Stull slows the pace down in half guard.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Benavidez wants to clinch

and Stull counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Stull.
Benavidez tries to land a sweep but no joy.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Stull is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Stull preventing the sweep.
Benavidez looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Stull puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Benavidez wants to get back to full guard.

Stull is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Benavidez is just riding it out for now. Stull eventually gives up the hold.
Stull is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.

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.
The fighters are battling for position here. Benavidez manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Benavidez not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Benavidez trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Stull pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Benavidez is keeping the position for now.

And that's the end of the fight!
Andrew Stull comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Stull has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Wesley Smith scores the fight 28:29
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 28:29
Judge Chris Downing scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Andrew Stull!