PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between BJ Penn (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and James Stevenson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). BJ Penn has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Penn
vs
Stevenson

178 cm
22
165 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

179 cm
21
172 lbs
0 - 4 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Dangerous knees
Heavy handed

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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 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, BJ Penn!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, James Stevenson!
The judges for this bout are Robert Twigg, Tiny Johnson and Stewart Dunkirk.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Penn shoots in for a double leg but Stevenson sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Penn looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!
Stevenson moves in looking to clinch but Penn pushes him off.
Stevenson turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Penn throws a leg kick
and Stevenson counters with a nice kick to the body.
Stevenson connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Stevenson wants to clinch up but Penn keeps it at a distance.
Stevenson with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Penn takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Stevenson with a lazy takedown attempt

and Penn counters with a takedown into side control.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Stevenson is trying to get back to half guard.
Stevenson prevents Penn from improving position.
Stevenson can't do much from the bottom here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Stevenson might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Penn kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Stevenson is looking to regain half guard here but Penn keeps moving and retains side control.
Stevenson really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Penn. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Stevenson can't do much from the bottom here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Stevenson is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Stevenson fails with the takedown.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Stevenson has a takedown stuffed.
BJ Penn has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of James Stevenson.
Stevenson misses with the combination.
Stevenson tries to close the distance and clinch up but Penn swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Penn takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Stevenson fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Stevenson has a takedown stuffed.
James Stevenson seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Stevenson fails with a takedown attempt.

Stevenson moves into the clinch successfully.
Stevenson has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Stevenson tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Penn smiles and moves away.
Stevenson shoots in but no luck this time.
Penn keeps the fight on the outside.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Stevenson throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
The fight stays on the outside here - Stevenson looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Stevenson dives in and grabs Penn's left leg, looking for a takedown. Penn pushes down on Stevenson's head and hops out.
Penn slaps away a takedown attempt from Stevenson, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Stevenson looks for a takedown but Penn sprawls well.

Penn scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Penn trying to control the pace.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that BJ Penn will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Stevenson shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Penn counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Penn wants to control from the top but Stevenson keeps moving.
Penn pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Stevenson is keeping the position for now.
Penn postures up in Stevenson's guard and throws a big left but Stevenson blocks it.
Stevenson working a defensive guard here.
Stevenson working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Penn.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Stevenson keeping full guard, as Penn tries to pass.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Stevenson trying to keep a closed guard but Penn is proving a slippery customer.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Stevenson looks to clinch

and Penn counters by clinching up.
Stevenson looking to stall.
Stevenson lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Stevenson jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Penn walks away with a smile on his face. Stevenson gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Stevenson is looking to clinch but Penn is avoiding it.
Stevenson is trying hard to land a takedown here. Penn sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
BJ Penn has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of James Stevenson.

Stevenson closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Stevenson lands in his opponent's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Stevenson stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Penn swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Stevenson wants to control from the top but Penn keeps moving.

Penn escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Stevenson gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Stevenson wants to control from the top but Penn keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Stevenson wants to pass the guard but Penn is keeping the position.
Penn looking for a sweep. Not yet Penn, not yet.
Stevenson has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Penn is proving hard to escape from.

Penn looking for a guillotine here but Stevenson defends easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Stevenson shoots and misses

and Penn counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Penn gets underhooks to prevent Stevenson's takedown attempt.
Stevenson goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Stevenson.
Stevenson digs a right hand underneath Penn's ribcage. Penn let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Stevenson working hard to break the clinch.
Penn has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Stevenson avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Stevenson wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

Stevenson breaks from the clinch.
Stevenson tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Penn counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Penn pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Stevenson is keeping the position for now.
Stevenson trying to control the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

BJ Penn dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Stevenson shoots and misses

and Penn counters with a nice double leg into side control. Stevenson won't be happy with that.
Penn looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Stevenson is avoiding damage well.
Stevenson tries to bench press Penn off him but Penn keeps the position.
Penn throws an elbow but Stevenson slips to the side and avoids it well.
The strikes coming from Penn are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Stevenson prevents Penn from moving into mount.
Stevenson parries the strikes from Penn easily there. Penn is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Stevenson to escape.
Penn tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
BJ Penn overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Penn has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for Stevenson!
Stevenson tries to hold on but Penn postures up.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Penn thowing shots but they're missing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Stevenson flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.
Stevenson is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Penn looking to control but Stevenson is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

Penn is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Stevenson to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Stevenson shrugs it off.
Penn thowing shots but they're missing.
Penn 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.

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.
Stevenson really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Stevenson tries to hold on but Penn postures up.
Penn thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!

Penn with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Stevenson is working to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Penn working for a guillotine from mount but Stevenson is in no mood to give up.
Stevenson tries to hold on but Penn postures up.
Stevenson is trying to escape but when you're mounted that's not too easy.

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.
Stevenson really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Stevenson is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Penn looking to control but Stevenson is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Penn seems to be looking to move to his opponent's back but Stevenson is holding on tight.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Penn trying to control but Stevenson is having none of it.

And that's the end of the fight!
BJ Penn showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Penn, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Robert Twigg scores the fight for BJ Penn!
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight for BJ Penn!
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight for BJ Penn!

BJ Penn wins by unanimous decision!