PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Mateo Flores (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jimi Banuwa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). This should be fireworks!

Flores
vs
Banuwa

189 cm
21
224 lbs
5 - 1 - 0

182 cm
21
220 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Powerful

Battalion Athletics

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Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Mateo Flores!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Jimi Banuwa!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Banuwa takes the fight into the clinch.
Flores dodges an elbow strike from Banuwa.
Banuwa lands an elbow that stopped Flores in his tracks for a moment.

It looks like Mateo Flores has been cut.
Flores has had enough of the clinch but Banuwa keeps him there for the moment.
Banuwa comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.

Flores pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Good leg kick by Banuwa there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Flores throws a nice looking combination but Banuwa bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Flores fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Flores tries a head kick but it misses.
A slapping leg kick lands for Banuwa.
Flores avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Ooooh, nice body kick lands from Flores. Banuwa shrugs it off though.
Flores thows a leg kick but Banuwa checks it

and Banuwa moves into the clinch.
Banuwa looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Banuwa looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Stalling in the clinch from Flores.
Banuwa pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Banuwa tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Flores avoids it.
Banuwa misses with an elbow over the top.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Flores lands a knee to the head.

It looks like Jimi Banuwa has been cut.
Flores lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Flores tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
With the fighters up against the cage, Banuwa throws an elbow but misses.
The referee calls for Flores to work.
Flores tries to circle away but Banuwa has him pinned against the cage.

Flores breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Flores with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Flores looks to land a combination but Banuwa avoids it well.
Flores throws a looping overhand right but Banuwa ducks down to avoid it.
Flores throws a series of punches but Banuwa avoids them all with ease.
Flores tries to bum rush Banuwa with a series of wild strikes but Banuwa uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
The fighters circling - Flores throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
A low kick from Flores is predictable there
and Banuwa makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. Flores really felt that one!
Flores is breathing heavily.
Banuwa ducks under a wild hook from Flores.
Flores takes a swing at Banuwa's ribcage but misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Banuwa is looking to clinch.
Flores throws a head kick that misses

and Banuwa moves into the clinch.
Banuwa is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Flores is defending well for now.
Flores blocks an elbow strike from Banuwa.
Flores on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Banuwa throws an elbow but it misses.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Banuwa throws an elbow that misses.
Banuwa tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Flores avoids it.
Banuwa looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Banuwa misses with an elbow over the top.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Banuwa just misses with a elbow thrown towards Flores's brow.
Banuwa throws an elbow that misses.
Flores can't find room to land a body shot as Banuwa controls the action.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Banuwa.
Banuwa misses with an elbow over the top.
Flores avoids the elbow strike from Banuwa, against the cage.

Flores's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Flores throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Flores throws a combination that misses
and Banuwa counters with a slapping leg kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Flores throws an overhand right that lands on Banuwa's shoulder, as Banuwa tries to avoid the shot.
A jab from Flores finds it's way through Banuwa's defenses.
Banuwa keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Flores.
Flores tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Banuwa was well out of range. Poor timing from Flores.
Flores swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Banuwa counters by moving into the clinch.
Flores blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Flores has a couple of punches blocked by Banuwa.
Flores working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Banuwa throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Banuwa throws an elbow that misses.
Flores works on Banuwa's body with a couple of short punches.
Flores trying to control the position but instead, Banuwa has worked for underhooks and has pushed Flores into the cage.
With the fighters up against the cage, Banuwa throws an elbow but misses.
Banuwa throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Banuwa tries a knee to the head but Flores blocks it.
Flores takes an elbow to the temple.
Flores avoids a wild elbow strike from Banuwa.
Flores blocks the elbow strike.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Banuwa lands an elbow just above Flores 's eye.
Banuwa throws an elbow but it misses.
Banuwa throws an elbow but it misses.
Flores looking to stall.
Banuwa tries to land knees in the clinch but Flores avoids the damage to the body.
Flores avoids a wild elbow strike from Banuwa.
Flores tries to break free but Banuwa pushes him back against the cage.
Flores is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Flores tries to stall but Banuwa uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Maybe Flores would be better served going for some more strikes rather than trying to control so much.
Flores blocks an elbow strike.
Flores avoids a wild elbow strike from Banuwa.
A bit of stalling here from Flores.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Mateo Flores.
Flores connects with the punch.
Flores uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Flores throws a leg kick
and Banuwa counters with a right hand to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Jimi Banuwa will probably get the nod.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Banuwa tries to close the distance and clinch up but Flores swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Banuwa slips a straight right by Flores.
Banuwa fails with an attempt to clinch.
Banuwa is looking to clinch but Flores is avoiding it.
Flores throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Banuwa tries to clinch up.
Banuwa fails in his attempt to clinch.
Flores finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.

Banuwa rushes Flores and presses him up against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Banuwa trying to land knees to the body.

Flores pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Flores throws a looping overhand right but Banuwa ducks down to avoid it.
Flores circles away from the clinch attempt.
Flores throws a right and a left that Banuwa avoids nicely.
Flores throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Flores misses with a straight right.

Banuwa gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Flores avoids a wild elbow strike from Banuwa.
Banuwa tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Flores avoids a wild elbow strike from Banuwa.
Flores blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Banuwa lands an elbow that stopped Flores in his tracks for a moment.
Flores lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Flores lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Nice elbow from Banuwa.
Flores looking to stall.
Flores on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Banuwa throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Banuwa.
Flores blocks an elbow strike.
Banuwa trying to land knees to the body.
Banuwa lands a nice elbow.

Mateo Flores's cut is getting worse.
Flores lands a nice shot to the body.
Flores trying to stall but Banuwa improves his position.
Banuwa throws an elbow but it misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Banuwa throws an elbow that misses.
Flores blocks the elbow strike.
Banuwa pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Banuwa lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Flores blocks an elbow strike.
Banuwa tries to land knees in the clinch but Flores avoids the damage to the body.
Banuwa is breathing heavily.
A nice right hand lands inside from Flores.
Flores avoids the elbow strike from Banuwa, against the cage.
Flores managing to block the knees to the body from Banuwa.
Flores is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Flores gets through Banuwa's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Flores managing to block the knees to the body from Banuwa.
Flores stalling the fight.
Flores blocks the elbow strike.
Flores blocks an elbow strike.
Banuwa tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Flores avoids it.
Flores avoids a wild elbow strike from Banuwa.
Banuwa misses with an elbow over the top.
Banuwa working Flores over with knees to the body.
Flores avoids the elbow strike from Banuwa, against the cage.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Banuwa just misses with a elbow thrown towards Flores's brow.
Banuwa creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Banuwa misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Flores.
Flores blocks an elbow strike from Banuwa.
Flores looking to stall.

Flores breaks from the clinch.
Mateo Flores seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Flores stuns Banuwa with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Flores throws a hook but Banuwa blocks it.
Flores throws the kick towards the body but Banuwa avoids it.
Flores throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Flores throws a lazy right hand but Banuwa sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Flores swings for the body but Banuwa moves out of range.
Flores bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.
Flores pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Banuwa tries to clinch there but Flores circles away.
Banuwa checks a low kick from Flores.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Flores tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Flores throws a leg kick

and Banuwa counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Banuwa misses with an elbow over the top.
Banuwa misses with an elbow strike.
Flores is looking to control Banuwa's arms but Banuwa gets an underhook and turns him. Now Flores has his back to the cage.
Banuwa utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Flores avoids a wild elbow strike from Banuwa.
Banuwa lands a damaging elbow.
Banuwa with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Banuwa unloads a knee to the mid-section. Flores lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Banuwa just misses with a elbow thrown towards Flores's brow.
Banuwa throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Flores blocks the elbow strike.
Flores managing to block the knees to the body from Banuwa.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Banuwa lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jimi Banuwa showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Flores throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Flores misses with a kick to the body.
A looping hook to the body misses from Flores. Banuwa does a little dance to reset his feet.
Mateo Flores is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Flores throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Flores tries to land a leg kick but Banuwa saw it coming and moves away.
Flores misses with a jab, cross combination.
Flores throws a low kick, looking for Banuwa's leg but Banuwa calmly moves out of range.
Flores misses with a body shot.
Banuwa tries to clinch up.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Flores avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Banuwa is looking to clinch.
Flores scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Flores loads up on a big right hand but Banuwa slips the punch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Banuwa tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Flores paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Banuwa moves in looking to clinch but Flores pushes him off.
Banuwa tries to close the distance and clinch up but Flores swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Flores lands a really nice looking cross but Banuwa seems unphased.
Flores thows a body shot but no joy.
Flores keeps the fight on the outside.
Banuwa on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Flores throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Banuwa.
Banuwa slips a straight right by Flores.
Banuwa fails with an attempt to clinch.
Banuwa tries to clinch up but Flores circles away and keeps his distance.
Flores misses with a looping left.
Flores looks to score with a jab to the body but Banuwa is just out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Flores throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
Flores works Banuwa's body with a nice hook.
Flores lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Banuwa circles away quickly and effectively.
A nice leg kick lands there from Flores.
Flores avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Flores swats away the attempt to clinch by Banuwa.
Mateo Flores has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Banuwa displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Flores throws out the jab.
Banuwa tries to clinch but Flores moves out of range.
Flores is looking to slow Banuwa down with leg kicks.
The fighters circling - Flores throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Jimi Banuwa is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Flores throws out a loose jab but Banuwa uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Flores throws a jab when Banuwa was well out of range.
Banuwa tries to close the distance and clinch up but Flores swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Banuwa avoids the head kick by Flores.
Banuwa is looking to clinch.
Flores with a jab.
Flores loads up on a big right hand but Banuwa slips the punch.
A big left from Flores misses.
A combination from Flores does no damage.
Flores lands a lovely overhand right.
Flores fails to land with a series of punches.
Flores cracks Banuwa with a right hand to the side of the head.
Flores swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Banuwa moves in looking to clinch but Flores pushes him off.
Flores avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Flores looks to throw a body kick

and Banuwa counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Flores trying to control the position but instead, Banuwa has worked for underhooks and has pushed Flores into the cage.
A head punch on the inside from Flores fails to land.
Flores trying to land knees to the body.
Flores has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Flores wants to break the clinch but can't.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mateo Flores showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Banuwa 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 Andi Peters scores the fight 28:29
Judge Gordon Ramsey scores the fight 28:29
Judge Frank Skinner scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Jimi Banuwa!