PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Gerald Young I (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bull Bantum (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Young I
vs
Bantum

150 cm
22
130 lbs
6 - 4 - 0

160 cm
24
145 lbs
3 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 4 - 0, fighting out of London, Gerald Young I!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of London, Bull Bantum!
The judges for this bout are Donald Grub, Paul Tew and William Gold.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Bantum throws a right and a left that Young I avoids nicely.
Young I takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Bantum throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Young I's waist but Young I gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Bantum off to one side.
Young I throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Young I's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Young I duly obliges.
Bantum throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Young I stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.

Young I clinches up against the cage.
Young I wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Bantum has him pressed against the cage.
Bantum has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Young I is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.

Bantum gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Young I wants to control but Bantum is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Young I avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Bantum.
Young I misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Young I flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Young I is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Young I gets full guard.
Young I looking to hit a scissor sweep but Bantum is one step ahead there.
Bantum throwing strikes from guard but Young I blocks nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Young I pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Bantum has managed to clinch.

Bantum breaks from the clinch.
Bantum circles away from the clinch attempt

and Bantum counters with a shoot takedown. Young I fights it but they end up in guard.

Bantum gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Bantum tries to close the distance and clinch but Young I swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Young I looks for a takedown but Bantum sprawls well.
Bantum throws a combination that misses

and Young I counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Young I.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Bantum keeping moving, preventing Young I from controlling successfully.
Young I postures up in Bantum's guard and throws a big left but Bantum blocks it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Young I is stalling in the full guard.
Bantum has control of Young I's left arm, preventing Young I from doing any damage.
Young I trying to control the position from guard on top but Bantum is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Young I is looking to work some ground and pound but Bantum has wrist control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Young I connects with a couple of short punches.
Young I not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Young I in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Young I wanted to stand there but Bantum had control of the position.
Young I throws a strike but Bantum rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Young I controls Bantum momentarily but Bantum frees himself.
Young I trying to strike off his back.
Bantum postures up.
Bantum working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Young I fails in his attempt to clinch.
Young I shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Bantum pinned against the cage. Bantum gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Bantum misses with a head kick.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Young I looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Bantum is fending him off so far but Young I persists. Nope, Bantum circles away and we're back to standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Gerald Young I. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Bantum throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Young I misses with a looping left.
Bantum displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bull Bantum dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Bantum lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Young I will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Bantum with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Bantum is looking to clinch but Young I is avoiding it.
Young I blocks a head kick by Bantum.
Young I is looking to clinch.
Bantum throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Young I takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Bantum wants to clinch but Young I slips to the side
and Young I counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.

Young I shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Bantum napping and manages to drive through into side control!

Young I tries for a kimura but Bantum is defending well.
Bantum is being controlled here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Young I trying to control the action but Bantum is working from the bottom.

Young I wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Bantum, who protects the arm well.
Young I looks up at the clock and then as Bantum takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Young I smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!

That's two 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.
Young I misses with the ground and pound.
Young I in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Young I misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Young I creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Bantum sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.

Young I decides to stand back up.
Gerald Young I is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Young I wants to clinch
and Young I takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Young I misses with a takedown attempt
and Bantum cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Bantum closes the distance and clinches.
Bantum trying to stall but Young I improves his position.
Bantum drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Young I jumps guard but Bantum stands there with Young I around his waist. Young I gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.

Young I breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Young I thows a body shot but no joy.
Bantum shoots in for a double leg but Young I sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Bull Bantum seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Young I ducks under a wild hook from Bantum.
Young I throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Bantum.

Young I takes the fight into the clinch.
Bantum drops down looking for an ankle pick but Young I pulls his leg out and moves away.
Gerald Young I has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bull Bantum.
Bantum is breathing heavily.
Young I moves out of range as Bantum strikes.
Young I shoots in for a double leg but Bantum sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Bantum uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Young I.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Young I drives through with a takedown into guard.
Young I wants to control from the top but Bantum keeps moving.
Young I looking to sit in guard and control but Bantum gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Young I has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Young I keeping moving, preventing Bantum from controlling successfully.
Bantum is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gerald Young I dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Young I shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Bantum as he avoids it easily.
Bantum pushing out the jab but it's not landing.

Bantum throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Young I was covering up waiting for the punch and Bantum finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Young I trying to control the position.
Bantum is in close to Young I's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Bantum with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Young I is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

Young I is working an open guard so Bantum takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Bantum tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Young I paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Bantum misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Bantum with a poor takedown

and Young I counters with a nice double leg into guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Young I distracts Bantum with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Bantum takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Young I missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Young I in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Young I with a flurry of punches that miss.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Young I stands up and waves to Bantum to follow him.
Young I is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Bantum cracks Young I with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.

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.
Bantum with a lazy takedown attempt
and Young I counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.

Young I darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Bantum trying to get back to full guard but Young I takes advantage of the position and moves to full mount!
Young I trying to control but he's not successful this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Young I swings around for an armbar but it's a sloppy attempt and Bantum is now in Young I's guard. A big mistake from Young I there, giving up the dominant position!
Gerald Young I overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Young I looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Bantum throws and elbow that misses. Young I uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Bantum's guard. Nice move by Young I!
Young I trying to stand up but can't free himself from Bantum's guard.

That's four 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.
Young I has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Young I wants to control from the top but Bantum keeps moving.
Young I slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Gerald Young I showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Young I has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Donald Grub scores the fight for Gerald Young I!
Judge Paul Tew scores the fight for Gerald Young I!
Judge William Gold scores the fight for Gerald Young I!

Gerald Young I wins by unanimous decision!