PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Bryan Banks (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dreiko Lao (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Lao's choice of entrance music: Drowning Pool - Let The Bodies Hit The Floor. Bryan Banks has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Banks
vs
Lao

205 cm
26
270 lbs
8 - 8 - 0

187 cm
29
212 lbs
11 - 10 - 0

Good takedowns
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Bryan Banks!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Dreiko Lao!
The judges for this bout are Stewart Dunkirk, Tiny Johnson and George Francis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Lao wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Banks blocks a head kick by Lao.
Lao chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Lao tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Banks keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Lao throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Lao scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.

It looks like Bryan Banks has been cut.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Lao lands a jab followed by a vicious hook that sends Banks sprawling to the canvas. Lao follows him down, looking for the kill. Can Banks hang on?

Banks is rocked!
Banks tries to kick Lao off but Lao keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Lao tries to pass the half guard into mount. Banks knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Banks gets full guard.

Banks looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Lao wants to pass the guard but Banks is keeping the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Banks keeping moving, preventing Lao from controlling successfully.
Banks trying to keep a closed guard but Lao is proving a slippery customer.
Lao wants to stand but Banks has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Banks wants to get back to his feet but Lao is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

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.

Banks has his foot on Lao's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Lao works his way back into a safe position though.
Lao stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Banks swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Lao looks gassed!
Banks trying to control the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Lao got a little sloppy there for a moment and Banks has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Lao has managed to get both his arms back between Banks's legs - danger averted.
Lao tries to free his leg and advance position but Banks is retaining full guard.

Banks working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Lao doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Lao manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Banks manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Lao manages to get himself to full guard.
Lao is looking to stand up but Banks isn't so interested in that idea.

Banks drops back looking for a leg! Lao is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Lao manages to kick Banks off! Banks jumps back into Lao's guard.
Banks scores with a decent looking elbow strike.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lao utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Banks throwing strikes from guard but Lao blocks nicely.
Banks working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Banks throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Lao works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Lao has momentary wrist control but Banks slips an elbow through the middle.
Lao wants to get back to his feet but Banks is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dreiko Lao dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Bryan Banks's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

Banks tries for a takedown but Lao sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Banks gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Lao counters with a nice leg kick.
Lao throws a nice inside leg kick.
Nice body kick from Lao.
Dreiko Lao seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Lao lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Banks doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Lao makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. Banks really felt that one!
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bryan Banks. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Banks sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Lao scores with a one two! Banks had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Banks takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Banks has his takedown stuffed
and Lao counters with a nice body shot.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Lao misses with a head kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Banks shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Banks landing shots from mount.

Banks goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Lao is on top in guard.
Banks will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Lao stopping the sweep attempt from Banks.
Banks is trying to control the position but Lao postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lao preventing the sweep.
Banks controlling the position.
Banks trying to keep a closed guard but Lao is proving a slippery customer.
The step up in weight doesn't seem to be a problem for Lao. He's performing admirably here against the bigger man.
Lao being controlled here momentarily.

We're going to have a standup here because Bryan Banks wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Lao leaves Banks with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Banks has his takedown stuffed
and Lao counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Lao throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Banks with a lazy takedown attempt
and Lao counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Banks with a lazy takedown attempt
and Lao counters with a big head kick but Banks shrugs it off.
Lao misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Banks tries for a takedown but Lao circles away easily
and Lao counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Banks misses with a takedown
and Lao counters with a good, hard body kick but Banks shrugs it off.
Crunch! Lao slams his shin into Banks's torso.
Banks with a poor takedown
and Lao counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Banks gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Lao makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. Banks really felt that one!

Banks shoots in and bounces Lao off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Banks thows a big elbow that misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Banks keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Lao's head.

Banks drops back, looking for a kneebar! Lao looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Lao looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Lao!
Banks is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Banks is looking for a sweep. Lao is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Lao tries to pass the half guard into mount. Banks knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dreiko Lao showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Bryan Banks's cut.
That's time! Banks's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

A head kick misses from Banks.
Banks tries for a takedown but Lao circles away easily
and Lao counters with a series of strikes. Banks will be more careful next time no doubt.
Lao lands a high kick!
Banks fails with the takedown
and Lao counters with a good low kick that Banks was not able to check.
Lao throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Banks.
Banks avoids the head kick by Lao.
Lao throws a combination. Banks tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Banks misses with a takedown attempt
and Lao counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bryan Banks. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Banks tries for a takedown but Lao circles away easily
and Lao counters with a head kick. That will keep Banks thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!

Banks scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Banks misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Banks advances nicely into full mount.
Banks lands with some strikes.
Bryan Banks overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Banks punching from mount but Lao doing a good job of avoiding damage.

Banks goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Lao is on top in guard.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Lao accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Banks is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Banks 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.

Banks looking to try and escape his hips here, looking for a submission. It looks like he's going for a triangle but Lao is defending well. Banks quickly switches to an armbar and extends the arm! Lao has no choice but to tap, to a very quick submission! Wow, that was lightning fast! Banks celebrates on the cage, with the crowd.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:21 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Bryan Banks!