PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Ben Askren (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Niko Bellic (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Bellic's choice of entrance music: Pursuit Of Happiness. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Askren
vs
Bellic

179 cm
22
153 lbs
7 - 2 - 0

185 cm
25
181 lbs
11 - 13 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Very quick

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the welterweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Ben Askren!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 13 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Niko Bellic!
The judges for this bout are William Peck, Trevor Gratis and Robert Douchet.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Bellic cracks Askren with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Askren tries to grapple but his opponent circles
enabling Bellic to counter with a crisp jab.
Askren darts in trying to clinch
and Bellic counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Bellic scores with a decent looking hook.
A decent looking cross lands there for Bellic.
Askren darts in trying to clinch
and Bellic counters with a stiff right hand.
Askren wants to clinch but Bellic slips to the side

and Bellic decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Askren's guard.
Askren is pulling down on Bellic's head to control his posture.

Askren uses the cage to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Askren tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Bellic counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Ben Askren seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Bellic avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Askren tries to clinch but Bellic moves away
and Askren takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Bellic swinging wildly here.
Askren tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Bellic manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Askren wants to clinch but Bellic slips to the side
and Bellic counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Askren uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Bellic.
Askren moves to clinch but Bellic breaks away
and Bellic counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Askren tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Bellic paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Bellic digs a good hook to Askren's body.
A shot to the body from Bellic misses
and Askren counters with a slapping leg kick.
Bellic thows a body shot but no joy.
No joy there for Bellic, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Bellic scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Bellic looks to score with a jab to the body but Askren is just out of range.
Bellic lands with a good body shot.
Askren wants to clinch.
Askren throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Bellic circles away from the clinch attempt
and Bellic counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Askren thinking.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Askren is looking to slow Bellic down with leg kicks.
Askren tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Bellic thows a body shot but no joy.
Bellic misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Askren counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Askren scores with a body shot.
Bellic circles away from the clinch attempt
and Bellic counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Askren tries to clinch up but Bellic circles away and keeps his distance.
Askren lands with a straight right. Bellic didn't see that one coming.
Askren tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Bellic manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Askren fails in his attempt to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Askren doesn't manage to clinch there - Bellic circles away.
Askren keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Bellic is landing a lot of head punches in this opening round! Askren had better start moving his head a bit unless he wants his face to turn into pâté.
Bellic pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Bellic swats away the attempt to clinch by Askren.
Askren tries to clinch but Bellic moves away
and Bellic counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Askren is looking to clinch but Bellic is avoiding it.
Askren wants to clinch but Bellic slips to the side
and Bellic counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Bellic misses with a straight right.
Askren tries to close the distance and clinch up but Bellic swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Askren wants to clinch.
Bellic is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Askren rather than just go for the knockout.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Askren tries to clinch up
and Bellic counters with a three punch combo that has Askren backing up. Askren nods at Bellic to acknowledge the strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Niko Bellic dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Askren tries to close the distance and clinch up but Bellic swats him away and circles back towards the center.
The fight stays on the outside here - Askren looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Bellic shoots in but no luck this time.
Askren tries to clinch
and Bellic counters with a three punch combo that has Askren backing up. Askren nods at Bellic to acknowledge the strikes.
Askren fails with an attempt to clinch.
Askren closes the distance but Bellic moves to the side
and Bellic counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
The fight stays on the outside here - Askren looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Niko Bellic seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Bellic circles away from the clinch attempt
and Bellic counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

Askren closes the distance and pushes Bellic back into the cage.
A shot in the inside from Bellic.
Bellic tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A head punch on the inside from Bellic fails to land.
Askren lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Bellic tries a body shot but Askren blocks it.
Bellic misses with the head strike.
Bellic cracks Askren with a nice body shot.
Askren looking for a takedown.
Bellic tries to throw a body punch but Askren avoids it by throwing Bellic back against the cage.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Askren.

Askren escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Askren looks to score with a jab to the body but Bellic is just out of range.
Askren fails with an attempt to clinch.
Askren tries to clinch but Bellic moves away
and Askren takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Bellic throws a nice looking combination but Askren bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Bellic just misses with a punch to the body.

Askren gets a clinch.
Bellic tries to throw a body punch but Askren avoids it by throwing Bellic back against the cage.
Askren slowing the pace effectively.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Askren.
Askren blocks an uppercut.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Askren with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Askren blocking some punches.
Askren jumps guard but Bellic stands there with Askren around his waist. Askren gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
A short right from Askren.

Askren decides to pull guard.
Bellic in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Askren pulls Bellic in close to his closed guard and prevents Bellic from doing any damage or advancing position.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Askren looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Bellic puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bellic sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Askren defending well though.
Bellic is trying to control the action in half guard but Askren is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

Askren kicks Bellic off and gets back to his feet.
Askren punishes Bellic's body with a nice straight punch.

Askren has managed to clinch.
Bellic tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Bellic struggles to land a body shot inside as Askren controls his hands.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Askren.
A head punch on the inside from Bellic fails to land.
Bellic misses with a punch to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Askren is leaning against Bellic and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Bellic is breathing heavily.
Askren scores with a shoulder strike.
Askren lands a body shot in the clinch.
Askren gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Askren is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Askren lands a right hand that snaps the head of Bellic backwards.
Bellic has a couple of punches blocked by Askren.
Askren working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Askren scores a nice knee to the body.
A knee to the head by Askren.
Askren scores with a knee to the head.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Askren with a knee to the head.
Askren gets through Bellic's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Askren lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
A head punch on the inside from Bellic fails to land.

Askren manages to break the clinch.
Askren tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Askren fails with an attempt to clinch.
Askren chopping away at his opponent's legs.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Askren is looking to clinch but Bellic is avoiding it.
Askren ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Askren tries to clinch up but Bellic circles away and keeps his distance.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ben Askren dominated that second round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Askren is looking to clinch but Bellic is avoiding it.
Askren tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Bellic counters with a left to the body.
Bellic scores with a body shot.
Bellic fails with a takedown attempt.
Askren tries to clinch up but Bellic circles away and keeps his distance.
A big right from Bellic misses.
Bellic keeps the fight on the outside.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Askren is looking to clinch but Bellic is avoiding it.
The fight stays on the outside here - Askren looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Askren jabs Bellic to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Bellic takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Askren doesn't manage to clinch there - Bellic circles away.
Askren wants to clinch up but Bellic keeps it at a distance.
Askren tries to close the distance and clinch up but Bellic swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Askren darts in trying to clinch
and Askren takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Bellic throws a predictable looking body shot
and Askren connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Askren fails in his attempt to clinch.
Askren tries to clinch up but Bellic circles away and keeps his distance.
Askren wants to clinch up but Bellic keeps it at a distance.
Askren wants to clinch.
Bellic has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Askren.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Askren fails in his attempt to clinch.
Askren is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
A looping hook to the body misses from Bellic. Askren does a little dance to reset his feet.
Askren closes the distance looking to clinch
and Bellic counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Askren wants to clinch
and Bellic connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Bellic connects with a jab.

Askren closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Bellic to the mat! Bellic manages to get full guard.

Bellic is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Askren is aware though and is defending well.
It really doesn't seem like the step up in weight is hurting Askren here at all. He's more than holding his own against the bigger man.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Bellic has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Askren is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Bellic.
Askren lands some shots froms side control.
Askren is chipping away with strikes.
Askren grinds an elbow into Bellic's temple.
Askren scoring with punches from side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Askren landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Askren scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Bellic to see if he's OK.
Bellic takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Askren remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Askren is looking to take a break and control but Bellic is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ben Askren clearly takes that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Bellic connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.

Askren gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Bellic doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Askren lands a left hand.
Askren lands an elbow inside.
Bellic misses with some punches.
Bellic lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Askren.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Askren.
Bellic swings away with an uppercut that misses.

Askren breaks the clinch.
Askren wants to clinch up but Bellic keeps it at a distance.
Askren tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
A punch lands to the side of Askren 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Askren shoots in for a takedown but Bellic shows good takedown defense.
Bellic swings and misses with a shot to the body

and Askren counters by clinching up.
Bellic misses with a hook from the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Askren has hold of one of Bellic's legs. Bellic is fighting the takedown attempt but Askren gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
Askren trying to control but Bellic is working from the bottom.
Askren sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Bellic keeping moving, preventing Askren from controlling successfully.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Askren not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Ben Askren just wasn't active enough.
Askren fails in his attempt to clinch.
Askren tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Bellic cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Bellic connects with a good right hand that stumbles Askren. Askren circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Bellic circles away from the clinch attempt.
Askren is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Bellic misses with a shot to the body

and Askren counters by clinching up.
Askren working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Askren wants to stall.
Askren lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Askren blocking some punches.

Askren breaks from the clinch.
Askren is looking to clinch.
Askren ducks under a wild hook from Bellic.
Askren slips a straight right by Bellic.
Askren tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Bellic cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Askren looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Askren tries to clinch up
and Bellic counters with a stiff right hand.
Askren is looking to clinch.
Bellic scores with a jab.
Askren shoots for a takedown but Bellic saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Askren closes the distance but Bellic moves to the side
and Bellic counters with a lovely shot to the body.
A punch lands to the side of Askren 's head but he takes it in his stride.
A chopping leg kick lands by Askren.
Bellic misses the jab.
Askren closes the distance but Bellic moves to the side
and Bellic counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Bellic misses with a straight right.
Askren wants to clinch up but Bellic keeps it at a distance.
Bellic with a lazy takedown attempt
and Askren counters with an outside leg kick.

Askren closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Knees in the clinch landing for Askren.
Bellic is absolutely dripping with sweat - he looks exhausted.
A nice left hand lands by Askren.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ben Askren had his way with Niko Bellic in that 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. This is the final round!

Askren is looking to clinch.

Askren moves into the clinch.
Askren lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Askren lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Askren lands with a short shot to the head.
Bellic misses with the head strike.
Bellic lands with a light punch inside.
Bellic tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Askren's elbow.
Askren lands a hook to the side of the head.
Askren working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Askren blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Bellic tries to stall but Askren uses the opportunity to gain a better position.

Askren jumps into guard, dragging Bellic to the mat.
Askren pulls Bellic in close to prevent any damage.
Askren is looking to stand up but Bellic isn't so interested in that idea.

That's one minute gone in the round.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.

We're going to have a standup here because Ben Askren wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Bellic keeps the fight on the outside.
The fight stays on the outside here - Askren looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Askren tries to clinch up but Bellic circles away and keeps his distance.
Niko Bellic has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Askren doesn't manage to clinch there - Bellic circles away.
Askren fails in his attempt to clinch.
Askren takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Askren tries to close the distance and clinch up but Bellic swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Bellic lands a head shot.
Askren looks to clinch
and Askren takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Askren wants to clinch up but Bellic keeps it at a distance.

Askren closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Bellic tries to throw a body punch but Askren avoids it by throwing Bellic back against the cage.
Askren avoiding damage.
Bellic misses with a punch on the inside.
Bellic tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Askren lands a nice knee to the body.
Bellic lands a nice shot to the body.
Askren lands a hook to the side of the head.
Askren lands an elbow inside.
A left hand lands to the body for Askren.
Bellic is wobbling all over the place through exhaustion. Will he make it to the final bell?

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Askren pulls guard effortlessly.
Askren keeping moving, preventing Bellic from controlling successfully.
Bellic throws a strike but Askren rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Ben Askren is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Askren looking to pass the guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Askren passes easily into side control. Nice work.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.
Askren in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Askren controls the position from side control.
Check out the look on Askren's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!

And that's the end of the fight!
Ben Askren showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Askren 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 5 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge William Peck scores the fight 49:46
Judge Trevor Gratis scores the fight 49:46
Judge Robert Douchet scores the fight 49:46

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ben Askren!
Ben Askren is the new welterweight champion!