PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Bull Bantum (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Arran Keates (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Arran Keates has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Bantum
vs
Keates

160 cm
27
151 lbs
7 - 10 - 0

196 cm
25
150 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Prefers standup

Predator Clothing
Predator Clothing

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 10 - 0, fighting out of London, Bull Bantum!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Arran Keates!
The judges for this bout are Sam Margolis, Donald Grub and Richard Clark.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Keates lands with an uppercut that bounces Bantum off the cage and back into rage.
Bantum takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.

Bantum clinches up with Keates and pushes him back against the cage.

Bantum is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. Keates can't fight it off and eventually Bantum manages to take the fight to the floor. Keates looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Keates wants to get back to his feet but Bantum is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

Bantum stands up and waves to Keates to follow him.
Keates looks to land a left hand but Bantum moved out of range nicely.
Bantum moves in looking to clinch but Keates pushes him off.
Bantum is looking to clinch but Keates is avoiding it.
Keates lands with a shot to the body.
Keates misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Bantum.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bantum has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Bantum there as he acknowledges the shot.
Decent striking displayed by Keates there.
A swing and a miss from Keates.
Bantum tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Bantum doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Bantum shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Keates has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.

Bantum pushes Keates up against the cage in a clinch.
Bantum gets through Keates's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.

Bantum pulls Keates into guard.
Bantum wants to stand and escape but Keates is having none of it.

Bantum pushes Keates off and gets back to his feet.
Bantum tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Keates paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Keates tries to keep at a distance but Bantum has taken the fight into the clinch.
A head punch on the inside from Bantum fails to land.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bantum scores with a shot to the side of Keates's head.
Bantum scores with a shot to the side of Keates's head.
Bantum lands a hook that snaps the head of Keates backwards.
Keates blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Bantum tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Bantum swings wildly with an uppercut but Keates uses good head movement to avoid it.

Bantum gets control of Keates's arms and successfully pulls guard. Bantum will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Keates prevents Bantum from getting back to his feet.
Keates trying to stand up but can't free himself from Bantum's guard.

Bantum has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Keates off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Keates fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Bantum on the side of the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bantum takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Keates lands with a straight right. Bantum didn't see that one coming.
Bantum tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Keates manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Bantum is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Bantum wants to clinch up but Keates keeps it at a distance.
Keates swinging wildly here.
Bantum takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Keates misses with a wild combination.
Bantum tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Bantum doesn't manage to clinch there - Keates circles away.
Bantum is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Bantum rushes Keates and presses him up against the cage.
Keates takes a shot to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bantum lands with a right to the head.
Bantum fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Bantum creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.

Bantum jumps guard.
Keates would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

Bantum pushes Keates off and scrambles back to his feet.
Keates ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Keates misses with a shot to the body

and Bantum counters by clinching up.
Keates is trying to break the clinch but Bantum has him pressed against the cage.

Bantum jumps guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Keates tries to stand but Bantum is controlling from the bottom.
Keates wants to stand and escape but instead Bantum has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bull Bantum dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Bantum fails with an attempt to clinch.
Keates with a hook.
Keates misses with a body shot.
Keates is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Keates swings for the body but Bantum moves out of range.
Bantum tries to clinch up but Keates circles away and keeps his distance.
Keates scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Bantum tries to clinch but Keates moves out of range.
Bantum walks into a jab.
Bantum fails in his attempt to clinch.
Decent striking displayed by Keates there.
Keates comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.

Bantum gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
A short right from Bantum on the inside.
A nice left hand lands by Bantum.
Keates's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Bantum lands a left hand that snaps the head of Keates backwards.
Bantum lands with a short punch from the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Bantum decides to pull guard.
Bantum wants to stand and escape but Keates is having none of it.

Bantum has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Keates off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Donk. Keates catches Bantum right on the button with a cross.
The fighters circling - Keates throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Keates lunges at Bantum with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Bantum's hand.
Bantum takes a body punch but keeps moving.

Bantum closes the distance and clinches.
Keates tries to break the clinch but Bantum is controlling the position.
Bantum lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Bantum lands a hook to the side of the head.
A nice right hand lands inside from Bantum.
Bantum lands a right hand.
Bantum lands a shoulder strike.
Bantum scores with a nice hook to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bantum tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
A head punch on the inside from Bantum fails to land.
A short right from Bantum.
Keates is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
A short uppercut from Bantum.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Bantum.
A nice right hand lands inside from Bantum.
Keates wants to break free but Bantum has control.
Bantum misses with a hook from the clinch.
Bantum lands an uppercut.
Keates looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Bantum lands with a right to the head.
Keates blocks an uppercut.
Bantum lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Keates backwards.
Bantum throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Keatess head.
A nice right hand lands inside from Bantum.
Keates's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Bantum gets through Keates's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Bantum scores with a shoulder strike.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bantum scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Bantum lands a shoulder strike.
Keates wants to break free but Bantum has control.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Bantum.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Bantum.

Keates is rocked!
Bantum makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Keates is still on wobbly legs! Can Bantum finish him?
Bantum lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Bantum keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Keates's efforts to push away.

Bantum successfully pulls guard.
Keates seems to have recovered his senses.

Bantum pushes Keates off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Nice shot lands for Keates.
Bantum ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Keates stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Bantum tries to clinch up.
The fight stays on the outside here - Bantum looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The fight stays on the outside here - Bantum looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Bull Bantum is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Keates lands a jab to the head.
A big right from Keates misses.
Bantum tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
A telegraphed right hand from Keates misses the target.
Bantum has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Keates finds it's way round the side to connect with Bantum's head.
Keates swings and misses with a hook to the body.

Bantum moves into the clinch successfully.
Bantum lands a hook to the side of the head.
Bantum lands a left hand that snaps the head of Keates backwards.
Bantum softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Bantum lands a left hand.
Bantum lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Bantum scores with a nice hook to the head.
Bantum lands an uppercut.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bull Bantum dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Good standup being displayed there by Keates as he connects with a hook.
Bantum moves in looking to clinch but Keates pushes him off.
Bantum tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Keates manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Keates circles away from the clinch attempt.
Keates lands a jab to the head.
Sloppy strikes from Keates. Those never looked like landing.
Keates connects with a nice looking jab.
Bantum tries to clinch but Keates is having none of it.
Keates lands a slapping body shot.
Bantum wants to clinch up but Keates keeps it at a distance.
Bantum wants to clinch.
Keates avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bantum takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Bantum tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Bantum avoids a punch combination nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bantum keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Keates scores with a body shot.
Bantum tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Keates paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Keates swats away the attempt to clinch by Bantum.
Bantum tries to clinch but Keates is having none of it.

Bantum drives through and clinches with Keates against the cage.
Keates blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Bantum scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Bantum jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Keates walks away with a smile on his face. Bantum gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Keates jabs Bantum to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Bantum moves in looking to clinch but Keates pushes him off.
Keates keeps the fight on the outside.

Keates gets tackled into the cage by Bantum. Bantum maintains the clinch.
Bantum working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Bantum fails to pull guard.
Bantum scores with a shot to the side of Keates's head.
Arran Keates has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Bantum.
Bantum misses with a hook from the clinch.
Bantum doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Bantum lands a left hand.
A short right from Bantum on the inside.
Bantum scores with a shoulder strike.
Bantum lands a hook to the side of the head.
Bantum scores with a shot to the side of Keates's head.
Keates wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Keates.
Bantum lands with a light punch inside.
Bantum has Keates pressed against the cage, preventing Keates from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Bantum fails to pull guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bull Bantum. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Bantum throws a punch but it's blocked by Keates.
Bull Bantum is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
A short right from Bantum.
Bantum lands with a short punch from the clinch.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Bantum creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Bantum pulls guard.

Bantum pushes Keates off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Bantum fails with an attempt to clinch.
Keates throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Keates cracks a nice hook into Bantum's ribs.
Bantum tries to clinch there but Keates circles away.
Bantum is looking to clinch.
Bantum takes one to the side of the head.
Keates connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Keates lands with a shot to the body.

Keates gets tackled into the cage by Bantum. Bantum maintains the clinch.
A nice left hand lands by Bantum.
Bantum gets through Keates's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Bantum lands a left hand that snaps the head of Keates backwards.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bantum prevents Keates from breaking the clinch.
Bantum lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Keates backwards.

Bantum manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Keates wants to stand but Bantum has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Keates in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Keates is looking to work some ground and pound but Bantum has wrist control.
Keates wants to get up but he can't break Bantum's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Keates thows a big elbow that misses.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Bull Bantum.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Bantum, 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 Sam Margolis scores the fight 30:27
Judge Donald Grub scores the fight 30:27
Judge Richard Clark scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Bull Bantum!