PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Jeremy Stephens (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dave Stephenson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look pumped up here. Let's hope this is a good fight!

Stephens
vs
Stephenson

176 cm
22
166 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

170 cm
19
165 lbs
0 - 4 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Enjoys gardening

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Jeremy Stephens!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 4 - 0, fighting out of New York, Dave Stephenson!
The judges for this bout are John Roberts, Jonathan Paton and Franklyn Lucas.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Stephens has managed to clinch.
Stephens displaying some good clinch control by pressing Stephenson up against the cage.

Stephens escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Stephens gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Stephenson has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Stephens is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.

Stephens breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Stephens shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Stephenson eats them both and turns towards Stephens to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Stephens pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Stephens misses with a jab, cross combination.
Stephens ducks right into an uppercut from Stephenson.
Stephens swats away the attempt to clinch by Stephenson.
Stephens stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Stephens wants it to stay on the feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Stephens clinches up against the cage.
Stephens wants a takedown.

Stephens manages to pull guard.
Stephenson wants to stand but Stephens is controlling his posture from full guard.
Stephens is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Stephenson wants to control from the top but Stephens keeps moving.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Dave Stephenson wasn't active enough on the ground.

Stephenson gets tackled into the cage by Stephens. Stephens maintains the clinch.

Stephens wants the takedown. Stephenson is fighting it off but Stephens persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Stephenson's guard against the cage.
Stephens tries to free his leg and advance position but Stephenson is retaining full guard.
Stephenson is trying to keep Stephens in close.

Stephens gets to his feet - Stephenson follows without any prompting.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Stephens lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Stephenson circles away quickly and effectively.
Jeremy Stephens is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Stephens throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Stephenson misses with a hook
and Stephens counters with a one-two to the body.
Stephens leaves Stephenson with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Jeremy Stephens has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Dave Stephenson.

Stephens forces Stephenson back against the cage and clinches.
Stephenson tries to break the clinch but Stephens is controlling the position.

Stephens jumps guard.
Stephenson wants to get up but he can't break Stephens's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Stephens is looking to stand up but Stephenson isn't so interested in that idea.
Stephens keeping moving, preventing Stephenson from controlling successfully.
Stephens on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Stephens tries to get out of the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Stephenson postures up in Stephens's guard and throws a big left but Stephens blocks it.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Dave Stephenson hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Stephens displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Stephenson throws out the jab.
Jeremy Stephens seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Stephens throws a sloppy head kick
and Stephenson counters with a left to the body.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Stephens fails to pull guard.
Stephens missing with knees to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jeremy Stephens dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Stephenson throws a nice inside leg kick.
Stephens takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Jeremy Stephens is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Stephens closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Stephens wants to break free but Stephenson has control.
Stephenson unloads a knee to the mid-section. Stephens lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Stephens has Stephenson pressed against the cage, preventing Stephenson from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
A right handed body shot lands from Stephens.
Stephenson tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

Stephens successfully pulls guard.
Stephenson throws and elbow that misses. Stephens uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Stephenson's guard. Nice move by Stephens!
Stephens wanted to stand there but Stephenson had control of the position.
Stephens has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Stephens wants to pass the guard but Stephenson is keeping the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Stephens trying to control but Stephenson is working from the bottom.
Stephens is pushing down on Stephenson's leg trying to pass to half guard. Stephenson is fighting to maintain full guard but Stephens has managed to sneak the leg through.
Stephenson slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Stephenson is on top in guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Stephenson trying to control the position from guard on top but Stephens is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Stephenson has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Stephens is proving hard to escape from.
Stephenson postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Stephenson trying to control the position from guard on top but Stephens is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Stephenson accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Dave Stephenson hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.

Stephens rushes Stephenson and presses him up against the cage.
Stephenson tries for a takedown. No joy.

Stephens jumps guard.
Stephenson trying to control the position from guard on top but Stephens is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Dave Stephenson was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Stephens on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
A head kick from Stephenson lands but Stephens takes it in his stride.

It looks like Jeremy Stephens has been cut.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Stephenson slips a jab and a cross from Stephens.

Stephens has Stephenson up against the cage in a clinch.
Stephens drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Stephenson gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Stephens has had enough of the clinch but Stephenson keeps him there for the moment.

Stephenson's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
A head kick from Stephens lands but Stephenson takes it in his stride.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Stephenson fails with the takedown
and Stephens counters with a three punch combo that has Stephenson backing up. Stephenson nods at Stephens to acknowledge the strikes.
Jeremy Stephens has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Dave Stephenson.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Stephens gets in close and instigates a clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Dave Stephenson will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Jeremy Stephens's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Stephenson looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Stephens is fending him off so far but Stephenson persists. Nope, Stephens circles away and we're back to standing.

Stephens moves into the clinch.
Stephenson trying to land knees to the body.
Stephenson gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Stephens.
Stephenson is trying to break free.
Stephens lands a hook to the side of the head.

Stephens pulls guard.
Stephenson wants to stand but Stephens is controlling his posture from full guard.
Stephenson won't allow Stephens to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Stephens is controlling Stephenson's posture.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Jeremy Stephens.
Stephenson checks the leg kick nicely there.
Stephenson lands a head kick. Stephens smiles back at him and beckons him forward.

Stephens closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Stephens keeps control of Stephenson as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

Stephens pulls guard effortlessly.
Stephenson with a flurry of punches that miss.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Stephens avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Stephenson wants to control from the top but Stephens keeps moving.
Stephens preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Dave Stephenson was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Stephenson throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Stephens sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Stephens defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Stephenson.

Stephens has managed to clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Stephenson breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Stephens has closed the distance and engaged Stephenson in a clinch.
Stephenson tries to pull guard but Stephens won't allow it.
Jeremy Stephens has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Dave Stephenson.
Stephenson jumps guard but Stephens stands there with Stephenson around his waist. Stephenson gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Stephenson is trying to break the clinch but Stephens is controlling him.
Stephens being controlled against the cage.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Stephens.
Stephens goes for a takedown attempt but Stephenson pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Nice uppercut there from Stephenson.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Stephens pushes Stephenson up against the cage in a clinch.

Stephens breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Stephens instigates a clinch.
Stephens lands a body shot in the clinch.
Stephens stalling against the cage.
Stephens tries to pull guard but Stephenson won't allow it.

Stephens gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Stephens throwing shots but Stephenson is blocking nicely.
Stephens is keen to just control but Stephenson is a slippery customer.
Stephens works his way into full mount!

And that's the end of the fight!
Jeremy Stephens showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Stephens has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 John Roberts scores the fight 29:28
Judge Jonathan Paton scores the fight 29:28
Judge Franklyn Lucas scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jeremy Stephens!