PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Hack Benjamin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Edgar Poe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Edgar Poe has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Hack Benjamin's chin.

Benjamin
vs
Poe

195 cm
20
195 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

184 cm
22
181 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Granite chin

Malicious Intent Fight Gear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Hack Benjamin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Edgar Poe!
The judges for this bout are Colin Fotheringham, Richard Clark and Chris Edwards.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Benjamin closes the distance and clinches.

Benjamin has hold of one of Poe's legs. Poe is fighting the takedown attempt but Benjamin gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
Poe wants to sweep here but Benjamin controlling him for the moment.
Benjamin trying to stand up but can't free himself from Poe's guard.
Benjamin tries to free his leg and advance position but Poe is retaining full guard.
Poe trying to keep a closed guard but Benjamin is proving a slippery customer.

Benjamin decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Poe, up you get!
Benjamin is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Benjamin throws a low kick but Poe avoids it.
Poe darts in trying to clinch

and Benjamin counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Benjamin.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Poe wants to break free but Benjamin has control.
Benjamin drops down looking for an ankle pick but Poe pulls his leg out and moves away.
Benjamin tries to clinch but Poe moves out of range.
Poe keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Poe looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Benjamin is fending him off so far but Poe persists. Nope, Benjamin circles away and we're back to standing.
Benjamin misses with the combination.
Benjamin shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
letting Poe counter with a right hand.
Poe swings for the body but Benjamin moves out of range.
Poe is looking to slow Benjamin down with leg kicks.

Benjamin closes the distance and clinches.

Poe breaks from the clinch.
Benjamin wants to clinch.
Benjamin fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Hack Benjamin. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Benjamin is breathing heavily.
Benjamin needs to keep his hands up - Poe had a free shot at his head there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Poe misses with a jab, cross combination.
Poe scoring well with a low kick there.
Poe tries to clinch

and Benjamin counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Benjamin.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Benjamin won't allow Poe to get back to his feet.
Benjamin has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Benjamin controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Benjamin trying to control but Poe is working from the bottom.
Benjamin tries to free his leg and advance position but Poe is retaining full guard.
Benjamin with a flurry of punches that miss.
Benjamin trying to control but Poe is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Benjamin looking to pass the guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Benjamin wants to clinch.
Benjamin shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Poe as he jumps to the side.
Poe scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Benjamin swats away the attempt to clinch by Poe.
Poe tries to bum rush Benjamin with a series of wild strikes but Benjamin uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

Benjamin instigates a clinch.
Benjamin taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Benjamin.
Benjamin is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Poe gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Benjamin stalling against the cage.
Benjamin tries to pull guard but Poe won't allow it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Poe missing with knees to the body.
Poe landing knees to the body.
Benjamin wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Poe has him pressed against the cage.
Benjamin taking a break, stalling in the clinch.

Benjamin is trying to trip Poe. He has hold of a leg but Poe is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Benjamin persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Poe looking for a sweep. Not yet Poe, not yet.
Benjamin looking to sit in guard and control but Poe gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Poe sitting in guard, not really doing much.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Poe throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Benjamin works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Hack Benjamin will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Poe lands a with a good body shot.
Benjamin throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Poe's waist but Poe gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Benjamin off to one side.
Edgar Poe seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Poe connects with a jab.

Benjamin scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Poe struggling a bit here.
Poe wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Poe wants to control but Benjamin postures up.

Benjamin stands up and we're back to a striking position.
An inside leg kick lands from Benjamin.
Benjamin moves in looking to clinch but Poe pushes him off.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Benjamin clinches with his opponent.

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

Benjamin bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Benjamin wants to control for a moment but Poe uses the opportunity to move back to half guard.
Poe slows the pace down in half guard.
Benjamin trying to keep hold of his opponent's head but Poe manages to pass to mount!
Poe looking to control and managing it successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Benjamin is trying desperately to improve position.
Benjamin flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.
Poe controlling the position easily from mount.
Benjamin is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Poe controlling his opponent.
Benjamin is squirming around, avoiding Poe's attempts to control the action.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Poe looking to finish Benjamin with some ground and pound. This is bad for Benjamin!
Poe can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Benjamin is looking to escape.
Poe controlling the position easily from mount.
Benjamin is squirming around, avoiding Poe's attempts to control the action.

Despite being in the dominant position, Edgar Poe just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Poe fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Benjamin.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Poe throws a quick inside leg kick.

Poe gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Benjamin changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Poe fights it off and pushes away nicely.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
The is referee keeping an eye on Benjamin - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Benjamin fails to pull guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Hack Benjamin. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Poe has had enough of the clinch but Benjamin keeps him there for the moment.

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

Benjamin clinches up with Poe and pushes him back against the cage.

Benjamin pulls Poe into guard.

Benjamin uses the cage to get back to his feet.
Benjamin tries to clinch but Poe moves out of range.
Nice body kick there by Benjamin.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hack Benjamin dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Poe fails in his attempt to clinch.
Hack Benjamin is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Benjamin is looking to clinch but Poe is avoiding it.
Poe with a jab.
Nice sprawl there from Poe as Benjamin shoots in.
Poe throws a combination. Benjamin tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Poe tries to clinch but Benjamin moves away

and Benjamin counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Benjamin passes the guard and advances to mount!
Benjamin misses with a head shot.
Hack Benjamin overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Benjamin is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Poe has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Poe!
Benjamin looking to control but Poe passes into half guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Poe seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Benjamin does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Benjamin misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Poe content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

Benjamin makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!
Benjamin throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Poe's waist but Poe gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Benjamin off to one side.
Poe with a jab.
Benjamin takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Poe closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Poe throws a one two combo.
Poe getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Benjamin will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Hack Benjamin. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Benjamin takes the fight into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Benjamin drags the fight down to the ground.

Benjamin uses the cage to get back to his feet.
Benjamin scores with a head kick.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Benjamin.
Poe misses with a double jab
and Benjamin counters with a nice body shot.

Benjamin gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Poe letting Benjamin take a breather here.

Benjamin successfully pulls guard.
Benjamin is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Benjamin is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Benjamin bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Poe's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Benjamin wants to control from the top but Poe keeps moving.
Benjamin looking to pass the guard.
Benjamin trying to control the position from guard on top but Poe is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Benjamin lands a couple of elbows.
Benjamin advances position into side control!
Benjamin tries to score with some ground and pound. Poe controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Benjamin wants to lay and pray for a moment but Poe keeps working.

That's four 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.

Benjamin stands up.

Poe darts in and clinches Benjamin up against the cage.
Benjamin avoiding damage as Poe throws knees to the body.
Benjamin is trying to break free.
Benjamin stalling the fight.
Benjamin throws a head punch that misses.
Benjamin has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Poe avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Benjamin has had enough of the clinch but Poe keeps him there for the moment.
Benjamin can't break the clinch.
Poe is pressed up against the cage. Benjamin has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Poe down to the mat. Poe avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Poe keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.

Benjamin fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Poe, pushing him back against the cage.
Edgar Poe has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Benjamin wants the takedown. Poe is fighting it off but Benjamin persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Poe's guard against the cage.
Poe doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
Hack Benjamin showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Benjamin, 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 Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 30:27
Judge Richard Clark scores the fight 30:27
Judge Chris Edwards scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Hack Benjamin!