PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Rhet Bart (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and TJ Penn (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Bart might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to My Name Is Not A Pun by The Generic Indie Band 28. Penn comes into a darkened arena with his song building. DMX - Bad Boy kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Rhet Bart could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to TJ Penn's chin.

Bart
vs
Penn

170 cm
23
139 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

175 cm
23
153 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
KO power

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Likes ground

Hellbent, Inc.

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 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Rhet Bart!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, TJ Penn!
The judges for this bout are Jonathan Paton, Eddie Farnsworth and Anthony Taglia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Penn avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Bart shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Bart closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Bart lands in his opponent's guard.
Bart content to stall in guard here.
Bart pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Penn is keeping the position for now.
Penn controls Bart momentarily but Bart frees himself.
Bart is pushing down on Penn's leg trying to pass to half guard. Penn is fighting to maintain full guard but Bart has managed to sneak the leg through.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bart has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.

Bart working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Penn tries to hold on but Bart pushes him away.

Bart looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Penn tries to lock up and control but Bart gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Penn is desperately trying to improve his position but Bart has a good base and remains in mount.
Bart moves to the back position.

Bart working for the choke.
Penn is trying to stand back up.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bart keeps control of the position as Penn tries to break free.
Penn trying to control the hands but Bart breaks the grip.
Penn tries to roll but Bart sticks to his back.
Bart avoiding Penn 's attempts to control his hands.
Bart controlling well, preventing Penn from escaping the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Penn trying to control but he's just got himself in more trouble.
Penn rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.

Bart is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Penn comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Bart tries for a takedown but Penn sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rhet Bart dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Bart shoots for a double leg takedown but Penn sprawls well. He's pushed Bart's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
It really doesn't seem like the step up in weight is hurting Bart here at all. He's more than holding his own against the bigger man.
Bart shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Penn as he avoids it easily.
Bart tries for a takedown but Penn sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rhet Bart. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Bart shoots in but Penn avoids the takedown attempt easily.
No luck for Bart with that takedown attempt.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Bart.
Bart misses with a body kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bart shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Bart throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Penn's waist but Penn gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Bart off to one side.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Danga de danga de dang - Penn scores with a four punch combination!
Penn throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.

Penn takes the fight into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Penn stalling in the clinch but Bart improves position.
Penn wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Penn is looking to control Bart's arms but Bart gets an underhook and turns him. Now Penn has his back to the cage.
Penn is trying to slow the pace down but that's a couple of times in a row that he's tried to get underhooks and Bart has denied him.
Bart has had enough of the clinch but Penn keeps him there for the moment.
Bart misses with a hook from the clinch.
Penn is trying to break the clinch but Bart has him pressed against the cage.
Bart is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.

Bart has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Penn uses from the top position.
Bart keeping full guard, as Penn tries to pass.
Bart keeping moving, preventing Penn from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

Penn gets to his feet - Bart follows without any prompting.
Penn is looking to clinch.
Penn fails in his attempt to clinch.
Bart shoots in and drives through. Penn sprawls well.

Penn closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Bart is in trouble now - Penn has advanced to mount!

Penn gets to his feet and calls his opponent to stand. Here come the fireworks!
Penn's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Penn duly obliges.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bart tries for a takedown but Penn circles away easily
and Penn counters with a head kick. That will keep Bart thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
Penn lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Bart backs up against the cage.
Bart doesn't manage to clinch there - Penn circles away.
Bart misses with a takedown
and Penn counters with a series of strikes. Bart will be more careful next time no doubt.
Penn throws a sloppy head kick and Bart moves out of range easily.
Bart misses with a takedown
and Penn counters with a series of strikes. Bart will be more careful next time no doubt.
Penn throws a head kick that misses.
Penn keeps the fight on the outside.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Penn.
Bart doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Penn counters with a left and a right that stings Bart.
Penn shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Bart as he avoids it easily.
Penn keeps the fight on the outside.
Bart tries for a takedown but Penn circles away easily
and Penn counters with a good low kick that Bart was not able to check.
Penn throws a series of strikes that have Bart backpedaling.

Bart scores with a takedown into Penn's guard.
Penn bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Bart's guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

TJ Penn showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Penn feints and as Bart raises his hands in defense, Penn changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.

Bart is working an open guard so Penn takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
A telegraphed right hand from Bart misses the target.

Bart feints and as Penn raises his hands in defense, Bart changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Bart won't allow Penn to get back to his feet.
Bart has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Bart is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Penn wants to stand but Bart is controlling the position.
Bart trying to control the position from guard on top but Penn is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bart is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Penn looking to hit a scissor sweep but Bart is one step ahead there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Bart wants to control from the top but Penn keeps moving.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Bart looks to clinch

and Penn counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

Penn seems to be working for a kimura but Bart defends the submission attempt.
Bart is trying to maintain the position but Penn is very close to passing his half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Penn sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Bart defending well though.
Bart is refusing to be controlled, as Penn sits in half guard.
Bart is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Penn wants to stand but Bart has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Bart manages to get to full guard.

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

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Bart shoots in for a double leg but Penn sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.

And that's the end of the fight!
TJ Penn comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Penn has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Jonathan Paton scores the fight 28:29
Judge Eddie Farnsworth scores the fight 28:29
Judge Anthony Taglia scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... TJ Penn!