PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Johnny Rico (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and BJ Penn (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rico comes into the arena with The Fight Song blaring out of the sound system. Johnny Rico has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Rico
vs
Penn

170 cm
22
146 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

175 cm
22
167 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

Good takedowns
Basic striking
Solid chin

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 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Johnny Rico!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, BJ Penn!
The judges for this bout are Eddie Farnsworth, Jorge Garcia and Alyssa Summers.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Penn shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Rico but Rico pushes him off and we're back to square one.
A right-left combo lands from Rico.
Penn shoots in but Rico avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Rico swinging wilding here.
Rico swings for the body but Penn moves out of range.
Rico scores with a jab to the jaw.
Penn shoots in for a double leg but Rico sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Johnny Rico has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of BJ Penn.
Rico throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Penn.
Rico dips to his left and cracks Penn with an uppercut!
Rico lands with a straight right. Penn didn't see that one coming.
Penn shoots in but Rico avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Rico throws a series of punches but Penn avoids them all with ease.
BJ Penn seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
No luck for Penn with that takedown attempt.

Rico clinches.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Rico breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Rico lands with a right hand.

Rico clinches up against the cage.

Rico breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Penn shoots in but Rico avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Penn has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Jab from Rico.

Penn is rocked!
Penn shoots in and drives through. Rico sprawls well.

Penn looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Rico!
Penn looks gassed!

Penn is working for a guillotine from mount but Rico frees his head quite easily.
Rico is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.
Rico tries to hold on but Penn pushes him away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Penn throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Rico is working to get back to half guard.
Penn has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Penn looking to control but Rico is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Rico is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Rico sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Penn stops Rico from getting back to his feet.

Penn seems to be working for a kimura but Rico defends the submission attempt.
Rico wants to get back to full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rico avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Penn.
Rico is looking to escape.

Penn is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Rico is just riding it out for now. Penn eventually gives up the hold.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Penn trying to mount his opponent but Rico defends it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rico is looking to escape.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Rico stalks Penn and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Penn's face. Penn staggers backwards, shaken.
Penn changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Rico tries to avoid it but Penn manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Rico to the ground. Rico escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.

Rico pushes Penn up against the cage in a clinch.

Rico manages to break the clinch.
Rico misses with a double jab.
Rico fails to land with a series of punches.
Rico tries to bum rush Penn with a series of wild strikes but Penn uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Rico fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Penn shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Rico as he jumps to the side.
Rico misses with a wild body shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rico misses with a few strikes there.
Rico dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Rico misses with a straight right.
Rico misses with the combination.

Penn shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Penn prevents Rico from improving his position.

Penn wants to work for an arm triangle but Rico is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.

Penn wants to work for an arm triangle but Rico is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Penn prevents Rico from improving his position.
Penn lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Johnny Rico dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Penn fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Rico sprawls well initially but Penn persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Penn trying to control from half guard but Rico is working away.
Penn wants to pass the guard but Rico is defending well.
Penn missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Penn wants to pass the guard but Rico is defending well.

Penn wants to work for an arm triangle but Rico is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Rico pushes Penn off looking to stand but Penn dives back in and keeps control.
Rico knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Penn on the ground.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Rico misses with a jab, cross combination.
Johnny Rico is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Rico jabs Penn right on the nose. Penn blinks but takes it well.
Nice uppercut there from Rico.
Rico rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Penn moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rico throws a right hand that Penn ducks under and follows up with a left that Penn also avoids with ease.
Horrible takedown by Penn or perhaps it was just good defense by Rico which made him look bad.
Penn misses with a takedown attempt - Rico sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Rico gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Penn looking for a takedown.
Johnny Rico has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of BJ Penn.
Penn wants a takedown but no success here.
Rico prevents the takedown attempt.

Rico breaks the clinch.
It really doesn't seem like the step up in weight is hurting Rico here at all. He's more than holding his own against the bigger man.
Penn shoots in for a double leg but Rico sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.

Penn shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Penn showed some decent athleticism there.
Penn scoring with strikes to the body and head.

Rico is defending against the submission attempts here by Penn.
Penn is thwarting Rico's attempts to control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Penn throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Penn is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Penn wants to control but Rico is keeping him busy.
Rico avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Penn.

Penn is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.

Penn is looking for a kimura here.
Rico has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Penn is working away from the top position though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Penn scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.

Penn tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

Penn wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Rico, who protects the arm well.

Penn is in a dominant position here, looking for a kimura. Rico looks calm but he's in trouble here. Penn gets his leg over his opponent's head and yanks on the arm. Rico is tapping like a morse code operator on the titanic! SOS! SOS! Penn lets go of the hold and Rico can pop his arm back in it's socket.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:51 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). BJ Penn!