PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Nathan Soto (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Evan Benson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Nathan Soto could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Evan Benson's chin.

Soto
vs
Benson

160 cm
21
135 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
25
130 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
KO power

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Nathan Soto!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Evan Benson!
The judges for this bout are Sandra Marshall, David Hoff and Peter Branson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Soto fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Benson avoids it really well and circles away.
Benson looks really tired already! That doesn't bode well for a good, competitive fight!
No luck with that takedown attempt from Soto.
Soto misses with a jab, cross combination.
Soto throws a series of punches but Benson moves out of range.
Soto darts in looking for a takedown but Benson gets double underhooks and turns Soto into the cage.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Nathan Soto. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Soto closes the distance and clinches.
Benson tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Benson prevents Soto from breaking the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Soto decides to pull guard.
Soto will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Soto has Benson pulled in close to control his posture.
Soto wants to get back to his feet but Benson is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Soto wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Soto might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

Soto has his feet on Benson's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.
Benson has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.
Benson moves in looking to clinch but Soto pushes him off.
Soto misses with a double jab.
Horrible takedown attempt by Soto or perhaps it was just good defense by Benson, which made it look bad.
Benson raises up his leg as if looking to counter with a high kick.

Benson forces Soto back against the cage and clinches.
Soto on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Benson tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Soto can't get the takedown.
Soto avoids the elbow strike from Benson, against the cage.
Soto tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Benson smiles and moves away.
Benson tries to clinch but Soto is having none of it.
Soto throws a right and a left that Benson avoids nicely.
Benson is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Soto throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Soto darts in looking for a takedown but Benson gets double underhooks and turns Soto into the cage.
Benson tries to clinch but Soto moves out of range.
Benson tries to clinch up but Soto circles away and keeps his distance.
Benson avoids the head kick by Soto.
Benson fails in his attempt to clinch.

Benson moves into range and clinches up with Soto.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Benson.
Soto jumps guard but Benson stands there with Soto around his waist. Soto gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Benson looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Benson is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Benson misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Soto.
Benson lands a right hand that snaps the head of Soto backwards.
Soto is trying to force a seperation but Benson has the dominant position.
Soto wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Soto is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Benson misses with some punches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A frustrated look appears on Soto's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Soto wants to break the clinch but can't.
Soto stalling against the cage.
Soto is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Soto is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Benson to keep the fight standing.
Soto is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Benson is defending well.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
A frustrated look appears on Soto's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Soto lands a nice uppercut.
Soto is trying to push Benson away but Benson has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
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 Nathan Soto will probably get the nod.
That's time! Soto's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Benson moves out of range of the leg kick from Soto.

Soto instigates a clinch.

Soto jumps guard.
Soto has Benson pulled in close to control his posture.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Soto is scooting his butt against the cage and has managed to get back to his feet. Benson presses him back against the cage, presumably looking to take the fight back to the mat.
Benson is breathing heavily.
Soto pressing his opponent against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Soto avoiding damage.
Soto tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Soto taking a breather.
Benson tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Soto avoids it.
Benson trying to land knees to the body.
Soto is looking to break free of the clinch but Benson has double underhooks.
Soto is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Benson gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.

Soto successfully pulls guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Soto bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Benson's guard.

Soto passes Benson's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Soto missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Benson won't allow Soto to pass to mount.
Soto missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Nathan Soto overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Soto stands up and beckons Benson to join him on the feet.
Nathan Soto is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Soto closes the distance and pushes Benson back into the cage.
Benson with an attempt at a knee that misses.

Soto pulls guard effortlessly.

Soto is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Benson is aware though and is defending well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Benson tries to stand but Soto is controlling from the bottom.
Soto looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.

Soto had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Benson defends it easily.
Soto pulls Benson in close to his closed guard and prevents Benson from doing any damage or advancing position.

That's four 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.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Soto keeping moving, preventing Benson from controlling successfully.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Benson stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Benson wants it to stay on the feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Nathan Soto. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Benson stuffs the takedown attempt from Soto. Soto gets slowly back to his feet.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Soto shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Benson as he avoids it easily.

Benson clinches.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nathan Soto dominated that second round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Soto avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Soto!

It looks like Evan Benson has been cut.

Soto closes the distance and clinches.
Soto wants to get back to striking at distance but Benson won't allow it.
Soto fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Soto is trying to break free.
Soto is trying to force a seperation but Benson has the dominant position.
Benson stops a takedown attempt from Soto.

Soto pulls guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Soto manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Benson manages to get himself to full guard.

Soto is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Soto trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Soto trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

Soto is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Benson is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Benson has escaped and now he's on top!

Benson wants to stand but Soto has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.

Soto had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Benson defends it easily.
Soto 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.

Soto looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Soto is adopting a defensive guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Benson must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Soto has a closed guard, preventing Benson from standing up.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Sloppy strikes from Soto. Those never looked like landing.
Soto throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Nice sprawl there from Benson as Soto shoots in.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Nathan Soto. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Benson fails with an attempt to clinch.
Soto throws a counter high kick but Benson was just alert enough to avoid it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
A head kick misses from Soto.
Soto has a takedown stuffed.
Soto shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Benson as he jumps to the side.

Benson closes the distance and clinches.
Soto is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Benson misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Soto.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Benson misses with a knee strike.
Soto lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Evan Benson has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Nathan Soto is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Soto wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Benson has him pressed against the cage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Nathan Soto showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Soto, 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 Sandra Marshall scores the fight 30:27
Judge David Hoff scores the fight 30:27
Judge Peter Branson scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Nathan Soto!