PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Paul Shepard (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Shut Up (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Paul Shepard could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Shut Up's chin.

Shepard
vs
Up

189 cm
22
160 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

180 cm
20
160 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good in bed

Dangerous GnP
Counter striker
Tends to cut

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 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Paul Shepard!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Shut Up!
The judges for this bout are Bruno Hogan, Damien Edna and Steve Erwin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Up dives in and grabs Shepard's left leg, looking for a takedown. Shepard pushes down on Up's head and hops out.
Shepard tries for a takedown but Up circles away easily

and Up counters with a single leg into guard. Shepard didn't expect that.
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.
Up postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Shepard bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Up's guard.
Shepard won't allow Up to get back to his feet.
Up really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Shepard. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Shepard showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Up keeping moving, preventing Shepard from controlling successfully.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Up can do anything to dispel that myth.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Up pushes Shepard off and scrambles back to his feet.
Shepard comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Shepard with a poor takedown

and Up counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Up throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Up throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Shepard blocking the ground and pound attempt from Up.
Shepard is looking for a sweep. Up is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Shepard flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.

Shepard looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Up throws a strike but Shepard avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Up with a flurry of punches that miss.
Up looks gassed!

That's two minutes gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
A clash of legs there as Up blocks the low kick.

Shepard closes the distance and clinches.
Shepard wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

Shepard breaks from the clinch.

Up shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Shepard is trying to defend but Up finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Shepard manages to get to full guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Shepard is trying to keep Up in close.
Up in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shepard is trying to keep Up in close.
Up throwing strikes from guard but Shepard blocks nicely.
Shepard lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Up!
Up wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
Up is squirming around, avoiding Shepard's attempts to control the action.

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.
Shepard controlling the position easily from mount.
Up is squirming around, avoiding Shepard's attempts to control the action.
Shepard looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Up is squirming around, avoiding Shepard's attempts to control the action.
Shepard is really struggling to control Up but he's trying to hold on to the position.
Up squirming around on the bottom, looking to escape.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Shut Up dominated that round.
That's time! Shepard's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Nice sprawl there from Shepard as Up shoots in.
Shepard darts in trying to clinch

so Up counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Shepard preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Up wants to get up but he can't break Shepard's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Shepard is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Up is trying to stand up here but Shepard is controlling him well.
Shepard is trying to control the action in half guard but Up is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Up is breathing heavily.

Shepard looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Shepard looks to score some points with some ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shepard prevents Up from standing back up.
Shepard is trying to control the action in half guard but Up is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

Shepard is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Up sees it coming and defends easily.
Shepard passes the guard and advances to mount!

Shepard gets to his feet and calls his opponent to stand. Here come the fireworks!

That's two 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.
Shepard wants to clinch but Up slips to the side

and Up counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Shepard is looking to control Up's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Shepard avoid being mounted?
Shepard regains full guard. Nicely done.
Shepard working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Up.
Shepard 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.
Shepard is working hard here to advance position.
Up is working Shepard over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Up missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
A combination from Shepard does no damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Up with a poor takedown

and Shepard counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Shepard is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Up pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Shepard tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Up just stands there and leans against the cage.
Shepard taking a breather.
Up lands a nice uppercut.
Shepard misses with a knee to the head.
Shepard jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Up walks away with a smile on his face. Shepard gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Paul Shepard. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Shepard gets caught flat footed, as Up shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Up postures up.
Up postures up and lands a big shot to Shepard's brow.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Shepard wants to stand but Up is controlling the position.
Up working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Shepard's head.
Up scoring with punches to the head and body.
Shepard really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Shepard utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Shepard is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Up scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Up connects with a couple of short punches.
Shepard striking from his own guard.
Up must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

Up gets to his feet. Shepard looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!

Up tries to keep at a distance but Shepard has taken the fight into the clinch.
Shepard is working for takedown but Up is calmly controlling the position for now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Shut Up showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Up darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Shepard is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Up's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Up's back!

Up manages to get to his feet, escaping the difficult position.
Shepard throws a left and a right that both miss

and Up counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Shepard is trying to stand.
Shepard controlling the position well.
Up working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Up passes to full mount!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Up fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Up looking to finish with strikes here!
Shepard sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Up throwing shots but Shepard is blocking nicely.
Up thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Up thows a huge punch but Shepard dodges it nicely.
Up is thwarting Shepard's attempts to control the position.
Shepard wants to get back to full guard.
Shepard is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Up scores with a couple of nice shots.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Up connects with a nice short shot to Shepard's temple.

That's two 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.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Shepard looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Shepard trying to control the action but Up is working from the bottom.
Up is trying to stand up here but Shepard is controlling him well.
Up is looking to get back to is feet but Shepard passes into side control.
Shepard advances to mount.
Up has given up his back, trying to stand up. Not clever.
Shepard lands punches and elbows.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shepard tries to get the hooks in deep but Up pushed the leg off.

Up is trying escape back to his feet. He turns into his opponent's guard and eventually finds his way back to his feet.
Shepard gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Up counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Shepard bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Up's guard.

Up pushes Shepard off and scrambles back to his feet.
Up tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Shepard shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Up is trying to defend but Shepard finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Up tries to kick Shepard off but Shepard keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Shepard trying to control the action but Up is working from the bottom.
Shepard content to control rather than advance.
Up wants to get back to his feet.
Paul Shepard has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Shut Up is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Shepard landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.

And that's the end of the fight!
Shut Up comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Up winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Bruno Hogan scores the fight 27:30
Judge Damien Edna scores the fight 27:30
Judge Steve Erwin scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Shut Up!