PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Jacques Francel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Francois Paquet (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Francel might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Voix de fait. The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Francel
vs
Paquet

176 cm
19
180 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

178 cm
18
170 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Enjoys gardening

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Jacques Francel!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Francois Paquet!
The judges for this bout are Steve Smith, Trevor Gratis and Yves DeLean.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Francel slips under a jab from Paquet.
Paquet ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Paquet ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Francel moves away.
Francel showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Paquet.
Francel fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Paquet doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Francel counters with a straight right hand.
Paquet looks to throw a body kick

and Francel holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

Francel escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
A punch combination from Paquet misses.
A left lands for Paquet.
Paquet lands a nice looking body shot.
Paquet swinging wildly here.
Paquet misses with the combination.
Francel just misses with a punch to the body.
Francois Paquet seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Paquet loads up on a big right hand but Francel slips the punch.
Francel walks into a straight right hand from Paquet.
Paquet lands a jab-cross combination.
Paquet fails with the takedown

and Francel counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Paquet trying to control but Francel postures up.
Francel thows a huge punch but Paquet dodges it nicely.
The fighters are battling for position here. Paquet manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Francel stopping the sweep attempt from Paquet.
Francel has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Francel controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Francel trying to control but Paquet is working from the bottom.
Paquet looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Francel wants to control from the top but Paquet keeps moving.
Paquet wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Paquet is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Francel trying to control but Paquet is working from the bottom.
Paquet tries to land a sweep but no joy.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Paquet misses with a series of wild punches.
Francel sizes up Paquet with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Paquet throws a combination that misses
and Francel counters with an outside leg kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Paquet ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Paquet misses with a few strikes there.
Paquet falls off balance throwing a combination

and Francel counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Francel trying to control but Paquet is working from the bottom.
Paquet being controlled here, momentarily.
Francel loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Francel preventing the sweep.
Paquet trying to control the position here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Francel looking to pass the guard.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
A telegraphed right hand from Paquet misses the target.
A combination from Francel does no damage.
Francel tries to clinch but Paquet moves out of range.
Francel has his takedown stuffed
and Paquet counters with a straight right hand.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Paquet throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Francel counters with a nice kick to the body.
Paquet fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Paquet closes this distance looking for a takedown but Francel circles away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jacques Francel dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

A shot to the body from Paquet misses

and Francel counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Francel.
Francel pushes Paquet back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.

Francel has hold of one of Paquet's legs. Paquet is fighting the takedown attempt but Francel gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
Paquet keeping moving, preventing Francel from controlling successfully.
Paquet 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.
Paquet not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Francel is in close to Paquet's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Paquet is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Francel stays in close to Paquet's body and controls the position.
Francel won't allow Paquet to sweep him here.
Paquet keeping moving, preventing Francel from controlling successfully.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Paquet throws a head kick that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Francel tries to close the distance and clinch up but Paquet swats him away and circles back towards the center.
A nice combination there by Paquet.
Francel fails with the takedown.

Francel closes the distance and pushes Paquet back into the cage.
Francel pushes Paquet back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Francel looking to slow down the pace here.
Paquet tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Francel smiles and moves away.
Paquet throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Francel dodges the punch combination from Paquet.
Paquet fails with the takedown

and Francel counters with a shoot takedown. Paquet fights it but they end up in guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Paquet not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Francel trying to control the position from guard on top but Paquet is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Paquet trying to control the position.
Paquet keeping moving, preventing Francel from controlling successfully.
Francel sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Paquet's guard.
Paquet has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Francel is working away from the top position though.
Jacques Francel overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Francel looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Francel in particular looking to stall.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Francel passes the guard and advances to mount!
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Francel trying to control but Paquet is having none of it.
Paquet is looking to improve his position but Francel isn't that keen on the idea.
Paquet sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Francel trying to control from half guard but Paquet is working away.
Francel prevents Paquet from improving his position.

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.
Francel thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Paquet's head.
Paquet tries to roll over but Francel keeps him under control.
Francel works his way into side control.
Paquet regains half guard.
Paquet slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Paquet is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Paquet keeping full guard, as Francel tries to pass.
Francel won't allow Paquet to sweep him here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jacques Francel dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Paquet misses with a takedown

and Francel decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Paquet's guard.
Francel trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Francel works over Paquet with some ground and pound from guard.
Paquet looking to hit a scissor sweep but Francel is one step ahead there.
Paquet is controlling Francel's posture.
Francel trying to control but Paquet is working from the bottom.
Francel sitting in guard here, content to control.
Francel working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Paquet's head.
Paquet seems keen to control Francel's posture.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Paquet working a defensive guard here.
Francel stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Paquet swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Francel is working hard here to advance position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Paquet not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Francel trying to control but Paquet is working from the bottom.
Paquet throwing strikes off his back to little effect.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Francel throws a nice looking combination but Paquet bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Paquet throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Francel sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Paquet stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Paquet wants it to stay on the feet.
Paquet misses with the combination.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Paquet misses with an uppercut.
Francel moves forwards but Paquet connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Paquet misses with a combination

and Francel counters with a single leg into guard. Paquet didn't expect that.
Paquet tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Paquet looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Francel puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Francel missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Paquet trying to control from the bottom.
Francel controlling the pace.
Paquet is refusing to be controlled, as Francel sits in half guard.
Paquet works his way to full guard. Good work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Paquet looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Francel is stalling in the full guard.
Paquet wants to sweep but no luck.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Paquet holds on and takes a little breather.
Paquet not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Francel wants to pass the guard but Paquet is keeping the position.
Paquet pulls Francel in close to prevent any damage.
Francel preventing the sweep.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Francel tries to free his leg and advance position but Paquet is retaining full guard.
Paquet looking to control.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Paquet scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Paquet lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Francel circles away quickly and effectively.
Paquet throws a right hand that Francel ducks under and follows up with a left that Francel also avoids with ease.
Paquet just misses with a punch to the body.
Jacques Francel is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Francel scores with a jab to the jaw.
Paquet missing with a left hand there. Francel was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Francois Paquet has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Jacques Francel is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Paquet ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jacques Francel showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Francel has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Steve Smith scores the fight 30:27
Judge Trevor Gratis scores the fight 30:27
Judge Yves DeLean scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jacques Francel!