PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Paul Daley (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tijani Babangida (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Babangida has chosen ini - the life i live as his entrance music. Tijani Babangida will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Daley
vs
Babangida

190 cm
25
182 lbs
6 - 2 - 0

190 cm
23
176 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Good knees
KO power

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Determined

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 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Paul Daley!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Tijani Babangida!
The judges for this bout are Illya Tyunina, Fedor Mirinova and Vladimir Khabensky.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A punch combination from Babangida misses.
Some wild striking there from Babangida.
Babangida throws a leg kick but Daley moved away.
Daley tries to clinch up but Babangida circles away and keeps his distance.
Daley tries to clinch but Babangida is having none of it.
Babangida throws a combination. Daley tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Daley tries to clinch but Babangida is having none of it.
Daley tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Babangida paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Babangida lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Daley backs up against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Babangida swats away the attempt to clinch by Daley.
Babangida lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Babangida misses with a wild combination.
Paul Daley seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Daley tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Babangida paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Babangida throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

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.
Daley stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Babangida.
Babangida lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Daley circles away quickly and effectively.
Daley tries to close the distance and clinch but Babangida swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Daley fails with an attempt to clinch.
Babangida swats away the attempt to clinch by Daley.

Daley moves into the clinch.
Daley with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Babangida tries to circle away but Daley has him pinned against the cage.
Daley unloads a knee to the mid-section. Babangida lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Daley has Babangida pressed against the cage.
Daley comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.

It looks like Tijani Babangida has been cut.
Daley with a knee to the head.
Daley lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Daley using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Babangida has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Babangida is trying to force a seperation but Daley has the dominant position.
Daley with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Daley utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
A knee to the head by Daley.
A knee to the head by Daley.
Daley misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Babangida.
A knee to the head by Daley.
Babangida tries to circle away but Daley has him pinned against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Daley lands a knee to the body.
Babangida looks gassed!
Daley lands a nice elbow.
Daley with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Daley throws a knee to the head but misses.
Daley with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Babangida is looking to break free of the clinch but Daley has double underhooks.
The referee calls for Daley to work.
Babangida blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Daley throws an elbow but it misses.
Daley with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Daley avoiding damage.
Daley tries to land a knee to the head but Babangida blocks with his arms.
Daley is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Daley misses with a knee to the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Paul Daley dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Tijani Babangida's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

Babangida misses with a series of wild punches.
Daley dodges the punch combination from Babangida.
Daley tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Daley moves into range and clinches up with Babangida.
Daley connects with a knee to the head.
Daley throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Knees in the clinch landing for Daley.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Daley taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Daley with a knee to the head.
Daley tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Daley landing knees to the head.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Daley tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Daley lands an elbow that stopped Babangida in his tracks for a moment.

That has opened up Tijani Babangida's cut even more.
Daley with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Babangida managing to block the knees to the body from Daley.
Daley with a knee to the head.
Daley tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Daley trying to land knees to the body.
Daley misses with a knee strike.
Babangida has had enough of the clinch but Daley keeps him there for the moment.
Daley pushes off an throws an elbow but Babangida leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Daley pushes off an throws an elbow but Babangida leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Daley taking a break, stalling in the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Daley scores with a knee to the head.
Daley misses with a knee to the head.
Daley tries to land a knee to the head but Babangida blocks with his arms.
Babangida is trying to break the clinch but Daley has him pressed against the cage.
Babangida is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Daley throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Babangida blocks it with crossed arms.
Daley has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Daley has Babangida pressed against the cage, preventing Babangida from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Daley prevents Babangida from breaking the clinch.
Daley is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Babangida is looking to break free of the clinch but Daley has double underhooks.
Daley misses with a knee strike.
Babangida has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Babangida tries to break the clinch but Daley is controlling the position.
Daley tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Babangida is trying to break free.
Daley pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Babangida wants to get back to striking at distance but Daley won't allow it.
Daley keeps control of Babangida as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Daley taking a breather.
Daley throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Babangida blocks it with crossed arms.
Babangida blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Daley tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Babangida avoids it.
Daley unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Babangida working hard to break the clinch.
Daley has Babangida pressed against the cage, preventing Babangida from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Daley misses with a knee to the head.
Babangida has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Babangida wants to get back to striking at distance but Daley won't allow it.
Daley with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Babangida is trying to break free.
Daley using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Babangida has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Daley trying to stall but Babangida improves his position.
Babangida tries to break free but Daley pushes him back against the cage.
Daley with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Daley keeps control of Babangida as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
A frustrated look appears on Babangida's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Babangida wants to get back to striking at distance but Daley won't allow it.
Daley landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Babangida tries to circle away but Daley has him pinned against the cage.
Daley with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Daley throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Babangida blocks it with crossed arms.
Babangida is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Babangida tries to circle away but Daley has him pinned against the cage.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Babangida wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Daley has him pressed against the cage.
Babangida is trying to break the clinch but Daley has him pressed against the cage.
Babangida has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Babangida on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Paul Daley dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Tijani Babangida's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Babangida works over Daley's head and body with a nice combination.
Daley wants to clinch.
Daley tries to clinch but Babangida moves out of range.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Daley wants to clinch.
Babangida looks to land a combination but Daley avoids it well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Babangida.
Daley tries to clinch but Babangida moves out of range.
Daley tries to clinch but Babangida moves out of range.
Babangida keeps the fight on the outside.
Babangida throws a right and a left that both miss.

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.
Babangida misses with a two punch combination.
Daley tries to close the distance and clinch up but Babangida swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Daley tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Babangida paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Babangida throws a right hand that Daley ducks under and follows up with a left that Daley also avoids with ease.
Babangida throws a series of punches but Daley moves out of range.
Babangida looks to land a combination. Daley sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Babangida tries a head kick but it misses.
Paul Daley is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Babangida tries a head kick but it misses.
Babangida misses with the combination.
Babangida misses with the combination.
Babangida lands a nice shot that snaps Daley's head back.
Daley tries to clinch up.

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.
Babangida throws out a leg kick but Daley moves out of range and Babangida only half commits.
Babangida keeps the fight on the outside.
Babangida throws a series of punches but Daley moves out of range.
Babangida fails to land with a series of punches.
Paul Daley is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
A combination from Babangida does no damage.
Babangida throws a right hand that Daley ducks under and follows up with a left that Daley also avoids with ease.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Daley doesn't manage to clinch there - Babangida circles away.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tijani Babangida comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Daley has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Illya Tyunina scores the fight 29:28
Judge Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 29:28
Judge Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Paul Daley!