PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Stratos Papaioannou (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bubba Joe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Papaioannou
vs
Joe

188 cm
22
215 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

205 cm
20
255 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter striker
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Stratos Papaioannou!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Bubba Joe!
The judges for this bout are George Francis, Gwen Towbar and Wesley Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Horrible takedown by Papaioannou or perhaps it was just good defense by Joe which made him look bad.
Joe misses with a few strikes there.
Joe looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

Joe tries to keep at a distance but Papaioannou has taken the fight into the clinch.
Joe just leaning against Papaioannou, taking a breather.
Joe looking to stall.

Papaioannou gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Papaioannou seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.

Papaioannou is trying to work for a kimura. He's got his hands clasped together - this could be trouble! No, Joe has managed to free his arm - good work.
Joe keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Joe has hold of Papaioannou's hands but Papaioannou slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Joe pushes Papaioannou off looking to stand but Papaioannou dives back in and keeps control.
Joe wants to get back to full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Papaioannou not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Joe misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Papaioannou wants to lay and pray for a moment but Joe keeps working.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Papaioannou dodges the punch combination from Joe.
Bubba Joe seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Papaioannou drives through with a takedown into guard.
Papaioannou pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Joe is keeping the position for now.
Papaioannou has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Papaioannou working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Joe keeping moving, preventing Papaioannou from controlling successfully.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Joe pushes Papaioannou off and gets back to his feet.
Papaioannou throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Joe.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Papaioannou shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Papaioannou was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Joe tries to hold on but Papaioannou postures up.
Papaioannou trying to control but he's not successful this time.
A nice elbow there by Papaioannou.
Joe swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.
Papaioannou working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Joe's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.
Papaioannou postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Joe looks a forlorn figure.
Papaioannou cracks Joe with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Papaioannou takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Joe is bucking up trying to escape but Papaioannou cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Papaioannou putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Papaioannou won't let Joe get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.
Joe looks gassed!
Papaioannou pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Joe is looking to improve his position but Papaioannou isn't that keen on the idea.
Papaioannou postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Joe looks a forlorn figure.
Papaioannou with a couple of short strikes.
A nice elbow there by Papaioannou.
Papaioannou with good strikes from the mount here!
Joe is in a horrible position here. Papaioannou smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Papaioannou lands a big shot there that rocks Joe but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Papaioannou controlling the position easily from mount.
Joe taking shots to the head.
Joe trying desperately to get to his feet.
Papaioannou lands with some strikes.
Papaioannou pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Joe is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.
Papaioannou lands a big shot there that rocks Joe but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Papaioannou scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Papaioannou landing strikes from the mount.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Papaioannou wants to control the pace but Joe is squirming around nicely.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Stratos Papaioannou dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Excellent takedown into side control there by Papaioannou.
Joe gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Joe regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Papaioannou.
Joe looking to hit a scissor sweep but Papaioannou is one step ahead there.
Joe wants to stand but Papaioannou is controlling the position.
Papaioannou stopping the sweep attempt from Joe.
Joe is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Papaioannou looking to sit in guard and control but Joe gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Joe with a nice head shot there.
Papaioannou trying to strike off his back.
Joe trying to control but Papaioannou is working from the bottom.
Joe wants to stand but Papaioannou has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Papaioannou wants to sweep here but Joe controlling him for the moment.
Papaioannou is striking from the bottom but Joe uses the opportunity to pass into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Papaioannou is looking to improve his position.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Papaioannou punching from the bottom.
Papaioannou is looking to improve his position.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Joe with a lazy takedown attempt

and Papaioannou counters with a takedown into side control.
Joe tries to bench press Papaioannou off him but Papaioannou keeps the position.
Joe manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Papaioannou is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Papaioannou has a hand on Joe's thigh, trying to get back to full guard. Joe takes advantage of the position though and mounts him!

Papaioannou bucks Joe off and manages to get back to his feet!
Joe throws a body punch but Papaioannou moves out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Papaioannou on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Joe thuds a left hand into Papaioannou's body.
Papaioannou shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Joe but Joe pushes him off and we're back to square one.

Joe drives through and clinches with Papaioannou against the cage.

Papaioannou turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!
Papaioannou trying to control the position but Joe is working away.
Papaioannou landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Papaioannou lands a few punches from side control.
Papaioannou trying to control the action but Joe is working from the bottom.
Papaioannou lands a decent elbow from side control.
Papaioannou scoring with punches from side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Papaioannou wants to lay and pray for a moment but Joe keeps working.
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.
Stratos Papaioannou overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Papaioannou connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Joe some visible discomfort.
Papaioannou scores with a couple of short elbows.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for leaving it all in the cage!
Joe is working to avoid the ground and pound but Papaioannou connects with a decent elbow.
Papaioannou prevents Joe from escaping the position.
Joe takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Papaioannou is chipping away with strikes.
Papaioannou throwing ground and pound but whilst doing so, he forgets to control position and Joe works his way back to half guard. Good composure under pressure.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Joe moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Joe 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.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Stratos Papaioannou dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Papaioannou blocks a leg kick.
Papaioannou shoots for a double leg takedown but Joe sprawls well. He's pushed Papaioannou's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Joe misses with a series of wild punches.
Papaioannou moves away from the strike by Joe.
Joe doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Papaioannou counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Joe's guard now.
Papaioannou is in close to Joe's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Papaioannou in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Joe manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Papaioannou manages to get himself to full guard.
Joe distracts Papaioannou with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Joe wants to stand but Papaioannou has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Joe wants to control from the top but Papaioannou keeps moving.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Papaioannou throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Joe trying to control the position from guard on top but Papaioannou is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Papaioannou throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Joe wants to stand and escape but instead Papaioannou has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Papaioannou might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Papaioannou tries to free his leg and advance position but Joe is retaining full guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Joe gets caught flat footed, as Papaioannou shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Papaioannou slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Papaioannou working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Joe's head.
Joe keeping moving, preventing Papaioannou from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Papaioannou prevents Joe from getting back to his feet.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Papaioannou's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Joe is on top in guard.
Joe trying to stand up but can't free himself from Papaioannou's guard.
Joe trying to control the position from guard on top but Papaioannou is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Joe would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

Joe stands up and waves to Papaioannou to follow him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Joe throws a nice looking combination but Papaioannou bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Joe wants to clinch but Papaioannou slips to the side

and Papaioannou counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Joe is on top in guard.
Papaioannou not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Papaioannou is looking to sweep but instead, Joe has passed into half guard.

Joe decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.

Papaioannou changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Joe looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Papaioannou is looking to take a break and control but Joe is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Papaioannou scores with punches from side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Papaioannou working the head with strikes.
Papaioannou cracks Joe with an elbow. That is naaassty.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Papaioannou in side control lands a decent elbow.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Papaioannou tries to move to mount but Joe blocks the move with his legs.
Joe struggling a bit here.
Papaioannou works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Papaioannou with the ground and pound but Joe regains half guard under the barage of strikes.
Joe is looking to escape.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Papaioannou trying to control from half guard but Joe is working away.
Bubba Joe has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Joe actively working from the bottom here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Stratos Papaioannou showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Papaioannou, 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 George Francis scores the fight 30:27
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 30:27
Judge Wesley Smith scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Stratos Papaioannou!