PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between John Paula (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Giorgio Abbiati (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Paula comes to the cage accompanied by They Live. Abbiati is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Don't Speak - Eagles of Death Metal. This should be fireworks!

Paula
vs
Abbiati

176 cm
21
150 lbs
0 - 3 - 0

175 cm
19
155 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Intelligent

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 3 - 0, fighting out of New York, John Paula!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Giorgio Abbiati!
The judges for this bout are Yves DeLean, Dillan Fox and Ian Loll.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Paula keeps the fight on the outside.
Paula digs a good hook to Abbiati's body.

Abbiati moves into the clinch successfully.
Abbiati trying to stall but Paula improves his position.
Paula taking a breather.
Abbiati tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Paula's elbow.
Abbiati stops a takedown attempt from Paula.
Abbiati struggles to land a body shot inside as Paula controls his hands.

Paula gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Abbiati is not content to let Paula control the position.
Paula trying to advance position but Abbiati counters by regaining guard.
Abbiati pulls Paula in close to prevent any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Paula wanted to stand there but Abbiati had control of the position.
Paula trying to control the position from guard on top but Abbiati is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Abbiati uses the cage to get back to his feet.
Paula keeps the fight on the outside.
Abbiati misses with a jab, cross combination.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Paula fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Abbiati avoids it really well and circles away.
Abbiati looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

Paula closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Abbiati quickly recovers to half guard.
Abbiati keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.
Abbiati works his way to full guard. Good work.
Abbiati wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Paula pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Abbiati is keeping the position for now.
Abbiati keeping moving, preventing Paula from controlling successfully.

John Paula has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
No joy there for Abbiati, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Abbiati lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.

Paula is rocked!

It looks like John Paula has been cut.
Paula swats away the attempt to clinch by Abbiati.
Oh Paula is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!

Paula takes the fight into the clinch.
Paula seems to have got his legs back now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A short right from Abbiati.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Abbiati tries a body shot but Paula blocks it.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.

Paula breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Paula looks for a takedown but Abbiati sprawls well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for John Paula. That's going to take a lot out of him.
This has been an exciting period of action!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Paula shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Abbiati manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Paula stops Abbiati from standing up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Giorgio Abbiati will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on John Paula's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Abbiati tries to close the distance and clinch but Paula swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Abbiati closes the distance but Paula moves to the side

and Paula counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Abbiati missing with knees to the body.
Abbiati tries a body shot but Paula blocks it.
Paula prevents a body shot from Abbiati.
Abbiati taking a breather.
Abbiati lands a nice shot to the body.
Abbiati can't find room to land a body shot as Paula controls the action.
Abbiati lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Abbiati misses with a punch to the body.
Paula slowing the pace effectively.
Abbiati stalling in the clinch but Paula improves position.
Abbiati softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.

Paula breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Paula goes for a takedown in the clinch but Abbiati prevents it.
Abbiati works on Paula's body with a couple of short punches.
Abbiati is pushing Paula up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Abbiati goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Paula tries to pull guard but Abbiati forces him back to his feet, against the cage.

Paula manages to break the clinch.
Paula throws a head kick that half lands.
Abbiati doesn't manage to clinch there - Paula circles away.
Paula moves out of range of the body kick.
Abbiati fails to land with a series of punches.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Paula circles away from the clinch attempt.
Paula shoots for a takedown but Abbiati saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for John Paula. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Paula closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Abbiati did well to prevent Paula getting side control.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Abbiati is positioning himself well to prevent Paula advancing to mount.
Paula looks to land a strike but Abbiati avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
Abbiati utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Paula has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Paula looking to pass the guard.
Abbiati wants to stand and escape but Paula is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Abbiati lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Paula!
Abbiati content just to control the position here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Paula is wriggling around trying to escape.
Paula is trying to stand up.
Paula is in all sorts of trouble here.
John Paula overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Paula wants to hold on but Abbiati pushes him away.
Abbiati controlling the pace for now.
Abbiati's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Paula is trying to escape the mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Giorgio Abbiati showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on John Paula's cut.
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. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Abbiati fails in his attempt to clinch.
Abbiati fails with an attempt to clinch.
Paula showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Abbiati.
Nice sprawl there from Abbiati as Paula shoots in.
Paula avoids a punch combination nicely.
Some wild striking there from Abbiati.
Abbiati lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Paula circles away quickly and effectively.

Paula moves into the clinch successfully.
Paula goes for a takedown attempt but Abbiati pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Abbiati lands a nice shot that snaps Paula's head back.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Abbiati is looking to clinch but Paula is avoiding it.
Paula shoots in for a double leg but Abbiati sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for John Paula. That's going to take a lot out of him.
The fight stays on the outside here - Abbiati looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Abbiati misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Abbiati throws the kick towards the body but Paula avoids it.
Abbiati stuffs the takedown.
Abbiati tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Paula paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Abbiati throws a body punch but Paula moves out of range.
Giorgio Abbiati is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Paula swats away the attempt to clinch by Abbiati.
Abbiati doesn't manage to clinch there - Paula circles away.
Abbiati misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Paula.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
No joy there for Abbiati, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Paula misses with a takedown attempt - Abbiati sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Paula shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Abbiati but Abbiati pushes him off and we're back to square one.

Abbiati closes the distance and pushes Paula back into the cage.
Paula stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Abbiati misses with a punch to the body.
Abbiati tries to throw a body punch but Paula avoids it by throwing Abbiati back against the cage.
Abbiati displaying some good clinch control by pressing Paula up against the cage.
Paula drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Abbiati misses with a hook to the ribs.
Abbiati has Paula pushed against the cage.

Paula escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Paula circles away from the clinch attempt

and Paula counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Paula stalling away here and it's allowed Abbiati to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Paula trying to stand up but can't free himself from Abbiati's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Paula throws a strike but Abbiati rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
John Paula has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Abbiati sitting in guard here, content to control.
Abbiati preventing the sweep.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Abbiati controls from within his opponent's guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

And that's the end of the fight!
Giorgio Abbiati comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Abbiati 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 Yves DeLean scores the fight 27:30
Judge Dillan Fox scores the fight 27:30
Judge Ian Loll scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Giorgio Abbiati!
Giorgio Abbiati decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.