PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Thad Backer (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Paul Baller (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Backer's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Hell Yeah. Baller has chosen Helicopter, made of meat! as his entrance music. Paul Baller will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Backer
vs
Baller

191 cm
21
260 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

225 cm
33
275 lbs
21 - 21 - 0

Good wrestling
Dangerous knees
Very strong

BJJ Brown Belt
Decent boxing
Powerful

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 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Thad Backer!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 21 - 21 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Paul Baller!
The judges for this bout are Marco Blurström, Matti Vanhoillinen and Johanna Lukiainen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Baller jabs away that one connects to the head of his opponent.

Backer clinches.
Baller tries to work over Backer's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Baller misses with a short punch on the inside.
Backer tries to land a knee to the head but Baller blocks with his arms.
Backer misses with a knee to the head.
Baller swings wildly with an uppercut but Backer uses good head movement to avoid it.
Backer throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Baller blocks it with crossed arms.
Baller goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Backer tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Baller is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Backer throws a knee to the head but misses.
Backer scores with a knee to the head.
Backer with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.

It looks like Paul Baller has been cut.
Backer blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Backer with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Backer lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Baller struggles to land a body shot inside as Backer controls his hands.
Baller misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Backer misses with a knee strike.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Backer with a knee to the head.
Backer gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Backer connects with a nasty looking knee right to Baller's face.
Backer pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Backer throws a knee to the head but misses.
Backer lands an elbow inside that Baller shrugs off.
Backer using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Baller has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Backer throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Baller is trying to maintain a safe position but Backer gets an underhook and turns Baller into the cage.
Baller misses with a punch on the inside.
Backer lands a damaging elbow.

That has opened up Paul Baller's cut even more.
Backer tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Backer looking to throw knees to the head but Baller is blocking nicely.
Baller struggles to land a body shot inside as Backer controls his hands.
Baller takes an elbow to the forehead.
Backer using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Baller has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Backer lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Baller is looking to control Backer's arms but Backer gets an underhook and turns him. Now Baller has his back to the cage.
Backer throws a knee to the head but misses.
Backer is breathing heavily.
Baller tries to work over Backer's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Backer using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Baller has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Backer misses with a knee strike.
Baller stalling in the clinch but Backer improves position.
Backer misses with a knee to the head.
Baller misses with a short punch on the inside.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Backer misses with a knee strike.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Backer throws a knee to the head but misses.
Backer with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Backer tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Baller fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Backer with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Backer blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Backer tries a knee to the head but Baller blocks it.
Backer blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Baller tries a body shot but Backer blocks it.
Baller is looking to control Backer's arms but Backer gets an underhook and turns him. Now Baller has his back to the cage.
Baller misses with a short punch on the inside.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Backer with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Baller swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Backer pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Baller swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Backer with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Baller goes for a body shot but it's blocked.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Backer throws a knee to the head but misses.
Baller lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Baller lands a body shot.
Backer blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Baller misses with some punches.
Backer using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Baller has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Baller trying to stall but Backer improves his position.
Backer looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Baller lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Backer throws a knee to the head but misses.
Backer blocking some punches.
Backer looking to throw knees to the head but Baller is blocking nicely.
Baller misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Baller lands a left hand.
Baller swings wildly with an uppercut but Backer uses good head movement to avoid it.
Backer misses with a knee strike.
Backer lands an elbow that stopped Baller in his tracks for a moment.
Baller misses with the head strike.
Backer misses with a knee strike.
With the fighters up against the cage, Backer throws an elbow but misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Backer pushes off an throws an elbow but Baller leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Backer tries to land a knee to the head but Baller blocks with his arms.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Baller doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Backer looking to throw knees to the head but Baller is blocking nicely.
Baller misses with a hook from the clinch.
Baller cracks Backer with a nice body shot.
Baller can't find room to land a body shot as Backer controls the action.
Baller swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Baller has a couple of punches blocked by Backer.
Baller is looking to control Backer's arms but Backer gets an underhook and turns him. Now Baller has his back to the cage.
Baller misses with a punch on the inside.
Baller misses with a shot to the kidneys.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Baller throws a punch but it's blocked by Backer.
Baller misses with a body punch.
Backer gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Baller lands a nice uppercut.
Baller can't find room to land a body shot as Backer controls the action.
Baller swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Baller can't find room to land a body shot as Backer controls the action.
Backer throws a knee to the head but misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Thad Backer will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Paul Baller'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.

Backer keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Backer uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Baller.
Backer blocks a head kick by Baller.
Backer tries to clinch up.
Baller throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Backer doesn't manage to clinch there - Baller circles away.
Backer walks into a left hand.
Baller throws out a powerful jab.
Backer tries to clinch there but Baller circles away.
The fighters circling - Baller throws out the jab but it was never going to land.

Backer scores with a takedown into Baller's guard.
Baller looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Baller has a closed guard, preventing Backer from standing up.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Baller looking to try and escape his hips here, looking for a submission. It looks like he's going for a triangle but Backer is defending well. Baller quickly switches to an armbar and extends the arm! Backer has no choice but to tap, to a very quick submission! Wow, that was lightning fast! Baller celebrates on the cage, with the crowd.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:19 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Paul Baller!
An out of breath Paul Baller thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.