PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Jean Pierre Babin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Melvin Manhoef (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Babin comes to the cage accompanied by Nutshot - Team Headkick. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Pierre Babin
vs
Manhoef

188 cm
32
193 lbs
22 - 6 - 0

184 cm
32
182 lbs
24 - 10 - 0

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

The Big Kabosh

The Big Kabosh
Zig Zapp

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the middleweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 22 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Jean Pierre Babin!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 24 - 10 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Melvin Manhoef!
The judges for this bout are Sam Margolis, James Ackerman and Daniel Bishop.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Babin misses the shot to the body.
Babin scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Babin takes a swing at Manhoef's ribcage but misses.
Babin throws a right hand that misses
and Manhoef counters with a nice low kick that buckles Babin's knee momentarily.
Manhoef bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.
Babin pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Manhoef wants to slow Babin down by chopping away at his legs.
Manhoef swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Manhoef checks a leg kick nicely.
A cross from Babin lands.
A looping hook to the body misses from Babin. Manhoef does a little dance to reset his feet.
Babin throws a hook but Manhoef blocks it.
Babin jabs away that one connects to the head of his opponent.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Babin scores with a body shot.
Babin throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Manhoef tries to land a body kick

and Babin counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Babin drops an elbow to the side of Manhoef's head.

Manhoef is rocked!

That's one minute gone in the round.
The fighters are battling for position here. Manhoef manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Manhoef is still in real trouble! Can Babin finish him?
Babin with a flurry of punches that miss.
Manhoef seems to have recovered his senses.
Babin is looking to work some ground and pound but Manhoef has wrist control.
Babin throwing strikes from guard but Manhoef blocks nicely.
Babin throwing strikes from guard but Manhoef blocks nicely.
Babin scoring with some ground and pound.
Manhoef looking to control.
Babin is looking to work some ground and pound but Manhoef has wrist control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Babin accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Babin passes into half guard.
Manhoef controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.
Manhoef is trying to stand up here but Babin is controlling him well.
Manhoef wants to sweep but Babin has passed to side control!
The ground and pound from Babin seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Manhoef is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Manhoef parries the strikes from Babin easily there. Babin is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Manhoef to escape.
Babin working the body and head with strikes.
Manhoef parries the strikes from Babin easily there. Babin is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Manhoef to escape.
Babin wants to control but Manhoef is keeping him busy.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Babin tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Babin cracks Manhoef with an elbow. That is naaassty.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Babin working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Babin 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.
Babin lands an elbow.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Babin working the ground and pound.
Manhoef stops Babin from passing to mount.
Babin works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Babin tries to score with some ground and pound. Manhoef controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Babin throws an elbow but Manhoef slips to the side and avoids it well.
Manhoef is not content to let Babin control the position.
Babin is working Manhoef over with some ground and pound from side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jean Pierre Babin dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Babin throws a body kick that misses.
Some bone on bone action there as Babin checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Manhoef darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Manhoef ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Babin moves away.
Manhoef changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Manhoef will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

Babin shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Manhoef is trying to defend but Babin finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Manhoef tries to kick Babin off but Babin keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Babin with the ground and pound but Manhoef uses the opportunity to regain guard.
Babin trying to control the position from guard on top but Manhoef is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Babin working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Babin chips away with some ground and pound.
Babin trying to control the position from guard on top but Manhoef is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Manhoef 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.
Babin keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Manhoef's head.
Babin landing with the ground and pound.
Babin throws an elbow that misses. Manhoef uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Babin's guard. Nice move by Manhoef!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Babin tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Babin controlling the position.
Manhoef stopping the sweep attempt from Babin.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Babin seems keen to control Manhoef's posture.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Babin manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Manhoef manages to get himself to full guard.
Babin with a flurry of punches that miss.
Babin throwing strikes but missing.
Babin throws a big elbow that misses.
Babin trying to move into half guard but instead Manhoef has managed to sweep!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Babin looking for a sweep. Not yet Babin, not yet.
Babin is trying to keep Manhoef in close.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Babin is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Manhoef is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Jean Pierre Babin wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Babin thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Manhoef if he has to take too many more of those.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jean Pierre Babin dominated that second round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Babin blocks a jab.
Manhoef tries to move into range but Babin moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Manhoef moves out of range of the strikes.
Babin throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Manhoef blocks a head kick by Babin.
Manhoef keeps Babin at a distance using the push kick.
Babin lands with a thumping leg kick.
Babin is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Manhoef can do to turn this around?
Babin blocks a head kick by Manhoef.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Babin crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Manhoef - the referee stops the clock and Babin gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Manhoef. Babin manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
Manhoef checks a leg kick.
Babin throws a shot from downtown. Manhoef moves away and avoids it.
Babin moves out of range of the strikes.
Babin fails with an attempt to clinch.
A low kick from Babin misses
and Manhoef counters with a good, hard body kick but Babin shrugs it off.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Manhoef moves out of range as Babin throws a body kick.
Melvin Manhoef seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Manhoef lands a nice leg kick that just misses Babin's sensitive parts.
Manhoef sizes up Babin with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Babin pushes Manhoef away with a front kick.
Babin throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Babin throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Manhoef on the side of the head.
Babin lands a nice looking body shot.
Manhoef checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Babin tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Babin changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Manhoef throws a leg kick but Babin sees it coming and moves out of range.
Babin throws a jab when Manhoef was well out of range.
Babin moves away from the strike by Manhoef.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Manhoef scores with a nice body kick.
Manhoef throws a low kick but it's checked well by Babin.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Babin fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Manhoef manages to avoid it.
Babin tests Manhoef's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Babin checks a leg kick.
Melvin Manhoef is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Babin with a nice cross.
Babin misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Babin shoots in for a takedown but Manhoef shows good takedown defense.
Babin works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Babin looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Manhoef pushes Babin away with a front kick.
Babin lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Manhoef is looking to land body kicks.
Manhoef motions for Babin to come forward. Manhoef throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Babin attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Manhoef pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Manhoef walks into a jab.
Babin connects with an inside leg kick.
Manhoef looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
A nice inside leg kick there by Manhoef. That's going to slow Babin down.
Babin attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Babin shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Manhoef dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Manhoef goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Babin tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Jean Pierre Babin is winning the standup battle so far.
Babin throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Manhoef misses with a hook. Babin ducked under it nicely.
Manhoef with a nice cross.
Babin misses the jab.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Manhoef lands with a kick to the temple. Babin shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Manhoef connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Babin connects with a right hand. Manhoef shakes it off.
Manhoef fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Babin is out of range.
Babin slips under a jab.
Manhoef throws a low kick but Babin moves out of range easily.
It looks like Babin has been trying to sharpen up his punching technique, as it looks crisper than last time we saw him.
Babin looks to score with a jab to the body but Manhoef is just out of range.
Babin will be looking to protect his midsection after taking some solid kicks to the body.
A telegraphed right hand from Manhoef misses the target.
Manhoef fakes the leg kick and cracks Babin in the body.
Babin just misses with a punch to the body.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Manhoef lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.
Babin wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Manhoef tries to land a leg kick but Babin saw it coming and moves away.
Manhoef throws a lazy right hand but Babin sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but Jean Pierre Babin did the better work so I'd imagine he'll take it.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Manhoef misses with a body shot
and Babin counters with a nice uppercut.
Babin misses with a low kick.
Manhoef chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Manhoef connects with an inside leg kick.
Manhoef lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Babin at a distance.
Babin misses with a body shot.
Babin with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
A low kick from Manhoef is predictable there

and Babin decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Manhoef's guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Manhoef holds on and takes a little breather.
Babin throwing strikes but missing.
Babin with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Babin postures up in Manhoef's guard and throws a big left but Manhoef blocks it.
Manhoef keeping moving, preventing Babin from controlling successfully.
Manhoef controls Babin momentarily but Babin frees himself.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Babin won't allow Manhoef to sweep him here.
Babin in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Manhoef preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Babin preventing the sweep.
Babin working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Babin trying to control but Manhoef is working from the bottom.
Babin throws an elbow that misses. Manhoef uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Babin's guard. Nice move by Manhoef!
Babin wants to sweep but no luck.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Babin trying to keep a closed guard but Manhoef is proving a slippery customer.
Babin seems keen to control Manhoef's posture.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Babin trying to control the position.

We're going to have a standup here because Jean Pierre Babin wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Babin throws a shot from downtown. Manhoef moves away and avoids it.
Manhoef on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Babin misses with a kick to the body.
Manhoef connects with a nice looking jab.
Manhoef lands with a right hand.
Manhoef connects with a body shot that sends Babin's belly button to the back.
Babin shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Manhoef as he avoids it easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Babin throws a sloppy head kick and Manhoef moves out of range easily.
Babin looks to land a right hand but Manhoef moved out of range.
Babin pulls out of a head kick attempt.
It's got to the stage where if one of these guys blows hard enough, the other might fall over.
A solid leg kick lands there for Manhoef.
A leg kick checked by Babin.
Manhoef defending well as Babin loads up on a big left hand.
Good shot there by Manhoef.
Manhoef throws a head kick that misses.
Babin lands a nice looking kick to the body. Manhoef takes a step back to recover.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Manhoef throws a head kick that Babin semi-blocks.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Manhoef pivots, looking for a leg kick but Babin is out of range and Manhoef settles back down.
Manhoef checks a leg kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jean Pierre Babin had his way with Melvin Manhoef in that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Manhoef dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Babin throws a body kick that misses.
Manhoef ducks under a wild hook from Babin.
Manhoef lands with a shot to the body.
Babin connects with a nice looking jab.
Babin fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Manhoef manages to avoid it.
Manhoef lands a jab to Babin's midsection.
Manhoef wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Manhoef walks into a left hand.
Manhoef goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Babin is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Babin throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Manhoef counters with a good low kick that Babin was not able to check.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A low kick from Manhoef is predictable there

and Babin counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Babin.
Both of our modern day gladiators look out of it here - a gruelling 5 rounds of action taking it's toll on them, no doubt.
Babin lands a couple of decent looking shots.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Babin throws a strike but Manhoef rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Manhoef stopping the sweep attempt from Babin.
Manhoef is looking to pass into half guard but Babin pushes him away with his feet and jumps on top - now Babin is in guard.
Babin landing with the ground and pound.
Melvin Manhoef has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Manhoef keeping moving, preventing Babin from controlling successfully.
Babin stands up over Manhoef, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Manhoef has momentary wrist control but Babin slips an elbow through the middle.
Babin postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.

Manhoef is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Babin working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Babin throws a big right hand that misses.
Manhoef is looking to stand up but Babin isn't so interested in that idea.
Manhoef keeping moving, preventing Babin from controlling successfully.
Babin throws a strike but Manhoef rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Babin seems keen to control Manhoef's posture.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

We're going to have a standup here because Jean Pierre Babin wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Manhoef scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Babin doesn't seem bothered though.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Manhoef, right into the meat.
A nice leg kick lands there from Manhoef.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jean Pierre Babin showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Babin 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 5 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Sam Margolis scores the fight 50:46
Judge James Ackerman scores the fight 50:45
Judge Daniel Bishop scores the fight 50:45

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jean Pierre Babin!
Jean Pierre Babin retains his middleweight title!
Jean Pierre Babin made sure to give a little speech post fight, saying 'Cannot anyone beat Jean Pierre so he can retire!?!'.