PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Antonio Paulo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Steven Taylor (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Antonio Paulo has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Paulo
vs
Taylor

173 cm
24
160 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

178 cm
24
160 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

Decent wrestler
Solid Muay Thai
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the lightweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Antonio Paulo!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Steven Taylor!
The judges for this bout are Michael Johnstone, Winston Alpacca and Sandra Marshall.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Taylor tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Paulo counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Paulo bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Taylor's head backwards.
Taylor tries to clinch but Paulo moves away

and Paulo counters by moving into the clinch.
Nice elbow from Taylor.
Paulo cracks Taylor with a nice body shot.
Taylor is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Taylor tries to land a knee to the head but Paulo blocks with his arms.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Paulo tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Taylor putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Paulo in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Taylor tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Taylor tries to land knees in the clinch but Paulo avoids the damage to the body.
Taylor looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Paulo lands on the inside with an uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Paulo.

Paulo's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Taylor looks to clinch

and Paulo moves into the clinch.
Paulo definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Paulo.
Taylor taking a breather.
Taylor throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Paulo blocks it with crossed arms.
Paulo tries to work over Taylor's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Taylor looking to throw knees to the head but Paulo is blocking nicely.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Paulo managing to block the knees to the body from Taylor.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Taylor misses with a knee strike.
Paulo lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Taylor backwards.
Paulo being controlled against the cage.
Paulo is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Taylor missing with knees to the body.
Paulo tries to work over Taylor's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Taylor is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Taylor missing with knees to the body.
Paulo has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
With the fighters up against the cage, Taylor throws an elbow but misses.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Taylor obliges.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Paulo on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Paulo is trying to push Taylor away but Taylor has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Come on Taylor - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Taylor misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Paulo.
Taylor lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Paulo stalling in the clinch but Taylor improves position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taylor misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Paulo.
Paulo blocks an elbow strike.
Paulo blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Paulo lands a body punch in the clinch.
Taylor with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Taylor lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Taylor with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Taylor is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Paulo is defending well for now.
Paulo lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Taylor backwards.
Taylor leaning his opponent against the cage.
Paulo avoiding damage as Taylor throws knees to the body.
Taylor stalling in the clinch.
Paulo pushes Taylor back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Taylor looking to stall.
Taylor with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Taylor prevents Paulo from breaking the clinch.
Paulo avoids the elbow strike from Taylor, against the cage.
Taylor pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Paulo misses with a short punch on the inside.
Taylor crunches a lovely knee into Paulo's ribcage.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Paulo tries to circle away but Taylor has him pinned against the cage.
Taylor lands an elbow inside.

It looks like Antonio Paulo has been cut.
Taylor prevents Paulo from breaking the clinch.
Taylor has Paulo pressed against the cage, preventing Paulo from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Paulo blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Paulo drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Taylor gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Taylor is trying to stall.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Steven Taylor dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Antonio Paulo's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Paulo throws a nice inside leg kick.
Paulo fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Taylor manages to avoid it.
Paulo pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Paulo turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Taylor tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Paulo counters with a nice low kick that buckles Taylor's knee momentarily.
Antonio Paulo seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Taylor wants to clinch.
Paulo keeps the fight on the outside.
Paulo keeps the fight on the outside.
Paulo misses with a head kick.
Paulo tries a head kick but it misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Paulo tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Paulo circles away from the clinch attempt.
Taylor tries to close the distance and clinch but Paulo swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Taylor tries to clinch up but Paulo circles away and keeps his distance.
Paulo thows a body kick. Taylor tries to catch it but that hurt him.
Paulo avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Taylor wants to clinch but Paulo slips to the side
and Paulo counters with a nice body kick.
Taylor tries to clinch up but Paulo circles away and keeps his distance.
Taylor takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.

Taylor gets a clinch.
Taylor is pushing Paulo up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
A frustrated look appears on Paulo's face as he tries to break the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Taylor with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Taylor connects with a knee to the head.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Taylor.
Paulo can't break the clinch.
Taylor lands an elbow just above Paulo 's eye.
Paulo can't break the clinch.
Paulo managing to block the knees to the body from Taylor.
Taylor pushes off an throws an elbow but Paulo leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Paulo is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Taylor is defending well for now.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Paulo has had enough of the clinch but Taylor keeps him there for the moment.
Taylor trying to land knees to the body.
Paulo can't find room to land a body shot as Taylor controls the action.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Taylor slows down the pace here.
Paulo lands a hook that snaps the head of Taylor backwards.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Paulo managing to block the knees to the body from Taylor.
A frustrated look appears on Paulo's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Taylor tries to land knees in the clinch but Paulo avoids the damage to the body.
Taylor stalling the fight.
Taylor stalling in the clinch but Paulo improves position.
Taylor misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Paulo.

Paulo manages to break the clinch.
Paulo misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Paulo circles away from the clinch attempt.
Steven Taylor is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Paulo throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Taylor fails with an attempt to clinch.
Paulo throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Paulo lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Taylor at a distance.
Paulo pulls out of a head kick attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Paulo throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
Taylor blocks a head kick by Paulo.
Paulo misses with a body kick.
Paulo misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Paulo thows a leg kick but Taylor checks it

and Taylor holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Paulo.
Taylor with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Paulo goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Taylor with a knee to the head.
Paulo dodges an elbow strike from Taylor.
Paulo misses with a hook to the ribs.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Taylor looking to throw knees to the head but Paulo is blocking nicely.
Paulo avoiding damage as Taylor throws knees to the body.
Paulo lands a right hand that snaps the head of Taylor backwards.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Antonio Paulo will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Antonio Paulo's cut.
That's time! Paulo's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Taylor steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Paulo.
Taylor tries to clinch
and Paulo counters with a head kick.
Antonio Paulo is winning the standup battle so far.
A head kick misses from Paulo.
Paulo throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Paulo swings for the body but Taylor moves out of range.
Taylor tries to clinch up but Paulo circles away and keeps his distance.
Taylor blocks a head kick by Paulo.
Paulo misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Taylor tries to clinch there but Paulo circles away.
Paulo throws a head kick that misses.
Paulo throws a big shot that misses.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Taylor is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Taylor wants to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Taylor avoids the head kick by Paulo.
Paulo avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Horrible takedown by Paulo or perhaps it was just good defense by Taylor which made him look bad.
Taylor is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Taylor is looking to clinch.
Taylor tries to clinch up
and Paulo counters with a head kick.
A nice leg kick lands there from Paulo.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Taylor closes the distance but Paulo moves to the side
and Paulo counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.

Taylor closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Taylor throws a knee to the head but misses.

Paulo breaks from the clinch.
Paulo finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Paulo is looking to wear down Taylor with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Taylor tries to close the distance and clinch but Paulo swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Paulo misses with a head kick.
Paulo throws a head kick that misses.
Taylor tries to clinch up but Paulo circles away and keeps his distance.
Good work by Taylor as he checks the leg kick.
Paulo circles away from the clinch attempt.
Taylor tries to clinch up
and Paulo counters with a body kick that stops Taylor in his tracks momentarily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taylor tries to clinch but Paulo is having none of it.
Taylor tries to clinch but Paulo moves away
and Paulo counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Paulo keeps the fight on the outside.
Paulo lands an overhand right.
Paulo circles away from the clinch attempt.
Paulo lands with a slapping head kick.

Taylor is rocked!
Paulo throws a head kick that misses.
Taylor is still on wobbly legs! Can Paulo finish him?
Paulo cracks Taylor with a right hand to the side of the head.
Taylor closes the distance but Paulo moves to the side
and Paulo scores with a counter punch that sends Taylor to the canvas! Paulo smells blood - he's punishing Taylor with more strikes and the ref has stopped it! Taylor has no idea where he is - he's tackled the ref... oh dear, poor guy, the crowd is in hysterics!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:42 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Antonio Paulo!
Antonio Paulo retains his lightweight title!
A victorious Antonio Paulo thanked his army of followers in his post fight interview, telling people to make sure they follow him on Twitter.