PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Bryan Bishop (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Paul Bourque (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Paul Bourque will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Bishop
vs
Bourque

172 cm
38
145 lbs
30 - 29 - 0

192 cm
42
156 lbs
45 - 25 - 0

Great wrestler
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Bad Man Clothing (Nothing Over $40)

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 30 - 29 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Bryan Bishop!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 45 - 25 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Paul Bourque!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Cesar, Emerson Jorge and Thiago Cunha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nice takedown defense from Bourque. No joy for Bishop on that attempt.
Bourque misses with a body shot.
Bourque misses with a looping right.
Bourque will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Bourque has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.
Bishop tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
A punch combination from Bourque misses.
Bishop ducks under a wild hook from Bourque.
Nice shot lands for Bourque.

Bishop looking to score a takedown here. Bourque is defending well but Bishop drives through and ends up in Bourque's guard.
Bourque trying to keep a closed guard but Bishop is proving a slippery customer.
Bishop looking to pass the guard.
Bishop controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bishop trying to control the position from guard on top but Bourque is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Bishop stays in close to Bourque's body and controls the position.
Bishop postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

Bishop shoots in and bounces Bourque off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Bourque tries to land a sweep but no joy.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bourque is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Bourque wants to stand up but Bishop has a hold of him and won't allow it.
Bourque is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Bishop regains full guard. Nicely done.
Bourque controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Bourque has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Bishop is proving hard to escape from.
Bishop is pulling down on Bourque's head. It's preventing any offense from Bourque, at least for the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Bishop is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Bourque is refusing to be controlled, as Bishop sits in half guard.
Bishop is really struggling to control Bourque but he's trying to hold on to the position.
Bishop throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Bourque has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Bishop is working away from the top position though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Bishop stalling.
Bourque is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Bishop is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Bishop thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bryan Bishop dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Bourque connects with a right hand. Bishop shakes it off.
Bryan Bishop is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Bishop tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Bourque defends well and Bishop ends up having to push Bourque into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Bourque is trying to break free.
Bourque pushes Bishop back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Bourque is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Bishop is trying to pull guard but Bourque turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bryan Bishop. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Bourque breaks the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Bourque moves into the clinch successfully.
Bishop is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.

Bourque's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bourque jabs Bishop to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Bourque misses with an uppercut. Bishop saw that one coming.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Bishop uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Bourque.
Bourque lands a jab to Bishop's midsection.
Bourque lands a body shot.
Bishop dives in and grabs Bourque's left leg, looking for a takedown. Bourque pushes down on Bishop's head and hops out.
Bishop shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Bourque as he jumps to the side.

Bishop looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Bourque!
Bourque struggling a bit here.
Bourque is not content to let Bishop control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bishop content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bourque is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Bourque scores with a jab to the jaw.

Bishop closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Bourque to the mat! Bourque manages to get full guard.
Bourque tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Bourque working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Bishop.
Bishop might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bourque keeping moving, preventing Bishop from controlling successfully.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Bishop throwing strikes from guard but Bourque blocks nicely.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Bryan Bishop overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Bishop scoring with punches to the head and body.
Bourque keeping moving, preventing Bishop from controlling successfully.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Paul Bourque showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Bourque lands a jab to the head.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Bourque checks a leg kick.
Bourque misses with a body shot.
Bishop ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Paul Bourque seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Bourque throws a hook but Bishop blocks it.
Bishop has a takedown stuffed.
Bourque is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Bourque swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Bourque just misses with a punch to the body.
Bishop looks to score with a jab to the body but Bourque is just out of range.
Bishop throws a low kick but it's checked well by Bourque.
Bourque looks to score with a jab to the body but Bishop is just out of range.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bishop closes this distance looking for a takedown but Bourque circles away.
Bourque misses with a straight right.
Bishop goes for a double leg but Bourque avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Bourque continues to drive forward.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bryan Bishop. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Bourque working hard to break the clinch.
Bishop drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Bourque's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Bishop manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Bourque on his heels. He'll look to pass Bourque's guard now, I'm sure.
Bishop postures up in Bourque's guard and throws a big left but Bourque blocks it.
Bishop trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Bishop trying to control but Bourque is working from the bottom.
Bishop engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bishop is looking to work some ground and pound but Bourque has wrist control.

Bishop drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Bourque manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Bishop has Bourque in his guard.

Bishop keeping moving, preventing Bourque from controlling successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bourque wants to stand but Bishop is controlling his posture from full guard.

Bourque stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Bishop misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Bourque lands with a right hand.
Bourque throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Bourque lands an overhand right.
Bourque wants to clinch.
Paul Bourque is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Bishop is defended easily by Bourque.
Bishop shoots in but Bourque avoids the takedown attempt easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bishop doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Bourque tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Bourque bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Bishop shoots in and drives through. Bourque sprawls well.

Bishop shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Bourque's guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Bishop wants to control from the top but Bourque keeps moving.
Bourque looking for a sweep. Not yet Bourque, not yet.
Bishop trying to control the position from guard on top but Bourque is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Bourque tries to land a sweep but no joy.

And that's the end of the fight!
Paul Bourque comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Bourque has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Daniel Cesar scores the fight 28:29
Judge Emerson Jorge scores the fight 28:29
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Paul Bourque!
Paul Bourque seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.