PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Phoenix Templar (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Paco Picante (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Templar
vs
Picante

173 cm
19
167 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

180 cm
22
162 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Very quick

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

The Dark Side

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Phoenix Templar!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Paco Picante!
The judges for this bout are Eddie Farnsworth, Franklyn Lucas and Bruno Lombardi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Picante is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Picante is looking to clinch.
Templar swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Picante doesn't manage to clinch there - Templar circles away.
Picante looks to clinch

and Templar counters with a nice double leg into half guard.

Templar is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Picante avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Templar.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Templar not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Templar tries to pass the half guard into mount. Picante knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Picante tries to get to full guard but Templar has control of the leg.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Picante pushes Templar off looking to stand but Templar dives back in and keeps control.
Picante wants to get back to full guard.
Templar thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Picante's head.
Picante wants to get back to his feet.
Templar seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Picante tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Templar counters by clinching up.

Picante gets control of Templar's arms and successfully pulls guard. Picante will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Picante keeping full guard, as Templar tries to pass.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Templar controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Templar loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Picante controls Templar momentarily but Templar frees himself.
Templar loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Picante really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Templar. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Templar accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Picante can do anything to dispel that myth.
Templar prevents Picante from getting back to his feet.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Templar throws a big right hand that misses.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Templar jabs Picante right on the nose. Picante blinks but takes it well.
Picante throws a series of punches but Templar avoids them all with ease.
Picante tries to close the distance and clinch up but Templar swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Templar moves into the clinch.
I was talking to Templar's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Templar misses with a punch on the inside.
Picante tries to break free but Templar pushes him back against the cage.
Templar being controlled against the cage.
Picante lands a left hand.
Picante scores with a nice hook to the head.
Picante misses with a short punch on the inside.

Picante gets control of Templar's arms and successfully pulls guard. Picante will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Picante is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Picante preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Templar advances to half guard.
Picante is refusing to be controlled, as Templar sits in half guard.
Templar sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Picante defending well though.
Templar not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Picante blocking the ground and pound attempt from Templar.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Templar wants to pass to mount but Picante is defending the position.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Templar not landing any meaningful shots this time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Phoenix Templar dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Picante fails in his attempt to clinch.
Paco Picante is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Templar just misses with a punch to the body.
Paco Picante seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Picante wants to clinch
and Templar counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Templar swats away the attempt to clinch by Picante.
Templar fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Picante manages to avoid it.
Templar lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Picante throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Picante fails in his attempt to clinch.
Templar circles away from the clinch attempt

and Templar counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Templar postures up in Picante's guard and throws a big left but Picante blocks it.
Templar trying to control but Picante is working from the bottom.
Phoenix Templar overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Templar pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Picante is keeping the position for now.
Templar 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.
Templar is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Templar pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Picante is keeping the position for now.
Picante wants to stand and escape but Templar is having none of it.
Templar wants to control from the top but Picante keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Picante wants to stand and escape but Templar is having none of it.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Picante tries to clinch
enabling Templar to counter with a crisp jab.
Templar throws a wild body kick that Picante sees coming a mile off.

Picante forces Templar back against the cage and clinches.

Picante drags the fight down to the ground.
Picante can't keep his opponent in guard - Templar advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Picante is not content to let Templar control the position.
Templar not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Picante tries to kick Templar off but Templar keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Templar is trying to control the action in half guard but Picante is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Templar is really struggling to control Picante but he's trying to hold on to the position.
Templar content to control rather than advance.
Templar is just content to waste time from the top position. Picante takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.
Templar landing some decent shots from guard.
Templar lands a couple of decent looking shots.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Picante wants to stand up but Templar is controlling him.
Templar wants to control from the top but Picante keeps moving.
Templar pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Picante is keeping the position for now.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
The fight stays on the outside here - Picante looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Picante scores with a one two! Templar had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.

It looks like Phoenix Templar has been cut.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Picante feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.

Templar looking for a guillotine here but Picante defends easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Phoenix Templar dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Phoenix Templar'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. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Templar throws a body punch but Picante moves out of range.
Picante tries to clinch but Templar is having none of it.
Picante is looking to clinch.
Picante is looking to clinch.

Picante scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Templar wants to control but Picante is keeping busy and won't allow it.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Picante working his ground and pound in the gym. He isn't landing a great percentage of his ground strikes so far though.

Templar looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Templar actively working from the bottom here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Templar moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Picante throwing strikes from guard but Templar blocks nicely.
Picante tries to stand but Templar is controlling from the bottom.
Templar not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Picante is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Picante tries to close the distance and clinch up but Templar swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Picante closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Templar did well to prevent Picante getting side control.
Templar moves into full guard.

Picante got a little sloppy there for a moment and Templar has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Picante has managed to get both his arms back between Templar's legs - danger averted.

Templar looking for subs off his back but Picante has passed one foot through into half guard.

Templar is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Picante pulls his head out easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Templar is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Picante pulls his head out easily.

Templar is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Picante pulls his head out easily.
Templar slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

Templar is looking for a triangle here but Picante uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
Templar wants to control but Picante postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Templar is looking to regain half guard here but Picante keeps moving and retains side control.
Templar struggling a bit here.
Picante tries to get to his feet but he's trapped momentarily.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Templar manages to get back to half guard.
Paco Picante has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Templar is looking to control Picante's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Templar avoid being mounted?

And that's the end of the fight!
Paco Picante comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Templar has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Eddie Farnsworth scores the fight 29:28
Judge Franklyn Lucas scores the fight 29:28
Judge Bruno Lombardi scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Phoenix Templar!