PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Billy Boyer (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gabriel Barbosa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Barbosa has chosen The Next Episode as his entrance music. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Boyer
vs
Barbosa

179 cm
25
245 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

200 cm
23
240 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter fighter
Tends to cut

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Billy Boyer!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Gabriel Barbosa!
The judges for this bout are Felipe Paraventi, Thiago Cunha and Daniel Cesar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Boyer drops Barbosa with a right and a left! Boyer comes rushing in but Barbosa regains his composure and manages to keep Boyer in guard.

Barbosa is rocked!

It looks like Gabriel Barbosa has been cut.
Boyer has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Boyer gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Barbosa is still on wobbly legs! Can Boyer finish him?

Boyer takes the fight into the clinch.
Boyer on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Barbosa drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Boyer breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Boyer looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Barbosa seems to have recovered his senses.

Boyer clinches up against the cage.

Boyer escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Boyer throws a head kick but Barbosa moves out of range.
Boyer could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Boyer lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Barbosa misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Boyer throws a lazy head kick
and Barbosa counters with a nice body shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Barbosa looking for submissions off his back.
Barbosa is looking to control Boyer's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Barbosa avoid being mounted?

Barbosa looking for submissions off his back.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.

Boyer stands up out of the half guard.
Boyer stuffs the takedown.
It looked like Boyer was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Billy Boyer has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Gabriel Barbosa.

Boyer shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Barbosa is trying to defend but Boyer finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Boyer seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Barbosa does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Boyer trying to pass the guard but Barbosa defending well.
Boyer wants to control but Barbosa is keeping him busy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Boyer wants to stand up but Barbosa has a hold of him and won't allow it.
Barbosa missing with punches from the bottom.
Boyer thows a huge punch but Barbosa dodges it nicely.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Barbosa is looking to improve his position.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Boyer pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Barbosa lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Good leg kick by Boyer there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Barbosa avoids a punch combination nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Boyer throws a left and a right that both miss
and Barbosa counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.

Boyer gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Boyer stops a takedown attempt from Barbosa.
Boyer using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Barbosa has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Barbosa jumps guard but Boyer stands there with Barbosa around his waist. Barbosa gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Barbosa tries for a takedown but Boyer manages to get underhooks.
Barbosa trying to land knees to the body.
Barbosa misses with an elbow over the top.

Boyer escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Billy Boyer dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Gabriel Barbosa's cut.
That's time! Boyer's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Boyer slaps away a takedown attempt from Barbosa, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Boyer is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Barbosa can do to turn this around?
Barbosa takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.

Boyer closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Barbosa did well to prevent Boyer getting side control.

Boyer is looking for a kimura here.
Boyer slows the pace down in half guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Barbosa trying to hold on to Boyer's head to control him but Boyer postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Boyer stands up from half guard.
No luck for Barbosa with that takedown attempt.
Billy Boyer seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Boyer throws a head kick that misses
and Barbosa counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Boyer defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Barbosa.
Billy Boyer has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Gabriel Barbosa.
Barbosa is breathing heavily.
Barbosa has a takedown stuffed.
Boyer pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Barbosa back to the cage. Boyer follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Boyer clinches with his opponent.

Boyer pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Boyer closes the distance and clinches.

Barbosa escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Boyer misses with a double jab.
Billy Boyer is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Boyer moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Boyer tries a head kick but it misses.
Boyer throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
Boyer scores with a nice body kick.
Barbosa sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Boyer clinches.

Boyer is trying to trip Barbosa. He has hold of a leg but Barbosa is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Boyer persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Boyer throwing strikes but missing.

Barbosa is working an open guard so Boyer takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.

Boyer lands a high kick to the side of Barbosa's head that stuns him and send him tumbling down to the canvas! Boyer dives into guard, looking to finish.
Boyer trying to control the position from guard on top but Barbosa is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Boyer is looking to stand up but Barbosa won't let him.
Boyer makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Boyer wanted to stand there but Barbosa had control of the position.

Barbosa is looking for a triangle but Boyer pushes his legs off easily.
Boyer trying to control the position from guard on top but Barbosa is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Boyer is looking to work some ground and pound but Barbosa has wrist control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Billy Boyer dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Gabriel Barbosa's cut.
That's time! Boyer's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Barbosa misses with a takedown attempt

and Boyer counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Boyer managing to block the knees to the body from Barbosa.

Boyer escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Barbosa shoots in looking for a takedown but Boyer manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Barbosa's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Boyer is looking for a counter combo.

Boyer fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Barbosa to the ground. Boyer is now in Barbosa's guard.
Boyer throws a big right hand that misses.

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

Barbosa being controlled here momentarily.
Barbosa takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Boyer 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.
Boyer is working hard here to advance position.
Barbosa would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

Boyer wriggles free and stands up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Boyer throws a head kick that misses.
Barbosa throws a counter combo.
No luck for Barbosa with that takedown attempt.
Billy Boyer has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Gabriel Barbosa.
Barbosa blocks a head kick by Boyer.
Barbosa tries to counter by closing the distance.
Barbosa slips a jab and a cross from Boyer.
Barbosa with a lazy takedown attempt

and Boyer moves into the clinch.
Barbosa is trying to stall.
Boyer dodges an elbow strike from Barbosa.

Barbosa jumps guard.
Boyer preventing the sweep.
Boyer might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Boyer works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Boyer with the ground and pound but Barbosa uses the opportunity to regain guard.
Barbosa keeping moving, preventing Boyer from controlling successfully.
Boyer throwing strikes but missing.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Barbosa looking to control.

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

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Boyer stands up and we're back to a striking position.

Boyer clinches.

Boyer is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. Barbosa can't fight it off and eventually Boyer manages to take the fight to the floor. Barbosa looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Barbosa keeping full guard, as Boyer tries to pass.
Gabriel Barbosa has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Billy Boyer is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Boyer showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Billy Boyer showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Boyer 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 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 30:26
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 30:26
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 30:26

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Billy Boyer!