PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Finn Balor (ranked 1885 p4p, 207 weight class) and Rick Patton (ranked 3703 p4p, 361 weight class). Balor comes to the cage accompanied by Monster. Rick Patton has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Finn Balor's chin.

Balor
vs
Patton

172 cm
43
152 lbs
35 - 19 - 1

172 cm
41
155 lbs
21 - 21 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
KO power

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Zenith Nutrition (160q/225$)

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 35 - 19 - 1, fighting out of St Petersburg, Finn Balor!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 21 - 21 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Rick Patton!
The judges for this bout are Emerson Jorge, Paulo Santos and Alexandre Firmino.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Patton fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Balor throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Balor.
Balor lands a jab to the head.
Balor tries to close the distance and clinch up but Patton swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Patton lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Balor at a distance.
Patton works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Patton lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Balor circles away quickly and effectively.
It looked like Balor wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Patton on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Patton throws a hook to the side of Balor's head but Balor sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.

Balor feints and as Patton raises his hands in defense, Balor changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Patton looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Balor puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Patton is trying to control but can't.
Balor wants to take a breather but Patton is having none of it.
Patton tries to roll over but Balor keeps him under control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Balor trying to mount his opponent but Patton defends it.
Balor sitting and controlling from the half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balor winds up and cracks Patton with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Balor trying to control the pace.
Patton is trying to maintain the position but Balor is very close to passing his half guard.
Patton keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.
Patton wants to control but Balor is keeping busy.
Balor lands with a punch from half guard.

Patton looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Balor sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Patton defending well though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Balor throwing shots but Patton is blocking nicely.
Still in half guard, Balor seems content to control.
Patton is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Balor thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Patton's head.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Balor lands a nice short elbow.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Balor lands a nice short elbow.
Patton tries to get to full guard but Balor has control of the leg.
Patton taking some punishment here, with Balor in his half guard.
Patton wants to get back to full guard.
Balor lands with a punch from half guard.
Balor wants to pass to mount but Patton is defending the position.
Patton keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Balor throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Patton is pressing down on Balor's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Balor postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Patton looking to hit a scissor sweep but Balor is one step ahead there.
Patton pulls Balor in close to prevent any damage.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Patton is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Balor defends well.
Balor preventing the sweep.
Balor controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Patton pulls Balor in to control the position.
Patton wants to sweep but no luck.
Balor scoring with some ground and pound.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Patton holds on and takes a little breather.
Balor trying to control but Patton is working from the bottom.

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.
Patton 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.
Balor distracts Patton with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Patton tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Patton is trying to keep Balor in close.
Patton preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Balor keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Patton's head.
Balor trying to control the position from guard on top but Patton is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Patton pulls Balor in close to prevent any damage.
Patton keeping moving, preventing Balor from controlling successfully.
Patton working a defensive guard here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Finn Balor dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Good standup being displayed there by Balor as he connects with a hook.
Patton slips a straight right by Balor.
Patton scores with a nice head shot.
A looping hook to the body misses from Patton. Balor does a little dance to reset his feet.
Balor feinted there with a counter leg kick.

Balor clinches with his opponent.
Patton misses with a hook to the ribs.
Balor trying to land knees to the body.
Balor struggles to land a body shot inside as Patton controls his hands.
Patton misses with a body punch.
Patton doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
A short left from Patton.
Patton tries a body shot but Balor blocks it.
Balor lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Patton backwards.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Patton breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Patton tries for a takedown but Balor circles away easily
and Patton takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Balor attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Patton swings away with a body shot that misses
and Balor counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Balor misses with a head kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Patton lands a slapping body shot.
Balor keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Balor tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Patton was well out of range. Poor timing from Balor.
Patton works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Balor is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Balor ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Balor avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Balor was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Patton swings for the body but Balor moves out of range.
Patton looks to score with a jab to the body but Balor is just out of range.

Balor looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Patton wants to sweep but no luck.
Balor missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Patton is on top in guard.

The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Patton is fighting to break Balor's control of his arms but Balor is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Patton works a leg free and moves into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Balor looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

Balor looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Patton lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Balor manages to get to full guard.
Patton working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Balor is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Patton can do to turn this around?

Balor looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Patton postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Balor 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.
Balor keeping full guard, as Patton tries to pass.
Patton is looking to work some ground and pound but Balor has wrist control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Patton throws an elbow that misses. Balor uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Patton's guard. Nice move by Balor!

Patton keeping moving, preventing Balor from controlling successfully.
Patton looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Patton escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Balor gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Balor stands up over Patton, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Balor postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Balor wants to pass the guard but Patton is keeping the position.
Balor trying to control but Patton is working from the bottom.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Balor's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Patton is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Balor is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Balor postures up and lands a big shot to Patton's brow.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Balor accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Balor with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Balor stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Patton swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Patton has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Balor can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Patton is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Balor trying to control but Patton is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Finn Balor dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Patton is trying hard to land a takedown here. Balor sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Patton fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Balor manages to avoid it.

Balor shoots in and bounces Patton off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Patton looking to hit a scissor sweep but Balor is one step ahead there.
Patton keeping moving, preventing Balor from controlling successfully.
Patton pulls Balor in close to prevent any damage.
Balor won't allow Patton to sweep him here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Balor landing some decent shots from guard.
Patton has Balor pulled in close to control his posture.

Patton throws his legs up looking for a submission but Balor uses it to pass to side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balor scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Patton to see if he's OK.
Patton tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Balor wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Patton manages to work his way to half guard, despite Balor's best efforts.
Patton is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Balor's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Balor's back!
Patton gets his hands free as Balor looks to control.
Balor breaks Patton's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
Balor wants to pass the guard but Patton is keeping the position.
Patton bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Balor's guard.

Balor looking for a sweep. Not yet Balor, not yet.
Patton tries to free his leg and advance position but Balor is retaining full guard.
Balor is controlling Patton's posture.
Finn Balor overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Balor bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Patton's guard.

Balor trying to control the position from guard on top but Patton is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Balor stands up over Patton, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Rick Patton has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Balor won't allow Patton to sweep him here.
Balor content to stall in guard here.
Balor working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Patton's head.
Patton looking for a sweep. Not yet Patton, not yet.
Balor is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Patton looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Balor trying to control the position from guard on top but Patton is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Patton working a defensive guard but Balor passes into half guard.
Finn Balor is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Patton is looking for a sweep. Balor is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balor trying to control the pace.
Patton is looking for a sweep. Balor is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Balor not doing much here.
Balor seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Patton for as long as he can get away with.
Balor looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Balor seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Patton does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Patton wants to improve his position but Balor is controlling well.
Balor trying to control the pace.
Patton is trying to get back to full guard.
Balor content to control rather than advance.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Patton looking for submissions off his back.
Balor looks to score some points with some ground and pound.

And that's the end of the fight!
Finn Balor showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Balor 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 Emerson Jorge scores the fight 30:27
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 30:27
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Finn Balor!
An out of breath Finn Balor thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.