PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Gurney Halleck (ranked 1126 p4p, 121 weight class) and Odell Paquette (ranked 1164 p4p, 125 weight class). Halleck kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Simple Minds - Changeling. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Halleck
vs
Paquette

183 cm
31
158 lbs
17 - 12 - 0

177 cm
36
143 lbs
28 - 18 - 1

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Very quick

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Sin City Allstars

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 17 - 12 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Gurney Halleck!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 28 - 18 - 1, fighting out of St Petersburg, Odell Paquette!
The judges for this bout are Trevor Gratis, Ian Loll and William Peck.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Halleck throws out a powerful jab.
Halleck throws a hook but Paquette avoids it easily.
Halleck throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Halleck swats away the attempt to clinch by Paquette.
Paquette cracks Halleck with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Halleck lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Paquette throws a body kick despite being completely out of range
and Halleck counters with a nice uppercut.
Paquette pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Halleck lands a lovely overhand right.
Halleck connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Halleck tries to clinch up but Paquette circles away and keeps his distance.
Nice cross by Paquette.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Paquette keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Halleck.
Paquette misses the jab.
Paquette cracks Halleck with an open hand slap.
Paquette throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Paquette looks to throw the jab but Halleck is out of range.
Halleck is trying to close the distance and clinch up, after that failed offence from Paquette.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Halleck bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.

Halleck closes the distance and pushes Paquette back into the cage.
Halleck prevents a body shot from Paquette.
Halleck struggles to land a body shot inside as Paquette controls his hands.

Halleck pulls guard effortlessly.
Paquette trying to stand up but can't free himself from Halleck's guard.
Halleck wants to sweep but no luck.
Paquette slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Paquette tries to free his leg and advance position but Halleck is retaining full guard.
Paquette must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Halleck trying to control the position here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Halleck bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Paquette's guard.

Halleck postures up.
Paquette is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Halleck stays in close to Paquette's body and controls the position.
Halleck sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Paquette's guard.
Halleck is pressing down on Paquette's thigh, looking to free his foot. Paquette is holding on for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Paquette tries to get to full guard but Halleck has control of the leg.
Paquette controlling the position for now.
Halleck not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Halleck looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Paquette with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Paquette is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Paquette wants to get back to his feet.
Halleck slips a nice elbow through Paquette's hands, connecting with Paquette's forehead.
Paquette gets full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Halleck throwing strikes but missing.
Halleck working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Paquette is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Halleck trying to control but Paquette is working from the bottom.
Paquette bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Halleck's guard.

Halleck is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Paquette is looking to stand up but Halleck won't let him.
Halleck keeping moving, preventing Paquette from controlling successfully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gurney Halleck dominated that round.
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.

Halleck ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.

Paquette moves into range and clinches up with Halleck.
Halleck lands a hook that snaps the head of Paquette backwards.
Halleck swings wildly with an uppercut but Paquette uses good head movement to avoid it.
Paquette works on Halleck's body with a couple of short punches.
Paquette scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Paquette swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Halleck misses with a short punch on the inside.
Paquette lands a nice uppercut.
Halleck lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A short right from Paquette.
Halleck tries to pull guard but Paquette holds him up against the cage and eventually Halleck drops back down to his feet.
Halleck blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Halleck is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Paquette can do to turn this around?
Paquette tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Halleck's elbow.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
Paquette takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Halleck fails with the takedown
and Paquette connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Halleck slips a jab and a cross from Paquette.
Paquette throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Halleck sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Paquette throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Halleck sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Paquette misses with a hook. Halleck ducked under it nicely.
Paquette staying out of range there.
Halleck ducks under a wild hook from Paquette.
Halleck throws a lazy uppercut
letting Paquette counter with a right hand.
Halleck tries to close the distance and clinch but Paquette swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Halleck gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Paquette.
Odell Paquette is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Paquette throws a lazy head kick
and Halleck counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Halleck scores with the left hand. Paquette knows he should have avoided that one.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Halleck is defended easily by Paquette.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Gurney Halleck. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Paquette takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Paquette misses with an attempted mid kick.
Halleck staying out of range there.
Halleck looks to throw the jab but Paquette is out of range.
Paquette lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Halleck thuds his right hand into Paquette's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Paquette ducks under a wild hook from Halleck.
Paquette misses the shot to the body.
Paquette staying out of range there.
Paquette throws a poor cross that misses
and Halleck counters with a nice uppercut.

Paquette gets caught napping as Halleck dives in and scores a takedown. Paquette manages to retain guard.
Halleck wants to pass the guard but Paquette is keeping the position.
Paquette has Halleck pulled in close to control his posture.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Halleck works over Paquette with some ground and pound from guard.
Paquette wants to stand up but Halleck is controlling him.
Paquette trying to keep a closed guard but Halleck is proving a slippery customer.
Halleck with a flurry of punches that miss.
Paquette is looking to stand up but Halleck isn't so interested in that idea.
Gurney Halleck overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

That's four 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.
No luck for Halleck with that takedown attempt.
Halleck is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Paquette lands with a slapping head kick.

Halleck is rocked!
Halleck throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.

Paquette clinches up with Halleck and pushes him back against the cage.
Paquette working aggressively here.

Halleck jumps guard.
Halleck is trying to control the position but Paquette postures up.
Paquette trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Halleck wants to sweep but no luck.
Halleck keeping moving, preventing Paquette from controlling successfully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Odell Paquette will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Halleck keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Paquette.
Gurney Halleck seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Halleck tries to clinch up but Paquette circles away and keeps his distance.
Halleck scores with a sloppy right hand. Paquette should have avoided that one.

Halleck closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Paquette did well to prevent Halleck getting side control.
Halleck sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Paquette defending well though.
Paquette controlling the position well.
Paquette is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Halleck's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Halleck's back!
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Halleck manages to reverse the position and now he's in Paquette's guard. Nice work there by Halleck.
Halleck postures up in Paquette's guard and throws a big left but Paquette blocks it.
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!
Halleck trying to control but Paquette is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Paquette is wriggling around but Halleck manages to pass to half guard.

Halleck seems to be working for a kimura but Paquette defends the submission attempt.
Halleck thows a huge punch but Paquette dodges it nicely.
Halleck wants to free his trapped foot but Paquette is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Paquette taking some punishment here, with Halleck in his half guard.

Halleck looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.

Paquette kicks Halleck off and gets back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Paquette waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Halleck.
Paquette fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Halleck manages to avoid it.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Halleck is defended easily by Paquette.
Paquette staying out of range there.
Paquette swats away the attempt to clinch by Halleck.
Paquette throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Paquette connects with a looping right hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Paquette tests Halleck's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Halleck fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Halleck misses with a hook. Paquette ducked under it nicely.
Halleck looks to score with a jab to the body but Paquette is just out of range.
Paquette misses with an uppercut
and Halleck counters with a straight right hand.
Paquette takes a swing at Halleck's ribcage but misses.
Paquette misses with a left hand
and Halleck counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Paquette misses with a straight right.
Paquette ducks under a wild hook from Halleck.
Paquette looks to throw the jab but Halleck is out of range.
Halleck wants to clinch.
Nice uppercut there from Paquette.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Halleck throws a hook but Paquette avoids it easily.
Paquette misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Halleck.
Halleck is looking to counter punch.
Paquette avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Paquette throws a big shot that misses.
Halleck moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Halleck throws a jab when Paquette was well out of range.
Halleck steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Paquette.
Paquette looks to land a right hand but Halleck moved out of range.
Halleck takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Halleck moves into range and connects with a jab.
Paquette throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Halleck counters with a nice body shot.
Halleck fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Paquette on the side of the head.
Paquette jabs Halleck right on the nose. Halleck blinks but takes it well.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Halleck, as that shot connected.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Gurney Halleck.
I think Halleck 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 Trevor Gratis scores the fight 28:29
Judge Ian Loll scores the fight 29:28
Judge William Peck scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Odell Paquette!
In defeat, Gurney Halleck stepped up to the mic, saying 'https://soundcloud.com/spinmanfinn'.