PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Matt Quin (ranked 281 p4p, 42 weight class) and Eric Staal (ranked 529 p4p, 78 weight class). Quin's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Captain Jack - Iko Iko. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Quin
vs
Staal

195 cm
38
190 lbs
36 - 18 - 3

180 cm
33
192 lbs
24 - 10 - 1

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Granite chin

Olympic wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Urban Fighter

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 36 - 18 - 3, fighting out of Las Vegas, Matt Quin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 24 - 10 - 1, fighting out of New York, Eric Staal!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Jack Bonds and Timothy Bukovac.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Quin looks to throw the jab but Staal is out of range.
Quin throws a looping overhand right but Staal ducks down to avoid it.
Staal lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
A slow jab from Quin misses its intended target.
Quin lunges at Staal with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Staal's hand.
Staal throws a looping overhand right but Quin ducks down to avoid it.
Staal takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Staal takes a jab right on the kisser.
Quin waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Staal.
Quin takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Staal misses with a leg kick.
Quin changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Quin misses with a jab to the body
and Staal counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Staal throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Staal lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Quin throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Staal sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Quin avoids a low kick by using good footwork.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Staal misses with a low kick.
Staal misses with a left hand
and Staal takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Quin shoots in looking for a takedown but Staal manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Quin's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Quin throws a hook but Staal blocks it.
Quin swings widly with a right hand
and Staal counters with a two punch combo.
Staal tried to score with a low kick but Quin checks it.
We've been hearing reports that Quin has been drilling takedowns in recent sessions so let's see if that has an impact on the result of this fight.
Quin shoots in looking for a takedown. Staal tries to sprawl out of it but Quin keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Staal manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Staal let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.
Staal fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Quin looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Quin loads up on a big right hand but Staal slips the punch.
Quin ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Quin was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
A telegraphed right hand from Quin misses the target.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Staal misses with a looping right.
Staal misses with a body shot.
Staal's corner calls for a 1-2. Staal obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
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!
Quin lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Staal stuffs the takedown attempt from Quin. Quin gets slowly back to his feet.
Staal throws out a counter right but Quin avoids it with no problem.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Matt Quin. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Staal keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Quin swings away with a body shot that misses
and Staal counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
A jab from Staal misses.
Staal misses with a low kick.
Quin cracks a nice hook into Staal's ribs.
Quin cracks Staal with an open hand slap.
Quin misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Staal.
Matt Quin seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Nice sprawl there from Quin as Staal shoots in.
Quin scores with a punch to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A slow jab from Quin misses its intended target.

Quin fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Staal sprawls well initially but Quin persists and gets the takedown into half guard.

Quin 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.
Quin is taking a breather. Staal says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Staal keeping control of the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Staal is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Staal is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Quin's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Quin's back!
Staal cracks Quin with a big shot to body and one to the head - really punishing Quin from the back mount here, looking to soften him up.
Staal is throwing punches to the body, looking to soften Quin up.
Quin is really stuck here.
Staal doesn't have the hooks in and Quin manages to turn into his guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Staal tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Staal not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Quin stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Staal swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Quin controls from within his opponent's guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Matt Quin will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Staal throws a half hearted mid kick.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Quin lands a nice hook to Staal's body. Staal takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Staal uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Quin.
Staal lands a jab-cross combination.
Staal tries to land a front kick but Quin steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Staal takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Staal uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Quin.
A looping hook to the body misses from Quin. Staal does a little dance to reset his feet.
Quin with a jab.
Quin ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Staal moves away.
Quin is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
Staal throws a right hand that Quin ducks under and follows up with a left that Quin also avoids with ease.
Quin swings for the body but Staal moves out of range.
Staal slaps away a takedown attempt from Quin, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Quin tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Staal swivels and escapes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Staal misses with a lunging right hand

and Quin counters with a takedown into side control! That could mean trouble for Staal!
Staal is trying to control Quin's posture but Quin avoids it.
Staal tries to buck Quin off but Quin is having none of it.
Quin scoring with punches from side control.
Staal struggling a bit here.
Staal is looking to reverse the position.

Quin tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Quin has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Staal is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Staal is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Quin off and has taken his back!
Staal controlling well, preventing Quin from escaping the position.
Quin trying to control but he's just got himself in more trouble.
Matt Quin overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Quin staying busy and making it hard for Staal to control.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Staal is working the ground and pound. Can Quin escape?
Quin trying to control the hands but Staal breaks the grip.
Staal biding his time, controlling Quin.
Quin can't escape the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Staal lands with a hammerfist to the side of Quin's head.
Staal trying desperately to keep hold of the dominant position.
Quin wants to escape the position.
Quin is working hard here to advance position.
Staal trying desperately to keep hold of the dominant position.
Quin wants to escape the position.
Staal lands strikes to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Staal loading up with punches from the back mount - how long can Quin hold on?
Quin is in bad spot here.
Staal scores with punches and elbows.
Staal controls the position.
Quin tries to escape but Staal has the hooks in and won't let him break free.
Staal is controlling his opponent, waiting for an opportunity to finish.
Staal trying desperately to keep hold of the dominant position.
Quin takes a big shot to the side of the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eric Staal showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Nice straight punches there by Staal. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Staal.
Quin throws a body shot but no joy.
Staal throws out a counter right but Quin avoids it with no problem.
Staal looks for the body kick but Quin saw that one coming.
A jab from Staal finds it's way through Quin's defenses.
Staal avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Quin misses with a lunging right hand
and Staal counters with a thumping low kick.
A big left from Staal misses.
Quin swings for the body but Staal moves out of range.
Staal let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.
Quin thuds a left hand into Staal's body.
A decent looking cross lands there for Staal.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Staal lands a nice looking body shot.
Quin listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Staal connects with a crisp jab.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Quin throws a shot from downtown. Staal moves away and avoids it.
Quin lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Quin misses with a looping right.
Quin misses with an uppercut. Staal saw that one coming.
Quin shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Staal defends it nicely.
Quin throws an overhand right that lands on Staal's shoulder, as Staal tries to avoid the shot.
Quin tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Staal was well out of range. Poor timing from Quin.
Staal will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Quin fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
A cross from Quin lands.
Staal throws a jab but it's blocked by Quin.
Quin looks to score with a jab to the body but Staal is just out of range.
Staal looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Staal keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Quin.
Quin is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Staal connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Staal misses with a leg kick
letting Quin counter with a right hand.
Staal throws a head kick but Quin moves out of range.
Nice shot lands for Quin.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Quin punishes Staal's body with a nice straight punch.
Quin throws a lazy uppercut
and Staal counters with a right hand to the body.
A big left from Quin misses.
Staal scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Quin has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Staal finds it's way round the side to connect with Quin's head.
Staal connects with an inside leg kick.
Quin misses with a hook to the body

so Staal counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Quin working a defensive guard here.
Staal postures up in Quin's guard and throws a big left but Quin blocks it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Staal's corner is telling him to maintain position.

Quin is looking for a triangle here but Staal uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.

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.
Staal fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Staal lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Quin is trying to control Staal's posture but Staal avoids it.
Staal takes a little break here. Quin wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.
Quin tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Quin looking for a sweep but Staal has passed into full mount! Oh no!
Staal looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Eric Staal comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Staal has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Don Winkell scores the fight 28:29
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 28:29
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Eric Staal!