PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Stevie Ray (ranked 3460 p4p, 367 weight class) and EA Poe (ranked 2257 p4p, 265 weight class). Poe has chosen Unleashing The Bloodthirsty by Cannibal Corpse as his entrance music. Stevie Ray has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Ray
vs
Poe

178 cm
33
167 lbs
14 - 8 - 0

181 cm
41
168 lbs
24 - 21 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Zenith Nutrition (160q/$200)

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 14 - 8 - 0, fighting out of New York, Stevie Ray!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 24 - 21 - 0, fighting out of New York, EA Poe!
The judges for this bout are Chris Downing, Wesley Smith and Frank Dennis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
No joy there for Ray, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Poe is looking for the big counter here.
Ray ducks under a wild hook from Poe.
Poe on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Poe has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.
Poe jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Poe misses with a left hand
and Ray counters with a nice low kick that buckles Poe's knee momentarily.
Poe misses with a jab to the body
and Ray counters with a nice uppercut.
A slow jab from Poe misses its intended target.
EA Poe seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Ray slips a jab from Poe.
Poe punishes Ray's body with a nice straight punch.
Poe scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Ray doesn't seem bothered though.
A big right from Poe misses.
Ray needs to keep his hands up - Poe had a free shot at his head there.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Poe misses with a jab, cross combination.
Ray throws a quick counter head kick but Poe was just out of range.
A telegraphed right hand from Ray misses the target.
Ray throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Poe sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Poe throws the left hand but Ray avoids the punch easily.
Poe slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Poe throws out a leg kick but Ray moves out of range and Poe only half commits.
Poe scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Ray tries a head kick but it misses.
Poe swings for the body but Ray moves out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Poe keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Poe swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Ray takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Ray misses with a looping right.
Poe misses with a hook.
Ray swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Poe looks to land a body kick but Ray moved away.
Sloppy strikes from Poe. Those never looked like landing.
Ray went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
Poe displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Ray throws out the jab.
Ray showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Poe.
Donk. Poe catches Ray right on the button with a cross.
Nice body punch from Poe.
Poe throws a poor cross that misses
and Ray counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Ray tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Poe throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Ray.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Poe uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Ray.
Poe looks to throw the jab but Ray is out of range.
Poe misses with a two punch combination.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ray bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Ray throws a big counter combination but Poe scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.
Poe throws a right hand that misses
and Poe takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Ray tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Poe paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Ray lands a body shot.
Poe connects with a nice looking jab.
Poe listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Ray takes one to the side of the head.
Ray lands an overhand right.
Ray keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Poe.
Poe throws a hook but Ray avoids it easily.

Ray forces Poe back against the cage and clinches.
Poe blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
A left hand lands to the body for Ray.
Ray throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Poes head.
With the fighters up against the cage, Ray throws an elbow but misses.
Ray scores with a knee to the head.

It looks like EA Poe has been cut.
Ray lands with a right to the head.

Poe is rocked!

Poe breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Poe is still on wobbly legs! Can Ray finish him?
Ray wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Poe seems to have recovered his senses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ray scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.

Ray clinches up against the cage.
Ray tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Poe's elbow.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Ray creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Ray misses with a hook from the clinch.
Poe blocking some punches.
Ray lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Poe tries a body shot but Ray blocks it.
Ray digs a right hand underneath Poe's ribcage. Poe let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Ray throws a punch but it's blocked by Poe.
Ray doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Poe blocking some punches.
Poe misses with a knee strike.
Ray unloads a knee to the mid-section.

Poe breaks from the clinch.
Ray lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Poe circles away quickly and effectively.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Poe keeps the fight on the outside.
Poe appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
Ray looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Poe stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Poe shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
The fighters circle momentarily. Poe darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Poe tries to land a body kick
and Ray counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Poe scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Ray tries to close the distance and clinch but Poe swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Poe throws a looping overhand right but Ray ducks down to avoid it.
Ray uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Poe.
Ray is looking to counter punch.
Poe misses with a low kick as Ray jumps back.
Ray went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
Ray tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Poe manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
It seemed like Poe was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Poe scores with a leg kick.
Poe misses with a hook. Ray ducked under it nicely.
Ray ducks under a wild hook from Poe.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Poe lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Ray circles away quickly and effectively.
Poe misses with a two punch combination.
A little feinted left hand from Ray on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Poe misses with a jab, cross combination.
Poe misses with a hook.
A slow jab from Poe misses its intended target.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but EA Poe will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on EA Poe's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Ray ducks under a wild hook from Poe.
Poe misses with an uppercut. Ray saw that one coming.
Ray lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Poe scores with a crisp jab that stopped Ray in his tracks.
Poe scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Poe lands a jab to the nose.
Good shot there by Poe.
Poe keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Poe stuns Ray with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Poe lands a two punch combo.
Ray misses with a looping left.
Poe appeared to try and counter that last move with a leg kick.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Poe throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Ray is looking to clinch but Poe is avoiding it.
A slow jab from Poe misses its intended target.
Ray tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Poe paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Ray throws out a loose jab but Poe uses good head movement to avoid it.
Poe misses with a body shot.
Ray moves out of range of the strikes.

Ray clinches up with Poe and pushes him back against the cage.
Poe misses with a shot to the kidneys.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Poe tries a knee to the head but Ray blocks it.
Ray is struggling to control the position.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Poe tries a body shot but Ray blocks it.
Poe scores with a shot to the side of Ray's head.
Ray misses with the head strike.

Poe breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
A jab from Poe misses.
Poe swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Ray ducks under a wild hook from Poe.
Ray moves away from the strike by Poe.
Ray throws a right and a left that Poe avoids nicely.
Poe uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Ray has time to react.
Nice shot lands for Poe.
Poe misses with a shot to the body
and Ray counters with a lovely straight right hand!
A big left from Ray misses.
EA Poe seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Poe moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
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!
Poe throws a shot from downtown. Ray moves away and avoids it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Poe scores with a sloppy right hand. Ray should have avoided that one.
Stevie Ray is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Ray takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Poe throws a right and a left that Ray avoids nicely.
Ray tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Poe paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Ray throws a right and a left that both miss.
Poe works Ray's body with a nice hook.
Ray uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Poe.
Poe throws a shot from downtown. Ray moves away and avoids it.

Ray has closed the distance and engaged Poe in a clinch.
Poe has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Still in the clinch, Ray scores with a nice short uppercut.
Ray lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Poe backwards.
A nice right hand lands inside from Ray.
Poe tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Ray avoids it.
Stevie Ray has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Ray lands a hook that snaps the head of Poe backwards.
Ray lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Poe backwards.
Ray lands a left hand that snaps the head of Poe backwards.
Ray blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Poe tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A short uppercut from Poe.
Ray tries a body shot but Poe blocks it.
Poe blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Poe landing knees to the head.

It looks like Stevie Ray has been cut.
Poe misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Ray lands a left hand.

Poe manages to break the clinch.
Ray tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Poe paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Poe looks to land a combination. Ray sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Ray tries to clinch up but Poe circles away and keeps his distance.
Poe misses with a double jab
and Ray counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Ray slips under a jab.
Ray needs to keep his hands up - Poe had a free shot at his head there.
Ray ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Ray throwing a counter right hand but Poe manages to avoid it.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Ray lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Poe with a body punch. A glancing blow.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Poe throws a low kick but it's checked well by Ray.
Ray tried to counter with a leg kick but Poe avoided it.
Ray tries to clinch up but Poe circles away and keeps his distance.
Poe fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Poe steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Ray.
Poe just misses with a punch to the body.
Ray on the wrong end of a nice hook.
A punch combination from Ray misses.
Poe scores with a jab. Ray acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Poe misses with a hook.
Ray fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Ray looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Nice defenses there by Ray.

Ray clinches up with Poe and pushes him back against the cage.
Ray tries to throw a body punch but Poe avoids it by throwing Ray back against the cage.
A short uppercut from Poe.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Poe breaks the clinch.
Poe scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Poe misses with a low kick.
Ray defending well as Poe loads up on a big left hand.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

EA Poe showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
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. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Poe has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Ray.
Ray looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.

Ray has managed to clinch.
Poe creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Poe tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Ray's elbow.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Ray.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Poe.
Ray stalling in the clinch.
Poe pushes off an throws an elbow but Ray leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Poe blocking some punches.
Ray tries a knee to the head but Poe blocks it.
Poe working hard to break the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ray working aggressively here.
Poe landing knees to the head.
Ray misses with a hook from the clinch.
Poe can't break the clinch.
Poe is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Poe blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Ray tries to land a knee to the head but Poe blocks with his arms.
Poe lands with a short punch from the clinch.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Ray just misses with a elbow thrown towards Poe's brow.
Ray lands a nice shot to the body.
A battle for position here, against the cage.

Poe pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Poe looks to throw the jab but Ray is out of range.
Poe lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Ray at a distance.
Poe throws a right and a left that Ray avoids nicely.
Ray uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Poe.

Ray takes the fight into the clinch.
A short uppercut from Ray.
Ray fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
EA Poe is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ray avoiding damage as Poe throws knees to the body.
Ray misses with a hook to the ribs.
Poe tries to circle away but Ray has him pinned against the cage.
Poe throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Ray blocks it with crossed arms.
Ray misses with a hook from the clinch.
Poe tries to throw a body punch but Ray avoids it by throwing Poe back against the cage.
Poe is trying to break the clinch but Ray has him pressed against the cage.
Ray throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Poes head.
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!
Ray misses with some punches.
Poe is trying to push Ray away but Ray has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Ray misses with a punch to the body.
A knee to the head by Ray.
A short body shot lands from Poe as the two fighters clinch.
Ray can't find room to land a body shot as Poe controls the action.
Poe blocks an uppercut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ray throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Poes head.
A short left from Ray.
Poe using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Ray has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Ray.
Ray lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Poe tries a body shot but Ray blocks it.
Stevie Ray has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Poe wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Ray has him pressed against the cage.
Ray throws a punch but it's blocked by Poe.
Ray tries to land knees in the clinch but Poe avoids the damage to the body.
With the fighters up against the cage, Ray throws an elbow but misses.
Poe works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Poe trying to land knees to the body.
Poe throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Ray blocks it with crossed arms.
Ray lands a hook to the side of the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Poe tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Poe with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Poe using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Ray has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Ray lands with a right to the head.
Ray doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Still in the clinch, Poe scores with a nice short uppercut.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Poe throws an elbow that misses.
Ray tries to land a knee to the head but Poe blocks with his arms.
Poe creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Ray tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Ray swings away with an uppercut that misses.

Poe breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Poe throws a body punch but Ray moves out of range.
An attempted straight right counter from Ray misses the target.
Nice body punch from Poe.
Poe with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Poe throws a body punch but Ray moves out of range.

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 Stevie Ray.
I think Poe has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Chris Downing scores the fight 28:29
Judge Wesley Smith scores the fight 28:29
Judge Frank Dennis scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... EA Poe!
EA Poe decided to go for the less than humble approach in his post fight interview, telling everyone how he is going to conquer the world. The crowd seemed to like it when really that sort of approach could have gone either way.