PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Valentino Carrascosa (ranked 4901 p4p, 0 weight class) and Laurence Paul (ranked 2543 p4p, 0 weight class). The fight MMA fans around the world have waited their entire lives for!

Carrascosa
vs
Paul

180 cm
25
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

201 cm
25
211 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Big heart

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Valentino Carrascosa!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Laurence Paul!
The judges for this bout are Bart Greer, Peter Branson and Sandra Marshall.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Paul tries to keep at a distance but Carrascosa has taken the fight into the clinch.
Paul wants to get back to striking at distance but Carrascosa won't allow it.
Paul throws a punch but it's blocked by Carrascosa.
Carrascosa lands a right hand that snaps the head of Paul backwards.
Paul trying to stall but Carrascosa improves his position.
Paul wants a takedown.
Paul with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Paul missing with knees to the body.
Paul looking for a takedown.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

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

Carrascosa moves into the clinch.
Paul tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Valentino Carrascosa has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Laurence Paul.
Paul wants to break the clinch but can't.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Paul tries to break free but Carrascosa pushes him back against the cage.
Carrascosa misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Paul.
Paul has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Carrascosa is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.

Carrascosa's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Carrascosa forces Paul back against the cage and clinches.
Paul misses with some punches.
Carrascosa pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Carrascosa gets underhooks to prevent Paul's takedown attempt.
Paul is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Carrascosa is keeping busy.
Paul is trying to push Carrascosa away but Carrascosa has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Paul is trying to pull guard but Carrascosa has him pressed against the cage.
The referee calls for Carrascosa to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Carrascosa working hard to break the clinch.
Paul is trying to break the clinch but Carrascosa is controlling him.
Carrascosa trying to land knees to the body.
Carrascosa blocks a body shot from Paul.
Paul looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Carrascosa taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Carrascosa keeps control of Paul as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Paul drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Carrascosa gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Carrascosa is trying to break the clinch but Paul is controlling him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A short right from Carrascosa on the inside.
Carrascosa wants to break the clinch but can't.
Carrascosa has Paul pressed against the cage, preventing Paul from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
A short right from Carrascosa on the inside.
Paul jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Carrascosa walks away with a smile on his face. Paul gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Paul tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Carrascosa paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Carrascosa clinches up against the cage.
Paul tries for a takedown. No joy.
Carrascosa keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Paul's efforts to push away.
Paul is trying to break the clinch but Carrascosa is controlling him.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Paul is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Carrascosa to keep the fight standing.
Carrascosa misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Paul.
Carrascosa has Paul pressed against the cage, preventing Paul from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Stalling in the clinch from Paul.
Paul is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Paul tries to break the clinch but Carrascosa is controlling the position.
Carrascosa scores with a hook to the body.
Paul blocks the elbow strike.
Carrascosa has had enough of the clinch but Paul keeps him there for the moment.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Paul wants to get back to striking at distance but Carrascosa won't allow it.
With the fighters up against the cage, Carrascosa throws an elbow but misses.
Paul is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Valentino Carrascosa dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Carrascosa looks to land a combination. Paul sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.

It looks like Laurence Paul has been cut.

Carrascosa instigates a clinch.
Paul has Carrascosa pressed against the cage, preventing Carrascosa from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Carrascosa lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Paul dodges an elbow strike from Carrascosa.
A nice left hand lands by Carrascosa.
Paul wants a takedown.
Carrascosa is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Paul can do to turn this around?
Paul blocks an elbow strike.
Carrascosa is trying to push Paul away but Paul has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Paul looking to slow down the pace here.
Carrascosa looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Paul is working for takedown but Carrascosa is calmly controlling the position for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Paul blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Carrascosa leaning against his opponent.
Carrascosa misses with a knee strike.
Paul is looking to break free of the clinch but Carrascosa has double underhooks.
Paul blocks an elbow strike from Carrascosa.
Carrascosa scores with an uppercut up the middle.

Paul breaks the clinch.
Laurence Paul is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Carrascosa clinches.
Carrascosa lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Carrascosa will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Paul up against the cage.
Carrascosa tries to land a knee to the head but Paul blocks with his arms.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Paul manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Carrascosa working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Paul's head.
Carrascosa knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Paul on the ground.
Carrascosa controlling from the top position.
Carrascosa stopping the sweep attempt from Paul.
Carrascosa wants to pass the guard but Paul is keeping the position.
Paul keeping moving, preventing Carrascosa from controlling successfully.
Paul not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Paul has his feet on Carrascosa's thighs here. He's pushed Carrascosa off and worked for a very quick armbar from the bottom! He's flipped onto his stomach and he's cranking hard on the arm! Carrascosa screams in pain and taps out! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:30 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Laurence Paul!