PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Pascal Papillon (ranked 4588 p4p, 6098 weight class) and Conner Travers (ranked 395 p4p, 451 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Papillon
vs
Travers

167 cm
25
145
0 - 0 - 0

167 cm
19
154
0 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter fighter
Very quick

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Determined

LET Clothes

METTLE

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Pascal Papillon!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Conner Travers!
The judges for this bout are Arvi Lind, Marco Blurström and Roosa Järviläinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Travers fails in his attempt to clinch.
Papillon throwing a counter right hand but Travers manages to avoid it.

Travers has taken the fight to the clinch.
Papillon trying to control the position but instead, Travers has worked for underhooks and has pushed Papillon into the cage.
Papillon trying to control the position but instead, Travers has worked for underhooks and has pushed Papillon into the cage.
Papillon is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Papillon can't seem to implement his control oriented gameplan at the moment. That's no bad thing of course, for those of us who want to see a good fight.
Travers leaning against his opponent.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Travers stalling in the clinch.
Travers continues to stall. The referee tells him to work or he's going to break them up.
Papillon trying to control the position but instead, Travers has worked for underhooks and has pushed Papillon into the cage.
Travers stops a takedown attempt from Papillon.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Papillon looking to slow down the pace here.
Papillon misses with a short punch on the inside.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Pascal Papillon.
Travers throws a big shot that misses.

Travers rushes Papillon and presses him up against the cage.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Papillon is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Travers is keeping busy.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Papillon tries to stall but Travers uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Maybe Papillon would be better served going for some more strikes rather than trying to control so much.
Travers is pressed up against the cage. Papillon has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Travers down to the mat. Travers avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Travers changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Papillon tries to avoid it but Travers manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Papillon to the ground. Papillon escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
An attempted straight right counter from Papillon misses the target.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Travers pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Travers lands a glancing blow to the side of Papillon's head.

Travers clinches.
Papillon tries to stall but Travers uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Papillon is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Pascal Papillon.

Travers pushes Papillon up against the cage in a clinch.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Papillon.
Papillon is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Travers is keeping busy.
The referee is keeping an eye on Travers - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Papillon tries for a takedown. No joy.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Pascal Papillon. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Travers as Papillon tries to tie him up.
Travers leaning his opponent against the cage.
Papillon is trying to maintain a safe position but Travers gets an underhook and turns Papillon into the cage.
Papillon is looking to control Travers's arms but Travers gets an underhook and turns him. Now Papillon has his back to the cage.

Travers pulls guard successfully.

Travers looking for a guillotine here but Papillon defends easily.

Travers looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Papillon showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Papillon sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Travers's guard.
Travers wants to get back to full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Travers is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Papillon tries to pass to full mount but Travers defends it.
Travers told us pre-fight that he has been working on his escapes in training. Let's see if he can call on some of his new skills to get back to his feet.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Still in half guard, Papillon seems content to control.
Travers wants to improve his position but Papillon is controlling well.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Conner Travers dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare each other down, ready to get back to the action.

Travers lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Papillon at a distance.
Travers moves in looking to clinch but Papillon pushes him off.
An attempted straight right counter from Papillon misses the target.
Papillon takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Travers tries to close the distance and clinch up but Papillon swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Travers lands a jab.
Travers thows a left - swing and a miss!
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Papillon uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Travers.
It looked like Papillon wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Travers catches Papillon with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Travers has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Papillon looking to slow down the pace here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Travers content to slow the pace in the clinch.

Travers pulls guard effortlessly.
Papillon looking to pass the guard.
Travers being controlled here, momentarily.

Travers looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Papillon engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Papillon seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Travers for as long as he can get away with.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Travers has control of Papillon's left arm, preventing Papillon from doing any damage.
Travers is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Papillon wants to pass the guard but Travers is keeping the position.
Papillon is stalling in the full guard.

Travers is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Papillon content to stall in guard here.

Travers has his foot on Papillon's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Papillon works his way back into a safe position though.

Travers throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Travers keeping full guard, as Papillon tries to pass.
Travers can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Papillon controls the pace.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Papillon takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Travers tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Papillon was well out of range. Poor timing from Travers.
Papillon was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.

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.
Nice uppercut there from Travers.
Papillon takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Travers tries to close the distance and clinch but Papillon swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
A little feinted left hand from Papillon on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Travers throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Papillon was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Travers throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Papillon uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Travers.
Papillon swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Travers lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Travers changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.

Travers forces Papillon back against the cage and clinches.
Travers stalls.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Conner Travers showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Travers fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

Travers rushes Papillon and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Papillon is trying to maintain a safe position but Travers gets an underhook and turns Papillon into the cage.
Papillon wants a takedown.
Papillon wants to take the fight to the mat but Travers manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Papillon stalling in the clinch but Travers improves position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Papillon is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Pascal Papillon. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Papillon is looking to control Travers's arms but Travers gets an underhook and turns him. Now Papillon has his back to the cage.
The referee calls for Travers to work.
Papillon is trying to maintain a safe position but Travers gets an underhook and turns Papillon into the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Papillon seems a little flustered. He's come in with the intention of controlling the clinch but Travers is preventing him from doing so, at least for the moment.
Papillon is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Pascal Papillon.
Travers shoots in for a takedown but Papillon shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
An attempted straight right counter from Papillon misses the target.

Travers scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Conner Travers has got the better of the ground game so far.
Papillon prevents Travers from improving position.
Papillon tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Travers wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Papillon is working hard here to advance position.

Travers looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Travers trying to control the position but Papillon is working away.
Papillon on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Papillon tries to get out of the position.
Travers gets to mount! Papillon was on the offensive and wasn't defending properly.
Papillon tries to get back to half guard but can't.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Travers is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Papillon can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Papillon tries to reverse the position but Travers maintains control.

Travers looking to secure an arm triangle but Papillon defends it well.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Papillon can't escape the position.

Travers is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Papillon has managed to escape the submission attempt.

Travers working for a submission but Papillon is keeping him at bay.
Conner Travers is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Travers trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Papillon tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Travers trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Travers manages to capitalize on a mistake by Papillon to take his back!
Papillon is trying to break free.

Travers tightening his grip on Papillon, looking for the choke.

Travers has both hooks in and is working for a choke. Papillon is in real trouble here. Travers gets an arm under the chin and tightens the submission attempt... is this the end? Yes, Papillon is tapping out! Travers wins by rear naked choke!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:59 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Conner Travers!
Conner Travers decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.