PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Joey Barboza (ranked 2620 p4p, 2830 weight class) and Phil Rivers (ranked 314 p4p, 355 weight class). Rivers has chosen RUNNING IN THE 90’s as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Barboza
vs
Rivers

180 cm
25
169
8 - 4 - 0

177 cm
25
159
9 - 6 - 0

Great wrestler
Solid boxing
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

The Natural Order

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 8 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Joey Barboza!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Phil Rivers!
The judges for this bout are Fedor Mirinova, Valeri Chadov and Aleksei Zolotukhin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rivers lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Rivers.
Rivers swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Barboza takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Barboza is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Rivers.

Barboza clinches.
Barboza lands a shoulder strike.
Rivers misses with a hook to the ribs.
Rivers misses with some punches.
Barboza misses with some punches.
Rivers lands a nice uppercut.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Barboza tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Rivers working aggressively here.
Rivers lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Barboza backwards.
Rivers lands a right hand that snaps the head of Barboza backwards.
Barboza is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Rivers.
Rivers misses with a punch on the inside.
Rivers has a couple of punches blocked by Barboza.
Rivers misses with a short punch on the inside.
Barboza blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Rivers scores with a nice hook to the head.

Rivers manages to break the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Barboza closes the distance and clinches.
Rivers lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Barboza.
Rivers scores with a nice hook to the head.

Rivers breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Rivers misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Barboza.
Rivers misses with a few strikes there.
Rivers connects with a jab.
Rivers jabs Barboza to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Phil Rivers seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Barboza rushes Rivers and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Barboza stalling in the clinch.
Rivers swings wildly with an uppercut but Barboza uses good head movement to avoid it.
Rivers lands a hook that snaps the head of Barboza backwards.
Rivers throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Barbozas 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!
Rivers blocking some punches.
Rivers working aggressively here.
Rivers has a couple of punches blocked by Barboza.
Rivers misses with a hook from the clinch.
Rivers works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Barboza working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Barboza looking to slow down the pace here.
Rivers lands a body punch.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Barboza.
Barboza trying to control the position but instead, Rivers has worked for underhooks and has pushed Barboza into the cage.

Rivers pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Barboza doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Barboza on the wrong end of a nice hook.

Barboza gets a clinch.
Rivers misses with the head strike.
Rivers prevents a body shot from Barboza.
Rivers has been looking to improve his clinch game in recent weeks. Barboza seems to have the measure of him in the clinch so far, so let's see if Rivers can turn it around.
Rivers lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Barboza backwards.
Barboza stalls.
A short left from Rivers.
A head punch on the inside from Rivers fails to land.
Barboza blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barboza blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Rivers working aggressively here.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Rivers.
Rivers scores with a shot to the side of Barboza's head.
Rivers misses with some punches.
Barboza throws a head punch that misses.
Rivers throws a head punch that misses.
Barboza wants to stall.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Barboza trying to stall but Rivers improves his position.
A short left from Rivers.
Rivers scores with a shoulder strike.
Barboza lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Rivers lands with a right to the head.
Barboza misses with a hook to the ribs.
Barboza blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Barboza struggles to land a body shot inside as Rivers controls his hands.
A short uppercut from Barboza.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Rivers misses with a short punch on the inside.
Barboza swings away with an uppercut that misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Barboza stalling the fight.
Stalling in the clinch from Barboza.
Rivers lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Rivers working aggressively here.
Rivers blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Rivers as Barboza tries to tie him up.
Rivers lands a left hand.
Rivers lands an uppercut.
Barboza prevents a body shot from Rivers.
Rivers lands a hook that snaps the head of Barboza backwards.
Rivers misses with a hook from the clinch.
A shot in the inside from Rivers.

Barboza is rocked!
Barboza tries to stall but Rivers uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Oh Barboza is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Barboza blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Barboza blocks an uppercut.

Rivers pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Rivers scores with a jab to the jaw.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rivers drops Barboza with a huge uppercut! Barboza drops to the floor like a sack of potatoes. Rivers is raining down punches and the ref stops the fight! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:51 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Phil Rivers!
Phil Rivers thanked the fans post fight for their support.