PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Marco Paris (ranked 222 p4p, 233 weight class) and Athos Knox (ranked 30 p4p, 32 weight class). Knox has chosen Click Click Boom | Saliva as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Marco Paris could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Athos Knox's chin.

Paris
vs
Knox

183 cm
29
185
21 - 4 - 0

185 cm
34
187
22 - 14 - 2

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class MT
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Heavy handed

Brooklyn Threads
Brooklyn Apothecary

SynCity Fightwear
Bondi MMA 🏝️

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 21 - 4 - 0, fighting out of New York, Marco Paris!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 22 - 14 - 2, fighting out of Tokyo, Athos Knox!
The judges for this bout are Wagner Zegers, Saam Ante and Patrick Alders.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Knox gets tackled into the cage by Paris. Paris maintains the clinch.
Knox misses with a punch on the inside.
Knox throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Paris jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Knox walks away with a smile on his face. Paris gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Knox looks to throw the jab but Paris is out of range.
Knox misses with an uppercut.
Knox scores with a sloppy right hand. Paris should have avoided that one.

It looks like Marco Paris has been cut.
Paris connects with a body shot that sends Knox's belly button to the back.
Paris fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Knox has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Paris fails with a takedown attempt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Paris lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.

It looks like Athos Knox has been cut.
Knox is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Paris.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Paris connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Knox momentarily.
Paris moves out of range of the strikes.
Marco Paris seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Paris lands with a hook. Knox tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Knox throws a predictable looking body shot
and Paris connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Paris misses with an uppercut
and Knox counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Knox avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Paris scores with a hook.

Knox is rocked!
Paris jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Knox is still on wobbly legs! Can Paris finish him?
Paris tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Knox paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Knox seems to have recovered his senses.
Paris avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Knox lands a right hook to the body.
A slapping leg kick lands for Paris.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Nice uppercut there from Paris.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Paris tries to close the distance and clinch but Knox swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Paris misses with a body punch
and Knox counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Paris swings and misses with a hook to the body.
A countering left hand to the body from Knox misses.
A telegraphed right hand from Knox misses the target.
Paris throws a hook but Knox avoids it easily.
Knox throws a low kick but it's checked well by Paris.
It looked like Paris wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Paris fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Knox tries to counter with a clinch but Paris shakes him off and moves away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Marco Paris. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Paris takes a swing at Knox's ribcage but misses.
Knox let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.
Paris throws a hook to the side of Knox's head but Knox sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Paris falls off balance throwing a combination
and Knox connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Paris decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Knox is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.
Paris slips a nice elbow through Knox's hands, connecting with Knox's forehead.
Knox slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
We've been hearing good reports from Paris's training camp. Apparently he has been rolling around with some good quality BJJ practitioners and has been sharpening his skills. Let's see if that has an impact on the fight today.
Knox pulls Paris in close to prevent any damage.
Knox looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Knox is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Paris is controlling him.
Paris is in close to Knox's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Knox keeping moving, preventing Paris from controlling successfully.
Paris is fighting to break Knox's control of his arms but Knox is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Knox trying to control the position.
Paris postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Knox keeping moving, preventing Paris from controlling successfully.
Paris chips away with some ground and pound.
Paris throwing strikes but missing.
Paris pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Knox is keeping the position for now.
Knox looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Paris is in close to Knox's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Knox has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Paris has passed into side control.
Paris working the ground and pound.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Marco Paris dominated that round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
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.

A chopping leg kick lands by Paris.

That has opened up Athos Knox's cut even more.
Knox misses with a right hand
and Paris counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Paris digs a good body shot into Knox's ribs.
Knox ducks right into an uppercut from Paris.
Paris getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Knox takes a swing at Paris's ribcage but misses.
Paris gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Paris takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Paris moves away from the strike by Knox.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A nice leg kick lands there from Paris.
Paris scores with a hook.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A shot to the liver by Paris. Beautiful body shot.

Knox sends Paris crashing to the mat with a devastating uppercut! Knox is motioning to the referee to let Paris up. He wants to try and finish this one on the feet!

Paris is rocked!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Knox circles and sees the opportunity to plant his feet and throw a really nice straight left hand that drops Paris to the canvas! Paris doesn't know where he is but he's trying to survive - Knox keeps piling on the pressure and forces the referee to step in! This one is aaaaaall over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:09 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Athos Knox!
Athos Knox 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.