PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Bill Dafoe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and JF Houle (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Dafoe comes to the cage accompanied by Rooster. Houle is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Devine. Both fighters will be looking to make this an exciting fight for the fans, I'm sure!

Dafoe
vs
Houle

179 cm
21
167 lbs
3 - 3 - 1

180 cm
24
170 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Cardio machine

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

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 3 - 3 - 1, fighting out of Montreal, Bill Dafoe!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, JF Houle!
The judges for this bout are Steve Smith, Dillan Fox and Robert Douchet.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Dafoe throws a right and a left that Houle avoids nicely.
Houle lands with a nice combination. Dafoe backs away looking to recover.
Dafoe showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Houle.
Houle throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
The fighters circle momentarily. Houle darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Houle misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Nice defenses there by Dafoe.
Houle avoids a punch combination nicely.
Houle bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Dafoe's head backwards.
Dafoe misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Houle.
Jab by Dafoe.
Houle slips under a jab from Dafoe.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dafoe moves away from the strike by Houle.
Houle takes a swing at Dafoe's ribcage but misses.
Nice defenses there by Dafoe.
Dafoe throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Houle throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Dafoe moves out of range as Houle strikes.
Dafoe moves out of range as Houle strikes.
Houle takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Houle takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Dafoe throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Houle counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Dafoe trying to hold on to Houle's head to control him but Houle postures up.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Dafoe moves into full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dafoe is trying to control the position but Houle postures up.
Dafoe trying to control the position here.
Houle throws and elbow that misses. Dafoe uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Houle's guard. Nice move by Dafoe!
Houle has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Dafoe trying to control but Houle is working from the bottom.
Dafoe preventing the sweep.
Houle trying to keep a closed guard but Dafoe is proving a slippery customer.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Houle might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Dafoe kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Dafoe with a nice head shot there.
Dafoe's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Dafoe won't allow Houle to sweep him here.
Dafoe in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Dafoe postures up.
Dafoe is standing up over Houle. Houle looks to escape but Dafoe dives into side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dafoe scores with punches from side control.
Houle wants to control but Dafoe postures up.
Houle is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Dafoe has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Houle looks gassed!
Dafoe trying to control the position but Houle is working away.
Houle wants to control but Dafoe postures up.
Houle takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Houle can't do much from the bottom here.
Dafoe grinds an elbow into Houle's temple.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bill Dafoe dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Houle misses with a looping left.
Houle throws a hook but Dafoe avoids it easily.
Houle swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Dafoe counters with a series of strikes. Houle will be more careful next time no doubt.
Houle throws a series of punches but Dafoe avoids them all with ease.
Houle ducks under a wild hook from Dafoe.
Bill Dafoe is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Houle throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Houle throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Dafoe slips under a jab from Houle.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dafoe ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Houle moves away.
Dafoe slips a straight right by Houle.
Houle bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Dafoe's head backwards.
Dafoe misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dafoe scores with a decent looking hook.

Houle shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Houle wants to control from the top but Dafoe keeps moving.
Houle is breathing heavily.
Dafoe utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Houle is fighting to break Dafoe's control of his arms but Dafoe is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Dafoe is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Dafoe is controlling Houle's posture.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dafoe is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Houle is controlling him.
Dafoe seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Houle connects with a couple of short punches.
Houle throwing strikes but missing.
Houle trying to control the position from guard on top but Dafoe is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Houle controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Houle trying to control but Dafoe is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dafoe trying to keep a closed guard but Houle is proving a slippery customer.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Houle accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Dafoe looking to control but Houle passes into half guard.

Houle seems to be working for a kimura but Dafoe defends the submission attempt.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Dafoe scores with a nice strike.
Houle slips a straight right by Dafoe.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Dafoe throws a nice looking combination but Houle bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Dafoe bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
A shot to the body from Dafoe misses
and Houle cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Dafoe with a lazy takedown attempt
and Houle counters with a straight right hand.
Jab, jab by Houle - just one landing.
Houle has his takedown stuffed
and Dafoe counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Dafoe scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Dafoe thuds a left hand into Houle's body.
Dafoe thuds his right hand into Houle's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Houle might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
Dafoe lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bill Dafoe dominated that second round.
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. This is the final round!

Dafoe fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Houle on the side of the head.
Houle missing with a left hand there. Dafoe was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
A combination from Dafoe does no damage.
Houle tries to move into range but Dafoe moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Houle slips a straight right by Dafoe.
Houle swings away with a body shot that misses
and Dafoe counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Dafoe misses with the combination.
Bill Dafoe is winning the standup battle so far.
Dafoe thows a body shot but no joy.
Houle throws a combination. Dafoe tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Houle takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Houle fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Dafoe sprawls well initially but Houle persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Dafoe tries to roll over but Houle keeps him under control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dafoe avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Houle.
Houle is keen to just control but Dafoe is a slippery customer.
Dafoe is trying to control but can't.
Houle stalling away here and it's allowed Dafoe to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Dafoe looking to hit a scissor sweep but Houle is one step ahead there.
Houle throwing strikes from guard but Dafoe blocks nicely.
Dafoe has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
A head kick misses from Houle.
Houle throws a combination that misses

and Dafoe counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Bill Dafoe overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Houle pushes Dafoe off looking to stand but Dafoe dives back in and keeps control.
Dafoe slips a nice elbow through Houle's hands, connecting with Houle's forehead.
Dafoe thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Houle's head.
JF Houle has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Bill Dafoe is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Dafoe working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Dafoe is controlling the pace.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dafoe seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Houle for as long as he can get away with.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Dafoe is looking to take a break and control but Houle is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Dafoe is looking for a kimura but Houle is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Dafoe to get the leverage.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Dafoe trying to control the pace.

Houle looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
Bill Dafoe showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Dafoe has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Steve Smith scores the fight 30:27
Judge Dillan Fox scores the fight 30:27
Judge Robert Douchet scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Bill Dafoe!