PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Ricky Papale (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sean OKeefe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). OKeefe is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Can't Be Touched. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Papale
vs
OKeefe

174 cm
19
180 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

185 cm
18
175 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Improved boxing
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Solid chin

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Ricky Papale!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Sean OKeefe!
The judges for this bout are Gregory Folan, Elvis Blanc and William Peck.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

OKeefe gets caught flat footed, as Papale shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
OKeefe wants to stand and escape but Papale is having none of it.
Papale wants to control from the top but OKeefe keeps moving.

OKeefe uses the cage to get back to his feet.
OKeefe looks to land a combination but Papale avoids it well.
Papale will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Papale is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
OKeefe will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
OKeefe misses with the combination.
OKeefe throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Papale.

Papale darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
OKeefe tries to kick Papale off but Papale keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Papale is trying to control the action in half guard but OKeefe is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
OKeefe wants to get back to his feet.
Papale slips a nice elbow through OKeefe's hands, connecting with OKeefe's forehead.
OKeefe tries to kick Papale off but Papale keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
OKeefe looks gassed!
Papale wants to take a breather but OKeefe is having none of it.
Papale prevents OKeefe from standing back up.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Papale bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Papale wants to clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
OKeefe throws out a loose jab but Papale uses good head movement to avoid it.
A head kick misses from OKeefe.

OKeefe gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Papale controls from within his opponent's guard.

Papale decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on OKeefe, up you get!
Papale tries to clinch up but OKeefe circles away and keeps his distance.
Papale has a takedown stuffed.
Papale showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from OKeefe.
OKeefe lands with a kick to the temple. Papale shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"

That's three minutes gone in the round.

OKeefe closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Papale to the mat! Papale manages to get full guard.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Papale is on top in guard.
OKeefe is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Papale is controlling him.

The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Papale stands and steps away. OKeefe gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
OKeefe looks to land a body kick but Papale moved away.
Papale tries to close the distance and clinch but OKeefe swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
No joy there for OKeefe, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
OKeefe looks to land a combination but Papale avoids it well.
Papale misses with the body kick
and OKeefe makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.

OKeefe fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Papale sprawls well initially but OKeefe persists and gets the takedown into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
OKeefe prevents Papale from standing back up.
Papale tries to get to full guard but OKeefe has control of the leg.

OKeefe stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.
Papale tries to clinch up but OKeefe circles away and keeps his distance.
OKeefe throws a good cross that connects.
OKeefe throws a nice outside leg kick.
Sean OKeefe seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
OKeefe fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
The fight stays on the outside here - Papale looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
OKeefe stuffs the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ricky Papale. That's going to take a lot out of him.
OKeefe slips a straight right by Papale.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by OKeefe!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Sean OKeefe will probably get the nod.
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.

Papale scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.

Papale has taken the fight to the clinch.
OKeefe wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Papale has him pressed against the cage.

OKeefe breaks from the clinch.
Papale with a lazy takedown attempt

and OKeefe counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
OKeefe wants to get up but he can't break Papale's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

OKeefe gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
A jab from OKeefe does it's job there.
Ricky Papale is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Papale lands a body shot.

Papale closes the distance and clinches.

OKeefe has picked Papale up - he's going for a ride! OKeefe dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Papale wants to control but OKeefe is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Papale pushes OKeefe off looking to stand but OKeefe dives back in and keeps control.
Papale wants to get back to full guard.
Papale moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
OKeefe trying to stand up but can't free himself from Papale's guard.

OKeefe gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Papale fails with an attempt to clinch.
OKeefe lands a nice shot that snaps Papale's head back.
Papale uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before OKeefe has time to react.
OKeefe misses with a double jab

and Papale counters with a single leg into guard. OKeefe didn't expect that.
Papale wants to control from the top but OKeefe keeps moving.
Papale stops OKeefe from standing up.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

OKeefe pushes Papale off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Papale takes one on the chin but seems OK.

Papale forces OKeefe back against the cage and clinches.
OKeefe wants a takedown but no success here.
Papale keeps control of OKeefe as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Papale tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
OKeefe tries to pull guard but Papale won't allow it.

OKeefe breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
OKeefe shoots in and drives through. Papale sprawls well.
Ricky Papale has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Sean OKeefe.
Papale tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but OKeefe paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Papale ducks down and throws a hook to the body but OKeefe moves away.
Papale throws out a loose jab but OKeefe uses good head movement to avoid it.
OKeefe shoots in and drives through. Papale sprawls well.

Papale shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Papale was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Papale cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
You get the feeling that OKeefe really doesn't like being in this position too much.
OKeefe taking shots to the head.
Papale content just to control the position here.
Papale unloads with some shots from mount but OKeefe bucks and avoids them well.
OKeefe wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Papale controlling from the full mount.
Papale trying to control but OKeefe is having none of it.
OKeefe is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Sean OKeefe has got the better of the ground game so far.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

OKeefe bucks Papale off and manages to get back to his feet!
Papale shoots and misses

and OKeefe counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sean OKeefe showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Papale gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Papale slips a jab and a cross from OKeefe.
Papale lands with an overhand left.
An inside leg kick from Papale misses.
OKeefe throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Papale's waist but Papale gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing OKeefe off to one side.

Papale looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Papale takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Papale looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
OKeefe is trying to stand.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
OKeefe is not content to let Papale control the position.
OKeefe wants to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
OKeefe is using up a lot of energy trying to get back to his feet. Perhaps he should improve his position first.
Papale is tying to control. OKeefe wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
OKeefe lands a nice looking body kick.
Papale with a poor takedown
letting OKeefe counter with a right hand.

Papale clinches.
OKeefe is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

OKeefe has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Papale is trying to keep an underhook but OKeefe manages to get the takedown into half guard.

OKeefe decides to return to a standing position.
Papale throws a good cross that connects.

OKeefe scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.

OKeefe stands up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Papale fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
OKeefe throws a sloppy head kick and Papale moves out of range easily.
OKeefe throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Papale's head.
Papale looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ricky Papale. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Papale dodges the punch combination from OKeefe.
Some wild striking there from OKeefe.
OKeefe fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Papale showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from OKeefe.
OKeefe with a lazy takedown attempt

and Papale counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

OKeefe has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Papale off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Papale works the jab nicely.
Papale listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
OKeefe connects with a solid leg kick.
Papale tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Papale looks to land a left hand but OKeefe moved out of range nicely.
OKeefe changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Papale tries to avoid it but OKeefe manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Papale to the ground. Papale escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
OKeefe looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
OKeefe has a takedown stuffed.
OKeefe throws a jab but it's blocked by Papale.
OKeefe throws a half hearted mid kick.
OKeefe fails to land with a series of punches.

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.

Papale has OKeefe up against the cage in a clinch.
Papale just leaning against OKeefe, taking a breather.

OKeefe manages to break the clinch.
OKeefe misses with a jab, cross combination.

Papale gets the takedown into side control.
OKeefe is trying to buck Papale off.
Papale laying and praying for a moment but OKeefe takes advantage and regains half guard.
Papale trying to control the action but OKeefe is working from the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Ricky Papale.
I think OKeefe has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Gregory Folan scores the fight 29:28
Judge Elvis Blanc scores the fight 29:29
Judge William Peck scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Ricky Papale!