PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Bobby Blimm (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Paul Bourque (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Blimm
vs
Bourque

150 cm
35
145 lbs
21 - 24 - 2

192 cm
41
156 lbs
44 - 25 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Dynamo Clothing
Bad Man Clothing (Nothing Over $40)

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 21 - 24 - 2, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Bobby Blimm!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 44 - 25 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Paul Bourque!
The judges for this bout are Leandro Rodrigues, Luis Engracia and Emerson Jorge.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Bourque connects with a body shot that sends Blimm's belly button to the back.
Bourque is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Bourque avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Blimm throws a quick inside leg kick.
Bourque connects with a single shot there.
Blimm takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Bourque lands with an uppercut that bounces Blimm off the cage and back into range.
A jab from Bourque does it's job there.
Blimm slips a straight right by Bourque.
Blimm looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Bourque throws an off balance right hand
and Blimm counters with a nice leg kick.
Bourque tries to clinch there but Blimm circles away.
A big left from Bourque misses.
Bourque is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Bourque fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Blimm on the side of the head.
A big left from Bourque misses.
Bourque has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
No joy there for Bourque, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
A punch combination from Bourque misses.
The fight stays on the outside here - Blimm looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Paul Bourque seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Blimm closes this distance looking for a takedown but Bourque circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Blimm takes the fight into the clinch.

Blimm pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Bourque looks to land a left hand but Blimm moved out of range nicely.
Bourque misses with an uppercut. Blimm saw that one coming.
Bourque rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Blimm moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
A telegraphed right hand from Bourque misses the target.
Blimm on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Bourque throws a hook to the side of Blimm's head but Blimm sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Bourque misses with the combination.
Bourque looks to score with a jab to the body but Blimm is just out of range.

Blimm gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Blimm's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Bourque listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Blimm shoots for a double leg takedown but Bourque sprawls well. He's pushed Blimm's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Bourque just misses with a punch to the body.
Blimm takes one on the button.

Blimm rushes Bourque and presses him up against the cage.
Blimm tries to circle away but Bourque has him pinned against the cage.
Bourque fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
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!
Blimm keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Bourque's efforts to push away.

Blimm breaks from the clinch.

Blimm shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Bourque manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Bourque is on top in guard.
Bourque wants to stand but Blimm has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bourque looking to sit in guard and control but Blimm gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Blimm passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Blimm tries to advance to mount but Bourque denies him.

Blimm thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Bourque taking punishment in the form of punches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Blimm is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Bourque knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

Blimm is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Bourque knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Blimm throws a strike aimed at the side of Bourque's head but Bourque avoids it well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Bobby Blimm will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Nice sprawl there from Bourque as Blimm shoots in.
Bourque pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Bourque thows a left - swing and a miss!
Bourque 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.
Blimm fails to land the takedown.
Blimm with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Bourque to score with a decent uppercut.
Bourque misses with a right hand

and Blimm counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

Blimm is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Bourque has managed to free his arm - good work.
Blimm missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

Blimm wants to work for an arm triangle but Bourque is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Blimm is working for a kimura but Bourque is defending it quite comfortably.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Blimm looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.

Blimm is working for a kimura but Bourque is defending it quite comfortably.

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.
Bourque is controlling Blimm's trapped leg to prevent Blimm from advancing to side control.
Blimm thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Bourque's head.
Bourque is trying to control but can't.

Blimm is working for an americana but Bourque has been sneaky and has managed to get back to half guard, whilst Blimm was thinking about the submission.
Blimm trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bobby Blimm overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Bourque keeping moving, preventing Blimm from controlling successfully.
Bourque keeping full guard, as Blimm tries to pass.
Blimm postures up in Bourque's guard and throws a big left but Bourque blocks it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Blimm trying to control but Bourque is working from the bottom.

Blimm has gone for a leg lock! Bourque slips out almost immediately though and dives into Blimm's guard.

Blimm has his foot on Bourque's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Bourque works his way back into a safe position though.
Bourque wants to pass the guard but Blimm is keeping the position.

Bourque stands and steps away. Blimm gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Bourque misses with a body shot.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Bourque lands a glancing blow to the side of Blimm's head.

Blimm gets a clinch.
Blimm is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Blimm has Bourque pressed against the cage, preventing Bourque from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bobby Blimm dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Blimm wants to clinch up but Bourque keeps it at a distance.
Bourque throws a shot from downtown. Blimm moves away and avoids it.
Bourque misses with a double jab.
Blimm shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Bourque as he avoids it easily.
Bourque throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Blimm shoots in but no luck this time.
Bourque misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Blimm walks into a straight right hand from Bourque.
Bourque throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Bourque's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Bourque duly obliges.
Bourque will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Blimm takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Bourque misses with a series of wild punches.
Blimm tries to close the distance and clinch up but Bourque swats him away and circles back towards the center.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bourque lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Paul Bourque seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Blimm takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Bourque slaps away a takedown attempt from Blimm, before circling back to the center of the mat.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bobby Blimm. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Blimm walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Bourque throws a right and a left that Blimm avoids nicely.
Bourque throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Blimm sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Decent striking displayed by Bourque there.

Blimm closes the distance and pushes Bourque back into the cage.

Blimm breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Bourque lands with a right hand.
Bourque connects with a nice looking jab.
A looping hook to the body misses from Bourque. Blimm does a little dance to reset his feet.
Paul Bourque has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Blimm defending well as Bourque loads up on a big left hand.
Bourque tries to close the distance and clinch up but Blimm swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Bourque throws an overhand right that lands on Blimm's shoulder, as Blimm tries to avoid the shot.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Blimm is looking to clinch but Bourque is avoiding it.

Blimm has closed the distance and engaged Bourque in a clinch.
Blimm leaning against his opponent.
Blimm lands with a right to the head.
Bourque wants to get back to striking at distance but Blimm won't allow it.

Blimm's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Blimm tries to close the distance and clinch but Bourque swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Bourque throws a jab when Blimm was well out of range.
Bourque scores with a hook.
Blimm is looking to slow Bourque down with leg kicks.
Blimm keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Paul Bourque is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bourque stuffs the takedown attempt from Blimm. Blimm gets slowly back to his feet.
Bourque throws a series of punches but Blimm moves out of range.
Bourque scores with a crisp jab that stopped Blimm in his tracks.
Sloppy strikes from Bourque. Those never looked like landing.
Bourque ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Bourque throws the left hand but Blimm avoids the punch easily.
Blimm fails with an attempt to clinch.
Blimm doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Blimm fails in his attempt to clinch.
Blimm looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Blimm scores with a one two! Bourque had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.

It looks like Paul Bourque has been cut.
Bourque looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Bourque throws a nice looking combination but Blimm bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Blimm looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bourque tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Blimm paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Bobby Blimm is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Bourque lands a nice shot that snaps Blimm's head back.
Bourque moves to clinch but Blimm breaks away
and Blimm counters with a nice kick to the body.
Blimm shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Bourque defends it nicely.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Blimm clinches.
Blimm is trying to break the clinch but Bourque is controlling him.
Bourque is trying to break the clinch but Blimm has him pressed against the cage.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Bourque wants to break the clinch but can't.
Bourque is trying to break the clinch but Blimm is controlling him.

Blimm successfully pulls guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Paul Bourque comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Blimm has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 29:28
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight 28:29
Judge Emerson Jorge scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Paul Bourque!
Paul Bourque decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.