PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Giorgio Conte (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Joeli Babitu (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Joeli Babitu has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Conte
vs
Babitu

180 cm
29
179 lbs
16 - 5 - 0

188 cm
34
180 lbs
28 - 12 - 0

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Spartan Nutrition

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 16 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Giorgio Conte!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 28 - 12 - 0, fighting out of New York, Joeli Babitu!
The judges for this bout are Eddie Farnsworth, Alyssa Summers and Jonathan Paton.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Babitu misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Babitu throws a right and a left that Conte avoids nicely.
Babitu moves out of range of the body kick from Conte.
Babitu doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Conte looks to throw the jab but Babitu is out of range.
Babitu closes the distance but Conte moves to the side
and Conte connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Babitu throws a head kick that misses
and Conte counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Babitu misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Conte.
Babitu lands a glancing blow to the side of Conte's head.
Conte walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Babitu checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Babitu has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.
Babitu drops his hands momentarily and Conte takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Babitu throws a leg kick but Conte sees it coming and checks it nicely.
We've been hearing reports that Conte has been drilling takedowns in recent sessions so let's see if that has an impact on the result of this fight.
Conte checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Babitu checks a low kick from Conte.
Babitu takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Babitu misses with a straight right.
Babitu misses with a body kick.
Conte appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
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!

Conte rushes Babitu and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Babitu lands a right hand that snaps the head of Conte backwards.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Babitu misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Conte stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Conte on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Conte avoiding damage as Babitu throws knees to the body.
Babitu on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Babitu misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Conte.
Babitu tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Conte blocks the elbow strike.
Babitu tries a body shot but Conte blocks it.
Babitu can't find room to land a body shot as Conte controls the action.
Babitu swings wildly with an uppercut but Conte uses good head movement to avoid it.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Conte as Babitu tries to tie him up.
Babitu takes a shot to the head.
Babitu tries a body shot but Conte blocks it.
Babitu is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Conte digs a right hand into Babitu's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Babitu's gas tank.
Conte lands with a left to the head.
Conte scores with an uppercut up the middle.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Conte tries a knee to the head but Babitu blocks it.
Babitu works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Babitu.
Babitu looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
A right hand to the body from Babitu.
Conte working aggressively here.
A short left from Babitu.
Stalling in the clinch from Conte.
Conte misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Babitu.
Babitu lands a hook that snaps the head of Conte backwards.

Conte breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Conte thumps Babitu with a low kick.
Babitu uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Conte.
Babitu looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Babitu will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Babitu tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Babitu takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Babitu sizes up Conte with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Conte throws a shot to the body.
A left lands for Babitu.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Conte takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Conte bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Conte with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Babitu misses with a looping right.
Conte sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Babitu throws a wild body kick that Conte sees coming a mile off.
A low kick from Babitu is predictable there
and Conte counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Babitu misses with a low kick.
A good leg kick by Conte.
Babitu lands with an uppercut that bounces Conte off the cage and back into range.
Babitu uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Conte.
Conte keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Conte throws a hook but Babitu blocks it.
Babitu throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Conte takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Danga de danga de dang - Babitu scores with a four punch combination!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Conte throws a front kick that sends Babitu stumbling back into the cage.
Babitu has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Conte uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Babitu.

Babitu has managed to clinch.
Babitu has a couple of punches blocked by Conte.
Babitu tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Conte avoids it.
Babitu misses with a hook to the ribs.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Conte misses with a knee to the head.
Conte blocks an uppercut.
Babitu blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Babitu tries a body shot but Conte blocks it.
Conte blocks an uppercut.
Conte tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Babitu lands a nice shot to the body.
A nice left hand lands by Conte.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Stalling in the clinch from Conte.
Conte working hard to break the clinch.
Conte blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Conte on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Conte takes an elbow to the forehead.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Joeli Babitu will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Conte misses with an attempted mid kick.
A big right from Conte misses.
Good shot there by Babitu.
Conte throws a nice outside leg kick.
Babitu lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Conte looks to score with a jab to the body but Babitu is just out of range.
Conte swings away with a body shot that misses
and Babitu counters with a good low kick that Conte was not able to check.
Conte has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Conte fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Babitu is out of range.
Babitu feints a counter leg kick.
Babitu misses with a double jab.
Babitu smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Conte is looking to slow Babitu down with leg kicks.
Conte takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Conte goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Babitu throws a hook to the side of Conte's head but Conte sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Conte has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Babitu.
Babitu throws a lazy right hand but Conte sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Joeli Babitu seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Conte misses with a head kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Conte misses with a wild body shot.
Babitu goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Good shot there by Babitu.
Conte fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Babitu has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Conte slips a jab from Babitu.
Babitu with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Babitu throws a lazy right hand but Conte sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Conte is looking to counter the offense by Babitu and move into the clinch.
Conte is looking to score with low kicks.
Babitu will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Conte throws a shot from downtown. Babitu moves away and avoids it.
Crunch! Babitu slams his shin into Conte's torso.
Babitu lunges at Conte with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Conte's hand.
Babitu lands with an overhand left.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Conte connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Babitu misses with an uppercut. Conte saw that one coming.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Conte misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Babitu.
Babitu throws a wild body kick that Conte sees coming a mile off.
Babitu lands a lovely overhand right.
Conte misses with a straight left.
Babitu takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Conte slips under a jab from Babitu.

Conte closes the distance and pushes Babitu back into the cage.
Babitu goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Conte blocks an uppercut.
Conte lands a body punch.
Joeli Babitu seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Babitu is breathing heavily.
A short right from Conte.
Conte stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Conte is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Babitu is keeping busy.
Babitu throws a punch but it's blocked by Conte.
Conte stalling in the clinch.
Babitu lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Conte backwards.
Conte lands a right hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Babitu.
Babitu throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Conte lands with a short shot to the head.
A head punch on the inside from Babitu fails to land.
Babitu being controlled against the cage.
Babitu misses with a body punch.
Conte tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Conte pressing his opponent against the cage.
Babitu struggles to land a body shot inside as Conte controls his hands.
Babitu lands a right hand that snaps the head of Conte backwards.
Babitu is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Conte is defending well for now.
Babitu misses with an elbow over the top.
Conte looking to throw knees to the head but Babitu is blocking nicely.
Conte lands a knee to the head.
Babitu throws a punch but it's blocked by Conte.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Conte tries to throw a body punch but Babitu avoids it by throwing Conte back against the cage.
Babitu blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Babitu misses with a short punch on the inside.
Conte lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Babitu backwards.
Babitu lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Conte backwards.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Conte lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Conte blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Babitu tries to work over Conte's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Conte lands with a right to the head.
The referee is keeping an eye on Conte - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Conte lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Babitu tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Conte avoids it.
Babitu tries to throw a body punch but Conte avoids it by throwing Babitu back against the cage.
Conte pushes Babitu back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Babitu pushes Conte back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Babitu lands a hook to the side of the head.
Babitu tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

Conte pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Joeli Babitu will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Conte throws a series of punches but Babitu moves out of range.
Conte wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Conte cracks the inside of Babitu's front leg.
Babitu moves out of range of the leg kick from Conte.
Babitu slips a jab from Conte.
Babitu looks for the body kick but Conte saw that one coming.
Babitu checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Conte tries to clinch up.
Conte staying out of range there.
Babitu ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Conte swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Conte throws a head kick that misses.
Conte throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Conte throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Babitu's head.
Babitu connects with a body shot.
An inside leg kick from Babitu misses.
Babitu just manages to avoid a counter high kick fromConte.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Babitu lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Babitu lands with an uppercut that bounces Conte off the cage and back into range.
Conte lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Babitu throws a big shot that misses.
Babitu misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Conte.
Babitu wants to land a leg kick but Conte is out of range.
Babitu will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Conte jabs Babitu to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Conte misses with a double jab
and Babitu cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
A looping hook to the body misses from Conte. Babitu does a little dance to reset his feet.
Babitu jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Babitu catches Conte with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Babitu lands a nice looking body kick.
Conte tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Conte throws a leg kick
and Babitu counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Giorgio Conte has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Babitu darts in and clinches Conte up against the cage.
Babitu tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Conte avoids it.
Conte lands a body shot in the clinch.
Babitu is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Conte is defending well for now.
A hook to the body from Conte.
Babitu takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Babitu pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Conte lands a shoulder strike.
Babitu with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Babitu misses with some punches.

Conte breaks from the clinch.
Conte looks to land a body kick but Babitu moved away.
Conte is looking to clinch.
Conte throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Babitu throws a leg kick but Conte sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Babitu misses with a body shot.
Conte throws a push kick but Babitu slaps the foot to one side.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A slapping leg kick lands for Conte.
Babitu steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Conte.
Babitu thuds a left hand into Conte's body.
Babitu throws a leg kick which misses Conte's front leg but catches the back leg as Conte tries to avoid it.
Conte gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Babitu.
Conte displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Babitu checks a leg kick.

Conte forces Babitu back against the cage and clinches.
Conte scores with an uppercut up the middle.

Conte breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Babitu connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A swing and a miss from Babitu.
Babitu throws a head kick but Conte moves out of range.
Babitu throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
A little feinted left hand from Conte on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Babitu lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Conte connects with a body shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Conte looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Conte fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Babitu.
Conte stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Babitu.
Conte connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Babitu uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Conte.
Conte avoids the body shot from Babitu.
Conte has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Babitu.
Babitu misses with a wild body shot.
Babitu swings for the body but Conte moves out of range.
Conte uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Conte throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
Jab, jab by Conte - just one landing.
Babitu stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Conte throws out a loose jab but Babitu uses good head movement to avoid it.
Conte jabs at Babitu's body.

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 Giorgio Conte.
I think Babitu 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 Eddie Farnsworth scores the fight 28:29
Judge Alyssa Summers scores the fight 28:29
Judge Jonathan Paton scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Joeli Babitu!
Joeli Babitu was full of energy after the big win and talked about how he thinks he can do big things in this sport. The crowd were appreciative of his determination to succeed.