PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Stephen Poirier (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Toby Garcia (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). There are an array of beautiful celebrities at ringside tonight! I wonder if any of them paid for their tickets.

Poirier
vs
Garcia

178 cm
25
155 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

170 cm
24
140 lbs
5 - 3 - 0

Good takedowns
Basic striking
Self confident

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Determined

Blood Bank ($10)

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 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Stephen Poirier!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Toby Garcia !
The judges for this bout are Eliza Hachem, Winston Howard and Bruno Hogan.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Poirier gets caught flat footed, as Garcia shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.

Poirier kicks Garcia off and gets to his feet.
No joy there for Poirier, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Poirier throws a right hand that Garcia ducks under and follows up with a left that Garcia also avoids with ease.
Garcia staying out of range there.

Garcia manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Poirier on his heels. He'll look to pass Poirier's guard now, I'm sure.
Garcia prevents Poirier from getting back to his feet.
Poirier wants to sweep here but Garcia controlling him for the moment.
Garcia missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Garcia wants to control from the top but Poirier keeps moving.
Poirier working a defensive guard here.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Poirier utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Poirier keeping moving, preventing Garcia from controlling successfully.
Garcia in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Garcia wants to control from the top but Poirier keeps moving.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Sloppy strikes from Poirier. Those never looked like landing.
Poirier misses with the combination.
Stephen Poirier seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Poirier misses with a double jab.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Poirier cracks Garcia with a right hand to the side of the head.
Poirier throws a hook to the side of Garcia 's head but Garcia sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Poirier misses with the combination.
Poirier throws a right hand that Garcia ducks under and follows up with a left that Garcia also avoids with ease.
Poirier throws a right hand that Garcia ducks under and follows up with a left that Garcia also avoids with ease.

Garcia shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Garcia won't allow Poirier to sweep him here.
Garcia trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Poirier working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Garcia .
Poirier not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Garcia postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Garcia wants to control from the top but Poirier keeps moving.
Garcia throws a big right hand that misses.
Garcia prevents Poirier from getting back to his feet.
Garcia throws a big right hand that misses.
Garcia has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Garcia working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Garcia throwing strikes from guard but Poirier blocks nicely.
Poirier keeping moving, preventing Garcia from controlling successfully.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Garcia won't allow Poirier to get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Poirier keeping moving, preventing Garcia from controlling successfully.
Garcia is looking to work some ground and pound but Poirier has wrist control.
Garcia throws an elbow that misses. Poirier uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Garcia 's guard. Nice move by Poirier!
Garcia wants to sweep here but Poirier controlling him for the moment.
Poirier tries to free his leg and advance position but Garcia is retaining full guard.
Garcia is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

Garcia looking for a guillotine here but Poirier defends easily.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Garcia has his foot on Poirier's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Poirier works his way back into a safe position though.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Toby Garcia dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Poirier tries to bum rush Garcia with a series of wild strikes but Garcia uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Poirier throws out a loose jab but Garcia uses good head movement to avoid it.
Poirier misses with a wild combination.
Poirier misses with a two punch combination.
The fighters circling - Poirier throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Some wild striking there from Poirier.
Poirier misses with the combination.
Poirier misses with a few strikes there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Poirier stalks Garcia and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Garcia 's face. Garcia staggers backwards, shaken.
Stephen Poirier is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Garcia keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
A punch combination from Poirier misses.
Poirier misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Garcia avoids a punch combination nicely.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
A swing and a miss from Poirier.

Garcia manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Poirier on his heels. He'll look to pass Poirier's guard now, I'm sure.

Poirier is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Garcia defends well.
Garcia trying to control the position from guard on top but Poirier is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Garcia slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Poirier keeping moving, preventing Garcia from controlling successfully.
Garcia postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Garcia loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Poirier preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Poirier is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Garcia is controlling him.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Garcia is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Poirier is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Garcia wants to control from the top but Poirier keeps moving.
Poirier utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Poirier is trying to control the position but Garcia postures up.
Garcia postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Poirier is trying to control the position but Garcia postures up.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Garcia accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Garcia throwing strikes from guard but Poirier blocks nicely.
Poirier trying to keep a closed guard but Garcia is proving a slippery customer.

We're going to have a standup here because Stephen Poirier wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Poirier throws a right and a left that Garcia avoids nicely.
Poirier misses with a few strikes there.
A combination from Poirier does no damage.
Poirier looks to land a combination but Garcia avoids it well.
Poirier throws a series of punches but Garcia moves out of range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Stephen Poirier 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. This is the final round!

Garcia shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Poirier manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Garcia trying to control the position from guard on top but Poirier is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Poirier is trying to keep Garcia in close.
Poirier wants to sweep but no luck.
Poirier controls Garcia momentarily but Garcia frees himself.
Garcia working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Poirier keeping moving, preventing Garcia from controlling successfully.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Poirier throws a right and a left that both miss.
Poirier misses with a few strikes there.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Garcia moves out of range as Poirier strikes.
Poirier thows a left - swing and a miss!
Poirier swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Poirier looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Garcia avoids a punch combination nicely.

Garcia shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Poirier napping and manages to drive through into side control!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Garcia is looking to take a break and control but Poirier is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Garcia in side control, throwing shots but Poirier defends.
Poirier is trying to control Garcia 's posture but Garcia avoids it.
Garcia is looking to take a break and control but Poirier is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
An elbow from Garcia crashes against the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Garcia tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
A control attempt from Poirier but he's now mounted!
Garcia misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Garcia trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Poirier tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Poirier manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Poirier is not content to let Garcia control the position.
Garcia trying to pass the guard but Poirier defending well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Poirier is staying active underneath Garcia , who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Garcia wants to pass the guard but Poirier is defending well.
Garcia throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Poirier moves into full guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Garcia drops back, looking for a kneebar! Poirier looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Poirier looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Poirier!
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!

Poirier has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.

And that's the end of the fight!
Toby Garcia comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Garcia 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 Eliza Hachem scores the fight for Toby Garcia !
Judge Winston Howard scores the fight for Toby Garcia !
Judge Bruno Hogan scores the fight for Toby Garcia !

Toby Garcia wins by unanimous decision!