PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Aaron Morris (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Knut Paulsen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Morris's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, happy. Paulsen is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Beyond the Permafrost. 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.

Morris
vs
Paulsen

187 cm
21
177 lbs
7 - 5 - 0

182 cm
19
175 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Excellent grappler
Good kicks
Good gas tank

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 7 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Aaron Morris!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Knut Paulsen!
The judges for this bout are Roosa Järviläinen, Matti Vanhoillinen and Arvi Lind.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Paulsen looks to land a left hand but Morris moved out of range nicely.
Paulsen throws a leg kick
and Morris makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Paulsen 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.
Paulsen swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Morris ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Paulsen on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Paulsen looks to land a body kick but Morris moved away.
Paulsen drops his hands momentarily and Morris takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Paulsen lands a jab.
Morris throws a lazy right hand but Paulsen sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
A punch lands to the side of Paulsen 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Morris takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Paulsen misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Morris.
We've been told by Morris's head coaches at Nordic Top Team that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Paulsen tries to land a body kick
and Morris counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Paulsen on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Morris wants to land a leg kick but Paulsen is out of range.
Morris will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Morris swinging wildly here.
Morris misses with a looping left.
Morris fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Paulsen is out of range.
Paulsen shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Morris defends it nicely.
Paulsen misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Paulsen misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Morris connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

It looks like Knut Paulsen has been cut.
Knut Paulsen seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Paulsen slips under a jab from Morris.
Paulsen cracks Morris with an open hand slap.
Paulsen looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Paulsen is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Morris.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Morris swings for the body but Paulsen moves out of range.
Paulsen fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Paulsen throws a leg kick that is checked
and Morris counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Morris takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Morris looks to throw the jab but Paulsen is out of range.
Paulsen fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Morris throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
A lazy body kick from Paulsen
and Morris counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Paulsen throws a hook to the side of Morris's head but Morris sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
A combination from Morris does no damage.
Morris takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Morris avoids a kick to the body.
Paulsen looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Morris scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Paulsen takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Paulsen lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Aaron Morris is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Morris scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Paulsen throws a leg kick
letting Morris counter with a right hand.
Good work by Morris as he checks the leg kick.
Morris missing with a left hand there. Paulsen was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Morris stalks Paulsen and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Paulsen's face. Paulsen staggers backwards, shaken.
Paulsen uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Morris.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Paulsen cracks the inside of Morris's front leg.
Paulsen lands a jab to the head.
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 Aaron Morris will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Knut Paulsen's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Morris misses with a right hand
and Paulsen counters with a nice body shot.
Morris throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Paulsen looks for the body kick but Morris saw that one coming.
Morris tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Paulsen is able to avoid easily.
Paulsen just misses with a punch to the body.
Decent striking displayed by Morris there.
Morris lands a jab-cross combination.
Aaron Morris is winning the standup battle so far.
Paulsen misses the shot to the body.
Aaron Morris is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Morris misses the shot to the body.
A left lands for Paulsen.
Morris throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Paulsen stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Paulsen walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Morris checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Paulsen thows a leg kick but Morris checks it
and Morris counters with a straight right hand.
Paulsen tries to score with a low kick but Morris moves his leg out of the way.
Paulsen swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Paulsen showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Morris.
Paulsen is looking to score with low kicks.
Paulsen finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Morris keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Morris throws an overhand right that lands on Paulsen's shoulder, as Paulsen tries to avoid the shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Some wild striking there from Paulsen.
A slow jab from Morris misses its intended target.
Paulsen slips a jab and a cross from Morris.
Morris misses with a looping left.
Morris bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Paulsen throws a front kick that sends Morris stumbling back into the cage.
A big left from Morris misses.
Paulsen throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Paulsen misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Morris.
Morris connects with a looping right hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Donk. Morris catches Paulsen right on the button with a cross.
Morris lands with a slapping head kick.
Paulsen's jab looks to have found its range, popping Morris under the eye.
Paulsen looks to throw the jab but Morris is out of range.
Morris wants to land a leg kick but Paulsen is out of range.
Paulsen throws a body shot but no joy.
Morris throws a series of punches but Paulsen avoids them all with ease.
Morris tries a low kick but Paulsen avoids it.
Morris looks to score with a jab to the body but Paulsen is just out of range.
Morris scores with a slapping inside leg kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Paulsen fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Morris manages to avoid it.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Paulsen.
Paulsen stuns Morris with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Paulsen misses with a body kick.
Paulsen throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Paulsen lands a leg kick that knocks Morris off balance momentarily.
A looping hook to the body misses from Morris. Paulsen does a little dance to reset his feet.
Morris misses with a low kick.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Paulsen throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Paulsen throws a leg kick which misses Morris's front leg but catches the back leg as Morris tries to avoid it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Knut Paulsen will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Knut Paulsen's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Morris pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
A jab from Morris misses.
A looping hook to the body misses from Morris. Paulsen does a little dance to reset his feet.
Nice cross by Morris.
Paulsen feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Morris's calf.
Paulsen tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Morris was well out of range. Poor timing from Paulsen.
Paulsen lands a nice leg kick that just misses Morris's sensitive parts.
Paulsen throws a solid leg kick but Morris takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Paulsen.
Morris throws a combination. Paulsen tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Morris fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Paulsen.
Paulsen staying out of range there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Paulsen throws a quick inside leg kick.
Paulsen connects with an inside leg kick.
Morris throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Morris throws a head kick but Paulsen moves out of range.
Paulsen darts in looking for a takedown but Morris gets double underhooks and turns Paulsen into the cage.
Paulsen tries to throw a body punch but Morris avoids it by throwing Paulsen back against the cage.
Paulsen misses with the head strike.
Morris wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Paulsen has him pressed against the cage.
Morris prevents a body shot from Paulsen.
Paulsen misses with a hook from the clinch.
Morris is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Morris breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Paulsen throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Paulsen dips to his left and cracks Morris with an uppercut!
Morris throws a lazy right hand but Paulsen sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Morris throws out a leg kick but Paulsen moves out of range and Morris only half commits.
Morris listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Paulsen scores with a hook.
Paulsen checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Paulsen goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
A good leg kick by Paulsen.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Paulsen misses with a looping left.
Paulsen throws a shot from downtown. Morris moves away and avoids it.
Morris throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Paulsen sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Morris throws a right and a left that Paulsen avoids nicely.
Paulsen throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
Paulsen misses the jab.
Paulsen checks a low kick from Morris.
An inside leg kick from Morris misses.
Paulsen connects with a solid leg kick.
Morris throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Paulsen.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Paulsen bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Morris's head backwards.
Morris digs a good hook to Paulsen's body.
No joy there for Morris, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Paulsen misses with a body shot.
Paulsen swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Morris throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Paulsen on the wrong end of a nice jab.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A good leg kick by Paulsen.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Morris swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Paulsen staying out of range there.

And that's the end of the fight!
Knut Paulsen comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Paulsen has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 28:29
Judge Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 28:29
Judge Arvi Lind scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Knut Paulsen!
A very excited looking Knut Paulsen made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.