PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Malik Billings (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Eliitti Paavo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Fingers crossed for an exciting fight - I'm sure both fighters are looking for a nice under the table bonus!

Billings
vs
Paavo

170 cm
23
135 lbs
6 - 1 - 0

155 cm
22
137 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class MT
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Lethal high kicks
Good gas tank

Max Octane Fight Wear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Malik Billings!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Eliitti Paavo!
The judges for this bout are Paul Gruel, Micheangelo Fripello and Roger Salmon.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Billings fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Nice shot lands for Billings.

Billings darts in and clinches Paavo up against the cage.
Billings tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Billings trying to stall but Paavo improves his position.
Paavo is trying to force a seperation but Billings has the dominant position.
Billings letting Paavo take a breather here.
Billings just leaning against Paavo, taking a breather.
Billings goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Billings blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Paavo can't break the clinch.
Billings tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Paavo's elbow.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Paavo digs a right hand into Billings's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Billings's gas tank.
Paavo working aggressively here.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Paavo working aggressively here.

Paavo's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Billings misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Paavo looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Billings has been working on his boxing with his coaches at Guinness Stout in the buildup to the fight.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Billings lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Paavo ducks under a wild hook from Billings.
Billings is looking to land body kicks.
Paavo connects with a body shot.
Paavo throws a poor cross that misses
and Billings counters with a right hand to the body.
Paavo throws a front kick that sends Billings stumbling back into the cage.
Paavo scores with a jab. Billings acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Billings takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
A solid leg kick lands there for Paavo.
Paavo 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.
A head kick misses from Billings.
Paavo 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.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Paavo tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Billings was well out of range. Poor timing from Paavo.
Billings throws a big counter combination but Paavo scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Paavo keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Paavo appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
A looping hook to the body misses from Paavo. Billings does a little dance to reset his feet.
An attempted straight right counter from Billings misses the target.

Billings rushes Paavo and presses him up against the cage.
Paavo is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Billings misses with a punch on the inside.
Billings misses with a body punch.
Paavo on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Billings tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Paavo avoids it.
Paavo misses with a punch on the inside.
Billings lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Billings doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Billings trying to land knees to the body.
Billings tries to work over Paavo's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Billings tries to land knees in the clinch but Paavo avoids the damage to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Billings trying to land knees to the body.
Billings tries a body shot but Paavo blocks it.
Billings tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Billings lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Billings misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Paavo displaying some good clinch control by pressing Billings up against the cage.
Paavo misses with a hook from the clinch.
Paavo misses with some punches.

Billings's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Paavo dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Billings. That did some damage!
Billings cracks Paavo with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Billings lands a two punch combo.
Billings connects with a high kick.
A punch lands to the side of Billings 's head but he takes it in his stride.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Billings with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Billings throws a jab but it's blocked by Paavo.
Billings catches Paavo with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Billings misses with the body kick
and Paavo counters with an inside leg kick.
Paavo listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Paavo looks to throw the jab but Billings is out of range.
Billings throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Paavo stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Nice defenses there by Billings.
Paavo lands a leg kick that knocks Billings off balance momentarily.
Malik Billings seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Billings displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Paavo throws out the jab.
Paavo fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Billings.
Billings tried to score with a low kick but Paavo checks it.
A little jabbing left from Paavo on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Malik Billings dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Billings drops his hands momentarily and Paavo takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.

Billings is rocked!
Billings scores with a crisp jab that stopped Paavo in his tracks.
Paavo misses with a low kick.
Paavo throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Billings counters with a low kick, right behind Paavo 's knee.
Billings gets off balance looking for a body kick
and Paavo counters with a slapping leg kick.
Billings pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Paavo tries a head kick but it misses.
Billings looks for the body kick but Paavo saw that one coming.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Paavo slips a jab from Billings.
Paavo uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Billings.
Paavo throws out a counter right but Billings avoids it with no problem.
Billings lets loose with a powerful body kick. Paavo will feel that in the morning.
Billings tries a low kick but Paavo avoids it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Billings throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Billings throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Billings lands a nice leg kick that just misses Paavo's sensitive parts.
Billings connects with a crisp jab.
Billings chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Billings tests Paavo's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Paavo misses with a hook.
Billings misses with a head kick.
Billings looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Billings is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
Billings moves out of range as Paavo throws a body kick.
Billings misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Paavo blocks a head kick by Billings.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Paavo misses with a right hand
and Billings counters with a one-two to the body.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Paavo feints and then cracks Billings's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Billings down.
Billings is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Paavo can do to turn this around?
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Billings.
Billings is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Billings fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Paavo is out of range.
Billings looks to score with a jab to the body but Paavo is just out of range.
Billings ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Paavo connects with a body shot.
Billings tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Paavo was well out of range. Poor timing from Billings.
Paavo has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Billings.
Paavo misses with a jab to the body
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Paavo takes a kick to the side of the head.
A head kick misses from Billings.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Paavo avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Billings pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Paavo swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Paavo circles away from the clinch attempt.
Paavo throws a counter combo.
Billings throws a head kick but Paavo moves out of range.
Billings misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
It seemed like Paavo was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Billings connects with a body shot that sends Paavo's belly button to the back.
Malik Billings is winning the standup battle so far.
Paavo uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Billings.
Paavo looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Paavo avoids the head kick by Billings.
Billings lands a head shot.
Billings throws a quick inside leg kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Paavo misses the jab.
Billings fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Paavo has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Paavo throws a hook but Billings avoids it easily.
Billings throws a body kick that misses
and Paavo cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Billings lands a head kick. Paavo smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Paavo waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Billings.
Paavo takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Paavo checks the leg kick nicely there.
Paavo throws a big counter head kick but Billings avoids it with no problem.
Billings connects with a leg kick. Paavo looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Paavo tries to move into range but Billings moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Paavo connects with a crisp jab.
Oh Billings is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Paavo and Billings are patiently standing in front of each other looking for an opening. Paavo throws a head kick. It's landed, knocking Billings into next week! Ooooh that was huge! Paavo knows it - he's on the cage flexing is biceps. That's a bit weird considering he won by kick but whatever.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:56 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Head Kick). Eliitti Paavo!
A very excited looking Eliitti Paavo 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.