PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Thomas Boothe (ranked 5637 p4p, 684 weight class) and Jean Pierre Papin (ranked 3496 p4p, 477 weight class). Jean Pierre Papin told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Boothe
vs
Pierre Papin

190 cm
48
207 lbs
50 - 27 - 0

202 cm
30
211 lbs
8 - 4 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
KO power

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 50 - 27 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Thomas Boothe!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Jean Pierre Papin!
The judges for this bout are Thiago Cunha, Paulo Santos and Mauricio Rocha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Papin lands with a right hand.

Papin gets a clinch.
Papin's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Boothe goes for a takedown attempt but Papin pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

Papin has Boothe up against the cage in a clinch.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Papin.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Boothe drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Papin gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Boothe drops down looking for an ankle pick but Papin pulls his leg out and moves away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Thomas Boothe. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Papin pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Boothe back to the cage. Papin follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.

It looks like Thomas Boothe has been cut.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Papin gets a clinch.
Boothe jumps guard but Papin stands there with Boothe around his waist. Boothe gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Papin prevents a takedown attempt there.
A short right from Papin.
A shot in the inside from Papin.
A nice left hand lands by Papin.
Boothe drops down looking for an ankle pick but Papin pulls his leg out and moves away.

Papin takes the fight into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Boothe jumps guard but Papin turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Boothe fails to pull the fight into his guard.
A short right from Papin.
Papin lands a shoulder strike.
Boothe wants a takedown but no success here.
Boothe tries to pull guard but Papin forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Papin lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Boothe is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Papin is defending well.
Boothe tries to pull guard but Papin won't allow it.
Boothe is breathing heavily.
Papin dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Papin lands a right hand that snaps the head of Boothe backwards.
A nice left hand lands by Papin.
Papin lands a left hand.
Good body shot from Papin.
Papin is pressed up against the cage. Boothe has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Papin down to the mat. Papin avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

Papin moves into range and clinches up with Boothe.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Papin stalling against the cage.
Boothe's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Boothe goes for a takedown in the clinch but Papin prevents it.
Papin manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Papin.
Papin scores with a shot to the side of Boothe's head.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Papin.
Papin is pushing Boothe up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
A short left from Papin.
Papin leaning against his opponent.
Papin stalling.
Papin continues to stall. The referee tells him to work or he's going to break them up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Papin throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
A short right from Papin.
Nice body punch from Papin - that landed with a thud.
Papin's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
A right hook to the body lands for Papin.
A short uppercut from Papin.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Papin lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Papin lands a right hand that snaps the head of Boothe backwards.
Boothe goes for a takedown attempt but Papin pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

Papin rushes Boothe and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Papin effectively controlling the action here.
Papin will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Boothe up against the cage.
Papin receives a warning from the referee for stalling.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jean Pierre Papin dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Thomas Boothe's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Papin scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Papin swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Boothe half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.

Papin moves into range and clinches up with Boothe.
Boothe is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Papin gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Boothe jumps guard but Papin stands there with Boothe around his waist. Boothe gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Papin gets underhooks to prevent Boothe's takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Thomas Boothe. That's going to take a lot out of him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Boothe tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Boothe tries to pull guard but Papin forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
A nice right hand lands inside from Papin.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Boothe is working for takedown but Papin is calmly controlling the position for now.
Boothe jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Papin walks away with a smile on his face. Boothe gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Boothe takes one on the button.
Papin lands with a good body shot.
Papin connects with a single shot there.

Papin cracks Boothe with a big right hand that sends him crashing to the floor. Papin has the opportunity to follow him to the ground but instead he's beckoning Boothe to stand back up!

Boothe is rocked!
Jean Pierre Papin seems to be getting the better of the standup.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Papin darts in and clinches Boothe up against the cage.
Oh Boothe is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Papin scores with a shoulder strike.

Papin drops Boothe onto one knee with a big uppercut from the clinch! Boothe is propped up by the cage and works his way back to his feet!
Papin leaning his opponent against the cage.
Papin has Boothe pushed against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Papin lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Boothe seems to have got his legs back now.
Papin stalls.
A hook to the body from Papin.
Boothe is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Papin pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Papin lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Boothe backwards.
Papin holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Papin lands with a light punch inside.
Papin stalls.
Boothe tries to pull guard but Papin won't allow it.
Papin lands a nice uppercut.
A short right from Papin.
Boothe drops down looking for an ankle pick but Papin pulls his leg out and moves away.

Papin drops Boothe with a hook right on the temple. He thinks about going to the ground but Boothe looks back up at him and smiles so Papin waves him back to his feet - he obviously thinks he can knock him out after that shot landed.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Papin clinches up with Boothe and pushes him back against the cage.
Papin throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Papin stalling in the clinch.
Papin dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Papin softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Papin lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Papin digs a right hand underneath Boothe's ribcage. Boothe let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Papin stalling the fight.
A bit of stalling here from Papin.
A right handed body shot lands from Papin.
Papin lands with a left to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Papin softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.

Papin's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Papin sends Boothe crashing to the mat with a devastating uppercut! Papin is motioning to the referee to let Boothe up. He wants to try and finish this one on the feet!
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!
Papin throws a right and a left that Boothe avoids nicely.

Papin closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Papin lands a left hand.
Papin lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Boothe tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Papin smiles and moves away.

Papin gets a clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Papin softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jean Pierre Papin showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Thomas Boothe's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Papin works Boothe's body with a nice hook.

Papin has Boothe up against the cage in a clinch.
Papin makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Boothe takes a shot to the head.
Papin lands a hook that snaps the head of Boothe backwards.
Papin lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Boothe backwards.
Papin lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Boothe backwards.

Papin breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Boothe gets clipped by a big right hand and goes down spinning to the canvas! Papin gets the back mount and begins to drop bombs on his rocked foe! Boothe is too out of it to defend against the strikes and the referee jumps in to save him from the beatdown!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:42 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Jean Pierre Papin!
A very excited looking Jean Pierre Papin 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.