PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Paul Starker (ranked 3715 p4p, 408 weight class) and Optimus Prime (ranked 5691 p4p, 597 weight class). Starker comes to the cage accompanied by Catrin O'Neill - Ar Lan Y Mor. Prime has chosen Rich Boy - Boy Looka Here as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. This should be fireworks!

Starker
vs
Prime

190 cm
32
265 lbs
8 - 5 - 0

194 cm
47
250 lbs
40 - 31 - 2

Good wrestling
Great elbows
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Paul Starker!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 40 - 31 - 2, fighting out of Helsinki, Optimus Prime!
The judges for this bout are Robert Douchet, Alec Ball and Trevor Gratis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Starker pushes Prime up against the cage in a clinch.
Prime wants to stall.
A battle for position here, against the cage.

Prime's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Starker displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Prime throws out the jab.
Prime pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Starker is looking to clinch but Prime is avoiding it.
Prime scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Starker doesn't seem bothered though.
Prime stalks Starker and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Starker's face. Starker staggers backwards, shaken.
Starker ducks under a wild hook from Prime.
Starker throws a series of punches but Prime avoids them all with ease.

Starker takes the fight into the clinch.
Starker lands a nice elbow.

It looks like Optimus Prime has been cut.
Prime is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Starker is keeping busy.
Prime lands a shoulder strike.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Starker lands an elbow just above Prime 's eye.
Starker throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Prime avoids the elbow strike from Starker, against the cage.
Starker lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Prime fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Prime misses with some punches.
Starker throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Prime is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Starker is keeping busy.

Prime breaks from the clinch.
Prime throws an overhand right that lands on Starker's shoulder, as Starker tries to avoid the shot.
Starker ducks under a wild hook from Prime.

Starker clinches up against the cage.
Starker pushes off an throws an elbow but Prime leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Starker blocks an uppercut.
Prime avoids the elbow strike from Starker, against the cage.
Starker throws an elbow but it misses.
Starker pushes off an throws an elbow but Prime leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Prime dodges an elbow strike from Starker.
Starker blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Starker lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Starker gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Starker pushes off an throws an elbow but Prime leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Prime blocks an elbow strike from Starker.
Prime fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Starker lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Prime blocks an elbow strike from Starker.
Prime lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Starker backwards.
Starker misses with an elbow over the top.
Nice body punch from Prime.
Starker creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Prime's defenses.
Prime wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Prime blocks an elbow strike from Starker.
Prime stalling in the clinch but Starker improves position.
Starker gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.

That has opened up Optimus Prime's cut even more.
Starker creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Starker comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Prime looks winded!
Prime takes an elbow to the forehead.

The cut above Optimus Prime's eye is starting to cause him problems now.
Starker gets underhooks to prevent Prime's takedown attempt.
Starker misses with an elbow over the top.
Prime blocks an elbow strike from Starker.
Prime misses with a body punch.
Starker pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Prime looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
With the fighters up against the cage, Starker throws an elbow but misses.
Starker looks to throw an elbow but misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Starker creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Starker throws an elbow but it misses.
Starker throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Starker lands a damaging elbow.
Starker creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Starker lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Starker just misses with a elbow thrown towards Prime's brow.
Starker creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Starker throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Starker looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Prime takes an elbow to the forehead.

Optimus Prime's cut is absolute horrible now. This looks like something out of a horror film with blood covering both fighters.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Prime.
Starker lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.

The referee calls the doctor in to look at Optimus Prime's cut. Oh no, the doctor has called an end to the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:50 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Cut). Paul Starker!
Paul Starker decided to go for the less than humble approach in his post fight interview, telling everyone how he is going to conquer the world. The crowd seemed to like it when really that sort of approach could have gone either way.