PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight kickboxing rules bout between Aaron Lowell (ranked 4329 p4p, 395 weight class) and Bastien Giroud (ranked 22489 p4p, 495 weight class). Lowell's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, The Qemists - Run You. Giroud has chosen Khaled- Aisha as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Both fighters look pumped up here. Let's hope this is a good fight!

Lowell
vs
Giroud

183 cm
23
168 lbs
8 - 3 - 0

180 cm
22
158 lbs
8 - 8 - 0

World class MT
Granite chin

Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Aaron Lowell!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 8 - 0, fighting out of London, Bastien Giroud!
The judges for this bout are Albert Achterberg, Daniel Blasius and Radbod Blank.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nice shot by Lowell.

Lowell moves into range and clinches up with Giroud.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Lowell.
Giroud blocks an uppercut.
Giroud misses with the head strike.
Lowell lands with a short shot to the head.
Lowell stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Lowell wants to stall.
Giroud looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
A head punch on the inside from Giroud fails to land.
Giroud tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Lowell's elbow.
Lowell wants to stall.
Lowell blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Lowell lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Giroud backwards.
Come on Lowell - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Giroud scores with a hook to the body.
Lowell misses with a punch to the body.
A battle for position here, against the ropes.
Giroud blocks a punch to the side of the head.
A head punch on the inside from Giroud fails to land.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Giroud using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Lowell has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Lowell tries to work over Giroud's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Giroud displaying some good clinch control by pressing Lowell up against the ropes.
Giroud blocks an uppercut.
Lowell scores with a shoulder strike.
Lowell can't find room to land a body shot as Giroud controls the action.
Giroud's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Lowell lands a nice uppercut.

Lowell breaks from the clinch.
Giroud uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Lowell.
Lowell tries to clinch up against the ropes, rushing in to close the distance. Giroud manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Good leg kick by Lowell there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Bastien Giroud seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Giroud gets a clinch.
Lowell working aggressively here.
A short right from Giroud on the inside.
Lowell is leaning against Giroud and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Giroud tries to throw a body punch but Lowell avoids it by throwing Giroud back against the ropes.
Lowell throws a punch but it's blocked by Giroud.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
A hook to the body from Lowell.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Lowell breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Giroud ducks under a wild hook from Lowell.
Lowell catches Giroud with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Lowell cracks the inside of Giroud's front leg.

Giroud clinches with his opponent.
Lowell lands a right hand that snaps the head of Giroud backwards.
A short uppercut from Lowell.
Lowell blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Giroud makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Giroud scores with a shot to the side of Lowell's head.
Giroud working aggressively here.
Giroud blocks a body shot from Lowell.
Lowell lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Giroud is trying to stall.
Lowell misses with a body punch.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Giroud swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Giroud misses with the head strike.
Giroud tries to stall but Lowell uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Lowell tries a body shot but Giroud blocks it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Aaron Lowell dominated that round.
That's time! Lowell's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Giroud rushes Lowell and pushes him back against the ropes in a clinch.
Giroud tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Lowell doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Lowell blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
A short left from Giroud.

Lowell breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Lowell has taken the fight to the clinch.
Lowell working aggressively here.
The fighters are pressed against the ropes, as the pace of the fight slows.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Lowell as Giroud tries to tie him up.
Lowell is working Giroud over against the ropes.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Giroud swings wildly with an uppercut but Lowell uses good head movement to avoid it.
Lowell blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Lowell lands a left hand.
A short body shot lands from Lowell as the two fighters clinch.

Lowell breaks from the clinch.
Lowell throws a leg kick which misses Giroud's front leg but catches the back leg as Giroud tries to avoid it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lowell circles away from the clinch attempt.

Lowell moves into range and clinches up with Giroud.
Lowell tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Giroud's elbow.
Lowell lands an uppercut.
A nice right hand lands inside from Giroud.
Giroud throws a punch but it's blocked by Lowell.
Nice body punch from Lowell - that landed with a thud.
Giroud misses with a hook from the clinch.
Giroud trying to land knees to the body.
Giroud misses with a knee to the head.
Lowell misses with some punches.
Lowell misses with a body punch.
Lowell tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Lowell.
Lowell softening up his opponent with strikes, against the ropes.
Lowell tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Lowell misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Lowell blocking some punches.
Giroud with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Giroud with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Lowell misses with a short punch on the inside.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lowell blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Giroud tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Lowell can't find room to land a body shot as Giroud controls the action.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Lowell lands a body shot in the clinch.
Still in the clinch, Lowell scores with a nice short uppercut.
Lowell working aggressively here.
Lowell scores with an uppercut up the middle.
A shot in the inside from Lowell.
Lowell tries to work over Giroud's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Aaron Lowell has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Giroud tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Lowell lands with a right to the head.
Lowell lands a shot to the body.
Lowell lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Giroud or not.
Lowell blocking some punches.
A head punch on the inside from Lowell fails to land.
Lowell doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Lowell blocks a body shot from Giroud.
Lowell lands with a right to the head.
Lowell is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Giroud can do to turn this around?
Lowell controlling the action here for a moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Aaron Lowell dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Lowell blocks a jab.
Giroud scores with a decent looking hook.
Lowell throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Nice body punch from Lowell.
Giroud throws a body shot but no joy.
Giroud scores with a shot to the body.
A left lands for Giroud.
Giroud throws an overhand right that lands on Lowell's shoulder, as Lowell tries to avoid the shot.
Giroud takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Bastien Giroud is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Giroud lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.

Giroud clinches with his opponent.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Giroud lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Lowell backwards.
Lowell lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Giroud backwards.
Giroud tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Lowell misses with some punches.

Lowell breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Lowell scores with a push kick.

Lowell clinches with his opponent.
With the fighters clinched against the ropes, Lowell creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Giroud takes a shot to the head.
Lowell lands a shoulder strike.
Giroud misses with a short punch on the inside.

Lowell breaks the clinch.
Lowell showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Giroud.

Lowell has closed the distance and engaged Giroud in a clinch.
Lowell trying to stall but Giroud improves his position.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Lowell.
Aaron Lowell is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Lowell avoiding damage as Giroud throws knees to the body.
Lowell misses with a hook to the ribs.
Giroud is looking to control Lowell's arms but Lowell gets an underhook and turns him. Now Giroud has his back to the ropes.
A short right from Lowell on the inside.
Giroud throws a head punch that misses.
Giroud tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lowell is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Giroud is keeping busy.
Lowell slows down the pace here.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Lowell takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Lowell blocking some punches.
Giroud blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Giroud.
Lowell misses with a hook from the clinch.
Bastien Giroud has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Come on Lowell - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Aaron Lowell.
Well Lowell has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Albert Achterberg scores the fight 30:27
Judge Daniel Blasius scores the fight 30:27
Judge Radbod Blank scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Aaron Lowell!
Aaron Lowell was full of energy after the big win and talked about how he thinks he can do big things in this sport. The crowd were appreciative of his determination to succeed.
In defeat, Bastien Giroud stepped up to the mic, saying 'It's just a setback on the road to greatness. Ill be back stronger !'.