PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Joe Joyce (ranked 5228 p4p, 5318 weight class) and Andre Paul (ranked 572 p4p, 575 weight class). Both these guys have solid standup skills and neither is particularly fantastic on the ground, so let's hope for a nice standup war!

Joyce
vs
Paul

191 cm
25
190
0 - 1 - 0

190 cm
25
185
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Joe Joyce!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Andre Paul!
The judges for this bout are Russell Pearce, Joseph Jones and Jorge Garcia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Joyce takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Joyce throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Joyce scores with a jab to the jaw.
The fighters circling - Joyce throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Paul looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.

Paul has closed the distance and engaged Joyce in a clinch.
Joyce has a couple of punches blocked by Paul.
Paul tries to circle away but Joyce has him pinned against the cage.
Joyce throws a punch but it's blocked by Paul.
Joyce tries to throw a body punch but Paul avoids it by throwing Joyce back against the cage.
Joyce lands a left hand that snaps the head of Paul backwards.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Joyce.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Joyce.
Paul tries to break the clinch but Joyce is controlling the position.
Joyce swings wildly with an uppercut but Paul uses good head movement to avoid it.
Paul tries to circle away but Joyce has him pinned against the cage.
Paul misses with a body punch.
Joyce misses with the head strike.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Joyce throws a punch but it's blocked by Paul.
Paul blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Paul wants to break free but Joyce has control.
Joyce misses with a short punch on the inside.
Paul wants to get back to striking at distance but Joyce won't allow it.
Joyce has Paul pressed against the cage, preventing Paul from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Paul tries to break the clinch but Joyce is controlling the position.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Joyce.
Paul lands with a left to the head.
Joyce misses with a hook from the clinch.
Paul blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Paul tries to circle away but Joyce has him pinned against the cage.
Joyce misses with some punches.
Paul lands a nice shot to the body.

Paul pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Joyce fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Paul slips under a jab.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Paul moves into the clinch successfully.
Joyce tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Paul blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Joyce misses with a punch on the inside.
Joyce misses with some punches.
Joyce fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Paul blocks an uppercut.
Paul tries to break free but Joyce pushes him back against the cage.
Joyce tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Joyce working aggressively here.
Paul wants to get back to striking at distance but Joyce won't allow it.
Paul is trying to force a seperation but Joyce has the dominant position.
A head punch on the inside from Joyce fails to land.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Joyce.
Paul is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Paul is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Joyce fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Joyce has Paul pressed against the cage, preventing Paul from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Paul blocks an uppercut.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Paul.
Joyce has a couple of punches blocked by Paul.
Paul blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Joyce swings wildly with an uppercut but Paul uses good head movement to avoid it.
Joyce swings wildly with an uppercut but Paul uses good head movement to avoid it.
Paul blocks an uppercut.
A short right from Paul on the inside.
Paul cracks Joyce with a nice body shot.
Paul blocks a punch to the side of the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Joyce misses with a punch on the inside.
A head punch on the inside from Joyce fails to land.
Joyce misses with a short punch on the inside.
Joyce throws a head punch that misses.
Paul blocking some punches.
Paul tries to circle away but Joyce has him pinned against the cage.
Joyce swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Paul is trying to break free.
Joyce misses with a punch on the inside.
Joyce misses with a hook from the clinch.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Joyce.
Joyce fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Paul tries to break free but Joyce pushes him back against the cage.
Joyce looks to be in better condition than last time we saw him fight. Obviously he's been working hard on his cardio.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Paul.
Paul tries to circle away but Joyce has him pinned against the cage.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Joe Joyce dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Joyce avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Joyce thows a left - swing and a miss!
Joe Joyce seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Paul looks to throw the jab but Joyce is out of range.

Paul moves into the clinch successfully.
Paul working hard to break the clinch.
Joyce misses with a hook from the clinch.
Paul blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Paul effectively controlling the action here.
Joyce misses with a punch on the inside.
Paul blocking some punches.
Paul blocking some punches.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Joyce misses with a hook from the clinch.
Paul wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Paul blocking some punches.
Joyce misses with a short punch on the inside.
Joyce swings away with an uppercut that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A head punch on the inside from Joyce fails to land.
Paul blocks an uppercut.
Joyce throws a punch but it's blocked by Paul.
Joyce swings wildly with an uppercut but Paul uses good head movement to avoid it.
Joyce misses with some punches.
We've been informed that Paul has been working hard on his conditioning in the buildup to the fight.
Paul blocks an uppercut.
Paul looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Paul blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Joyce is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Paul can do to turn this around?
Joyce misses with a short punch on the inside.
Paul goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Paul blocking some punches.
Joyce throws a head punch that misses.
Paul misses with a body punch.
Paul is trying to break the clinch but Joyce has him pressed against the cage.
Paul working hard to break the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Joyce swings wildly with an uppercut but Paul uses good head movement to avoid it.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Joyce.
Paul holding his opponent close, against the cage.
A head punch on the inside from Joyce fails to land.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Paul.
Joyce working aggressively here.
Joyce throws a punch but it's blocked by Paul.
A nice left hand lands by Paul.
Paul wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Joyce has him pressed against the cage.
Paul blocks a punch to the side of the head.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Paul.
Paul blocks a punch to the side of the head.
A head punch on the inside from Joyce fails to land.
Joyce has a couple of punches blocked by Paul.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Joyce throws a punch but it's blocked by Paul.
Paul blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Paul blocking some punches.
Paul working hard to break the clinch.
Paul blocks an uppercut.
Paul lands an uppercut.
Joyce swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Paul wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Paul blocking some punches.
Paul blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Paul is working Joyce over against the cage.
Joyce misses with some punches.
Joyce working aggressively here.
Joyce working aggressively here.
Paul is looking to break free of the clinch but Joyce has double underhooks.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nice body punch from Paul.
Paul working hard to break the clinch.
Joyce misses with the head strike.
Joyce tries to throw a body punch but Paul avoids it by throwing Joyce back against the cage.
Joyce misses with a short punch on the inside.
Paul presses Joyce against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Joyce misses with a punch on the inside.
Joe Joyce has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Joyce swings wildly with an uppercut but Paul uses good head movement to avoid it.
Joyce misses with the head strike.
Paul blocking some punches.
Joyce misses with a short punch on the inside.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
A head punch on the inside from Joyce fails to land.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Paul.
Joyce misses with a hook from the clinch.
Paul blocking some punches.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Joe Joyce dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Joyce lands a really nice looking cross but Paul seems unphased.

It looks like Andre Paul has been cut.
Joyce on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Joyce sizes up Paul with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Paul tries a head kick but it misses.
Paul throws a sloppy head kick and Joyce moves out of range easily.
Joyce is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Paul.
Joyce thumps Paul with a low kick.
Paul keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Joyce.
A head kick misses from Paul.
Paul lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Joyce backs up against the cage.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Nice defenses there by Paul.
Andre Paul is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Joyce thuds a left hand into Paul's body.
Paul moves away from the strike by Joyce.
Paul looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Paul takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Joyce misses with a looping left.
Some wild striking there from Paul.
Joyce avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Joyce throws a lazy uppercut
and Paul counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Paul takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Paul throws a series of punches but Joyce avoids them all with ease.
A head kick misses from Paul.
Joyce listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Joyce throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Paul sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Joe Joyce is winning the standup battle so far.
Paul takes one to the side of the head.

Paul is rocked!
Paul is holding his hands too far apart here. Joyce throws a hard, straight punch right down the pipe and BOOM! Paul is out! That punch landed square on the jaw - what a shot!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:25 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Joe Joyce!
In his post fight interview, Joe Joyce started talking himself up. Luckily his charisma kept the crowd on side and gave him a good reception.