PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Jack Kerns (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and John Thomas (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Kerns's entrance music is Johnny Cash - Hurt. A fine choice. Thomas has chosen Devil went down to Georgia as his entrance music. Jack Kerns could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to John Thomas's chin.

Kerns
vs
Thomas

187 cm
24
197 lbs
6 - 1 - 0

188 cm
19
192 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Tends to cut

TFP Graphics - Pit Inc
BioPharm Nutrition

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 6 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Jack Kerns!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, John Thomas!
The judges for this bout are Eddie Farnsworth, Dean Styles and Franklyn Lucas.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kerns looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Thomas is fending him off so far but Kerns persists. Nope, Thomas circles away and we're back to standing.
Kerns finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Jack Kerns seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Thomas throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Kerns sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Kerns throws a shot from downtown. Thomas moves away and avoids it.
Kerns throws a big shot that misses.
Kerns lands with a hook. Thomas tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Kerns misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Thomas.
A big left from Kerns misses.
Thomas fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Kerns tries to clinch but Thomas moves out of range.
Kerns slips a straight right by Thomas.
Thomas works Kerns's body with a nice hook.
Kerns is looking to clinch but Thomas is avoiding it.
Thomas misses with a hook.
A jab lands there for Kerns.

It looks like John Thomas has been cut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kerns pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Kerns doesn't manage to clinch there - Thomas circles away.
Thomas throws a jab when Kerns was well out of range.
Kerns swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Thomas counters with a right hand to the body.
John Thomas is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Good work by Thomas as he checks the leg kick.
Kerns throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Kerns misses with the combination.
Thomas lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Kerns circles away quickly and effectively.
Kerns misses with a straight right.
Thomas connects with the punch.
Kerns attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Kerns with a poor takedown
and Thomas counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Kerns changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Thomas tries to avoid it but Kerns manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Thomas to the ground. Thomas escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jack Kerns. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Thomas crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Kerns - the referee stops the clock and Thomas gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Kerns. Thomas manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
Kerns shoots in for a takedown but Thomas shows good takedown defense.
Kerns tries to clinch up.
Thomas lands with a nice combination. Kerns backs away looking to recover.
Thomas throws a body punch but Kerns moves out of range.
Thomas ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Kerns moves away.
Kerns tries to close the distance and clinch but Thomas swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Thomas moves away from the strike by Kerns.
Thomas clobbers Kerns with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Kerns throws a body kick that misses.
Thomas throws a looping overhand right but Kerns ducks down to avoid it.
Thomas thows a leg kick but Kerns checks it
and Kerns counters with a nice body kick.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Thomas misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kerns takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Kerns throws a leg kick but Thomas sees it coming and checks it nicely.

Kerns feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Kerns works over Thomas with some ground and pound from guard.
Kerns has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Kerns throwing strikes from guard but Thomas blocks nicely.
Kerns working some strikes from top position.
Kerns in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Kerns lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Kerns pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Thomas is keeping the position for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kerns advances to half guard.
Thomas has hold of Kerns's hands but Kerns slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Kerns missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Kerns wants to free his trapped foot but Thomas is holding on for dear life with his legs.

Thomas actively working from the bottom here.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Kerns missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jack Kerns dominated that round.
The cut man is working on John Thomas's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Kerns wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
A head kick by Kerns misses
and Thomas counters with a two punch combo.
Kerns pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Thomas avoids a punch combination nicely.
Kerns is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Thomas.
Thomas on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Kerns lands a head kick. Thomas smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
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!
Kerns wants to clinch.
Kerns fails in his attempt to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kerns misses the shot to the body.
John Thomas is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Kerns walks into a straight right hand from Thomas.
Kerns tries to close the distance and clinch but Thomas swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Thomas thows a left - swing and a miss!
Thomas checks the leg kick nicely there.
Thomas scores with a hook.
Thomas looks to score with a jab to the body but Kerns is just out of range.
Kerns keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Thomas.
Kerns throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Thomas sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Kerns connects with a solid leg kick.
Kerns misses the body punch
and Thomas connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Kerns misses the shot to the body.
Thomas staying out of range there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kerns fails with an attempt to clinch.
Kerns takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Thomas throws a shot from downtown. Kerns moves away and avoids it.
Kerns misses with a combination
letting Thomas counter with a right hand.
Kerns throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Kerns tries to clinch there but Thomas circles away.
Thomas tests Kerns's chin there with a solid looking shot.
A shot to the body from Kerns misses
and Thomas makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Thomas just misses with a punch to the body.
Thomas ducks under a wild hook from Kerns.
John Thomas seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Kerns tries for a takedown but Thomas circles away easily
and Thomas counters with a three punch combo that has Kerns backing up. Kerns nods at Thomas to acknowledge the strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thomas throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Kerns on the side of the head.
Kerns looks to land a combination but Thomas avoids it well.
Thomas lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
A swing and a miss from Thomas.
Thomas avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Kerns throws a head kick but Thomas moves out of range.
Kerns misses with a shot to the body
and Thomas counters with a nice uppercut.
Kerns shoots for a double leg takedown but Thomas sprawls well. He's pushed Kerns's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Kerns on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Thomas lands a slapping body shot.
Thomas lands a head shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kerns takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Thomas moves out of range of the body kick.
Kerns swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Thomas counters with a nice uppercut.
Kerns ducks right into an uppercut from Thomas.
Kerns goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Kerns misses with a low kick.
Kerns misses with a shot to the body
and Thomas counters with a series of strikes. Kerns will be more careful next time no doubt.
Kerns looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Kerns throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Kerns takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Kerns misses with a jab to the body
and Thomas counters with a nice uppercut.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Thomas paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Thomas tries to score with a low kick but Kerns moves his leg out of the way.
Kerns takes one on the button.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Thomas showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on John Thomas's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Kerns takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Thomas darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Kerns takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Kerns wants to clinch up but Thomas keeps it at a distance.
Thomas avoids the head kick by Kerns.
Thomas will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

Kerns scores with a takedown into Thomas's guard.
Kerns postures up in Thomas's guard and throws a big left but Thomas blocks it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Kerns working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Kerns pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Thomas is keeping the position for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kerns passes into half guard.
Thomas moves into full guard.
Kerns stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Thomas swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Thomas looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Kerns landing with the ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kerns trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Kerns throwing strikes from guard but Thomas blocks nicely.
Kerns preventing the sweep.
Thomas avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Kerns missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Kerns tries to free his leg and advance position but Thomas is retaining full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Kerns bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Kerns tries to clinch but Thomas moves out of range.
Kerns throws a lazy head kick
and Thomas counters with a right hand to the body.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Kerns closes the distance looking to clinch
and Thomas counters with a nice uppercut.
Thomas avoids the head kick by Kerns.
Kerns misses with a double jab
and Thomas counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kerns misses with a kick to the body
and Thomas counters with a three punch combo that has Kerns backing up. Kerns nods at Thomas to acknowledge the strikes.
Kerns tries to clinch up but Thomas circles away and keeps his distance.
Thomas uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Kerns fails with the takedown
and Thomas counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

Kerns fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Thomas, pushing him back against the cage.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Thomas creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Thomas has a couple of punches blocked by Kerns.
Thomas is trying to break the clinch but Kerns has him pressed against the cage.
Kerns lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Kerns lands a nice uppercut.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Kerns doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Kerns throws a head punch that misses.
Thomas blocks a body shot from Kerns.
Kerns lands on the inside with an uppercut.

And that's the end of the fight!
John Thomas comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Thomas has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Eddie Farnsworth scores the fight 28:29
Judge Dean Styles scores the fight 28:29
Judge Franklyn Lucas scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... John Thomas!