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Stepping Stone 65 PBP Commentary |
This TWGC bout is 1 fifteen minute round in the super heavyweight division. Introducing today's competitors. In the red corner, competing out of Montreal, with a TWGC record of 3 wins and 5 losses; Brad Hartwell! And in the blue corner, fighting out of Los Angeles, with a TWGC record of 8 wins and 5 losses; Thom Thumb!
The judges for this bout are Trevor Gratis, William Peck and Gregory Folan.
Let's get this grappling contest under way! Who will be victorious?
Hartwell slaps away a takedown attempt from Thumb, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Thom Thumb seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Thumb dives in and grabs Hartwell's left leg, looking for a takedown. Hartwell pushes down on Thumb's head and hops out.
Thumb shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard. Score +2 for takedown into guard / half guard: Hartwell (0) vs (2) Thumb
Hartwell wants to sweep but Thumb has passed to side control! Score +3 for passing guard: Hartwell (0) vs (5) Thumb
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Thumb tries to advance to mount but Hartwell denies him.
Hartwell tries to buck Thumb off but Thumb is having none of it.
Thumb is looking to take a break and control but Hartwell is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hartwell is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Hartwell is working hard here to advance position.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Thumb trying to control the position but Hartwell is working away.
Hartwell is looking to reverse the position.
Hartwell's coaches at The Quarry have been working on his defensive grappling in preparation for this fight so let's see if he can get out of this tricky position.
Hartwell gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Hartwell is not content to let Thumb control the position.
Thumb controlling the action here.
Thumb looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Thumb trying to control the action but Hartwell is working from the bottom.
Hartwell is looking for a sweep. Thumb is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hartwell regains full guard. Nicely done.
Hartwell manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Thumb manages to get himself to full guard.
Score +2 for sweep to guard / half guard: Hartwell (2) vs (5) Thumb
Thumb manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Hartwell manages to get himself to full guard.
Score +2 for sweep to guard / half guard: Hartwell (2) vs (7) Thumb
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Thumb tries to free his leg and advance position but Hartwell is retaining full guard.
Thumb stopping the sweep attempt from Hartwell.
Thumb stands and throws Hartwell's legs to the side, diving into side control. Score +3 for passing guard: Hartwell (2) vs (10) Thumb
Thumb controlling the position.
Thumb trying to control the action but Hartwell is working from the bottom.
Hartwell tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Thumb wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thumb advances nicely into full mount. Score +2 for reaching mount: Hartwell (2) vs (12) Thumb
Hartwell is in all sorts of trouble here.
Thumb is trying to take his opponent's back.
Thumb looking to control but Hartwell is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Hartwell is working to get back to half guard.
Thumb sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Hartwell is trying desperately to improve position.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Thumb trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Hartwell is desperately trying to improve his position but Thumb has a good base and remains in mount.
Hartwell is squirming around, avoiding Thumb's attempts to control the action.
Hartwell is looking to improve his position but Thumb isn't that keen on the idea.
Thumb is working for a guillotine from mount but Hartwell frees his head quite easily.
Hartwell sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Thumb is taking a breather. Hartwell says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
That's five minutes gone in the round.
Hartwell is trying to get back to full guard.
The fighters are battling for position here. Hartwell manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Hartwell looking to hit a scissor sweep but Thumb is one step ahead there.
Hartwell is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Thumb seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Hartwell tries to land a sweep but no joy.
That's six minutes gone in the round.
Thumb seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Thumb trying to control but Hartwell is working from the bottom.
Thumb slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Hartwell looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Thumb puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Thumb takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Hartwell tries to roll over but Thumb keeps him under control.
Thumb keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Hartwell wants to improve his position but Thumb is controlling well.
Thumb is looking for a kimura here.
That's seven minutes gone in the round.
Hartwell is looking for a sweep. Thumb is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Hartwell is not content to let Thumb control the position.
Hartwell is in trouble now - Thumb has advanced to mount! Score +3 for passing guard: Hartwell (2) vs (15) Thumb
Thumb is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Hartwell has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Hartwell! Score +2 for sweep to guard / half guard: Hartwell (4) vs (15) Thumb
Thumb had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Hartwell defends it easily.
That's eight minutes gone in the round.
Thumb is trying to control the position but Hartwell postures up.
Hartwell not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Thumb tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Hartwell might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Thumb keeping moving, preventing Hartwell from controlling successfully.
Thumb working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Hartwell has passed into half guard!
That's nine minutes gone in the round.
Hartwell trying to control from half guard but Thumb is working away.
Hartwell tries to pass the half guard into mount. Thumb knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Thumb trying to hold on to Hartwell's head to control him but Hartwell postures up.
Well, if Hartwell is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
That's ten minutes gone in the round.
Thumb wants to improve his position but Hartwell is controlling well.
Thumb trying to control here.
Hartwell is stalling here. Thumb is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Hartwell seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Thumb has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work. Score +4 for clean sweep to past guard: Hartwell (4) vs (19) Thumb
Thumb is looking to take a break and control but Hartwell is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Hartwell is looking for a sweep.
That's eleven minutes gone in the round.
Thumb wants to control but Hartwell is keeping him busy.
Hartwell is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Thumb trying to mount his opponent but Hartwell defends it.
Hartwell is looking to get back to full guard here but Thumb has managed to pass to side control instead. Score +3 for passing guard: Hartwell (4) vs (22) Thumb
Thumb is looking to take a break and control but Hartwell is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Hartwell looks to move to half guard but instead Thumb has passed into mount! Damn! Score +2 for reaching mount: Hartwell (4) vs (24) Thumb
That's twelve minutes gone in the round.
Hartwell slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Thumb tries to pass the half guard into mount. Hartwell knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Hartwell wants to get back to full guard.
Thumb content to control rather than advance.
Hartwell regains full guard. Nicely done.
Thumb trying to control the position from guard on top but Hartwell is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Hartwell looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Thumb passes into half guard.
That's thirteen minutes gone in the round.
Thumb is looking to advance position but Hartwell won't allow it.
Thumb is looking for a kimura but Hartwell is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Thumb to get the leverage.
Hartwell is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Thumb is trying to control the action in half guard but Hartwell is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Thumb prevents Hartwell from improving his position.
Thumb content to control rather than advance.
Hartwell is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Thumb looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
That's fourteen minutes gone in the round.
Thumb is keen to just control but Hartwell is a slippery customer.
Hartwell is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Thumb's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Thumb's back! Score +4 for clean sweep to past guard: Hartwell (8) vs (24) Thumb
Hartwell avoiding Thumb 's attempts to control his hands.
Hartwell is trying to control but Thumb is trying to escape here - he's now mounted.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Thumb is wriggling around trying to escape.
Thumb regains half guard.
Thumb is looking to control Hartwell's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Thumb avoid being mounted?
And that's the end of the fight!
Thumb wins on points by 24 to 8.
Thom Thumb seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website. |
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