PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Essien Ekuoba (ranked 778 p4p, 1372 weight class) and Thomas English (ranked 54 p4p, 87 weight class). Ekuoba comes to the cage accompanied by Pure Water. English has chosen Muffin Man as his entrance music. Thomas English has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Ekuoba
vs
English

183 cm
21
300
7 - 0 - 0

194 cm
21
300
5 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

Shadow Realm Apparel
Groove Gear

30th Century Beer Store

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Essien Ekuoba!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Thomas English!
The judges for this bout are Patrick Alders, Albert Achterberg and Wagner Zegers.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ekuoba looks to land a left hand but English moved out of range nicely.
The fight stays on the outside here - English looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Good shot there by Ekuoba.
Ekuoba circles away from the clinch attempt.
English defending well as Ekuoba loads up on a big left hand.
Ekuoba swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Ekuoba throws a good cross that connects.
English ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
The fight stays on the outside here - English looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
English has done a lot of speed work in the buildup to this fight.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ekuoba throws out a loose jab but English uses good head movement to avoid it.
English slips a jab from Ekuoba.
Good leg kick by English.
English takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.

That's one minute gone in the round.
English tries to clinch there but Ekuoba circles away.
Ekuoba throws a hook to the side of English's head but English sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Ekuoba lands the left hand.
Ekuoba is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
English moves in looking to clinch but Ekuoba pushes him off.
Ekuoba was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
English tries to clinch up but Ekuoba circles away and keeps his distance.
Ekuoba lands with a cross.
We've been told by Ekuoba's head coaches at Gold Samurai's Gym that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.
A punch combination from Ekuoba misses.

Ekuoba has English up against the cage in a clinch.
English scores with a hook to the body.
English misses with some punches.
Ekuoba is trying to maintain a safe position but English gets an underhook and turns Ekuoba into the cage.
English scores with a shot to the side of Ekuoba's head.

It looks like Essien Ekuoba has been cut.
A quick uppercut on the inside from English.
Ekuoba taking a breather.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
English tries a body shot but Ekuoba blocks it.
Ekuoba prevents a body shot from English.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Ekuoba tried to land a shot to the body but connects with English's elbow.
English is working Ekuoba over against the cage.
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!
Ekuoba tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and English avoids it.
English scores with a shoulder strike.
Ekuoba prevents a body shot from English.
Ekuoba leaning against his opponent.
English goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Ekuoba just leaning against English, taking a breather.
Ekuoba working aggressively here.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Ekuoba.
A hook to the body from English.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ekuoba tries to stall but English uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Ekuoba using the Thai plumb to throw knees but English has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Ekuoba content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Ekuoba holding his opponent close, against the cage.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Essien Ekuoba.
English tries to clinch but Ekuoba moves out of range.
Ekuoba is looking to counter punch.
Nice body punch from English.
Ekuoba is breathing heavily.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
English lands a left hand.
English throws a head punch that misses.
English misses with a hook to the ribs.
English blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by English as Ekuoba tries to tie him up.
Ekuoba looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Still in the clinch, English scores with a nice short uppercut.
Ekuoba tries a body shot but English blocks it.
English prevents a body shot from Ekuoba.
English tries to work over Ekuoba's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Ekuoba pressing his opponent against the cage.
English scores with a shoulder strike.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Ekuoba manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Come on Ekuoba - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Ekuoba blocks a body shot from English.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Essien Ekuoba dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Essien Ekuoba's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

English tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Ekuoba circles away from the clinch attempt.
English looks to land a combination but Ekuoba avoids it well.
English is looking to clinch.
English throws a right hand that Ekuoba ducks under and follows up with a left that Ekuoba also avoids with ease.
English keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Ekuoba.

English closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
English throws a punch but it's blocked by Ekuoba.
English scores with a hook to the body.
English misses with some punches.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ekuoba misses with a punch on the inside.
English working aggressively here.
English lands on the inside with an uppercut.
English throws a head punch that misses.
English tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
English blocks a punch to the side of the head.
A quick uppercut on the inside from English.
English presses Ekuoba against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
A shot in the inside from English.
Ekuoba trying to control the position but instead, English has worked for underhooks and has pushed Ekuoba into the cage.
English working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.

Essien Ekuoba's cut is getting worse.
Ekuoba throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but English blocks it with crossed arms.
Ekuoba lands a nice shot to the body.
English misses with a punch to the body.
Ekuoba avoiding damage.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
English lands a body punch.
English tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
English lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Ekuoba backwards.
English misses with a hook to the ribs.
English fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
English tries to throw a body punch but Ekuoba avoids it by throwing English back against the cage.
Ekuoba with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Ekuoba trying to control the position but instead, English has worked for underhooks and has pushed Ekuoba into the cage.
Ekuoba tries a body shot but English blocks it.
English misses with a punch to the body.
English prevents Ekuoba from breaking the clinch.
English swings wildly with an uppercut but Ekuoba uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
English throws a punch but it's blocked by Ekuoba.
English throws a punch but it's blocked by Ekuoba.
Thomas English seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
English working some nice short punches in the clinch.
English misses with a body punch.
Ekuoba wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
English misses with a punch on the inside.
Ekuoba stalling against the cage.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
English struggles to land a body shot inside as Ekuoba controls his hands.
A short right from English on the inside.
A head punch on the inside from English fails to land.
English lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.

Essien Ekuoba's cut is bleeding quite badly. He's got to try and protect it.
Ekuoba blocks a punch to the side of the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
English lands with a left to the head.
Ekuoba lands a body shot in the clinch.
Ekuoba is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Ekuoba blocks a body shot from English.
Ekuoba is looking to control English's arms but English gets an underhook and turns him. Now Ekuoba has his back to the cage.
Still in the clinch, English scores with a nice short uppercut.
Ekuoba has a couple of punches blocked by English.
English lands with a right to the head.

Jeez, Essien Ekuoba's cut is really nasty now. The referee must be thinking about getting that checked.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Ekuoba.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
English has Ekuoba pressed against the cage, preventing Ekuoba from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
English tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Ekuoba's elbow.
Ekuoba blocks a body shot from English.
Ekuoba lands a knee to the head.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Thomas English showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Essien Ekuoba's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Ekuoba misses with a hook. English ducked under it nicely.

English darts in and clinches Ekuoba up against the cage.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from English.
English misses with the head strike.
Ekuoba throws a knee to the head but misses.
English tries to throw a body punch but Ekuoba avoids it by throwing English back against the cage.
Ekuoba tries a body shot but English blocks it.
Ekuoba misses with a knee to the head.
Ekuoba looking to stall.
English has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Ekuoba trying to land knees to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ekuoba blocks a body shot from English.
English tries to throw a body punch but Ekuoba avoids it by throwing English back against the cage.
English lands a hook that snaps the head of Ekuoba backwards.
English misses with some punches.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A short body shot lands from English as the two fighters clinch.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Ekuoba is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Ekuoba wants to get back to striking at distance but English won't allow it.
Ekuoba blocks a body shot from English.
English throws a punch but it's blocked by Ekuoba.
Ekuoba is trying to break the clinch but English has him pressed against the cage.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for English.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from English.
Ekuoba blocks an uppercut.
English lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.

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

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:57 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Cut). Thomas English!
Thomas English managed to slip a mention for his sponsors, 30th Century Beer Store, into his post fight interview.