PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Thomas Kraft (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Randy Couture (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The key to victory for Thomas Kraft has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Kraft
vs
Couture

190 cm
19
230 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

188 cm
21
205 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Very strong

Dangerous GnP
Counter striker
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Thomas Kraft!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Randy Couture!
The judges for this bout are Tiny Johnson, Gwen Towbar and Chris Downing.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kraft tries to clinch but Couture is having none of it.

Couture looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Kraft manages to get to full guard.
Couture won't allow Kraft to get back to his feet.
Kraft looking to hit a scissor sweep but Couture is one step ahead there.
Couture landing with the ground and pound.
Kraft manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Couture is desperately trying to improve his position but Kraft has a good base and remains in mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kraft trying to control but Couture is having none of it.
Couture can't escape the position.
Kraft wants to stand but Couture is holding on to him, trying to stop him posturing up.
Couture working to try and regain half guard.
Couture is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Couture can do anything to dispel that myth.
Kraft controlling from mount.
Couture wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Kraft.
Couture is desperately trying to improve his position but Kraft has a good base and remains in mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Kraft throws some wild stikes that Couture manages to avoid easily.
Kraft looking to control and managing it successfully.
Couture is squirming around, avoiding Kraft's attempts to control the action.
Kraft takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Kraft wants to control the pace but Couture is squirming around nicely.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Kraft looking to control and managing it successfully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Randy Couture will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Kraft doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Couture counters with a shoot takedown. Kraft fights it but they end up in guard.
Couture wanted to stand there but Kraft had control of the position.
Kraft tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Kraft has his feet on Couture's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.
Kraft tries to clinch but fails miserably

so Couture counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Kraft manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Couture manages to get himself to full guard.
Kraft 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.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Kraft wants to get up but he can't break Couture's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Couture looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Kraft passes into side control.
Kraft trying to control the position but Couture is working away.
Couture gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Thomas Kraft just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Kraft shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Couture as he avoids it easily.
Kraft tries to clinch there but Couture circles away.

Couture shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Couture was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Kraft is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.
Randy Couture has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Couture avoids the attempt from Kraft to control.
A nice elbow there by Couture.
Kraft tries to hold on but Couture pushes him away.
Couture scoring with strikes but Kraft is staying in there.
Kraft bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Kraft missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Kraft throws a big right hand that misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Randy Couture showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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.

Kraft scores with a jab to the head.
Thomas Kraft is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Kraft tries to clinch

and Couture counters with a takedown into side control.
Kraft manages to get back to half guard.
Couture is pressing down on Kraft's thigh, looking to free his foot. Kraft is holding on for now.
Couture trying to control from half guard but Kraft is working away.
Kraft is looking to escape.
Couture wants to take a breather but Kraft is having none of it.
Couture not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Kraft manages to get to full guard.
Kraft is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kraft throwing shots but Couture is blocking nicely.
Kraft not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Couture trying to control from the bottom.
Kraft thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Couture's head.
Couture keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Couture is staying active underneath Kraft, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Kraft is really struggling to control Couture but he's trying to hold on to the position.
Kraft looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Kraft wants to clinch

and Couture counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Couture.

Couture got a little sloppy there for a moment and Kraft has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Couture has managed to get both his arms back between Kraft's legs - danger averted.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Couture pushing down on Kraft's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Kraft is pressing down on Couture's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Couture lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Couture is working Kraft over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Couture must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Couture stopping the sweep attempt from Kraft.
Couture lands a couple of digs.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Couture won't allow Kraft to get back to his feet.
Kraft tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Kraft has control of Couture's left arm, preventing Couture from doing any damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Randy Couture really dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Kraft wants to clinch but Couture slips to the side

and Couture counters with a nice double leg into side control. Kraft won't be happy with that.
Kraft is not content to let Couture control the position.
Kraft tries to get back to half guard but can't.

Couture stands up.
Kraft tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Couture counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Kraft's guard now.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Couture throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Kraft works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Kraft is pulling down on Couture's head. It's preventing any offense from Couture, at least for the moment.
Kraft wants to sweep but no luck.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Couture scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Kraft wants to stand and escape but Couture is having none of it.
Kraft wants to get back to his feet but he's too absorbed in his own little project and Couture manages to pass to side control.
Couture drops an elbow to the side of Kraft's head.
Kraft trying to control here.

Couture escapes and gets back to his feet.
Kraft dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Kraft tries to clinch there but Couture circles away.
Kraft slaps away a takedown attempt from Couture, before circling back to the center of the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kraft tries to clinch up.
Kraft dives in and grabs Couture's left leg, looking for a takedown. Couture pushes down on Kraft's head and hops out.
Kraft tries to clinch

and Couture counters with a nice double leg into side control. Kraft won't be happy with that.
It's got to the stage where if one of these guys blows hard enough, the other might fall over.
Kraft manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Kraft moves into full guard.
Couture preventing the sweep.
Kraft keeping moving, preventing Couture from controlling successfully.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Kraft is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Couture is controlling him.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Randy Couture dominated that fourth round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Couture moves forwards but Kraft connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Thomas Kraft has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Kraft tries to clinch

so Couture counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Kraft wants to sweep but no luck.
Kraft is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Couture sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Couture's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Kraft is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Couture is controlling him.
Couture throwing strikes from guard but Kraft blocks nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Kraft isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Couture stacks Kraft on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Couture!
Kraft looks to move to half guard but instead Couture has passed into mount! Damn!
Kraft wants to control but Couture is having none of it.
Couture trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Kraft is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Couture punishing his opponent with strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Couture is landing with some decent strikes but Kraft is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Couture with a couple of short strikes.
Kraft working to try and regain half guard.
Couture blocks Kraft's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Couture is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Kraft wants to control but Couture is having none of it.
The referee warns Kraft that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Kraft tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Couture trying to control but Kraft is having none of it.
Randy Couture is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Kraft is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Randy Couture comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Couture winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 5 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 46:49
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 46:50
Judge Chris Downing scores the fight 45:50

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Randy Couture!