PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between John Paul Thiago (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tomark Barker (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Paul Thiago
vs
Barker

182 cm
22
154 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

173 cm
22
162 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Determined

Conviction
Win Nutritional

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, John Paul Thiago!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Tomark Barker!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Thiago shoots in but no luck this time.
Thiago tries to clinch up but Barker circles away and keeps his distance.
Barker is looking to clinch but Thiago is avoiding it.
Barker fails with an attempt to clinch.
Thiago tries a head kick but it misses.
Thiago closes the distance and clinches up with Barker, looking for a takedown. Thiago pushes Barker against the cage but Barker circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Barker moves out of range of the body kick from Thiago.

Barker darts in and clinches Thiago up against the cage.
Thiago fails to pull guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for John Paul Thiago. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Barker's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
The fight stays on the outside here - Barker looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Barker with a lazy takedown attempt

and Thiago counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Barker keeping moving, preventing Thiago from controlling successfully.
Thiago preventing the sweep.
Thiago wants to stand but Barker is controlling his posture from full guard.
Barker looking for a sweep. Not yet Barker, not yet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thiago showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Thiago trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Thiago stays in close to Barker's body and controls the position.
Barker keeping moving, preventing Thiago from controlling successfully.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Barker tries to clinch but Thiago moves out of range.
Barker with a poor takedown

and Thiago counters with a nice double leg into half guard.

Thiago is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Thiago throwing shots but Barker is blocking nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Barker is trying to stand.
Thiago is keen to just control but Barker is a slippery customer.
Thiago is breathing heavily.

Barker looking for submissions off his back.
Barker is trying to maintain the position but Thiago is very close to passing his half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Thiago decides to stand and escape the position.
Thiago shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Barker but Barker pushes him off and we're back to square one.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thiago misses with a two punch combination.
Barker is looking to clinch but Thiago is avoiding it.
Barker tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Thiago counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Barker is trying to get back to full guard.
Barker is trying to control but can't.
Thiago misses with a head shot. Barker uses the momentum to regain guard.
Thiago wants to control from the top but Barker keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Barker has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Thiago off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Thiago swats away the attempt to clinch by Barker.
Barker moves in looking to clinch but Thiago pushes him off.
Barker misses with a takedown

and Thiago counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Barker's guard now.
Barker wants to sweep here but Thiago controlling him for the moment.

Barker has his foot on Thiago's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Thiago works his way back into a safe position though.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Thiago drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Barker manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Thiago has Barker in his guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Paul Thiago dominated that round.
That's time! Thiago's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Barker shoots in for a double leg but Thiago sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.

Thiago scores a takedown into full mount!
Barker is looking to improve his position but Thiago isn't that keen on the idea.
Thiago controlling from the full mount.
Thiago misses with a head shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Thiago goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Barker is on top in guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Barker pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Thiago is keeping the position for now.
Barker postures up in Thiago's guard and throws a big left but Thiago blocks it.

Barker stands up and waves to Thiago to follow him.
Barker tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Thiago fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Barker checks it well.
Barker doesn't manage to clinch there - Thiago circles away.
Barker is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Thiago misses with a head kick.
Barker is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Barker is looking to clinch but Thiago is avoiding it.
Barker wants to clinch.
Barker chopping away at his opponent's legs.

Barker forces Thiago back against the cage and clinches.
Barker with a knee to the head.
A right hook to the body lands for Barker.

Barker breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Barker throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Barker circles away from the clinch attempt
and Barker counters with a two punch combo.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barker with a lazy takedown attempt

and Thiago counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Thiago.
Barker wants to stand up but Thiago is controlling him.
Thiago tries to free his leg and advance position but Barker is retaining full guard.
Thiago trying to control but Barker is working from the bottom.

Thiago drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Barker dives on top into guard.

Barker avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Barker distracts Thiago with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Barker keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Thiago's head.
Thiago trying to strike off his back.
Thiago is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Barker lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Thiago tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Barker working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Thiago's head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that John Paul Thiago will probably get the nod.
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. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Barker clinches with his opponent.
Thiago working hard to break the clinch.
A short uppercut from Barker.
Barker tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Barker tries to pull guard but Thiago won't allow it.

Barker breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Thiago.
Thiago laying and praying for a moment but Barker takes advantage and regains half guard.
Thiago moves nicely into side control.
Barker is trying to buck Thiago off.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barker wants to control but Thiago postures up.

Thiago decides to stand up, so the ref orders Barker to his feet.
Barker tries to close the distance and clinch but Thiago swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Barker tries to clinch up but Thiago circles away and keeps his distance.
Barker tries to clinch but Thiago is having none of it.

Barker drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Barker misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Thiago avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Barker.
Barker in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Tomark Barker has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Thiago is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Thiago is pressing down on Barker's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Barker keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Thiago's head.
Thiago looking for a sweep. Not yet Thiago, not yet.
Thiago is trying to control the position but Barker postures up.

Thiago working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Barker doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Barker manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Barker postures up.
Thiago has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Barker has passed into side control.
The strikes coming from Barker are missing the target in this wave of attacks.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barker working the ground and pound from side control.
Thiago on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Thiago is working to avoid the ground and pound but Barker connects with a decent elbow.
Thiago is trying to control Barker's posture but Barker avoids it.
Barker has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Thiago regains half guard, as Barker was trying to land strikes.

Barker is trying to work for a kimura but Thiago is defending well.
Barker throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
John Paul Thiago is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Thiago is controlling Barker's trapped leg to prevent Barker from advancing to side control.
Thiago is trying to control but can't.
Thiago wants to get back to full guard.
Thiago wants to control but Barker is keeping busy and won't allow it.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Barker plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Barker lands a right hook to the body.
Thiago keeps the fight on the outside.
Barker throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.

Thiago looking for a takedown here - he's got it.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to John Paul Thiago.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Thiago, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Jack Bonds scores the fight 30:29
Judge Suge Night scores the fight 30:27
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... John Paul Thiago!