PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Rungry Rippo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Thom Sawyer (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Sawyer has chosen RUSH - THOM SAWYER as his entrance music. Both fighters look pumped up here. Let's hope this is a good fight!

Rippo
vs
Sawyer

170 cm
18
178 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

175 cm
23
175 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Brawler
Big heart

Good wrestler
Brawler
Enjoys gardening

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Rungry Rippo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Thom Sawyer!
The judges for this bout are Albert Achterberg, Radbod Blank and Aafke Stam.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Rippo gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Rippo can't break the clinch.
Rippo jumps guard but Sawyer stands there with Rippo around his waist. Rippo gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.

Sawyer works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Rippo on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Rippo tries to get out of the position.

Rippo looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Sawyer loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sawyer trying to control but Rippo is working from the bottom.

Sawyer gets to his feet. Rippo looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Sawyer misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Rippo.

Sawyer rushes Rippo and presses him up against the cage.
Rippo tries to pull guard but Sawyer won't allow it.
Rippo on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Rippo tries to pull guard but Sawyer won't allow it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rungry Rippo. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rippo wants a takedown.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Sawyer decides to pull guard.
Rippo wants to pass the guard but Sawyer is keeping the position.
Rippo looking to sit in guard and control but Sawyer gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Rippo throwing strikes off his back to little effect.

Sawyer stands and steps away. Rippo gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Rippo could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Rippo shoots for a takedown but Sawyer saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Rippo shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Sawyer sprawls well. Sawyer wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Rippo gets slowly back to his feet.

Rippo shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Sawyer napping and manages to drive through into side control!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rippo wants to stand but Sawyer has his arm trapped.
You can see the frustration on Sawyer's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Rippo tries to get to his feet but Sawyer is in the middle of advancing position himself and ends up with Rippo in his guard.
Sawyer seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.

Sawyer has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Rippo off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Sawyer just misses with a punch to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sawyer slips a jab and a cross from Rippo.
Sawyer moves out of range of the strikes.
Rippo tries to clinch but Sawyer moves away

and Sawyer decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Rippo's guard.

Sawyer thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Sawyer wants to control from the top but Rippo keeps moving.
Sawyer stopping the sweep attempt from Rippo.

Sawyer gets to his feet - Rippo follows without any prompting.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rippo displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Sawyer.
Sawyer looks gassed!
Rippo shoots and misses

and Sawyer counters with a nice double leg into guard.
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!
Sawyer wants to control from the top but Rippo keeps moving.
Rippo has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Sawyer has passed into side control.
Rippo is looking for a sweep.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Sawyer working away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Thom Sawyer dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Sawyer shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Rippo's guard.
Rippo knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Sawyer on the ground.
Sawyer looking to pass the guard.

Rippo looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Rippo wants to get back to his feet but Sawyer is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Sawyer pushing down on Rippo's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Rippo tries to kick Sawyer off but Sawyer keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Rippo has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Sawyer is working away from the top position though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sawyer wants to free his trapped foot but Rippo is holding on for dear life with his legs.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Rippo shoots in and bounces Sawyer off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Sawyer trying to control the position.
Sawyer is breathing heavily.
Sawyer can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Rippo controls the pace.
Rippo is looking to stand up but Sawyer won't let him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sawyer wants to sweep here but Rippo controlling him for the moment.
Sawyer controlling Rippo's posture.
Sawyer looking to control.
Rippo wanted to stand there but Sawyer had control of the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Sawyer trying to keep a closed guard but Rippo is proving a slippery customer.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
A right-left combo lands from Rippo.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rippo tries to clinch but Sawyer moves out of range.
Sawyer gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Rippo counters by moving into the clinch.

Sawyer ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Sawyer no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Sawyer is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Rippo tries to free his leg and advance position but Sawyer is retaining full guard.
Rippo has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Sawyer is proving hard to escape from.
Rippo wants to control from the top but Sawyer keeps moving.
Rippo pushing down on Sawyer's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Rippo is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Sawyer sees it coming and defends easily.
The fighters are battling for position here. Sawyer manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Sawyer not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Sawyer might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Rippo kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Rippo is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Rippo trying to control the position from guard on top but Sawyer is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
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 Rungry Rippo will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Sawyer scores a takedown into full mount!
Rippo can't escape the position.
Rippo has given up his back here.
Rippo is defending well here and trying to improve his position.
Rippo looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.
Rippo just looking to survive in the bad position.

Sawyer patiently working for the choke. Which fighter will keep their nerve here?
Sawyer takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rippo is trying to get back to his feet but he's not managed it yet.
Sawyer avoiding Rippo 's attempts to control his hands.
Sawyer lands punches and elbows.
Rippo controlling the position well but he knows he's in a bad position.
Sawyer keeps control of the position as Rippo tries to break free.
Sawyer punishes Rippo with strikes from the back mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Rippo covering up well under a barage of strikes.
Rippo wants to escape the position.
What can Rippo do to escape this position? He's going to have to figure it out pretty quick if he wants to stay in the fight!

Sawyer tightening his grip on Rippo, looking for the choke.
Rippo tries to escape but Sawyer has the hooks in and won't let him break free.
Rippo prevents Sawyer from getting a body triangle.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sawyer is working the ground and pound here and the referee is taking a close look at Rippo. He must escape soon or this one will be stopped.
Sawyer struggling to keep hold of the position.
Rippo is really stuck here.

Sawyer is working really hard to secure the rear naked choke. Rippo defends successfully for a significant amount of time. Both fighters are looking very determined.
Rippo trying to control the position but Sawyer manages to sink in the hooks.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
I really don't envy Rippo right now.
Sawyer tries to keep control of the position but Rippo is staying busy.
Rippo holding both Sawyer 's hands and preventing any damage.
Rippo wants to control his opponent's hands but Sawyer gets his hands free.
Rippo rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Rippo wants to get back to full guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Thom Sawyer comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Sawyer 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 Albert Achterberg scores the fight 27:30
Judge Radbod Blank scores the fight 28:29
Judge Aafke Stam scores the fight 28:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Thom Sawyer!