PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Matt Matsu (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Thomas Kirshaw (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Matt Matsu had real problems making weight for this fight. After initially coming in at 156.9lbs, he had two hours to make the official fight weight. He made it but it will have taken a lot out of him to cut those extra few pounds. Matt Matsu has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Matsu
vs
Kirshaw

170 cm
25
170 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

180 cm
21
166 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
World class MT
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Powerful

Conviction
Crippler's Corner

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 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Matt Matsu!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Thomas Kirshaw!
The judges for this bout are Alan Glass, Tiny Johnson and George Francis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Matsu takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Kirshaw circles away from the clinch attempt.
Good shot there by Kirshaw.
Matsu misses with a head kick.
Matsu is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Kirshaw keeps the fight on the outside.
Matsu is looking to clinch.
Kirshaw tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Matsu throws a sloppy head kick
and Kirshaw counters with a nice body shot.
Matsu closes the distance but Kirshaw moves to the side
and Kirshaw counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Matsu closes the distance but Kirshaw moves to the side
and Kirshaw counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Matsu on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Matsu avoids a punch combination nicely.
Kirshaw cracks Matsu with a good jab.
Matsu tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Kirshaw counters with a nice body shot.
Kirshaw bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.
Matsu avoids the head kick by Kirshaw.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Kirshaw, right into the meat.
Kirshaw lets loose with a powerful body kick. Matsu will feel that in the morning.
Kirshaw has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Matsu is breathing heavily.
Matsu tries to clinch up
and Kirshaw connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kirshaw swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Matsu tries to clinch but Kirshaw moves away
and Kirshaw counters with a nice leg kick.
Kirshaw lands a high kick!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
No joy there for Kirshaw, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Kirshaw lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.
Good shot there by Kirshaw.
Crunch! Kirshaw slams his shin into Matsu's torso.
Jab from Kirshaw.
Kirshaw smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kirshaw scores with a head kick.

Matsu is rocked!
Matsu is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Kirshaw.
Oh Matsu is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Kirshaw throws a nice outside leg kick.
Matsu seems to have got his legs back now.

Oooh a lovely combination from Kirshaw sends Matsu down but not out. Kirshaw dives into side control looking to finish.
Matsu on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Matsu takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Kirshaw slows the pace down.
Kirshaw has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Kirshaw working the ground and pound.
Kirshaw is staying tight to Matsu's torso, preventing him from escaping.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kirshaw advances nicely into full mount.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Kirshaw punishing his opponent with strikes.
Kirshaw looking to control and managing it successfully.
Kirshaw lands a heavy elbow.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Kirshaw content just to control the position here.
Matsu is in a horrible position here. Kirshaw smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Thomas Kirshaw dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Kirshaw sizes up Matsu with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Matsu closes the distance but Kirshaw moves to the side
and Kirshaw counters with a nice uppercut.
Matsu wants to clinch but Kirshaw slips to the side
and Kirshaw counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Matsu walks into a jab.
Matsu walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Matsu closes the distance but Kirshaw moves to the side
and Kirshaw counters with a low kick, right behind Matsu 's knee.
Matsu closes the distance but Kirshaw moves to the side
and Kirshaw counters with a left and a right that stings Matsu.
Matt Matsu seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Kirshaw shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Kirshaw lands a couple of elbows.
Kirshaw is stalling in the full guard.
Matsu can't keep his opponent in guard - Kirshaw advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Kirshaw working the head and body with strikes.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Kirshaw in particular looking to stall.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kirshaw scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Kirshaw sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Matsu knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Kirshaw on the ground.
Kirshaw thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Kirshaw controlling the pace.
Nice strikes from Kirshaw there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kirshaw passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Matsu!
Kirshaw tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Kirshaw's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Kirshaw lands a nice shot to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A nice elbow there by Kirshaw.
A nice elbow there by Kirshaw.
BOOM! Kirshaw connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Kirshaw putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Kirshaw with a couple of short strikes.
Kirshaw lands with some strikes.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Kirshaw sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Kirshaw landing shots from mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Thomas Kirshaw showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Kirshaw scores with a body shot.
Thomas Kirshaw seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Matsu darts in trying to clinch
and Kirshaw counters with a head kick. That will keep Matsu thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
Nice cross by Kirshaw.
Matsu gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Jab from Kirshaw.
Kirshaw lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Matsu throws a head kick that misses
and Kirshaw makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. Matsu really felt that one!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Kirshaw throws a right and a left that both miss.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kirshaw scores with a hook to the body. Matsu takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Matsu closes the distance looking to clinch
and Kirshaw counters with a series of strikes. Matsu will be more careful next time no doubt.
An inside leg kick lands from Kirshaw.
Kirshaw moves into range and connects with a jab.
Kirshaw goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Kirshaw scores with a hook.

A jab-cross combination lands for Kirshaw and sends Matsu crashing to the mat! Kirshaw follows him down to the mat - Matsu regains half guard but he's not out of trouble yet!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Kirshaw throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Matsu keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Kirshaw not doing much here.
Kirshaw seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Kirshaw controlling the pace.
Kirshaw throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Matt Matsu has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kirshaw perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Kirshaw moves nicely into side control.
Matsu avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Kirshaw.
Kirshaw controls the position from side control.
Kirshaw throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Thomas Kirshaw has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Kirshaw remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
Matsu is working to avoid the ground and pound but Kirshaw connects with a decent elbow.
Kirshaw advances nicely into full mount.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Kirshaw looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Thomas Kirshaw is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Kirshaw controlling from mount.

And that's the end of the fight!
Thomas Kirshaw comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Kirshaw has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Alan Glass scores the fight 24:30
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 24:30
Judge George Francis scores the fight 24:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Thomas Kirshaw!