PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Gavin Rippa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Hunter Thompson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Rippa
vs
Thompson

180 cm
25
197 lbs
7 - 3 - 0

190 cm
24
202 lbs
6 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Gavin Rippa!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Hunter Thompson!
The judges for this bout are , Jack Bonds and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rippa throws a hook but Thompson avoids it easily.
Rippa looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Rippa throws a shot to the body.
A bone on bone clash there as Rippa blocks the leg kick.
Nice straight punches there by Rippa. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Rippa.

It looks like Hunter Thompson has been cut.
Rippa scores with a kick to the body.
Rippa lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Thompson circles away quickly and effectively.
Thompson displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Rippa throws out the jab.
Thompson displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Rippa throws out the jab.
Rippa misses with the combination.
Thompson tries to close the distance and clinch but Rippa swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Thompson ducks under a wild hook from Rippa.
The fight stays on the outside here - Thompson looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Rippa throws a right and a left that both miss.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thompson tries to close the distance and clinch but Rippa swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Rippa's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Rippa duly obliges.
Rippa throws a hook to the side of Thompson's head but Thompson sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Rippa throws a hook to the side of Thompson's head but Thompson sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.

Thompson throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Rippa was covering up waiting for the punch and Thompson finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Rippa tries to strike from the bottom.
Thompson trying to control but Rippa is working from the bottom.
Rippa looking to hit a scissor sweep but Thompson is one step ahead there.
Thompson is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Thompson preventing the sweep.
Rippa is working hard here to advance position.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Rippa swings for the body but Thompson moves out of range.
Rippa throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Rippa with a nice cross.

Thompson darts in and clinches Rippa up against the cage.
A nice left hand lands by Rippa.
Thompson stalls.
Thompson throws a knee to the head but misses.
Rippa tries to break free but Thompson pushes him back against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thompson misses with an elbow strike.
Rippa lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Thompson with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Thompson creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Thompson with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Rippa avoiding damage as Thompson throws knees to the body.
Rippa avoids the elbow strike from Thompson, against the cage.
Rippa on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Thompson lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Thompson looks gassed!
Thompson being controlled against the cage.
Rippa managing to block the knees to the body from Thompson.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Thompson obliges.
Rippa blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.

Rippa pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Rippa throws a series of punches but Thompson moves out of range.
Thompson staying out of range there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Thompson avoids the head kick by Rippa.
Rippa throws a series of punches but Thompson moves out of range.
Rippa pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Rippa throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Rippa throws the left hand but Thompson avoids the punch easily.

Thompson drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Rippa throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Thompson preventing the sweep.

Thompson thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Rippa looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Thompson puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Rippa is trying to get back to full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gavin Rippa dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Hunter Thompson's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Rippa jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Rippa throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Rippa swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Rippa is really struggling to find his range with his punches. Thompson's reach advantage is clearly causing him problems.
Thompson slips a jab and a cross from Rippa.
Thompson throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Rippa's waist but Rippa gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Thompson off to one side.
Rippa moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Thompson takes one to the chin there.
Rippa looks to land a right hand but Thompson moved out of range.
Rippa jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Gavin Rippa is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Thompson chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Rippa can pounce on him.
Rippa pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Thompson avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Gavin Rippa is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rippa lands with a nice combination. Thompson backs away looking to recover.
Rippa misses with a wild combination.
Rippa misses with a leg kick
and Thompson counters with a nice kick to the body.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Rippa throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Nice defenses there by Thompson.
Thompson throws a one two combo.
Rippa throws a shot from downtown. Thompson moves away and avoids it.
Rippa throws a hook but Thompson blocks it.
Thompson looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Rippa throws a combination that misses
and Thompson makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Rippa scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Thompson moves away from the strike by Rippa.
A big left from Rippa misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Thompson fails in his attempt to clinch.
Rippa looks to throw the jab but Thompson is out of range.
Rippa throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Thompson counters with a big head kick but Rippa shrugs it off.
Thompson shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Rippa sprawls well. Rippa wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Thompson gets slowly back to his feet.
Gavin Rippa has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Hunter Thompson.
Thompson uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Rippa.
Rippa throws the left hand but Thompson avoids the punch easily.
Rippa throws out a loose jab but Thompson uses good head movement to avoid it.
Rippa throws a leg kick
and Thompson counters with a solid body kick.
Thompson tries a head kick but it misses.
Rippa throws a lazy body kick
and Thompson counters with an outside leg kick.
Rippa throws a head kick that misses
and Thompson counters with a low kick, right behind Rippa 's knee.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thompson throws a series of punches but Rippa avoids them all with ease.
Rippa thuds his right hand into Thompson's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Rippa avoids the head kick by Thompson.
Rippa throws a head kick that misses

and Thompson counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Thompson wants to control from the top but Rippa keeps moving.
Rippa looking to hit a scissor sweep but Thompson is one step ahead there.
Rippa manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Rippa throws a sloppy strike and Thompson uses the opportunity to reverse the position! A bit of a scramble here and Thompson has ended up in Rippa's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rippa wants to hit a switch here but Thompson passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for Rippa there!
Rippa tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Thompson looking to control but Rippa is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Rippa tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Thompson takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Rippa is trying to escape the mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Hunter Thompson will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Hunter Thompson's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! And we move into the final round!

Thompson looks for a takedown but Rippa sprawls well.
Thompson ducks under a wild hook from Rippa.
Rippa throws a head kick that misses
and Thompson counters with an outside leg kick.
Rippa cracks Thompson with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Rippa misses with a series of wild punches.
Gavin Rippa seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rippa throws a hook but Thompson blocks it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A low kick from Rippa misses

and Thompson holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Rippa managing to block the knees to the body from Thompson.
Rippa is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Thompson tries to land knees in the clinch but Rippa avoids the damage to the body.
Thompson trying to land knees to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thompson tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Thompson takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Thompson misses with a knee to the head.
Thompson prevents Rippa from breaking the clinch.
Thompson looking to throw knees to the head but Rippa is blocking nicely.
Thompson missing with knees to the body.
Rippa digs a right hand into Thompson's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Thompson's gas tank.

Rippa breaks from the clinch.
Rippa throws a lazy head kick
and Thompson counters with a low kick, right behind Rippa 's knee.
Gavin Rippa is winning the standup battle so far.
Thompson slips a jab from Rippa.
Rippa pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Rippa scores with a jab to the head.
Rippa fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
A slapping leg kick lands for Thompson.
Rippa clobbers Thompson with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Thompson is looking to clinch but Rippa is avoiding it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rippa dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Rippa throws a sloppy head kick

and Thompson counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Rippa is pressing down on Thompson's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Rippa has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Thompson has passed into side control.
Rippa is looking to reverse the position.
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.
Thompson wants to lay and pray for a moment but Rippa keeps working.
Thompson in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Rippa tries to improve position but can't.
Rippa manages to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rippa flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Rippa kicks Thompson off and gets back to his feet.
Rippa misses with a looping left.
Thompson misses with a takedown attempt - Rippa sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Rippa fails to land with a series of punches.
Rippa misses with an uppercut. Thompson saw that one coming.
Thompson uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Rippa.
Thompson steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Rippa.
Rippa is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Thompson.
Rippa throws a sloppy body shot
and Thompson counters with a big head kick but Rippa shrugs it off.
Thompson uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Rippa.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Rippa throws out a loose jab but Thompson uses good head movement to avoid it.
Thompson bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Thompson moves out of range of the strikes.
Rippa misses with a straight right.
Rippa throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Thompson slips under a jab.
Thompson takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Rippa is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Thompson.
Rippa fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Thompson checks it well.
Thompson moves away from the strike by Rippa.
Rippa misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Thompson tries to clinch but Rippa moves out of range.

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 Gavin Rippa.
I think Rippa has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Suge Night scores the fight for Gavin Rippa!
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight for Gavin Rippa!
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight for Gavin Rippa!

Gavin Rippa wins by unanimous decision!