PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between that guy (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Paul Thomas (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The fight MMA fans around the world have waited their entire lives for!

guy
vs
Thomas

175 cm
20
135 lbs
5 - 4 - 0

175 cm
25
135 lbs
7 - 8 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 4 - 0, fighting out of London, that guy!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 8 - 0, fighting out of London, Paul Thomas!
The judges for this bout are Colin Fotheringham, James Atkins and Daniel Bishop.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Thomas tries to clinch but guy moves out of range.
Paul Thomas seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Thomas sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Thomas shoots in but no luck this time.
guy shoots and misses

and Thomas counters with a nice double leg into side control. guy won't be happy with that.
guy regains half guard.
Thomas tries to pass the half guard into mount. guy knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Thomas thows a huge punch but guy dodges it nicely.
Thomas trying to mount his opponent but guy defends it.
guy has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Thomas is working away from the top position though.
guy is trying to get back to full guard.
guy really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Thomas performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
guy wants to control but Thomas is keeping busy and won't allow it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thomas is looking to take a break and control but guy is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
guy will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
guy gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Thomas counters with a nice low kick that buckles guy's knee momentarily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for that guy. That's going to take a lot out of him.
guy tries for a takedown but Thomas circles away easily
and Thomas counters with a good, hard body kick but guy shrugs it off.
Thomas doesn't succeed with the takedown

and guy counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by guy.
Thomas keeping moving, preventing guy from controlling successfully.
Thomas wants to stand but guy is controlling the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

guy got a little sloppy there for a moment and Thomas has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, guy has managed to get both his arms back between Thomas's legs - danger averted.
guy passes Thomas's left leg - he's now in half guard.
guy not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Thomas is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.

guy wants to work for an arm triangle but Thomas is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.

guy is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Thomas trying to control but guy postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thomas flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
guy prevents Thomas from standing back up.
Thomas trying to hold on to guy's head to control him but guy postures up.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
guy gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Thomas counters with a nice body kick.
Thomas pulls out of a head kick attempt.

guy shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
guy is breathing heavily.
Thomas thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Thomas is trying to control the position but guy postures up.
guy with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
guy stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Thomas swivels though and keeps the full guard.

guy drops back, looking for a kneebar! Thomas looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Thomas looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Thomas!
Thomas working the ground and pound.
guy tries to strike but it doesn't land.
guy tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Thomas wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Thomas is working guy over with some ground and pound from side control.

Thomas stands up and beckons guy to his feet.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
guy with a poor takedown

and Thomas counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for guy!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Thomas lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
guy working to try and regain half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Paul Thomas dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

guy displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Thomas.

guy looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Thomas wants to control the position but guy says "no thanks buddy" and passes to half guard.
Thomas makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Thomas.
guy trying to control the position from guard on top but Thomas is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
guy looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

Thomas had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. guy defends it easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
guy trying to control the position from guard on top but Thomas is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
guy prevents Thomas from getting back to his feet.
Thomas looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
guy wants to control from the top but Thomas keeps moving.
guy slips nicely into half guard.
Thomas controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.
guy not landing any meaningful shots this time.

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.
guy misses with a head shot. Thomas uses the momentum to regain guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
guy throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Thomas works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
guy wants to control from the top but Thomas keeps moving.
Paul Thomas has got the better of the ground game so far.
guy loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Thomas keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
guy gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Thomas counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for guy!
guy tries to hold on but Thomas postures up.
guy in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Thomas pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Thomas can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as guy is looking to escape.
guy throwing hammer fists to the chest of Thomas. What's that going to do exactly?
Thomas is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. guy can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Thomas controlling from mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Thomas landing strikes from the mount and guy is in trouble!
Thomas landing strikes from the mount and guy is in trouble!
guy working to try and regain half guard.
Thomas looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
guy is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
guy is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Thomas is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
guy slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
guy is looking to improve his position.
Thomas moves nicely into side control.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
guy sneaks back into half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Paul Thomas showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Good work by guy as he checks the leg kick.
Thomas misses with a takedown attempt
and guy counters with a head kick.
Thomas has his takedown stuffed

and guy moves into the clinch.

Thomas manages to break the clinch.
Thomas shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and guy counters with a shoot takedown. Thomas fights it but they end up in guard.
that guy has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Paul Thomas.
guy postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
guy working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
guy missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
guy lands a couple of digs.
guy scores with a decent looking elbow strike.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Thomas looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Thomas takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
guy throwing strikes from guard but Thomas blocks nicely.
guy has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
guy loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Thomas tries to strike from the bottom.
guy stopping the sweep attempt from Thomas.
guy working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
guy wants to pass the guard but Thomas is keeping the position.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Thomas misses with a takedown

so guy counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
guy tries to free his leg and advance position but Thomas is retaining full guard.

guy drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Thomas dives on top into guard.
Thomas wants to control from the top but guy keeps moving.
guy will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.

guy looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Thomas trying to control but guy is working from the bottom.
guy is trying to keep Thomas in close.

guy looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Thomas passes into side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
guy wants to get back to his feet.
guy takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Thomas trying to control the action but guy is working from the bottom.
Thomas works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.

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.
guy taking a bit of punishment here - Thomas scoring with strikes.
guy sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.

guy is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Thomas pulls his head out easily.
guy wants to control but Thomas is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Thomas takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Thomas tries to stand and escape but guy actually recovers to full guard.
Thomas with a flurry of punches that miss.
Thomas tries to stand but guy is controlling from the bottom.
guy tries to strike from the bottom.
that guy has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Paul Thomas is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

guy is actively looking for submissions from his back. He's worked himself a little space on the bottom and seems to be going for a triangle. No, he's switched into an armbar! That was slick! Thomas rolls with it to try and escape but guy cranks on the arm and Thomas is forced to tap out! This one is aaaaaaaaall over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:57 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). that guy!