PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Kim Jong Thrill (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ben Gorden (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gorden has chosen Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up as his entrance music. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Jong Thrill
vs
Gorden

166 cm
27
146 lbs
11 - 7 - 0

170 cm
27
142 lbs
12 - 8 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Solid boxing
Very strong

Powerful takedowns
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 11 - 7 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Kim Jong Thrill!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 8 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Ben Gorden!
The judges for this bout are Ivan Kurochkin, Valeri Chadov and Illya Tyunina.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Thrill swinging wildly here.

Gorden closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Thrill on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Thrill tries to bench press Gorden off him but Gorden keeps the position.
Gorden works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Thrill is looking for a sweep.
Thrill is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Gorden is controlling him well.
Gorden working the ground and pound but Thrill is defending the strikes.
Check out the look on Gorden's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Thrill tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Gorden wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

Gorden thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Gorden lands an elbow.
Gorden working the ground and pound from side control.

Gorden is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Thrill has escaped the position, nice work there.
Gorden is chipping away with strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gorden working away.
Gorden fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Thrill is looking for a sweep.
Thrill parries the strikes from Gorden easily there. Gorden is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Thrill to escape.
Thrill manages to get back to half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gorden not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.

Gorden is working for a submission of some sort.
Gorden lands strikes from half guard.
Thrill tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Gorden thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Thrill's head.
Gorden prevents Thrill from improving his position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.

The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Thrill is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Gorden pulls his head out easily.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Thrill wants to get back to his feet.
Thrill is breathing heavily.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Gorden connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Gorden tries a head kick but it misses.
Thrill throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
A nice combination there by Gorden.

Gorden shoots in and bounces Thrill off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.

Thrill pushes Gorden off and scrambles back to his feet.
Thrill gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
letting Gorden counter with a right hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thrill throws a left and a right that both miss
and Gorden counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

Gorden fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Thrill sprawls well initially but Gorden persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Gorden is looking to take a break and control but Thrill is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Thrill pushes Gorden off looking to stand but Gorden dives back in and keeps control.
Gorden prevents Thrill from improving his position.

Thrill is defending against the submission attempts here by Gorden.
Thrill is trying to stand up here but Gorden is controlling him well.
Gorden working the head and body with strikes.
Gorden missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Thrill is refusing to be controlled, as Gorden sits in half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Gorden lands with a straight right. Thrill didn't see that one coming.

Gorden feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.

Thrill is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Gorden is aware though and is defending well.
Gorden with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Gorden postures up and lands a big shot to Thrill's brow.
Gorden tries to free his leg and advance position but Thrill is retaining full guard.
Gorden chips away with some ground and pound.
Gorden stopping the sweep attempt from Thrill.
Thrill looking to control.
Gorden works over Thrill with some ground and pound from guard.
Gorden is looking to work some ground and pound but Thrill has wrist control.

Gorden stands up from Thrill's guard - Gorden perhaps looking for a knockout.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Thrill shoots and misses

so Gorden counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Gorden keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Thrill's head.
Gorden controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Gorden wants to control from the top but Thrill keeps moving.
Thrill wants to sweep but no luck.

Thrill is working an open guard so Gorden takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Thrill has his takedown stuffed
and Gorden counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Thrill tries for a takedown but Gorden circles away easily
and Gorden counters with a stiff right hand.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Kim Jong Thrill. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Some wild striking there from Gorden.
Thrill misses with a takedown attempt

and Gorden counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Thrill's guard now.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Gorden with a nice head shot there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gorden trying to control the position from guard on top but Thrill is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Gorden is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Thrill is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Thrill keeping moving, preventing Gorden from controlling successfully.
Gorden chips away with some ground and pound.
Thrill looking for a sweep. Not yet Thrill, not yet.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Thrill falls off balance throwing a combination

and Gorden counters with a takedown into side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gorden lands a decent elbow from side control.
Gorden grinds an elbow into Thrill's temple.
Thrill taking punishment in the form of punches.

Gorden is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Thrill is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Thrill is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.
Gorden scores with a couple of short elbows.
Gorden lands a decent elbow from side control.
Thrill wants to get back to his feet but Gorden drags him back down.
Gorden is looking to take a break and control but Thrill is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Gorden working away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thrill is not content to let Gorden control the position.
Thrill regains half guard.
Thrill is trying to get back to full guard.
Gorden seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Thrill misses with some strikes from the bottom.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Gorden connects with a nice short shot to Thrill's temple.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Gorden connects with a nice short shot to Thrill's temple.
Gorden landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Gorden lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gorden takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Thrill is trying to maintain the position but Gorden is very close to passing his half guard.
Gorden working Thrill over with strikes.
Thrill flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Gorden is keen to just control but Thrill is a slippery customer.

Gorden is working for a kimura but Thrill is defending it quite comfortably.
Gorden is trying to control the action in half guard but Thrill is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Thrill pushes Gorden off looking to stand but Gorden dives back in and keeps control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ben Gorden showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Thrill swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Gorden counters with a nice double leg into side control. Thrill won't be happy with that.
Gorden lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Thrill down.
Gorden landing strikes.
Gorden scores with punches from side control.
Gorden lands an elbow.
Thrill tries to bench press Gorden off him but Gorden keeps the position.

Gorden has hold of Thrill's arm here. He's working for an Americana. It looks like he might have it! Thrill tries to escape but he's just digging himself in deeper - Gorden cranks the arm and Thrill screams in pain! The ref makes a decision and ends the fight before the tap - no complains from Thrill, who is just happy to have his arm attached to his body.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:43 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Americana). Ben Gorden!