PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Paul Thomas (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ryuhei Sawamura (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Paul Thomas has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Thomas
vs
Sawamura

175 cm
26
135 lbs
12 - 14 - 0

170 cm
23
140 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Very strong

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

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 12 - 14 - 0, fighting out of London, Paul Thomas!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Ryuhei Sawamura!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Bishop, Colin Fotheringham and Donald Grub.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sawamura lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Thomas backs up against the cage.
Sawamura throws a wild body kick that Thomas sees coming a mile off.
Thomas takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Thomas needs to keep his hands up - Sawamura had a free shot at his head there.
No joy there for Thomas, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Thomas is breathing heavily.
Thomas fails to land with a series of punches.
A right-left combo lands from Sawamura.

Sawamura pushes Thomas up against the cage in a clinch.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Sawamura is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Sawamura is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Sawamura breaks from the clinch.
Thomas misses with a combination
and Sawamura counters with a straight right hand.
Sawamura throws a leg kick but Thomas checks it.
Some wild striking there from Sawamura.

Sawamura moves into the clinch.

Sawamura's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Thomas on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Sawamura lands a jab-cross combination.
Sawamura scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Thomas doesn't seem bothered though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sawamura scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Sawamura, as that shot connected.
Thomas takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Sawamura fails to land the takedown.
Sawamura digs a good hook to Thomas's body.
Nice jab there from Sawamura.
Sawamura shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Thomas sprawls well. Thomas wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Sawamura gets slowly back to his feet.
Sawamura throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Thomas avoids the head kick by Sawamura.
Nice cross by Sawamura.
Sawamura lands with a right hand.
Sawamura is working the combinations to good effect here.
Good shot there by Sawamura.
Sawamura will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Sawamura throws a good cross that connects.
Sawamura throws a series of strikes that have Thomas backpedaling.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sawamura lands with a cross.
Sawamura misses with a kick to the body.
Sawamura misses with a low kick.
Thomas on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Thomas avoids a punch combination nicely.
Paul Thomas is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Sawamura lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Thomas circles away quickly and effectively.
Thomas slips a jab and a cross from Sawamura.

Thomas tries to keep at a distance but Sawamura has taken the fight into the clinch.
Sawamura wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Thomas has him pressed against the cage.
Sawamura tries to circle away but Thomas has him pinned against the cage.
Sawamura wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Thomas really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Sawamura tries to break the clinch but Thomas is controlling the position.
Thomas keeps control of Sawamura as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Thomas tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Sawamura has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

Sawamura escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Sawamura bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Thomas's head.
Sawamura misses with a series of wild punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sawamura scores with a jab to the jaw.
Thomas takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Sawamura is landing a lot of head punches in this opening round! Thomas had better start moving his head a bit unless he wants his face to turn into pâté.
Sawamura tries to score with a low kick but Thomas moves his leg out of the way.
Thomas on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Sawamura paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Thomas tries to move into range but Sawamura moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Thomas misses with a jab to the body
and Sawamura counters with a series of strikes. Thomas will be more careful next time no doubt.
Thomas looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Sawamura throws a head kick but Thomas moves out of range.

Sawamura moves into the clinch.
Sawamura wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Thomas looking to stall.
Sawamura throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Thomas misses with a punch to the body.

Sawamura breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
A right-left combo lands from Sawamura.
Nice body punch from Sawamura.
Thomas steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Sawamura. That one must have hurt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Good shot there by Sawamura.
Sawamura connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Sawamura tests Thomas's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Good work by Thomas as he checks the leg kick.
Sawamura fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Thomas checks it well.
Sawamura's corner calls for a 1-2. Sawamura obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Ryuhei Sawamura seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
No joy there for Sawamura, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Thomas dodges the punch combination from Sawamura.
Sawamura scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Sawamura lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Sawamura's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Sawamura duly obliges.
Sawamura scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Sawamura scores with the left hand. Thomas knows he should have avoided that one.
Sawamura scores with a one two! Thomas had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Sawamura throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Sawamura pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Sawamura fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Thomas looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Sawamura ducks under a wild hook from Thomas.
Ryuhei Sawamura seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Sawamura pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Sawamura throws the kick towards the body but Thomas avoids it.
Sawamura misses with a low kick.
Sawamura's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Sawamura duly obliges.
Thomas throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Sawamura counters with a one-two to the body.

Sawamura pushes Thomas up against the cage in a clinch.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Sawamura.
Sawamura is trying to break the clinch but Thomas has him pressed against the cage.

Sawamura manages to break the clinch.
Sawamura lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Sawamura looks for the body kick but Thomas saw that one coming.
Sawamura looks to land a combination but Thomas avoids it well.
Paul Thomas is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Sawamura stalks Thomas and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Thomas's face. Thomas staggers backwards, shaken.

Thomas is rocked!
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Sawamura lands with a big left! Thomas is wobbled badly! Sawamura comes in with a flurry of punches and drops Thomas to the floor. The ref jumps in to save him from unneccessary punishment.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:05 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Punches). Ryuhei Sawamura!