PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Tony Croix (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mike Thai (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Croix
vs
Thai

180 cm
28
180 lbs
11 - 8 - 0

192 cm
21
185 lbs
7 - 2 - 0

Decent wrestler
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Decent wrestler
Excellent MT
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 11 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Tony Croix!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Mike Thai!
The judges for this bout are Matti Vanhoillinen, Anni Minnemäki and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Croix misses with the combination.

Thai gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Croix wants to break free but Thai has control.
Thai taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Croix avoiding damage as Thai throws knees to the body.
Croix is trying to break the clinch but Thai is controlling him.

Croix breaks from the clinch.
Thai misses with a head kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thai uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Croix.
Croix throws an overhand right that lands on Thai's shoulder, as Thai tries to avoid the shot.
Thai uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Croix.
Thai slips a jab from Croix.
Croix has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Thai.
Croix throws a jab when Thai was well out of range.
Croix misses the shot to the body.
Thai tries a low kick but Croix avoids it.
Thai uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Croix.

Thai gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Thai tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Croix on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Thai trying to land knees to the body.
Thai misses with a knee to the head.
Croix wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Croix is trying to push Thai away but Thai has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Croix is trying to break the clinch but Thai is controlling him.
Croix wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Croix wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Thai has him pressed against the cage.
Croix blocks an elbow strike.
Thai tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Croix avoids it.
Thai manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Thai using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Croix has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Thai tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Croix avoids it.
Croix is trying to push Thai away but Thai has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Croix managing to block the knees to the body from Thai.
Thai throws a knee to the head but misses.

Croix manages to break the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Mike Thai will probably get the nod.
That's time! Croix's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Thai forces Croix back against the cage and clinches.

Croix breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Thai throws a head kick that misses.
Croix rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Thai moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Thai avoids the body shot from Croix.
Croix cracks Thai with a good jab.
Thai swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Thai chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Thai fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Croix has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Thai tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Croix swinging wildly here.
Thai misses with a body kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A slapping leg kick lands for Thai.
Croix jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Croix is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Croix thows a left - swing and a miss!
Tony Croix is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Thai rushes Croix and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Croix working hard to break the clinch.
Thai tries to land knees in the clinch but Croix avoids the damage to the body.
Croix tries to break free but Thai pushes him back against the cage.
Croix on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Thai is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Croix is defending well for now.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Thai just misses with a elbow thrown towards Croix's brow.
Croix wants to get back to striking at distance but Thai won't allow it.
Thai misses with a knee to the head.
Croix is trying to force a seperation but Thai has the dominant position.
Thai misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Croix.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Croix has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Thai is struggling to control the position.
The crowd are getting on Thai's back here. They're not happy about his lack of aggression in the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Thai tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Croix avoids it.
Thai looking to throw knees to the head but Croix is blocking nicely.
Thai throws an elbow that misses.
Croix can't break the clinch.
Thai keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Croix's efforts to push away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Mike Thai will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Croix tries to bum rush Thai with a series of wild strikes but Thai uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Croix lands with a hook. Thai tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Thai delivers a nice body kick.
Croix misses the jab.
Croix misses with a double jab.
Tony Croix seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Croix looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Croix scores with a one two! Thai had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Croix getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Croix swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Croix throws a one two combo.

Thai is rocked!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A nice inside leg kick there by Thai. That's going to slow Croix down.
Croix throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Thai stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Thai wants to clinch up but Croix keeps it at a distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thai fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Croix throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Thai counters by moving into the clinch.
Croix managing to block the knees to the body from Thai.
Croix managing to block the knees to the body from Thai.
A frustrated look appears on Croix's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Thai prevents Croix from breaking the clinch.
Croix is looking to break free of the clinch but Thai has double underhooks.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Thai keeps control of Croix as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Thai keeps control of Croix as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Thai just misses with a elbow thrown towards Croix's brow.
Thai tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Croix wants to get back to striking at distance but Thai won't allow it.
Tony Croix has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Croix wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Thai misses with a knee strike.
Croix is trying to break free.

Croix breaks the clinch.
Thai looks to score with a jab to the body but Croix is just out of range.
Croix scores with a jab.

It looks like Mike Thai has been cut.
Croix will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Croix lands the left hand.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Thai slips under a jab from Croix.
Croix throws a series of punches but Thai avoids them all with ease.
Thai dodges the punch combination from Croix.
Croix throws a looping overhand right but Thai ducks down to avoid it.
Croix thows a body shot but no joy.
Croix throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

Thai has Croix up against the cage in a clinch.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Croix tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Mike Thai is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
A head punch on the inside from Croix fails to land.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tony Croix showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Thai has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 28:29
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 28:29
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mike Thai!
Mike Thai tried to hype himself up post fight but didn't word it too well and it ended up with him sounding like a bit of a tool.