PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Paul Thomas (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jim Saliva (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Saliva has chosen Macaco da Ribeira as his entrance music. Thomas is coming into this fight with a significant injury, which will no doubt have an effect on his cardio. Jim Saliva told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Thomas
vs
Saliva

175 cm
30
151 lbs
18 - 28 - 0

182 cm
29
148 lbs
12 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
World class boxer
Powerful

Fossington & Blythe: Gentlemen's Fight Attire
Bloodsport Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 18 - 28 - 0, fighting out of London, Paul Thomas!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 3 - 0, fighting out of London, Jim Saliva!
The judges for this bout are Steven Brown, Richard Clark and William Gold.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Saliva fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Thomas looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!

Saliva moves into the clinch successfully.
Saliva is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

Saliva lands a takedown into guard.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Saliva is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Saliva stands up over Thomas, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Saliva trying to control the position from guard on top but Thomas is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Saliva stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Thomas swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Saliva pushes down on Thomas's leg and manages to get into half guard.

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

Saliva wants to work for an arm triangle but Thomas is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!

Saliva is looking for a kimura but Thomas is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Saliva to get the leverage.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Saliva gets to his feet - back to striking we go!
Saliva closes the distance and clinches up with Thomas, looking for a takedown. Saliva pushes Thomas against the cage but Thomas circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Saliva misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Paul Thomas has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jim Saliva.
Saliva fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

Saliva shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Thomas's guard.
Saliva looking to pass the guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Saliva scoring with some ground and pound.
Saliva looking to pass the guard.
Saliva passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Saliva advances to mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Saliva raining down hammerfists from mount.
Thomas is in a horrible position here. Saliva smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Saliva landing strikes, looking to finish!

Saliva is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Thomas is surviving well by controlling Saliva's body position as best he can.
Saliva working Thomas over with strikes here.
Thomas is in all sorts of trouble here.

Saliva stands up from mount. Strange move.

Saliva feints and as Thomas raises his hands in defense, Saliva changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Saliva wants to control from the top but Thomas keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Saliva slips nicely into half guard.
Saliva moves into full mount! Thomas won't be happy about that!
Thomas working to try and regain half guard.
Saliva cracks Thomas with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.

Saliva wants to finish this one by submission but Thomas is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Saliva.
Saliva scoring with strikes but Thomas is staying in there.

Saliva working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!

Saliva is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Thomas to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Thomas shrugs it off.
Saliva landing strikes, looking to finish!
Saliva connects with a couple of good shots from mount.

Saliva is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Thomas can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.

Saliva has isolated one of Thomas's arms. Thomas looking to fight him off but Saliva twists into an armbar. It's tight... Will he tap?? YES, he's tapped! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:57 of round 1, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Jim Saliva!
Our winner, Jim Saliva, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.