PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Claude Thompson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Taka Tanaka (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Thompson comes to the cage accompanied by If Rap Gets Jealous by K'naan. Well, I have no idea who's going to take this one!

Thompson
vs
Tanaka

170 cm
26
166 lbs
12 - 12 - 0

178 cm
28
156 lbs
12 - 4 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 12 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Claude Thompson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Taka Tanaka!
The judges for this bout are William Peck, Elvis Blanc and Trevor Gratis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Thompson scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Claude Thompson seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A telegraphed right hand from Tanaka misses the target.
Thompson is looking to chop away at Tanaka's legs.
Thompson throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Tanaka lands a jab to the head.
Thompson slips under a jab from Tanaka.
Tanaka lands with a hook. Thompson tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Thompson tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Tanaka was well out of range. Poor timing from Thompson.
Thompson misses with the combination.
Tanaka dodges the punch combination from Thompson.
Tanaka getting the better of the striking in that exchange.

It looks like Claude Thompson has been cut.
Tanaka walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
A slow jab from Thompson misses its intended target.
Thompson throws an off balance right hand
and Tanaka counters with a good low kick that Thompson was not able to check.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A big right from Thompson misses.
Thompson misses with an uppercut
and Tanaka counters with a nice leg kick.
Thompson swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Tanaka counters with a nice low kick that buckles Thompson's knee momentarily.
Tanaka throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Thompson lands a jab to the head.
Thompson staying out of range there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thompson just misses with a punch to the body.
Tanaka throws a nice outside leg kick.
Thompson's jab looks to have found its range, popping Tanaka under the eye.
A swing and a miss from Tanaka.
Thompson tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

Tanaka closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Thompson's guard.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Tanaka looking to pass the guard.
Tanaka pushing down on Thompson's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Tanaka thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Tanaka prevents Thompson from improving his position.
Thompson is trying to maintain the position but Tanaka is very close to passing his half guard.
Tanaka trying to control the action but Thompson is working from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Tanaka passes into side control, despite Thompson's attempt to control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
An elbow from Tanaka crashes against the mat.
Thompson is trying to get back to half guard.
Thompson sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Tanaka perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Thompson is trying to maintain the position but Tanaka is very close to passing his half guard.
Tanaka is pressing down on Thompson's thigh, looking to free his foot. Thompson is holding on for now.
Tanaka working over Thompson with some ground and pound. Thompson looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Thompson wants to improve his position but Tanaka is controlling well.
Thompson is pressing down on Tanaka's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thompson keeping full guard, as Tanaka tries to pass.
Thompson trying to keep a closed guard but Tanaka is proving a slippery customer.
Tanaka is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Tanaka throwing strikes but missing.
Thompson is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Thompson looking for a sweep. Not yet Thompson, not yet.
Thompson keeping moving, preventing Tanaka from controlling successfully.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Tanaka throws a wild body kick that Thompson sees coming a mile off.
A telegraphed right hand from Thompson misses the target.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Thompson throws a lazy right hand but Tanaka sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Thompson pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Thompson looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Thompson takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Tanaka shoots in for a takedown but Thompson shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Thompson misses with a two punch combination.
Thompson throws a leg kick
and Tanaka makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Tanaka slips a jab and a cross from Thompson.
Thompson moves out of range of the strikes.
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!
Tanaka feints and then cracks Thompson's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Thompson down.
Tanaka connects with a right hand. Thompson shakes it off.
Tanaka uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Thompson.
Tanaka throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
A nice leg kick lands there from Tanaka.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Thompson throws a shot from downtown. Tanaka moves away and avoids it.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Tanaka, right into the meat.
Thompson shoots in looking for a takedown but Tanaka manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Thompson's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Thompson throws a right and a left that Tanaka avoids nicely.
Thompson is breathing heavily.
Tanaka darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Taka Tanaka dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Claude Thompson's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Thompson misses the jab.
Tanaka jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Thompson misses with an uppercut.
A swing and a miss from Tanaka.
Tanaka scores with a hook.
A left lands for Thompson.
Tanaka keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Tanaka on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Tanaka does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Tanaka swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Thompson throws a right and a left that Tanaka avoids nicely.
Thompson throws a looping overhand right but Tanaka ducks down to avoid it.
Tanaka scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Thompson doesn't seem bothered though.
Thompson will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Thompson misses with a series of wild punches.
Thompson misses with a looping left.
Thompson staying out of range there.
Tanaka fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Thompson gets caught napping as Tanaka dives in and scores a takedown. Thompson manages to retain guard.
Tanaka trying to control but Thompson is working from the bottom.
Tanaka showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Tanaka won't allow Thompson to sweep him here.
Tanaka sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Thompson's guard.

Tanaka is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Thompson trying to control here.
Tanaka trying to control from half guard but Thompson is working away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tanaka controlling the action here.
Thompson manages to get to full guard.
Thompson wants to get back to his feet but Tanaka is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Tanaka pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Thompson is keeping the position for now.
Thompson wants to sweep but no luck.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Thompson isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Tanaka stacks Thompson on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Tanaka!
Thompson tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Tanaka wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee asks Tanaka politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Tanaka prefers to stall for the moment though.
Thompson prevents Tanaka from moving into mount.
Tanaka in side control, just content to control the action for now.
Tanaka working away.
Tanaka gets to mount! Thompson was on the offensive and wasn't defending properly.
Tanaka looking to control and managing it successfully.
Thompson can't escape the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Thompson tries to lock up and control but Tanaka gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Tanaka looking to control but Thompson is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Thompson is in all sorts of trouble here.
Taka Tanaka has got the better of the ground game so far.
Tanaka looking to control and managing it successfully.
Tanaka tries to control but Thompson wriggling away.
The referee warns Thompson that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.

Thompson is rocked!
This has been an exciting period of action!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Tanaka lands a big elbow - Thompson is in trouble! More strikes from the mount and Thompson is forced to tap out!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:57 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Strikes). Taka Tanaka!
An out of breath Taka Tanaka thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.