PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between George Raspil (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mike Thomas Black (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Raspil
vs
Thomas Black

175 cm
22
145 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

168 cm
22
145 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Prefers standup

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Good gas tank

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, George Raspil!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Mike Thomas Black!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, Gwen Towbar and Tiny Johnson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Raspil wants to clinch up but Black keeps it at a distance.

Black gets a takedown into half guard.
Black throws a strike but Raspil avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Black is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Black trying to control the position from guard on top but Raspil is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Black controlling from the top position.
Raspil wants to stand up but Black is controlling him.
Raspil is pulling down on Black's head. It's preventing any offense from Black, at least for the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Black pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Raspil is keeping the position for now.
Raspil working a defensive guard here.
Raspil trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Black throwing strikes but missing.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Black uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Raspil.
Raspil tries to clinch up.
Raspil misses with an uppercut. Black saw that one coming.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Raspil fails with an attempt to clinch.
Raspil wants to clinch.
Black tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Raspil paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Raspil tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Black counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Black.
Black content to stall in guard here.
Raspil looking to hit a scissor sweep but Black is one step ahead there.
Raspil utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Black trying to control the position from guard on top but Raspil is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Raspil 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.
Raspil pulls Black in to control the position.
Raspil can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Black controls the pace.
Black wants to control from the top but Raspil keeps moving.
Raspil wants to sweep here but Black controlling him for the moment.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Black has a takedown stuffed.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Black takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Black looks for a takedown but Raspil sprawls well.
Raspil throws a right and a left that Black avoids nicely.
Black uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Raspil.
Black is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Raspil keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
George Raspil has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mike Thomas Black.
Black ducks right into an uppercut from Raspil.

Black is rocked!
Raspil darts in trying to clinch

so Black counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mike Thomas Black dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Black drives through with a takedown into guard.
Raspil is looking to stand back up but Black counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Raspil.
Raspil is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Black off and has taken his back!
You can see the frustration on Black's face… He knows he is in trouble unless he improves his position sooner rather than later.
Black trying to control the hands but Raspil won't let him.
Raspil trying to control.

Black showing good submission defense here.
Black trying to control but not successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Raspil is trying to stick to Black's back but Black is turning into Raspil. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Raspil's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Black.
Raspil being controlled here, momentarily.
Black looking to pass the guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Black moves forwards but Raspil connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Black is still on wobbly legs! Can Raspil finish him?

It looks like Mike Thomas Black has been cut.

Black closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Black with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Black trying to mount his opponent but Raspil defends it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Raspil moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Black seems to have recovered his senses.
Black trying to control but Raspil is working from the bottom.
Black looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Black missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Raspil working a defensive guard here.
Raspil looking to hit a scissor sweep but Black is one step ahead there.
Raspil trying to keep a closed guard but Black is proving a slippery customer.
Black looking to pass the guard.
Black trying to control but Raspil is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Raspil closes the distance and clinches.
Raspil misses with a knee strike.
A short uppercut from Raspil.
Raspil throws a head punch that misses.

Raspil breaks from the clinch.
Black avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
A head kick misses from Raspil.
Raspil slow jab from Black misses its intended target.
Nice uppercut lands for Raspil. That snapped Black's head back.
Raspil is looking to clinch but Black is avoiding it.
Raspil is looking to clinch.
Raspil fails in his attempt to clinch.
Raspil misses with a looping left.
George Raspil is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Raspil fails with an attempt to clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that George Raspil will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Mike Thomas Black's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Black scores a takedown into full mount!
Black controlling the pace for now.
Raspil is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Raspil is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Black is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Raspil is wriggling around trying to escape.
Raspil is squirming around, avoiding Black's attempts to control the action.
Black controlling the position easily from mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Raspil is squirming around, avoiding Black's attempts to control the action.
Raspil is in all sorts of trouble here.
Raspil is trying to stand up.

Black working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Black looking to control and managing it successfully.
Mike Thomas Black has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Black trying to control but Raspil is having none of it.
Raspil is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Black controlling the pace for now.
Black can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Raspil is looking to escape.

Despite being in the dominant position, Mike Thomas Black just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Raspil keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Raspil misses with a straight left.
Raspil fails with an attempt to clinch.
Raspil moves in looking to clinch but Black pushes him off.

Raspil gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Raspil keeping moving, preventing Black from controlling successfully.
Black controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Black stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Raspil swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Black slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Black moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Raspil is pushing Black's head away, looking to escape. Black manages to hold on to the position though.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mike Thomas Black comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Black 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 Daniel Franklin scores the fight 28:30
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 27:30
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mike Thomas Black!