PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Mike Barnes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gary Thomas (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Barnes comes to the cage accompanied by Black Eyed Peas - Imma Be. Mike Barnes has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Barnes
vs
Thomas

178 cm
29
158 lbs
20 - 15 - 2

174 cm
24
156 lbs
2 - 0 - 1

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Olympic wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

Brute

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 20 - 15 - 2, fighting out of Helsinki, Mike Barnes!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Gary Thomas!
The judges for this bout are Roosa Järviläinen, Johanna Lukiainen and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Barnes takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Barnes misses with a low kick.
Thomas avoids a lazy jab quite easily.

Barnes closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Thomas throws a head punch that misses.
Barnes lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Barnes misses with a hook to the ribs.
Thomas scores with a shoulder strike.
Thomas has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Barnes is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Thomas tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

Thomas's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Barnes displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Thomas throws out the jab.
Thomas connects with a right hand. Barnes shakes it off.
Thomas with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Thomas dives in and grabs Barnes's left leg, looking for a takedown. Barnes pushes down on Thomas's head and hops out.
Gary Thomas seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Thomas thuds a left hand into Barnes's body.
A big right from Thomas misses.
Barnes lands a nice shot that snaps Thomas's head back.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barnes keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Thomas.
Thomas just misses with a punch to the body.
Thomas misses the jab.
Thomas slips a straight right by Barnes.
Barnes throws a body punch but Thomas moves out of range.
Thomas misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Barnes.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Thomas checks a leg kick.
Barnes ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Thomas scores with a jab. Barnes acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Barnes's corner calls for a 1-2. Barnes obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Barnes slips a jab from Thomas.
Barnes misses with a leg kick.
Barnes throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Thomas sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Barnes tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Barnes moves out of range of the strikes.
Barnes tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Thomas swivels and escapes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Barnes throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Barnes misses with a wild body shot.
Thomas with a hook.
Barnes looks to score with a jab to the body but Thomas is just out of range.
Nice uppercut there from Barnes.
Thomas paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Barnes misses with an uppercut. Thomas saw that one coming.
Barnes misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

Thomas scores with a takedown into Barnes's guard.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Barnes looking to hit a scissor sweep but Thomas is one step ahead there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thomas stays in close to Barnes's body and controls the position.
Thomas stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Barnes swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Thomas preventing the sweep.
Thomas connects with a couple of short punches.
Barnes is controlling Thomas's posture.
Thomas throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Barnes works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Thomas throws a strike but Barnes rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Barnes looking to sit in guard and control but Thomas gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Barnes looking to hit a scissor sweep but Thomas is one step ahead there.
Thomas working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Barnes's head.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Barnes manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Barnes controlling the pace for now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Gary Thomas will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Thomas takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Barnes fails in his attempt to clinch.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Thomas.
Thomas misses with a straight right.

Thomas dives in and scores a takedown into Barnes's guard.
Thomas cracks Barnes with a solid left hand.
Thomas keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Barnes's head.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Thomas's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Thomas makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Thomas won't allow Barnes to sweep him here.
Thomas stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Barnes swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barnes working a defensive guard here.
Thomas with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Thomas stops Barnes from standing up.
Barnes utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Thomas wants to control from the top but Barnes keeps moving.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Thomas accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Thomas wants to pass the guard but Barnes is keeping the position.
Barnes tries to land a sweep but no joy.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Thomas throws a big elbow that misses.
Thomas working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Thomas has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Thomas looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Barnes 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.
Thomas working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Barnes's head.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Thomas accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Barnes wants to sweep but no luck.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barnes avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Thomas trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Thomas missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Thomas working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Thomas keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Barnes's head.
Thomas throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Barnes is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Barnes looking to hit a scissor sweep but Thomas is one step ahead there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Barnes preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Thomas is looking to work some ground and pound but Barnes has wrist control.
Gary Thomas has got the better of the ground game so far.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Barnes is on top in guard.
Barnes controls from within his opponent's guard.
Barnes pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Thomas is keeping the position for now.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Thomas wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gary Thomas showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Thomas lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Thomas connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Barnes's hands.
Thomas with a nice cross.
Barnes connects with a looping right hand.
Barnes takes a swing at Thomas's ribcage but misses.
Barnes uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Thomas.
Barnes ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Barnes moves forwards but Thomas connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Barnes has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Barnes there as he acknowledges the shot.
Barnes scores with a punch to the head.
Thomas uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Barnes on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Barnes takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Thomas throws a looping overhand right but Barnes ducks down to avoid it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barnes is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Barnes misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Barnes on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Barnes ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Thomas moves away.

Barnes gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Thomas to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Barnes has momentary wrist control but Thomas slips an elbow through the middle.
Thomas tries to free his leg and advance position but Barnes is retaining full guard.
Barnes working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Thomas.
Thomas works over Barnes with some ground and pound from guard.
Thomas chips away with some ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Barnes 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.
Thomas scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Barnes looking to hit a scissor sweep but Thomas is one step ahead there.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Barnes has his hands on Thomas's head, controlling the position.
Thomas makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Thomas is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barnes manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Barnes throwing strikes here but Thomas is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Thomas tries to reverse the position but Barnes maintains control.
Barnes looking to control but Thomas is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Mike Barnes has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Barnes thowing shots but they're missing.
Gary Thomas is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Barnes thowing shots but they're missing.
Thomas wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Barnes.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Barnes connects with a couple of good shots from mount.

And that's the end of the fight!
Gary Thomas comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Thomas has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 27:30
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 27:30
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Gary Thomas!
Gary Thomas really struggled to get his t-shirt on before his hand was raised. Making sure that Fight Club Clothing est. 09™ logo gets some air time is pretty tricky when you're all sweaty.