PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Larry Thorne (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Aaron Gardner (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Thorne comes to the ring accompanied by Finntroll - Trollhammaren. Gardner has chosen Stavesacre - Minuteman as his entrance music. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Thorne
vs
Gardner

188 cm
28
169 lbs
11 - 6 - 0

163 cm
32
161 lbs
12 - 7 - 0

Good wrestling
World class MT
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Powerful

Untouchable Fight Nutrition

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 11 - 6 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Larry Thorne!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 7 - 0, fighting out of New York, Aaron Gardner!
The judges for this bout are Fedor Mirinova, Aleksei Zolotukhin and Konstantin Menshow.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Gardner tries to keep at a distance but Thorne has taken the fight into the clinch.
Thorne looks to throw an elbow but misses.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Thorne controlling the action here for a moment.
Thorne misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Gardner.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.

Gardner has clasped his hands together around Thorne's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
Thorne tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Gardner wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Gardner trying to control the action but Thorne is working from the bottom.
Thorne wants to get back to his feet but Gardner drags him back down.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sloppy strikes there by Gardner.
You can see the frustration on Thorne's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Thorne wants to get back to his feet.
Thorne knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Gardner on the ground.
Thorne looking for a sweep but Gardner has passed into full mount! Oh no!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gardner lands a heavy elbow.
Thorne is working to get back to half guard.
Gardner trying to control but Thorne is having none of it.
Thorne really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Gardner lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thorne working to try and regain half guard.
Gardner punishing his opponent with strikes.
Gardner avoids the attempt from Thorne to control.
A nice elbow there by Gardner.
Thorne wants to control but Gardner is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gardner tries to control but Thorne wriggling away.
Gardner throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
Thorne keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Thorne is trying to get back to his feet but can't.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Thorne is in a horrible position here. Gardner smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Aaron Gardner dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Gardner throws a poor cross that misses
and Thorne counters with a good low kick that Gardner was not able to check.
Gardner sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Gardner throws a left and a right that both miss
and Thorne counters with a good low kick that Gardner was not able to check.
Thorne takes a swing at Gardner's ribcage but misses.
Thorne walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Gardner checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Gardner closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Thorne feints and then cracks Gardner's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Gardner down.
Thorne avoids a punch combination nicely.
Gardner tries to close the distance and clinch up but Thorne swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Nice body kick there by Thorne.
Thorne throws a quick inside leg kick.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Thorne misses with a head kick.
Gardner keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Aaron Gardner is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thorne pulls out of a head kick attempt.
A shot to the body from Thorne misses
and Thorne takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Thorne thumps Gardner with a low kick.
Gardner blocks a head kick by Thorne.
Larry Thorne is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Gardner moves into range and connects with a jab.
Thorne lands with a kick to the temple. Gardner shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"

It looks like Aaron Gardner has been cut.
Thorne throws a head kick that Gardner semi-blocks.
Thorne showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Gardner.
Thorne misses with a looping right.
Gardner fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Thorne throws a front kick aimed at Gardner's knee but Gardner avoids it well.
That kick from Thorne tenderised Gardner's leg. Gardner is trying to keep his angry face on.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Thorne lands a leg kick that knocks Gardner off balance momentarily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fight stays on the outside here - Thorne looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Thorne pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Thorne tries to close the distance and clinch up but Gardner swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Thorne throws a leg kick that misses.
Larry Thorne is winning the standup battle so far.
Gardner blocks a low kick nicely.
Larry Thorne seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A low kick from Thorne is predictable there
and Gardner counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Thorne on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Thorne misses with a wild body shot.
Gardner scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Thorne doesn't seem bothered though.
Thorne fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Gardner has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Thorne lands a head kick. Gardner smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
A chopping leg kick lands by Thorne.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gardner doesn't manage to clinch there - Thorne circles away.
Gardner wants to clinch.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Thorne with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Thorne working Gardner over with knees to the body.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Gardner's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Thorne with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Gardner is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the ropes.
Gardner on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Thorne dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the ropes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gardner taking a breather.
Thorne lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Gardner blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Gardner drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Thorne gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Gardner dodges an elbow strike from Thorne.
Knees to the body from Thorne.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Gardner trying to stall but Thorne improves his position.
Thorne looking to slow down the pace here.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Larry Thorne dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Aaron Gardner's cut.
That's time! Back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Good work by Gardner as he checks the leg kick.
Gardner takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Thorne lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Gardner throws a right and a left that Thorne avoids nicely.

Thorne closes the distance and clinches.
Gardner managing to block the knees to the body from Thorne.
Gardner throws a punch but it's blocked by Thorne.
Thorne throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Gardner throws a punch but it's blocked by Thorne.
Thorne holding his opponent close, against the ropes.
Thorne tries to stall but Gardner uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Thorne is stalling here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thorne lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Thorne landing knees to the head.
Thorne tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Thorne stalls.
Thorne trying to stall but Gardner improves his position.
Gardner is working for takedown but Thorne is calmly controlling the position for now.
Thorne scores with a knee to the head.
Thorne throws a knee to the head but misses.
Thorne with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Gardner managing to block the knees to the body from Thorne.
Thorne connects with a knee to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gardner looking for a takedown.
Gardner is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Nice elbow from Thorne.
A shot in the inside from Gardner.
Thorne misses with an elbow over the top.
Thorne slowing the pace effectively.
Thorne trying to stall but Gardner improves his position.
Thorne looking to throw knees to the head but Gardner is blocking nicely.
Thorne wants to stall.
Thorne lands an elbow just above Gardner 's eye.
Thorne crunches a lovely knee into Gardner's ribcage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Gardner.
Thorne is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Gardner is defending well for now.
Thorne's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Gardner looking to slow down the pace here.
Thorne landing knees to the body.
Thorne landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Gardner misses with a hook from the clinch.
Thorne stalling in the clinch but Gardner improves position.
Thorne tries a knee to the head but Gardner blocks it.
Thorne trying to land knees to the body.
Thorne wants to stall.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gardner avoiding damage as Thorne throws knees to the body.
Thorne tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Gardner avoids it.
Thorne is looking to control Gardner's arms but Gardner gets an underhook and turns him. Now Thorne has his back to the ropes.
Larry Thorne has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Knees in the clinch landing for Thorne.
Aaron Gardner has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Thorne prevents a takedown attempt there.
Larry Thorne has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Aaron Gardner.
Thorne trying to land knees to the body.
Thorne looking to throw knees to the head but Gardner is blocking nicely.
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.
Gardner lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Thorne backwards.
Thorne creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Gardner's defenses.

That has opened up Aaron Gardner's cut even more.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.

And that's the end of the fight!
Larry Thorne showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Thorne has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Fedor Mirinova scores the fight for Larry Thorne!
Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight for Larry Thorne!
Judge Konstantin Menshow scores the fight for Larry Thorne!

Larry Thorne wins by unanimous decision!
Larry Thorne made sure to mention his sponsor, The Choke´s On You in his post fight interview.