PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Thomas Boothe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Makao Matsumoto (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Matsumoto has chosen Sepultura - Territory as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Thomas Boothe has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Boothe
vs
Matsumoto

190 cm
31
215 lbs
18 - 6 - 0

188 cm
30
210 lbs
18 - 12 - 1

Good wrestling
Lethal high kicks
Cardio machine

Olympic wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 18 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Thomas Boothe!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 18 - 12 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Makao Matsumoto!
The judges for this bout are Felipe Paraventi, Mauricio Rocha and Alexandre Firmino.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Boothe misses with a low kick.
Matsumoto throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
A big left from Boothe misses.
Boothe bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Matsumoto's head backwards.
Matsumoto throws a poor cross that misses
and Boothe counters with an outside leg kick.
Boothe tries to work over Matsumoto's front leg with a kick but Matsumoto checks it.
Matsumoto misses with a wild combination.
A kick lands to the mid section there for Boothe.
Boothe tries to score with a low kick but Matsumoto moves his leg out of the way.

Matsumoto shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Boothe is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Matsumoto is controlling him.
Matsumoto trying to control but Boothe is working from the bottom.

Matsumoto is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Boothe is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Boothe has escaped and now he's on top!
Boothe trying to control the position from guard on top but Matsumoto is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Matsumoto keeping full guard, as Boothe tries to pass.
Boothe has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Matsumoto is proving hard to escape from.
Matsumoto not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

Boothe got a little sloppy there for a moment and Matsumoto has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Boothe has managed to get both his arms back between Matsumoto's legs - danger averted.
Matsumoto 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.

Matsumoto is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Boothe defends well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Boothe got a little sloppy there for a moment and Matsumoto has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Boothe has managed to get both his arms back between Matsumoto's legs - danger averted.
Boothe advances position into side control!
Matsumoto looking for a sweep but Boothe has passed into full mount! Oh no!
Matsumoto is desperately trying to improve his position but Boothe has a good base and remains in mount.
Matsumoto bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Boothe keeping moving, preventing Matsumoto from controlling successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Matsumoto stopping the sweep attempt from Boothe.
Matsumoto working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Boothe working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Matsumoto.
Boothe looking to hit a scissor sweep but Matsumoto is one step ahead there.
Boothe keeping moving, preventing Matsumoto from controlling successfully.
Boothe working a defensive guard here.
Matsumoto pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Boothe is keeping the position for now.
Matsumoto slips nicely into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Boothe tries to kick Matsumoto off but Matsumoto keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Boothe avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Matsumoto.

Matsumoto is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Boothe blocking the ground and pound attempt from Matsumoto.
Matsumoto is pressing down on Boothe's thigh, looking to free his foot. Boothe is holding on for now.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Matsumoto is trying to control the action in half guard but Boothe is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Boothe won't allow Matsumoto to pass to mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

The fighters circling - Boothe throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Matsumoto tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Matsumoto on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Matsumoto looks for a takedown but Boothe sprawls well.
Matsumoto throws a one two combo.
Matsumoto fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Boothe manages to avoid it.
Boothe ducks right into an uppercut from Matsumoto.
Matsumoto looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Boothe is fending him off so far but Matsumoto persists. Nope, Boothe circles away and we're back to standing.
Boothe rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Matsumoto moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Boothe tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Boothe throws the kick towards the body but Matsumoto avoids it.
Boothe lands with a thumping leg kick.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
A nice leg kick lands there from Boothe.
Boothe stuffs the takedown attempt from Matsumoto. Matsumoto gets slowly back to his feet.
Thomas Boothe has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Makao Matsumoto.
Matsumoto is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Matsumoto showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Boothe.
Boothe avoids the body shot from Matsumoto.
Thomas Boothe is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
The crowd cheers as Matsumoto lands an impressive looking overhand right. Boothe doesn't seem phased though.
Boothe slips a jab and a cross from Matsumoto.
Boothe connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.

It looks like Makao Matsumoto has been cut.
Boothe throws a push kick but Matsumoto slaps the foot to one side.

Matsumoto closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Matsumoto lands in his opponent's guard.
Boothe wants to get back to his feet but Matsumoto is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Matsumoto preventing the sweep.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Matsumoto wants to control from the top but Boothe keeps moving.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Boothe wants to stand and escape but Matsumoto is having none of it.
Matsumoto with a nice head shot there.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Boothe keeping moving, preventing Matsumoto from controlling successfully.
Matsumoto trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Matsumoto stops Boothe from standing up.
Matsumoto passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Matsumoto working the ground and pound but Boothe is defending the strikes.
Matsumoto wants to lay and pray for a moment but Boothe keeps working.
Matsumoto controlling from side mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Matsumoto in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.

Matsumoto tries for a kimura but Boothe is defending well.
Matsumoto wants to lay and pray for a moment but Boothe keeps working.
Makao Matsumoto has got the better of the ground game so far.
Boothe is looking for a sweep.

Matsumoto wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Boothe, who protects the arm well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Matsumoto tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Matsumoto has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Boothe tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Boothe takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Matsumoto staying calm.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Makao Matsumoto will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Makao Matsumoto's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Matsumoto walks forward, straight into a front kick from Boothe.
Matsumoto gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
A lazy left from Boothe finds it's target.
Boothe throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Matsumoto scores with a body shot.
Boothe throws a sloppy head kick and Matsumoto moves out of range easily.
Boothe misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Matsumoto dips to his left and cracks Boothe with an uppercut!
Matsumoto slips under a jab from Boothe.
Boothe wants to land a leg kick but Matsumoto is out of range.
Boothe steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Matsumoto.
Boothe wants to land a leg kick but Matsumoto is out of range.
Matsumoto fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nice takedown defense from Boothe. No joy for Matsumoto on that attempt.
Boothe fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Thomas Boothe is winning the standup battle so far.
Matsumoto lands a nice looking body shot.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Boothe.

Matsumoto is rocked!
Matsumoto walks straight into a right hand from Boothe - that's dropped him! Boothe jumps into mount and starts pounding away - can he finish?! More strikes go undefended and the referee has to dive in to save Matsumoto from any more punishment! Matsumoto complains about the stoppage but falls over as he tries to stand back up, so it was clearly a good stoppage.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:30 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Punches). Thomas Boothe!