PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Thiago Junior (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Thomas Jones (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Thiago Junior has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Junior
vs
Jones

190 cm
23
209 lbs
7 - 5 - 0

190 cm
22
205 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Very confident

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 7 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Thiago Junior!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Thomas Jones!
The judges for this bout are George Francis, Cecil Peabody and Tiny Johnson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Junior gets the takedown into side control.

Junior is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Jones has escaped the position, nice work there.
Jones is trying to improve his position.
Jones struggling a bit here.

Junior goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Jones rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Junior's guard! Nice work there by Jones!

Junior isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Jones stacks Junior 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 Jones!
Junior manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Junior is looking to improve his position.
Jones not doing much here.

Junior is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Jones pulls his head out easily.
Junior tries to get to full guard but Jones has control of the leg.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Jones wants to lay and pray for a moment but Junior keeps working.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Jones shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Junior counters with a single leg into guard. Jones didn't expect that.
Junior pushes down on Jones's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Junior passes the guard and advances to mount!

Junior is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Jones has managed to escape the submission attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Junior goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Jones is on top in guard.
Junior is breathing heavily.

Junior has his foot on Jones's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Jones works his way back into a safe position though.

Junior looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Junior keeping moving, preventing Jones from controlling successfully.

Jones stands up from guard. Let's bang!

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Junior closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Jones stops Junior from passing to mount.
Jones regains half guard.

Junior seems to be looking for submissions.

Junior is looking for a kimura here.
Junior stops Jones from getting back to his feet.

Junior is looking for a kimura here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Thiago Junior dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Junior tries to clinch up.

Jones changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Junior looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Junior tries to buck Jones off but Jones is having none of it.
Jones landing strikes.
Junior is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Junior is not content to let Jones control the position.

Jones decides to stand up, so the ref orders Junior to his feet.
Junior blocks a head kick by Jones.

Junior gets a takedown into half guard.
Junior trying to pass the guard but Jones defending well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Jones controlling the position for now.

Junior looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Jones wants to control but Junior is keeping busy and won't allow it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Junior blocks the strikes from Jones.

Junior is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.

Junior is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.

Jones clinches up against the cage.
Jones goes for a takedown attempt but Junior pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Jones misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
No joy there for Junior, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Junior tries for a takedown but Jones sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

Jones decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Jones is figuring out what he wants to do next.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Jones prevents Junior from improving his position.
Jones seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Junior does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Junior is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Junior is working hard here to advance position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Thomas Jones showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Junior misses with a takedown attempt

and Jones counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Junior's guard now.
Junior keeping moving, preventing Jones from controlling successfully.
Junior wants to sweep here but Jones controlling him for the moment.
Jones stands and throws Junior's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Jones is working Junior over with some ground and pound from side control.
Junior tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Jones wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Junior regains half guard.
Junior is looking to improve his position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The fighters are battling for position here. Junior manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

Junior is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Thomas Jones has got the better of the ground game so far.

Junior working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Jones has passed into half guard!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Junior looking for submissions off his back.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Jones is keen to just control but Junior is a slippery customer.
Junior tries to regain full guard. Instead though, Jones has advanced to mount. Uh oh.
Junior is wriggling around trying to escape.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jones looking to control but Junior is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Jones looking to finish with strikes here!
Jones trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Junior tries to reverse the position but Jones maintains control.
Jones controlling the pace for now.
Junior is desperately trying to improve his position but Jones has a good base and remains in mount.

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.
Junior bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Junior stands and throws Jones's legs to the side, diving into side control.

Junior thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

Junior looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.

Junior working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.

And that's the end of the fight!
Thomas Jones comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Jones 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 George Francis scores the fight for Thomas Jones!
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight for Thomas Jones!
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight for Thomas Jones!

Thomas Jones wins by unanimous decision!