PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Chuck Liddell (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Thane Sharpe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rumors backstage are that the fighters have been paid to keep it standing but we know that would never happen in MMA!

Liddell
vs
Sharpe

189 cm
23
205 lbs
7 - 4 - 0

190 cm
21
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Likes ground

Team S.W.A.T.

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 - 4 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Chuck Liddell!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Thane Sharpe!
The judges for this bout are Vladimir Khabensky, Konstantin Menshow and Fedor Mirinova.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sharpe takes one on the button.
Sharpe moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Sharpe looks for a takedown but Liddell sprawls well.
Sharpe avoids the head kick by Liddell.
The fight stays on the outside here - Sharpe looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Liddell misses with a straight right.
Liddell throws a half hearted mid kick.
No joy there for Liddell, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Liddell thows a left - swing and a miss!
Liddell throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Liddell dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Liddell looks to land a left hand but Sharpe moved out of range nicely.
Sharpe on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Liddell misses with a jab, cross combination.
Liddell throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Sharpe misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Sharpe wants to clinch up but Liddell keeps it at a distance.
Sharpe lands a head kick. Liddell smiles back at him and beckons him forward.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Liddell throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Sharpe.
Liddell throws a half hearted mid kick.
Liddell throws a lazy right hand but Sharpe sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Liddell works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Liddell swings for the body but Sharpe moves out of range.
Liddell fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Liddell is breathing heavily.
Liddell looks to score with a jab to the body but Sharpe is just out of range.
A telegraphed right hand from Liddell misses the target.
Sharpe fails in his attempt to clinch.
Liddell closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Liddell takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Sharpe changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Liddell tries to avoid it but Sharpe manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Liddell to the ground. Liddell escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Sharpe has a takedown stuffed.
Chuck Liddell has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Thane Sharpe.
Sharpe doesn't manage to clinch there - Liddell circles away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Liddell rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Sharpe moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

Sharpe rushes Liddell and presses him up against the cage.

Liddell pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Sharpe rushes Liddell and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Liddell has had enough of the clinch but Sharpe keeps him there for the moment.

Sharpe jumps guard and drags Liddell to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Sharpe trying to keep a closed guard but Liddell is proving a slippery customer.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Liddell has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Sharpe is proving hard to escape from.
Liddell trying to control but Sharpe is working from the bottom.
Liddell trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Sharpe looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Sharpe shoots in but no luck this time.
Sharpe on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Liddell gets off balance looking for a body kick

and Sharpe counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Liddell moves into full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sharpe trying to control the position from guard on top but Liddell is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sharpe working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Liddell trying to keep a closed guard but Sharpe is proving a slippery customer.
Liddell keeping moving, preventing Sharpe from controlling successfully.
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.

Chuck Liddell dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Liddell swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Sharpe goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Liddell is looking to land body kicks.
Danga de danga de dang - Liddell scores with a four punch combination!
Chuck Liddell is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Liddell misses with a double jab.
Liddell takes a swing at Sharpe's ribcage but misses.

Sharpe has taken the fight to the clinch.
Liddell wants to get back to striking at distance but Sharpe won't allow it.
Liddell can't break the clinch.
Liddell is trying to break free.

Sharpe breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Sharpe fails with the takedown.
Sharpe staying out of range there.
Sharpe lands with a thumping leg kick.
Sharpe steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Liddell.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sharpe throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Liddell's head.

Sharpe scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Sharpe trying to control the position but Liddell is working away.
Liddell gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Sharpe thows a huge punch but Liddell dodges it nicely.
Liddell on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Liddell tries to get out of the position.
Liddell pushes Sharpe off looking to stand but Sharpe dives back in and keeps control.
Liddell tries to get to full guard but Sharpe has control of the leg.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sharpe prevents Liddell from standing back up.

Sharpe is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Liddell has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Sharpe is working away from the top position though.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Sharpe tries to clinch but Liddell is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Liddell fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Sharpe manages to avoid it.
Liddell looks to throw a body kick
and Sharpe counters with a right hand to the body.
Nice sprawl there from Liddell as Sharpe shoots in.
Liddell misses with a kick to the body

so Sharpe counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Liddell managing to control the position.
Liddell tries to land a sweep but no joy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Liddell keeping moving, preventing Sharpe from controlling successfully.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Liddell holds on and takes a little breather.
Liddell 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.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Thane Sharpe showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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. This is the final round!

Sharpe fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Liddell.
Sharpe lands a two punch combo.
Liddell keeps the fight on the outside.
Liddell throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Sharpe doesn't manage to clinch there - Liddell circles away.
Sharpe uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Liddell.
Liddell scores with a nice right hand.
Sharpe tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Liddell paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Chuck Liddell is winning the standup battle so far.

Sharpe rushes Liddell and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Liddell lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Sharpe prevents Liddell from breaking the clinch.
Sharpe keeps control of Liddell as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Liddell can't break the clinch.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Liddell can't break the clinch.
Liddell has had enough of the clinch but Sharpe keeps him there for the moment.

Liddell breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sharpe doesn't manage to clinch there - Liddell circles away.

Sharpe closes the distance and clinches.
Liddell tries to break the clinch but Sharpe is controlling the position.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.

Liddell manages to break the clinch.
A lazy body kick from Liddell

and Sharpe counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

Liddell manages to escape and get back to his feet!
Sharpe looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
A head kick from Sharpe lands but Liddell takes it in his stride.
Liddell throws a combination that misses

and Sharpe counters with a shoot takedown. Liddell fights it but they end up in guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Sharpe wants to control from the top but Liddell keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sharpe stops Liddell from standing up.
Liddell keeping moving, preventing Sharpe from controlling successfully.
Sharpe throws a big right hand that misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sharpe trying to control but Liddell is working from the bottom.

Liddell has his feet on Sharpe's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.
Sharpe tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Liddell throws out a loose jab but Sharpe uses good head movement to avoid it.
Liddell pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Liddell throws a leg kick that is checked
and Sharpe counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Sharpe shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Liddell as he avoids it easily.
Liddell misses with a hook. Sharpe ducked under it nicely.

That's four 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.
Liddell shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Liddell misses with a leg kick
and Sharpe counters with a body kick.
Sharpe displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Liddell throws out the jab.
Sharpe fails with an attempt to clinch.
Liddell is looking to slow Sharpe down with leg kicks.
Sharpe ducks right into an uppercut from Liddell.
Sharpe keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Liddell.
Sharpe tries for a takedown but Liddell sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Chuck Liddell has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Thane Sharpe.
Sharpe is looking to clinch but Liddell is avoiding it.
Good standup being displayed there by Liddell as he connects with a hook.
A punch combination from Liddell misses.
Liddell tries to land a body kick

and Sharpe holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Liddell gets underhooks to prevent Sharpe's takedown attempt.
Liddell wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Sharpe jumps guard but Liddell stands there with Sharpe around his waist. Sharpe gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
Thane Sharpe comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Sharpe 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 Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 28:29
Judge Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 28:29
Judge Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Thane Sharpe!