PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Thomas Campion (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and John Rekis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rekis has chosen AC/DC - Thunderstruck as his entrance music. Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Campion
vs
Rekis

190 cm
35
210 lbs
16 - 11 - 0

190 cm
38
210 lbs
22 - 20 - 0

Good wrestling
Decent elbows
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Good kicks
Granite chin

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 16 - 11 - 0, fighting out of London, Thomas Campion!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 22 - 20 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, John Rekis!
The judges for this bout are Taro Takaoka, Hirohito Nitta and Tatsuya Matsuyama.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Campion lands a slapping body shot.
Campion shoots in but no luck this time.
Rekis has his takedown stuffed
and Campion counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Campion checks the leg kick nicely there.
Campion keeps the fight on the outside.
Campion displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Rekis.
A counter left hand to the body from Campion misses its target.
John Rekis seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rekis misses with a jab, cross combination.
Campion appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Campion fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Rekis dives in and grabs Campion's left leg, looking for a takedown. Campion pushes down on Rekis's head and hops out.
Thomas Campion has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of John Rekis.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rekis looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

Campion takes the fight into the clinch.
Rekis changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Campion fights it off and pushes away nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rekis darts in trying to clinch

and Campion counters with a takedown into side control.
Rekis parries the strikes from Campion easily there. Campion is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Rekis to escape.

Campion is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Rekis knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

Campion is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Rekis has escaped the position, nice work there.
Campion landing strikes.
Rekis trying to remain calm as Campion controls from the top position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rekis tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Campion wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Rekis wants to get back to his feet but Campion drags him back down.

Campion is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Rekis knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

Campion has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
Campion misses with a jab, cross combination.
Rekis dives in and grabs Campion's left leg, looking for a takedown. Campion pushes down on Rekis's head and hops out.
Rekis wants to clinch up but Campion keeps it at a distance.
Rekis walks into a stiff left hand from Campion.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Rekis tries to clinch up
and Campion counters with a nice uppercut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rekis shoots in looking for a takedown but Campion manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Rekis's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Campion misses with the combination.
Rekis fails with the takedown

and Campion counters with a single leg into guard. Rekis didn't expect that.
Campion has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Rekis avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Rekis utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Rekis tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Campion loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Rekis 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.
Campion postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rekis keeping moving, preventing Campion from controlling successfully.
Rekis utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Campion stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Rekis swivels though and keeps the full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Campion drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Rekis manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Campion has Rekis in his guard.

Rekis throws a big right hand that misses.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Campion trying to keep a closed guard but Rekis is proving a slippery customer.
Rekis postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Rekis engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Thomas Campion dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Rekis falls off balance throwing a combination

and Campion counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Campion.

Rekis has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Campion off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Campion throws a series of punches but Rekis avoids them all with ease.
Rekis steps in looking to clinch after the strikes miss from Campion.
Rekis fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Rekis throws a combination that misses

and Campion counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Campion is working for a kimura but Rekis is defending it quite comfortably.
Campion is thwarting Rekis's attempts to control the position.
Rekis is trying to get back to full guard.
Campion seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Rekis does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Campion is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Campion looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Campion trying to control from half guard but Rekis is working away.
Campion wants to stand up but Rekis has a hold of him and won't allow it.
Campion is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Rekis can do to turn this around?

Rekis looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

Campion is trying to work for a kimura but Rekis is defending well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Rekis tries to roll over but Campion keeps him under control.
Rekis trying to control but Campion postures up.

Campion is working for a submission of some sort.
Campion not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Campion stops Rekis from getting back to his feet.
Ground and pound from Campion.
Campion thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Rekis's head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Campion is trying to control the action in half guard but Rekis is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Campion lands a nice short elbow.
Rekis controlling the position for now.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Campion lands a nice short elbow.
Rekis wants to control but Campion is keeping busy.
Rekis has hold of Campion's hands but Campion slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Rekis is refusing to be controlled, as Campion sits in half guard.
Campion tries to pass the half guard into mount. Rekis knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Nice strikes from Campion there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Campion prevents Rekis from improving his position.
Rekis manages to get to full guard.
Rekis has momentary wrist control but Campion slips an elbow through the middle.
Rekis seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Campion looking to sit in guard and control but Rekis gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Rekis is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Rekis tries to free his leg and advance position but Campion is retaining full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Thomas Campion dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! 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.

Campion tries to close the distance and clinch but Rekis swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Campion closes the distance and pushes Rekis back into the cage.
Rekis drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Campion misses with a hook to the ribs.
Rekis on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Campion prevents the takedown attempt.
Rekis fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Thomas Campion has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of John Rekis.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Campion drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Rekis gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Rekis gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Campion.

Campion breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Campion's corner calls for a 1-2. Campion obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Campion doesn't manage to clinch there - Rekis circles away.
Rekis shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Campion defends it nicely.
Rekis dives in and grabs Campion's left leg, looking for a takedown. Campion pushes down on Rekis's head and hops out.
Thomas Campion is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Rekis throws a lazy head kick

and Campion counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Campion.
Campion throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Campion working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Campion throwing strikes but missing.
Campion wants to control from the top but Rekis keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Campion won't allow Rekis to get back to his feet.
Campion landing with the ground and pound.
Rekis wants to stand but Campion is controlling the position.
Campion is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Rekis looking to control.
Campion content to stall in guard here.
Campion pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Rekis is keeping the position for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Campion trying to control the position from guard on top but Rekis is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Rekis is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Rekis is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Rekis drives through with a takedown into Campion's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Rekis is standing up over Campion. Campion looks to escape but Rekis dives into side control.

Rekis is looking to take a break and control but Campion is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Thomas Campion overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rekis just content to control the position.
Thomas Campion is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Campion explodes and escapes back to his feet! Nice escape there!
No luck with that takedown attempt from Rekis.
John Rekis has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Rekis falls off balance throwing a combination

and Campion counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Campion is taking a breather. Rekis says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Rekis looks like he's trying to stand up.
Rekis missing with punches from the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
Thomas Campion showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Campion has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Taro Takaoka scores the fight 30:27
Judge Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 30:27
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Thomas Campion!
Thomas Campion decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.
John Rekis spoke after the fight, saying 'I'll be back!!!'.