PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Thao Pho (ranked 6987 p4p, 0 weight class) and Little Giant (ranked 6075 p4p, 0 weight class). Thao Pho had a look across the cage there at his opponent. He definitely means business

Pho
vs
Giant

225 cm
23
266 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

206 cm
25
262 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Good chin

Decent wrestler
Decent boxing
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Thao Pho!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Little Giant!
The judges for this bout are Aafke Stam, Wagner Zegers and Radbod Blank.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Giant gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Giant is trying to pull guard but Pho has him pressed against the cage.
Pho really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

Giant wants the takedown. Pho is fighting it off but Giant persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Pho's guard against the cage.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Giant trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Pho wants to stand but Giant is controlling the position.
Pho keeping moving, preventing Giant from controlling successfully.
Giant is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Giant gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.

Giant scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pho is looking to escape.
Giant thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Pho's head.
Giant with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Giant working over Pho with some ground and pound. Pho looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Pho on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Pho tries to get out of the position.

Giant is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Giant tries to pass the half guard into mount. Pho knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

Pho makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!
Giant is trying hard to land a takedown here. Pho sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Pho throws a counter high kick but Giant was just alert enough to avoid it.
Giant misses with a double jab
and Pho counters with a head kick.
Giant looks for a takedown but Pho sprawls well.
Pho jinks towards his opponent looking like he wants to counter with a mid kick but doesn't commit.
Thao Pho has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Little Giant.
Pho blocks a head kick by Giant.
It appears Pho was looking to counter with a kick there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Giant is defended easily by Pho.
Pho fires out a quick counter leg kick but Giant just manages to avoid it.
Giant shoots and misses
and Pho counters with a big head kick but Giant shrugs it off.

Giant closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Pho wants to get back to his feet but Giant drags him back down.
Giant wants to control but Pho is keeping him busy.
Pho pushes Giant away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Giant gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The strikes coming from Giant are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Pho knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Giant on the ground.
Pho wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Pho parries the strikes from Giant easily there. Giant is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Pho to escape.
Giant tries to advance to mount but Pho denies him.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Pho is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Giant has just dragged him back down to the mat.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Little Giant will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Giant fails with the takedown
and Pho counters with a nice leg kick.
Giant fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Pho avoids it really well and circles away.
Pho throws a quick counter kick to the body but Giant avoids it.

Giant moves into range and clinches up with Pho.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Giant manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pho throws a big elbow that misses.
Pho postures up in Giant's guard and throws a big left but Giant blocks it.
Pho throws an elbow that misses. Giant uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Pho's guard. Nice move by Giant!

Pho will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

Giant stands up from guard. Let's bang!

Giant moves into the clinch.
Giant jumps guard but Pho turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Thao Pho has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Little Giant.
Pho is trying to break the clinch but Giant is controlling him.
Giant has Pho pressed against the cage, preventing Pho from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Pho is trying to push Giant away but Giant has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Giant lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Pho.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Giant has Pho pressed against the cage, preventing Pho from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

Giant is trying to trip Pho. He has hold of a leg but Pho is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Giant persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Pho wants to get back to his feet but Giant passes into half guard.

Giant is keen to just control but Pho is a slippery customer.
Pho looks like he's trying to stand up.
Giant thows a huge punch but Pho dodges it nicely.
Pho pushes Giant off looking to stand but Giant dives back in and keeps control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Giant winds up and cracks Pho with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Giant wants to pass the guard but Pho is defending well.
Nice strikes from Giant there.
Giant stalling.
Little Giant has got the better of the ground game so far.
Giant throwing shots but Pho is blocking nicely.
Giant trying to pass the guard but Pho defending well.
Giant is looking to take a break and control but Pho is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pho is trying to stand back up but Giant is controlling him
Giant throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Giant stops Pho from getting back to his feet.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Giant is looking to chop away at Pho's legs.
Pho stuffs the takedown attempt from Giant. Giant gets slowly back to his feet.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Giant with a poor takedown
and Pho counters with an inside leg kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Little Giant showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Giant has managed to clinch.
Giant is trying to drag Pho to the mat but Pho just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.

Giant ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Giant no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.

Giant is looking for a triangle but Pho pushes his legs off easily.
Giant preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Pho throwing strikes from guard but Giant blocks nicely.
Pho working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Giant controls Pho momentarily but Pho frees himself.
Pho postures up in Giant's guard and throws a big left but Giant blocks it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Giant is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Giant has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Giant thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Pho wants to get back to his feet.
Giant winds up and cracks Pho with a swinging punch to the side of the head.

Giant stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.
Giant fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Pho appeared to be looking to counter that last move with a leg kick.

Giant closes the distance and pushes Pho back into the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Giant turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!
Giant wants to control but Pho is keeping him busy.
Pho wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!

Giant swings around for an armbar but Pho sees it coming a mile off and turns beautifully into Giant's guard.
Pho has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Pho throws an elbow that misses. Giant uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Pho's guard. Nice move by Giant!

Pho wants to stand up but Giant is controlling him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pho keeping moving, preventing Giant from controlling successfully.
Giant has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

Pho manages to wriggle out and sneak his way back up to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched up against the cage.
Pho blocks the elbow strike.
Giant is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Pho is defending well.
Thao Pho has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Little Giant.

Giant gets control of Pho's arms and successfully pulls guard. Giant will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Giant takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Giant trying to keep a closed guard but Pho is proving a slippery customer.
Pho throws a big right hand that misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pho throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

Giant is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Pho is aware though and is defending well.
Giant avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Pho throws a big right hand that misses.
Pho postures up in Giant's guard and throws a big left but Giant blocks it.
Pho trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Pho postures up in Giant's guard and throws a big left but Giant blocks it.
Pho trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Giant avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Giant is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Giant prevents Pho from standing back up.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Giant wants to lay and pray for a moment but Pho keeps working.
Thao Pho has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Little Giant is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Giant passes to side control.

And that's the end of the fight!
Little Giant comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Giant winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Aafke Stam scores the fight 27:30
Judge Wagner Zegers scores the fight 27:30
Judge Radbod Blank scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Little Giant!