PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight kickboxing rules bout between Kusal Perera (ranked 21880 p4p, 170 weight class) and Rick Thomas (ranked 21164 p4p, 164 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Thomas's choice of entrance music: Pop Evil - Ways To Get High . Fingers crossed for an exciting fight - I'm sure both fighters are looking for a nice under the table bonus!

Perera
vs
Thomas

193 cm
23
240 lbs
10 - 3 - 0

198 cm
24
258 lbs
11 - 8 - 0

Lethal high kicks
Insanely flexible

World class MT
Good gas tank

IniTech Nutrition
Arcticus University: London

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 10 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Kusal Perera!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Rick Thomas!
The judges for this bout are James Ackerman, Andrew Berry and Chris Edwards.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Perera tries to clinch up.
Perera is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Thomas appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
Thomas jabs Perera right on the nose. Perera blinks but takes it well.
Kusal Perera seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Perera swings widly with a right hand
and Thomas counters with a nice uppercut.
Perera lands a nice looking body shot.
Perera lands with a right hand.
Perera throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Thomas sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Perera throws an ugly left hook that misses
letting Thomas counter with a right hand.
Perera has been working on his boxing with his coaches at Aspire Academy in the buildup to the fight.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Perera tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Thomas throws a jab when Perera was well out of range.
Nice defenses there by Perera.
Perera seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Perera checks a leg kick.
The fighters circling - Perera throws out the jab but it was never going to land.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thomas bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Thomas shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Thomas throws a jab when Perera was well out of range.
Perera throws out a loose jab but Thomas uses good head movement to avoid it.
Perera misses with an uppercut. Thomas saw that one coming.
Thomas avoids a kick to the body.
Thomas avoids the head kick by Perera.
A big right from Perera misses.
Perera swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Thomas misses with a leg kick
letting Perera counter with a right hand.
Perera misses with an uppercut.
Perera ducks under a wild hook from Thomas.
Perera misses the shot to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Perera takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Perera waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Thomas.
Perera defending well as Thomas loads up on a big left hand.
Nice defenses there by Perera.
It looked like Perera wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Perera misses with a hook to the body
and Thomas counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Thomas fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Thomas paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Thomas lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Perera with a hook.
Thomas throws a good cross that connects.
Thomas throws out a loose jab but Perera uses good head movement to avoid it.
Perera slips a straight right by Thomas.
A looping hook to the body misses from Perera. Thomas does a little dance to reset his feet.
Nice shot lands for Perera.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Perera cracks a nice hook into Thomas's ribs.
Perera tries to clinch up but Thomas circles away and keeps his distance.
Thomas has tried to improve his agility in the runup to this fight.
Perera fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Thomas on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Perera lands a body shot.
Thomas loads up on a big right hand but Perera slips the punch.
Perera lands with an uppercut that bounces Thomas off the ropes and back into range.
Thomas throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Thomas slips a jab from Perera.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Perera misses with a straight right.
Perera scores with a jab to the head.
Perera looks to throw the jab but Thomas is out of range.
Perera misses with a lunging right hand
and Thomas connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Perera bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Perera tries to clinch but Thomas is having none of it.
Thomas swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Thomas moves away from the strike by Perera.
Thomas thows a left - swing and a miss!
Thomas takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Perera rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Thomas counters with a lovely straight right hand!

Perera closes the distance and clinches.
Thomas blocking some punches.
Perera tries to work over Thomas's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Thomas.
Perera lands an uppercut.
Thomas lands an uppercut.
Nice body punch from Thomas.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Thomas.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Thomas.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Perera.
Thomas blocks a punch to the side of the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
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!
Perera lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Perera blocking some punches.
Perera struggles to land a body shot inside as Thomas controls his hands.
Perera struggles to land a body shot inside as Thomas controls his hands.
Thomas misses with a punch on the inside.
Thomas swings wildly with an uppercut but Perera uses good head movement to avoid it.
Perera blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Perera has a couple of punches blocked by Thomas.
Perera working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Thomas.
Perera misses with the head strike.
Perera tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Perera doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Thomas stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Perera tries a body shot but Thomas blocks it.
Perera digs a right hand underneath Thomas's ribcage. Thomas let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Perera tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
A short body shot lands from Perera as the two fighters clinch.

Thomas breaks the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kusal Perera dominated that second round.
That's time! Perera's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Perera with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Thomas slips a jab and a cross from Perera.
Thomas blocks the body kick.
Thomas throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Thomas throws a lazy right hand but Perera sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Perera lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Thomas scores with a sloppy right hand. Perera should have avoided that one.
Perera is looking to clinch.
Perera tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
The fighters circling - Thomas throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Perera connects with the punch.
Perera misses with a body shot.
Perera's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Thomas connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Perera scrambles back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Perera scores with a crisp jab that stopped Thomas in his tracks.
A jab lands there for Perera.
Nice uppercut there from Perera.
Thomas thumps Perera with a low kick.
Thomas moves away from the strike by Perera.
Perera misses with an uppercut
letting Thomas counter with a right hand.
Thomas pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Perera jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Perera throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Thomas counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Perera is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Perera throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lazy left from Thomas finds it's target.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Thomas gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Jab by Perera.
Thomas throws a jab when Perera was well out of range.
Thomas just misses with a punch to the body.
Perera gets off balance looking for a body kick
and Thomas counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Thomas slips a straight right by Perera.
Perera lands an overhand right.
Thomas slips a jab and a cross from Perera.
Perera moves forwards but Thomas connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Thomas just misses with a punch to the body.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Kusal Perera.
Well Perera 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 James Ackerman scores the fight 29:28
Judge Andrew Berry scores the fight 29:28
Judge Chris Edwards scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kusal Perera!
Kusal Perera decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.