PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Thorvald Espensen (ranked 4008 p4p, 382 weight class) and Topher Curtis (ranked 4741 p4p, 433 weight class). There are an array of beautiful celebrities at ringside tonight! I wonder if any of them paid for their tickets.

Espensen
vs
Curtis

177 cm
19
185 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

183 cm
19
182 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Thorvald Espensen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Topher Curtis!
The judges for this bout are Radbod Blank, Paulsen Ambrosius and Nard Betker.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Espensen just misses with a punch to the body.
Espensen lands a really nice looking cross but Curtis seems unphased.
Curtis misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

Espensen gets a clinch.
Curtis lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Espensen working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Curtis makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
A head punch on the inside from Curtis fails to land.
Espensen lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Curtis.

Curtis pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Curtis tries to clinch there but Espensen circles away.
Espensen throws a hook but Curtis avoids it easily.
Espensen throws a series of punches but Curtis avoids them all with ease.
Espensen throws a hook but Curtis avoids it easily.
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!
Espensen throws a poor cross that misses
and Curtis cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Curtis uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Espensen has time to react.
Curtis throws a series of strikes that have Espensen backpedaling.
Curtis slips a jab from Espensen.

Curtis gets tackled into the cage by Espensen. Espensen maintains the clinch.
Curtis wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Curtis.
Espensen misses with a punch on the inside.
Espensen tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Curtis's elbow.
Curtis taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Espensen misses with some punches.
Espensen presses Curtis against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Curtis dodges an elbow strike from Espensen.
Curtis tries to break the clinch but Espensen is controlling the position.
Curtis misses with the head strike.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Espensen tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Curtis's elbow.
Our sources have told us that Espensen has been working on his elbows in the gym.
Curtis wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Curtis swings away with an uppercut that misses.
A short uppercut from Espensen.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A short right from Curtis on the inside.
Curtis's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!

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

Espensen pushes Curtis up against the cage in a clinch.
Curtis swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Espensen lands a body punch.
Curtis has a couple of punches blocked by Espensen.
Espensen keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Curtis's efforts to push away.
Espensen lands a nice uppercut.
Espensen prevents Curtis from breaking the clinch.
Curtis misses with a hook from the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Curtis misses with some punches.
Curtis throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.

Curtis breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Espensen connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Espensen misses with a body shot.
Curtis is looking for the big counter here.
A big left from Espensen misses.
Nice uppercut there from Espensen.
A decent looking cross lands there for Espensen.
Espensen avoids the body shot from Curtis.
Espensen throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Espensen misses with an uppercut. Curtis saw that one coming.
A jab from Espensen misses.
Curtis looks to land a combination. Espensen sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Curtis throws an overhand right that lands on Espensen's shoulder, as Espensen tries to avoid the shot.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Espensen misses with a straight left.
Curtis displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Espensen throws out the jab.
Curtis throws out a counter right but Espensen avoids it with no problem.
Espensen uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Curtis.

Espensen rushes Curtis and presses him up against the cage.
Espensen lands on the inside with an uppercut.
A head punch on the inside from Curtis fails to land.
Espensen lands a right hand.
Curtis blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Curtis scores with an uppercut up the middle.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Espensen creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Espensen lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Curtis backwards.
Stalling in the clinch from Curtis.
Curtis fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Thorvald Espensen dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Espensen swings widly with a right hand
and Curtis counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Espensen jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Curtis throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
A jab from Espensen misses.
Espensen cracks Curtis with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Espensen swats away the attempt to clinch by Curtis.
A little feinted left hand from Espensen on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Espensen lands a jab to Curtis's midsection.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Curtis throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Espensen sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Curtis throws out a loose jab but Espensen uses good head movement to avoid it.
Espensen appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Espensen throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Curtis.
Espensen is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Espensen misses with a straight right.
Curtis is looking for the big counter here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Espensen bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Curtis's head.
Curtis throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Espensen throws a series of punches but Curtis moves out of range.
Espensen misses with a hook
and Curtis cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
A combination from Espensen does no damage.
A big right from Espensen misses.

Espensen has closed the distance and engaged Curtis in a clinch.
Curtis misses with some punches.
Curtis misses with a short punch on the inside.
Curtis being controlled against the cage.
A short right from Espensen.
Thorvald Espensen has scored more points in the clinch so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Curtis throws a punch but it's blocked by Espensen.
Curtis has a couple of punches blocked by Espensen.

Curtis breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
A jab from Espensen misses.
Curtis is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Curtis tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Espensen paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Thorvald Espensen is winning the standup battle so far.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
A big left from Espensen misses.
Curtis is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Curtis misses the jab.
Espensen throwing a counter right hand but Curtis manages to avoid it.
Decent striking displayed by Espensen there.
Espensen dips to his left and cracks Curtis with an uppercut!
Curtis throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Espensen sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Espensen throws a body shot but no joy.
Espensen misses with a series of wild punches.
Curtis unleashes a big counter combination but Espensen bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A slow jab from Curtis misses its intended target.
Espensen misses the jab.
Curtis misses with a hook. Espensen ducked under it nicely.
Jab from Espensen.
Espensen uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Curtis.
Espensen blocks a jab.
Curtis has done a lot of speed work in the buildup to this fight.
Espensen throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Curtis cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
A looping hook to the body misses from Espensen. Curtis does a little dance to reset his feet.
A countering left hand to the body from Curtis misses.
Espensen fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Curtis.
Curtis uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Espensen.
Espensen jabs Curtis to the body, keeping him at a distance.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Espensen is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Curtis.
Curtis now looks to counter with a shot at the body.
Thorvald Espensen seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Espensen moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.

Espensen has closed the distance and engaged Curtis in a clinch.
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!
Espensen lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Curtis throws a head punch that misses.
Espensen misses with a hook from the clinch.
Espensen lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Curtis gets through Espensen's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Curtis swings wildly with an uppercut but Espensen uses good head movement to avoid it.
A short right from Espensen on the inside.

Curtis is rocked!
Espensen dips a shoulder and cracks Curtis with a mighty uppercut! Curtis falls back against the cage and Espensen unloads with a barrage of strikes! Curtis is completely out with his eyes open, only supported by the cage! Save him ref! Eventually the ref decides to do his job and jumps in - Espensen screams abuse at the incompetent official before going over to celebrate with his corner. Brutal stuff!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:59 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Thorvald Espensen!
After winning the bout, Thorvald Espensen thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.
Topher Curtis was interviewed post fight and said 'Everybody loses sometimes which means he got lucky today. Next time we meet will result in a broken jaw.'.