PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight kickboxing rules bout between Maung Maung Thu (ranked 24352 p4p, 537 weight class) and Bastien Giroud (ranked 6303 p4p, 502 weight class). Giroud is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Khaled- Aisha. Well, the cameraman is lingering on a pretty young lady for a bit too long there. Keep your eyes on the prize buddy or you'll miss the fighter intros!

Maung Thu
vs
Giroud

166 cm
19
135 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

180 cm
19
150 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

Great elbows
Good chin

Decent boxing
Experienced

RESISTANCE

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Maung Maung Thu!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, Bastien Giroud!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Cesar, Emerson Jorge and Paulo Santos.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Giroud takes a jab right on the kisser.
Thu throws a low kick, looking for Giroud's leg but Giroud calmly moves out of range.
Giroud throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Giroud has done a lot of speed work in the buildup to this fight.
Thu chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Giroud connects with a single shot there.
Giroud throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

Giroud pushes Thu up against the ropes in a clinch.
Giroud fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Thu tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Giroud avoids it.
Giroud lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Thu backwards.
Giroud tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Giroud tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Giroud scores with a shoulder strike.
Thu lands a damaging elbow.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Giroud swings wildly with an uppercut but Thu uses good head movement to avoid it.
Giroud working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Thu blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Giroud lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the ropes.
Giroud blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Thu misses with an elbow over the top.
Thu tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Giroud avoids it.
A shot in the inside from Giroud.
I was talking to Thu's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Stalling in the clinch from Giroud.
Thu blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Come on Giroud - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Thu misses with an elbow over the top.
Still in the clinch, Thu scores with a nice short uppercut.
Thu lands an elbow just above Giroud 's eye.
Thu is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Thu throws an elbow but it's blocked.
With the fighters up against the ropes, Thu throws an elbow but misses.
Thu blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Thu fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Thu lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Thu blocks an uppercut.
Giroud takes an elbow to the temple.
Thu lands an elbow inside.
Thu trying to land knees to the body.
Giroud misses with some punches.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Thu lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Thu obliges.
Giroud blocks the elbow strike.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Giroud takes an elbow to the temple.
Thu throws a head punch that misses.
Giroud lands with a short shot to the head.
Thu is working Giroud over against the ropes.
Giroud misses with a short punch on the inside.
Thu missing with knees to the body.
Thu is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Giroud is defending well for now.
Giroud misses with the head strike.
Giroud fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Giroud takes an elbow to the forehead.
Nice elbow from Thu.
Thu lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Giroud swings away with an uppercut that misses.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Thu.
Giroud swings wildly with an uppercut but Thu uses good head movement to avoid it.
Giroud taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Nice elbow from Thu.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Thu.
Giroud misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Thu lands on the inside with an uppercut.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Maung Maung Thu dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Giroud moves into the clinch.
Giroud lands a shoulder strike.
Thu gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Giroud misses with a hook from the clinch.
Giroud blocks an elbow strike from Thu.
Giroud's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Giroud lands a nice uppercut.
With the fighters up against the ropes, Thu throws an elbow but misses.
Thu lands a nice elbow.
Thu lands an elbow that stopped Giroud in his tracks for a moment.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Giroud.
Maung Maung Thu has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Giroud misses with a hook to the ribs.
Thu lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Giroud lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Thu.
Thu is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Giroud can do to turn this around?
Thu misses with a hook to the ribs.
Giroud misses with a hook to the ribs.
Thu lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the ropes.
Thu lands an elbow that stopped Giroud in his tracks for a moment.
Thu pushes off an throws an elbow but Giroud leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the ropes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Giroud has a couple of punches blocked by Thu.
Thu lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Giroud.
Giroud misses with a punch on the inside.
Giroud blocks the elbow strike.
Thu is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Thu obliges.
Thu landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Giroud is breathing heavily.
Giroud swings wildly with an uppercut but Thu uses good head movement to avoid it.
Thu lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Thu lands with a right to the head.
Thu blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Giroud takes an elbow to the forehead.
Giroud avoiding damage as Thu throws knees to the body.
Thu throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Thu lands an elbow inside that Giroud shrugs off.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Thu lands an elbow just above Giroud 's eye.
Giroud misses with a short punch on the inside.
Thu unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Thu softening up his opponent with strikes, against the ropes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Thu unloads a knee to the mid-section. Giroud lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Thu gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Giroud tries to throw a body punch but Thu avoids it by throwing Giroud back against the ropes.
Giroud takes an elbow to the temple.
Thu lands an elbow just above Giroud 's eye.
Thu lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Giroud blocks an elbow strike.
Thu throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Girouds head.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Giroud.
Giroud lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the ropes.
Thu creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Giroud's defenses.

Giroud is rocked!

It looks like Bastien Giroud has been cut.
Thu lands an elbow that stopped Giroud in his tracks for a moment.
Giroud is still on wobbly legs! Can Thu finish him?
Thu lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Giroud throws a punch but it's blocked by Thu.
Thu scores a nice knee to the body.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Giroud.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Thu.
Thu lands an elbow inside that Giroud shrugs off.
Thu lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Thu lands an elbow that stopped Giroud in his tracks for a moment.
Thu scores a nice knee to the body.
Thu gets through Giroud's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Maung Maung Thu dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Bastien Giroud's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the ring so we can get back down to business. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Thu scores with a leg kick.

Giroud closes the distance and pushes Thu back into the ropes.
Thu lands a nice knee to the body.
Thu lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Thu.
Thu using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Giroud blocks an elbow strike from Thu.
Giroud throws a punch but it's blocked by Thu.
Giroud seems to have recovered his senses.
Thu scores with a hook to the body.
Thu lands an elbow inside.
Thu lands an elbow inside that Giroud shrugs off.
A hook to the body from Thu.
Giroud has a couple of punches blocked by Thu.
Giroud blocks an elbow strike from Thu.
Giroud takes an elbow to the temple.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Thu lands with a right to the head.
Giroud lands with a light punch inside.
Thu blocking some punches.
Thu gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Giroud tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Giroud lands a shoulder strike.
Nice elbow from Thu.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Giroud takes an elbow to the temple.
Giroud blocks an elbow strike from Thu.
Giroud takes an elbow to the temple.
Thu throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Giroud swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Thu lands a nice knee to the body.
Thu lands an elbow inside that Giroud shrugs off.
Giroud goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Giroud looking to stall.
Thu misses with a hook to the ribs.
Thu lands an elbow inside that Giroud shrugs off.
Thu landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Giroud takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Thu lands a nice knee to the body.
Giroud takes an elbow to the temple.
Thu lands a damaging elbow.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Thu putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Giroud in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Thu lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Thu lands an elbow that stopped Giroud in his tracks for a moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Giroud blocks the elbow strike.
Thu lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Giroud takes an elbow to the forehead.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Thu.
Thu lands an elbow inside that Giroud shrugs off.
Thu looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Giroud working aggressively here.
Thu lands a right hand.
Thu lands a nice elbow.
Thu pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the ropes.
Giroud misses with a punch on the inside.
Thu works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Thu softening up his opponent with strikes, against the ropes.
Thu lands a hook to the side of the head.
Giroud scores with an uppercut up the middle.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Thu.
Thu working Giroud over with knees to the body.
Thu lands an elbow inside that Giroud shrugs off.
Bastien Giroud has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Giroud is looking to control Thu's arms but Thu gets an underhook and turns him. Now Giroud has his back to the ropes.
Giroud misses with a hook to the ribs.

And that's the end of the fight!
Maung Maung Thu showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Thu 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 Daniel Cesar scores the fight 30:27
Judge Emerson Jorge scores the fight 30:27
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Maung Maung Thu!
Bastien Giroud was interviewed post fight and said 'It's just a setback on the road to greatness. Ill be back stronger !'.