PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Joan Hooper (ranked 4759 p4p, 0 weight class) and Thomas Toumanian (ranked 6349 p4p, 503 weight class). Toumanian has a niggling injury. He would have liked to come in 100% fit but that's not always possible. Thomas Toumanian has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Hooper
vs
Toumanian

155 cm
20
193 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

182 cm
21
187 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Joan Hooper!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Thomas Toumanian!
The judges for this bout are Frank Antenori, Timothy Bukovac and Don Winkell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hooper tries to close the distance and clinch up but Toumanian swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Toumanian fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Hooper plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!

Toumanian closes the distance and pushes Hooper back into the cage.
Hooper looking to slow down the pace here.

Hooper pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Toumanian shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Hooper as he avoids it easily.
Hooper is looking to counter the offense by Toumanian and move into the clinch.

Toumanian looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Hooper!
Hooper is looking to reverse the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Hooper sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Toumanian looks winded!
Hooper looks like he's trying to stand up.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Hooper looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Hooper tries to roll over but Toumanian keeps him under control.
Hooper blocking the ground and pound attempt from Toumanian.
Hooper tries to kick Toumanian off but Toumanian keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Hooper is looking to get full guard. It looks like he might be successful but at the last minute Toumanian jumps into side control!
Hooper pushes Toumanian away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Toumanian gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Toumanian lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Toumanian moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.

Toumanian stands up and we're back to a striking position.
Thomas Toumanian seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Hooper tries to clinch but Toumanian moves out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Toumanian shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Hooper pinned against the cage. Hooper gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Joan Hooper has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Thomas Toumanian.
Hooper shoots for a takedown but Toumanian saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

Hooper gets tackled into the cage by Toumanian. Toumanian maintains the clinch.

Toumanian manages to pull guard.
Toumanian looking for a sweep. Not yet Toumanian, not yet.
Hooper really is a fat lump.
Hooper lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hooper lands a couple of digs.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Toumanian is on top in guard.

Hooper might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

Toumanian avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

Hooper isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Toumanian stacks Hooper on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Toumanian!
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Toumanian is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.

Toumanian decides to stand back up. Toumanian steps back and let's Hooper get back to his feet.
Hooper wants to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
No luck for Toumanian with that takedown attempt.
As Toumanian tries to get set, Hooper tries to push him back and clinch up but Toumanian manages to avoid the attempt.
Toumanian throws a sloppy head kick and Hooper moves out of range easily.

Hooper fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Toumanian, pushing him back against the cage.
Hooper tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Toumanian just stands there and leans against the cage.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Toumanian jumps guard but Hooper stands there with Toumanian around his waist. Toumanian gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Hooper is trying to break the clinch but Toumanian has him pressed against the cage.

Toumanian pulls guard successfully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Hooper drives through and clinches with Toumanian against the cage.

Toumanian turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!
Hooper tries to buck Toumanian off but Toumanian is having none of it.

Toumanian tries for a kimura but Hooper is defending well.
Hooper tries to buck Toumanian off but Toumanian is having none of it.
Hooper is trying to control Toumanian's posture but Toumanian avoids it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hooper tries to bench press Toumanian off him but Toumanian keeps the position.
Toumanian is breathing heavily.
Hooper is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Toumanian's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Hooper moves into full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Hooper manages to escape and get back to his feet.
Toumanian fails with an attempt to clinch.
Hooper fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Hooper doesn't manage to clinch there - Toumanian circles away.

Toumanian shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Toumanian showed some decent athleticism there.
Toumanian stops Hooper from getting back to his feet.
Hooper wants to get back to full guard.
Toumanian is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Let's hope that Toumanian has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
We're seeing a lot of stalling here from Toumanian.
Hooper pushes Toumanian off looking to stand but Toumanian dives back in and keeps control.
Hooper is controlling Toumanian's position as best he can from this difficult position.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Toumanian fails with a takedown attempt.
Hooper is looking to counter the offense by Toumanian and move into the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hooper tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Toumanian paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Hooper tries to clinch but Toumanian moves out of range.
Toumanian feints a counter leg kick.

Toumanian shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Hooper wants to control but Toumanian is keeping busy.
Hooper pushes Toumanian off looking to stand but Toumanian dives back in and keeps control.
Toumanian working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Toumanian controlling the action here.
Hooper wants to get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Toumanian stalling.
Hooper wants to get back to full guard.
Toumanian is taking a breather. Hooper 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.

Hooper looking for submissions off his back.
Toumanian is controlling the pace.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Hooper pushes Toumanian off looking to stand but Toumanian dives back in and keeps control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Joan Hooper will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Toumanian shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Hooper is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Toumanian clinches.
Hooper tries to work over Toumanian's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Hooper jumps guard but Toumanian turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Toumanian fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Hooper fails to pull guard.

Hooper breaks from the clinch.
Toumanian takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Toumanian decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Toumanian thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Toumanian prevents Hooper from standing back up.

Hooper looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Toumanian not doing much here.
Hooper is looking to improve his position.
Hooper strikes from the bottom but Toumanian passes into mount!
Hooper manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Hooper is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Toumanian's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Toumanian's back!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hooper wants to control but Toumanian is keeping busy.

Hooper has his opponent's back and is working for the choke.
Toumanian tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Thomas Toumanian has got the better of the ground game so far.
Toumanian wants to try and get back to his feet.
Hooper avoids the attempt from Toumanian to control.
Toumanian is trying to avoid being dragged into an even worse position than he's already in but Hooper is staying active.

Hooper is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Toumanian can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Toumanian suckers Hooper into throwing a sloppy strike and uses the momentum to reverse the position beautifully! Toumanian is now in Hooper's guard!

Hooper looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Toumanian passes into half guard.
Hooper is looking to get back to full guard here but Toumanian has managed to pass to side control instead.
A lull in the action here as Toumanian stalls from top position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hooper tries to wriggle free to get back to his feet but he's given up his back! Oops.
Good control from Toumanian.
Hooper tries to escape the position.
Good control from Toumanian.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Hooper trying to control the hands but Toumanian breaks the grip.
Toumanian punches Hooper on the ear.

And that's the end of the fight!
Thomas Toumanian comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Toumanian has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Frank Antenori scores the fight 28:29
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 28:30
Judge Don Winkell scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Thomas Toumanian!