PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Tom Thomas (ranked 1022 p4p, 3429 weight class) and Nusrat Baigan (ranked 65 p4p, 192 weight class). Nusrat Baigan is staring across the cage at his opponent, tweaking his nipples.

Thomas
vs
Baigan

160 cm
39
140
30 - 26 - 1

160 cm
37
147
10 - 7 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Lethal high kicks
Good gas tank

Altitude Clothing

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 30 - 26 - 1, fighting out of London, Tom Thomas!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Nusrat Baigan!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Frank Antenori and Percy O'Donnell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Baigan throws a head kick but Thomas moves out of range.
Baigan throws a head kick that misses.
Thomas misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Baigan.
A telegraphed right hand from Baigan misses the target.
Baigan misses the jab.
Baigan looks to land a combination but Thomas avoids it well.
Thomas appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Thomas throws a hook but Baigan avoids it easily.
A jab from Thomas misses.
Thomas swings widly with a right hand
and Baigan counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Baigan throws a sloppy head kick and Thomas moves out of range easily.
Baigan has been working on his striking defense in training and it's paying off as Thomas is landing a low percentage of strikes.
Thomas looks to land a right hand but Baigan moved out of range.
A nice leg kick from Thomas, right into the meat of the thigh.
Baigan connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Thomas missing with a left hand there. Baigan was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Nice uppercut there from Thomas.
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!
Thomas feints and then cracks Baigan's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Baigan down.
Baigan misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Thomas.
Baigan feints a jab promting Thomas to slip. Baigan then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Thomas slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.
Baigan throws a big shot that misses.
Thomas misses with a straight right.
Baigan misses with an uppercut

and Thomas moves into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thomas tries a body shot but Baigan blocks it.

Baigan escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Thomas fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Baigan manages to avoid it.
Baigan moves out of range of the strikes.
Baigan throws a sloppy head kick and Thomas moves out of range easily.
A little feinted left hand from Thomas on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Thomas throws a right hand that Baigan ducks under and follows up with a left that Baigan also avoids with ease.
Baigan throws a series of punches but Thomas avoids them all with ease.
Thomas fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Baigan manages to avoid it.
Thomas takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Thomas misses the shot to the body.
Thomas slips a jab and a cross from Baigan.
Baigan throws a hook to the side of Thomas's head but Thomas sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.

Thomas has closed the distance and engaged Baigan in a clinch.

Baigan manages to break the clinch.
Baigan tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Thomas manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Baigan misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Baigan lands a head kick. Thomas smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Thomas connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Baigan misses with a low kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Thomas takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Thomas jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Thomas looks to score with a jab to the body but Baigan is just out of range.
Thomas throws a good cross that connects.
Thomas throws a series of punches but Baigan avoids them all with ease.
Thomas avoids the head kick by Baigan.
A little feinted left hand from Thomas on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Baigan needs to keep his hands up - Thomas had a free shot at his head there.
Thomas lands a slapping body shot.

Thomas moves into the clinch.
Thomas lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Thomas lands a left hand that snaps the head of Baigan backwards.
Thomas softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
A body shot lands from Thomas.
Thomas lands a nice uppercut.
Baigan tries a body shot but Thomas blocks it.
Thomas softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Baigan throws a head punch that misses.
A hook to the body from Thomas.
Baigan's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Thomas lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Baigan's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Thomas scores with a shoulder strike.
A right hook to the body lands for Thomas.
Baigan working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Thomas misses with a short punch on the inside.
Baigan blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Baigan tries a body shot but Thomas blocks it.
Thomas prevents a body shot from Baigan.
Thomas scores with a hook to the body.
Thomas lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Thomas lands with a left to the head.

Baigan pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Thomas swings for the body but Baigan moves out of range.
Thomas lands a lovely overhand right.
Thomas looks to land a right hand but Baigan moved out of range.
Baigan throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Baigan on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Thomas moves out of range as Baigan strikes.
Thomas wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.
Baigan throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Baigan lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Thomas circles away quickly and effectively.
Thomas throws a hook but Baigan blocks it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Baigan's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Thomas connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Baigan scrambles back to his feet.
Thomas thuds a left hand into Baigan's body.
Thomas scores with a body shot.
Baigan throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Baigan looks to land a left hand but Thomas moved out of range nicely.
Baigan tries a head kick but it misses.
Thomas scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Baigan doesn't seem bothered though.
Baigan on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Baigan throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Baigan ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Thomas moves away.
Thomas is really peppering his opponent's head with punches.
Baigan defending well as Thomas loads up on a big left hand.
Baigan tests Thomas's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Thomas throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Baigan moves out of range of the strikes.
Baigan takes a swing at Thomas's ribcage but misses.
Thomas loads up on a big right hand but Baigan slips the punch.
Thomas jabs at Baigan's body.

Thomas gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Tom Thomas dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Baigan uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Thomas.
Baigan rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Thomas counters with a straight right hand.
Baigan throws a sloppy head kick and Thomas moves out of range easily.
Thomas misses with a low kick.
Baigan throws a low kick, looking for Thomas's leg but Thomas calmly moves out of range.
Baigan tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Thomas throwing a counter right hand but Baigan manages to avoid it.
Thomas looks to land a right hand but Baigan moved out of range.
Thomas throws a body punch but Baigan moves out of range.
A looping hook to the body misses from Thomas. Baigan does a little dance to reset his feet.
Baigan thuds his right hand into Thomas's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Thomas takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Thomas misses with a looping right.
Baigan wants to slow Thomas down by chopping away at his legs.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Baigan connects with a high kick.

Thomas closes the distance and clinches.
Thomas tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Thomas stalling against the cage.
Baigan blocks a body shot from Thomas.
Baigan swings away with an uppercut that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thomas lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Thomas cracks Baigan with a nice body shot.
Tom Thomas has scored more points in the clinch so far.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Thomas tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Baigan's elbow.
Thomas lands a body punch in the clinch.
Baigan tries to work over Thomas's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Baigan blocks a body shot from Thomas.

Baigan pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Thomas is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Baigan.
Baigan misses with a looping left.
Thomas was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Thomas stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Baigan.
Baigan misses with a leg kick.
Nusrat Baigan seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Baigan pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Nusrat Baigan seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Baigan throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Thomas sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Thomas throws the left hand but Baigan avoids the punch easily.

Thomas moves into range and clinches up with Baigan.

Baigan manages to break the clinch.
Nusrat Baigan is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Baigan scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Baigan ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Thomas moves away.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Thomas stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Baigan looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Baigan tries a head kick but it misses.
Baigan thows a left - swing and a miss!
Baigan lands with a shot to the body.
Thomas ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Baigan misses with a lunging right hand
and Thomas counters with a body kick that brings a smile to the face of both fighters.
Thomas throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Thomas ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
It looked like Thomas was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Baigan.

Thomas has taken the fight to the clinch.

Baigan's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Baigan moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
A shot to the body from Thomas misses
and Baigan counters with a two punch combo.
Baigan on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Thomas throws a body punch but Baigan moves out of range.
Baigan looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Thomas thows a left - swing and a miss!
A head kick misses from Baigan.
Thomas thows a left - swing and a miss!
Thomas is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Baigan.
Baigan sizes up Thomas with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thomas misses with a jab, cross combination.
Thomas looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Thomas lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Baigan misses with a jab, cross combination.
A telegraphed right hand from Thomas misses the target.
Baigan tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Thomas is looking to counter punch.
Baigan looks to throw the jab but Thomas is out of range.
Baigan with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Baigan tries a head kick but it misses.
Baigan misses with a wild combination.
Baigan throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Thomas lands a right hook to the body.
Thomas throws a shot from downtown. Baigan moves away and avoids it.
Thomas blocks a head kick by Baigan.
Thomas drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Thomas slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Thomas ducks under a wild hook from Baigan.
Baigan dodges the punch combination from Thomas.

Thomas takes the fight into the clinch.
Thomas goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Baigan misses with a punch on the inside.
Thomas goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Thomas cracks Baigan with a nice body shot.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Baigan.
Thomas struggles to land a body shot inside as Baigan controls his hands.
Thomas can't find room to land a body shot as Baigan controls the action.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Thomas tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Thomas makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Thomas scores with a shoulder strike.

Baigan's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Baigan takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Tom Thomas will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Thomas throws a body shot but no joy.
Baigan lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Thomas looks to land a left hand but Baigan moved out of range nicely.
Baigan will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Baigan throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Baigan staying out of range there.
A telegraphed right hand from Thomas misses the target.
Baigan staying out of range there.
Baigan throws a lazy uppercut
and Thomas counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Baigan throws a shot from downtown. Thomas moves away and avoids it.
Baigan throws a lazy body kick
and Thomas counters with a thumping low kick.
Thomas comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Thomas takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Thomas fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Baigan manages to avoid it.
Baigan tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Thomas misses with a wild body shot.
Thomas dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Baigan. That did some damage!
Baigan jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Baigan misses with a double jab.
Thomas throws a shot to the body.
Baigan throws a combination that misses

and Thomas holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Thomas works on Baigan's body with a couple of short punches.
Baigan throws a head punch that misses.
Thomas can't find room to land a body shot as Baigan controls the action.
Baigan misses with some punches.
Thomas leaning against his opponent.
Thomas scores with a nice hook to the head.
Baigan misses with a hook to the ribs.
Baigan is trying to push Thomas away but Thomas has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Baigan struggles to land a body shot inside as Thomas controls his hands.
Good body shot from Thomas.
Baigan takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Thomas.
A short left from Thomas.
Baigan tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Thomas's elbow.
Thomas misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Thomas fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Baigan has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Baigan prevents a body shot from Thomas.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Thomas tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

Baigan pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Thomas is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Baigan.
Thomas is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Baigan can do to turn this around?
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Good work by Thomas as he checks the leg kick.
Baigan swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Thomas keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Baigan.
Baigan throws a series of punches but Thomas avoids them all with ease.
A big left from Baigan misses.
Baigan lands with a slapping head kick.

Thomas clinches up with Baigan and pushes him back against the cage.
Thomas lands a hook to the side of the head.
Thomas lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Thomas lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Baigan or not.
Thomas blocks an uppercut.
Thomas manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
A short right from Thomas.
Baigan misses with some punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thomas pushes Baigan back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Baigan.

Baigan pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Thomas misses the jab.
Thomas thuds his right hand into Baigan's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.

Thomas moves into range and clinches up with Baigan.
Baigan lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Thomas backwards.
Thomas lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.

Baigan's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Thomas swats away the attempt to clinch by Baigan.
Thomas swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Nusrat Baigan has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Baigan misses with a straight right.
Baigan with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Thomas to score with a decent uppercut.
Baigan looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Thomas swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Baigan with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Baigan misses with a looping left.

Thomas rushes Baigan and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
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 Thomas on the inside.
Baigan misses with a punch to the body.
Tom Thomas is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Baigan misses with a punch on the inside.
Baigan tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Thomas's elbow.
Baigan misses with a hook to the ribs.
Thomas misses with the head strike.
Baigan doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Baigan fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Baigan tries to circle away but Thomas has him pinned against the cage.
Baigan is trying to break the clinch but Thomas has him pressed against the cage.
Baigan tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Baigan working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Baigan has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Thomas blocks a body shot from Baigan.
A shot in the inside from Baigan.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tom Thomas showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Thomas, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Don Winkell scores the fight 30:27
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 30:27
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tom Thomas!
After winning the bout, Tom Thomas thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.