PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight kickboxing rules bout between Maung Maung Thu (ranked 22193 p4p, 22750 weight class) and Marco Salamanca (ranked 616 p4p, 644 weight class). Salamanca has chosen Mexican Rap as his entrance music. Marco Salamanca has the eye of the tiger tonight.

Thu
vs
Salamanca

166 cm
28
135
16 - 14 - 0

176 cm
26
157
10 - 3 - 1

World class boxer
Cardio machine

World class MT
Granite chin

FEEBLE FIGHTWEAR

Ma Balls Is Hot Clothing

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 16 - 14 - 0, fighting out of London, Maung Maung Thu!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 3 - 1, fighting out of Sydney, Marco Salamanca!
The judges for this bout are Franklyn Lucas, Reed Andrews and John Kavanagh.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Salamanca with the inside leg kick.
Thu has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.
Salamanca scores with a nice strike.
Thu throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Thu pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Thu tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Salamanca wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Marco Salamanca seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Salamanca throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

Thu gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Salamanca on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Thu tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Salamanca avoids it.
Thu creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Salamanca on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Salamanca has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Thu throws an elbow but it misses.
Salamanca avoids a wild elbow strike from Thu.

Salamanca escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Thu avoids the body shot from Salamanca.
The crowd cheers as Salamanca lands an impressive looking overhand right. Thu doesn't seem phased though.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Thu looks to land a body kick but Salamanca moved away.
Thu throws a leg kick that misses.
Salamanca moves out of range as Thu throws a body kick.
Salamanca on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Thu needs to keep his hands up - Salamanca had a free shot at his head there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thu chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Salamanca can pounce on him.
That kick from Salamanca tenderised Thu's leg. Thu is trying to keep his angry face on.
Thu looks to land a right hand but Salamanca moved out of range.
Thu goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Salamanca blocks a jab.
Salamanca throws a good cross that connects.
Salamanca connects with a good right hand that stumbles Thu. Thu circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Thu connects with a crisp jab.
Thu avoids a kick to the body.
Thu is looking to counter the offense by Salamanca and move into the clinch.
Thu tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Thu looks for the body kick but Salamanca saw that one coming.
Salamanca misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Thu.
A jab from Salamanca finds it's way through Thu's defenses.
Salamanca with the inside leg kick.
This has been an exciting period of action!
A slow jab from Salamanca misses its intended target.
Thu is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Thu moves in looking to clinch but Salamanca pushes him off.
Thu looks to land a right hand but Salamanca moved out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Salamanca buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Thu checks the leg kick nicely there.
Thu waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Salamanca.
Thu looks to throw the jab but Salamanca is out of range.
Thu is really struggling to find his range with his punches. Salamanca's reach advantage is clearly causing him problems.
Salamanca lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Salamanca lands a nice leg kick that just misses Thu's sensitive parts.
Salamanca blocks a head kick by Thu.
Thu tries to clinch up but Salamanca circles away and keeps his distance.
A good leg kick by Salamanca.
Nice shot by Thu.
Thu misses with a left hand
and Thu takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Salamanca throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Thu misses with a straight right.
Salamanca throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Thu lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Salamanca just misses with a punch to the body.

Thu forces Salamanca back against the ropes and clinches.
With the two fighters working up against the ropes, Thu just misses with a elbow thrown towards Salamanca's brow.
Thu pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the ropes.
Salamanca doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Marco Salamanca will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Salamanca waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Thu.
Thu tries to counter by clinching up but Salamanca breaks away and moves out of range.
Salamanca throws a good cross that connects.
Salamanca connects with a body shot.

Thu moves into the clinch.
Thu is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Thu trying to land knees to the body.
Salamanca working aggressively here.
Salamanca is trying to force a seperation but Thu has the dominant position.
Thu pushes off an throws an elbow but Salamanca leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the ropes.
Salamanca fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
A short left from Salamanca.
Salamanca has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
A shot in the inside from Salamanca.
Thu landing some nice looking knees to the body.

Salamanca breaks the clinch.
Salamanca throws a half hearted mid kick.
Thu fails in his attempt to clinch.
Salamanca throws a body punch but Thu moves out of range.
Thu seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Salamanca jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Thu tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Salamanca manages to circle out of the way.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Salamanca pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Salamanca throws a push kick but Thu slaps the foot to one side.
Thu is trying to close the distance and clinch up, after that failed offence from Salamanca.
Thu on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Salamanca has tried to improve his agility in the runup to this fight.
Thu takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thu attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Salamanca let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Salamanca's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Thu misses the jab.
Salamanca lands a leg kick that knocks Thu off balance momentarily.
Thu tries to close the distance and clinch but Salamanca swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
No joy there for Salamanca, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Salamanca is looking to slow Thu down with leg kicks.
Thu throws a body kick that misses.
Salamanca is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Thu with a body shot.
Thu throws a big shot that misses.
Thu tries to clinch up.
Thu avoids the head kick by Salamanca.
Salamanca misses the shot to the body.
Salamanca tries to work over Thu's front leg with a kick but Thu checks it.
Salamanca lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Salamanca has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Salamanca keeps the fight on the outside.
Salamanca misses with a low kick as Thu jumps back.
Thu moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Salamanca connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Marco Salamanca seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Thu connects with a right hand. Salamanca shakes it off.
Salamanca keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Salamanca moves out of range as Thu throws a body kick.
Thu throws a head kick but Salamanca moves out of range.
It seemed like Salamanca was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Salamanca lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Salamanca is looking to land body kicks.
Salamanca misses with a body kick.
Thu throws a jab when Salamanca was well out of range.
Salamanca flicks out a counter leg kick but Thu steps away.
A bone on bone clash there as Thu blocks the leg kick.
Thu is trying to close the distance and clinch up, after that failed offence from Salamanca.
Salamanca cracks Thu with a right hand to the side of the head.
A telegraphed right hand from Thu misses the target.
Salamanca looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
A low kick lands for Salamanca.
Thu avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Thu misses with a body kick.
Salamanca jabs Thu to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Salamanca tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
A jab from Salamanca misses.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Marco Salamanca showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Thu misses with a head kick.
Thu takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Thu looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Salamanca scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Thu defending well as Salamanca loads up on a big left hand.
Thu on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
A clash of legs there as Thu blocks the low kick.
Salamanca connects with a body shot that sends Thu's belly button to the back.
Nice body kick there by Salamanca.
Thu misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Salamanca.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Thu tries a head kick but it misses.
Thu tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Thu uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Salamanca.

Thu closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the ropes.
Thu tries to land knees in the clinch but Salamanca avoids the damage to the body.
Thu looks to throw an elbow but misses.

Salamanca's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Salamanca keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Thu throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Good leg kick by Salamanca.
Salamanca with a nice calf kick.
Salamanca throws a head kick that misses

and Thu counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Thu.
Thu with a knee to the head.
Salamanca tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
A knee to the head by Thu.
Thu landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Salamanca is trying to break free.
Salamanca unloads a knee to the mid-section. Thu lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Salamanca is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the ropes.
Salamanca avoids the elbow strike from Thu, against the ropes.
Salamanca lands a knee to the head.
Salamanca blocks the elbow strike.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Thu.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Thu throws an elbow but it misses.
Salamanca misses with a punch on the inside.
Thu throws an elbow but it misses.
Salamanca blocks the elbow strike.
Salamanca lands with a right to the head.
Salamanca wants to break free but Thu has control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Salamanca manages to break the clinch.
Thu tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Thu looks to land a body kick but Salamanca moved away.
Thu looks to land a body kick but Salamanca moved away.
Thu wants to clinch up but Salamanca keeps it at a distance.
Salamanca misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Salamanca avoids the body shot from Thu.
Thu throws a shot from downtown. Salamanca moves away and avoids it.
Salamanca throws out a counter right but Thu avoids it with no problem.
Salamanca throws a front kick that sends Thu stumbling back into the ropes.
Salamanca lands with a hook. Thu tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Salamanca throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Thu.
Thu ducks under a wild hook from Salamanca.
Salamanca misses with a body shot.
Thu doesn't manage to clinch there - Salamanca circles away.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
A good leg kick by Salamanca.
Thu has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Salamanca.
Maung Maung Thu has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Thu takes a swing at Salamanca's ribcage but misses.
Salamanca looks like he wanted to counter with a high kick but didn't throw it.
Salamanca lands a lovely overhand right.

And that's the end of the fight!
Marco Salamanca comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Salamanca winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Franklyn Lucas scores the fight for Marco Salamanca!
Judge Reed Andrews scores the fight for Marco Salamanca!
Judge John Kavanagh scores the fight for Marco Salamanca!

Marco Salamanca wins by unanimous decision!
A very excited looking Marco Salamanca made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.