PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Troy Rex (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Thomas Palmer (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rex's entrance music is Sweet Disposition. A fine choice. Troy Rex has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Rex
vs
Palmer

175 cm
19
140 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

186 cm
18
135 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Likes ground

Death Wish Nutrition

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Troy Rex!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Thomas Palmer!
The judges for this bout are William Gold, James Glass and James Atkins.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rex fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

Rex scores with a takedown into Palmer's guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Palmer looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Rex trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Rex thows a big elbow that misses.
Rex postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Palmer is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Palmer is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Palmer is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Rex preventing the sweep.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
No luck for Rex with that takedown attempt.

Rex instigates a clinch.
Rex tries to score a body lock takedown but Palmer shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Troy Rex. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rex has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Palmer avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Palmer can't break the clinch.
Palmer landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.

Palmer works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.

Rex is working an open guard so Palmer takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.

Rex shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Rex was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Rex tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Palmer is trying desperately to improve position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Rex looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
Rex is breathing heavily.
Palmer wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Rex.
Palmer tries to hold on but Rex postures up.
Rex lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Palmer is working to get back to half guard.
Palmer tries to lock up and control but Rex gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rex looking to finish Palmer with some ground and pound. This is bad for Palmer!
Palmer is looking to get to half guard.
Rex avoids the attempt from Palmer to control.
A nice elbow there by Rex.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Palmer is looking to get to half guard.
Rex with a couple of short strikes.
Rex dominating with strikes here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Rex with the ground and pound from mount.
Rex landing strikes from the mount.
Rex landing strikes from the mount.
The referee warns Palmer that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Rex looking to finish Palmer with some ground and pound. This is bad for Palmer!
Palmer is trying desperately to improve position.
Rex lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Palmer is bucking up trying to escape but Rex cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Rex with good strikes from the mount here!
Palmer is in a horrible position here. Rex smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Troy Rex dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Rex shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Rex throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Palmer tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Rex showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Rex loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Palmer is adopting a defensive guard.
Rex showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rex content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Rex with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Palmer has a closed guard, preventing Rex from standing up.
Palmer looking for a sweep. Not yet Palmer, not yet.
Rex stands up over Palmer, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Palmer pulls Rex in close to his closed guard and prevents Rex from doing any damage or advancing position.
Rex throws a big right hand that misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Rex lands a couple of elbows.
Rex distracts Palmer with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Palmer working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Rex.
Rex sitting in guard here, content to control.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Rex accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Rex prevents Palmer from getting back to his feet.
Rex postures up and lands a big shot to Palmer's brow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rex working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Palmer's head.
Rex showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Palmer controls Rex momentarily but Rex frees himself.
Rex landing some decent shots from guard.
Rex works over Palmer with some ground and pound from guard.
Palmer is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Rex might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Rex lands a couple of decent looking shots.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Rex landing with the ground and pound.
Rex postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.

Rex gets to his feet - Palmer follows without any prompting.
Palmer doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Rex decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Palmer's guard.
Rex working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Palmer's head.
Palmer wants to stand but Rex is controlling the position.
Rex working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Troy Rex dominated that second 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. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Palmer pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Rex looks for a takedown but Palmer sprawls well.
Rex with a poor takedown

and Palmer counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Rex's guard now.
Rex thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Palmer passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Palmer moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.
Rex throwing some weak shots from the bottom that do no damage.

Palmer decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
No luck for Rex with that takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Troy Rex. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Palmer closes the distance looking to clinch

so Rex counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Rex sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Palmer's guard.
Palmer is looking for a sweep. Rex is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Palmer is staying active underneath Rex, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Palmer wants to control but Rex is keeping busy.
Troy Rex overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Rex lands a nice short elbow.
Palmer gets full guard.
Rex lands a couple of digs.
Rex is standing up over Palmer. Palmer looks to escape but Rex dives into side control.
Palmer is looking to reverse the position.

Rex is trying to get an arm triangle but Palmer is defending well.
Rex trying to control the position but Palmer is working away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rex taking a break here but Palmer is having none of it and regains half guard.
Rex wants to take a breather but Palmer is having none of it.
Rex is pressing down on Palmer's thigh, looking to free his foot. Palmer is holding on for now.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Rex in particular looking to stall.

Palmer looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Palmer avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Rex.
Rex prevents Palmer from improving his position.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Palmer looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

Rex darts in and clinches Palmer up against the cage.
Rex is trying to break free.
Palmer can't break the clinch.
Rex gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Palmer.
Palmer is pressed up against the cage. Rex has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Palmer down to the mat. Palmer avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Thomas Palmer.
I think Rex has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 William Gold scores the fight 29:28
Judge James Glass scores the fight 29:28
Judge James Atkins scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Troy Rex!