PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Valen Dreth (ranked 607 p4p, 1059 weight class) and Vladimir Tomcic (ranked 72 p4p, 110 weight class). The fight MMA fans around the world have waited their entire lives for!

Dreth
vs
Tomcic

175 cm
29
148
14 - 7 - 0

173 cm
30
156
17 - 12 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Excellent grappler
Excellent MT
Granite chin

FF Gear
Conviction

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 14 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Valen Dreth!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 17 - 12 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Vladimir Tomcic!
The judges for this bout are Percy O'Donnell, Frank Antenori and Timothy Bukovac.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Dreth throws a head kick that misses.
Tomcic slips under a jab from Dreth.
Tomcic motions for Dreth to come forward. Tomcic throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Dreth changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Tomcic blocks a jab.

Dreth bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Tomcic wants to control but Dreth postures up.
Tomcic looking for a sweep but Dreth has passed into full mount! Oh no!
Tomcic tries to hold on but Dreth postures up.
Tomcic takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Tomcic working to try and regain half guard.
Tomcic tries to lock up and control but Dreth gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dreth working Tomcic over with strikes here.
A nice elbow there by Dreth.
Dreth is looking to work his way around to Tomcic's back. He needs to be careful though, as he's in danger of losing this dominant position.
Tomcic sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.

Tomcic looking for submissions off his back.
Tomcic is looking to improve his position.

Dreth seems to be looking for submissions.
Dreth seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Tomcic does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tomcic trying to hold on to Dreth's head to control him but Dreth postures up.
Dreth is trying to advance to mount but he's lost his balance and Tomcic reverses the position - he's now on top in Dreth's guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Tomcic pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Dreth is keeping the position for now.
Dreth tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Dreth is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Tomcic chips away with some ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tomcic pushing down on Dreth's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Tomcic trying to mount his opponent but Dreth defends it.
Dreth has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Tomcic is working away from the top position though.
Tomcic missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Tomcic is just content to waste time from the top position. Dreth takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.
Tomcic working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Dreth's head.
Tomcic postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Dreth is trying to control the position but Tomcic postures up.
Tomcic pushing down on Dreth's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dreth manages to get to full guard.
Tomcic throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Dreth works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Tomcic pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Dreth is keeping the position for now.
Tomcic keeps trying to improve his position.
Tomcic in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Dreth can't keep his opponent in guard - Tomcic advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Valen Dreth dominated that round.
That's time! Dreth's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Dreth swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Tomcic flicks out a counter leg kick but Dreth steps away.

Dreth shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Tomcic is looking for a sweep. Dreth is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Tomcic is looking to get back to full guard here but Dreth has managed to pass to side control instead.
Tomcic is trying to improve his position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dreth wants to lay and pray for a moment but Tomcic keeps working.
Tomcic tries to bench press Dreth off him but Dreth keeps the position.
Dreth landing strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tomcic tries to improve position but can't.
Dreth working away.
Tomcic manages to get back to half guard.
Dreth is looking to advance position but Tomcic won't allow it.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Dreth lands a nice short elbow.
Dreth content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

Tomcic looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Tomcic wants to get back to full guard but Dreth has mounted him!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tomcic is trying to escape the mount.
We've been hearing that Dreth has been drilling a lot of ground and pound in training, so let's see if he get the finish.
Dreth trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Tomcic working to try and regain half guard.
Tomcic is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Tomcic manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Dreth tries to pass to full mount but Tomcic defends it.
Tomcic is looking for a sweep. Dreth is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tomcic moves into full guard.
Tomcic wants to sweep here but Dreth controlling him for the moment.
Dreth wants to control from the top but Tomcic keeps moving.
Dreth loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

Tomcic is looking for a triangle but Dreth pushes his legs off easily.
Tomcic is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dreth trying to control but Tomcic postures up.

Tomcic seems to be working for a kimura but Dreth defends the submission attempt.

Tomcic is trying to work for a kimura but Dreth is defending well.
Tomcic not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Tomcic is looking to take a break and control but Dreth is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Dreth tries to get to full guard but Tomcic has control of the leg.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Valen Dreth dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Dreth motions for Tomcic to come forward. Dreth throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.

Dreth gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Tomcic to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Dreth not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Tomcic trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Tomcic missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Tomcic postures up in Dreth's guard and throws a big left but Dreth blocks it.
Dreth looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tomcic pushes down on Dreth's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Dreth is refusing to be controlled, as Tomcic sits in half guard.
Tomcic slips a nice elbow through Dreth's hands, connecting with Dreth's forehead.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tomcic seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Dreth trying to control from the bottom.
Dreth is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Tomcic works his way into full mount!

Tomcic with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Tomcic throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tomcic lands a nice shot to the head.
Vladimir Tomcic has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Tomcic landing shots from mount.
Dreth is working to get back to half guard.
Tomcic wants to control the pace but Dreth is squirming around nicely.
Tomcic lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Dreth is looking to get to half guard.
The referee warns Dreth that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Vladimir Tomcic has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dreth is in all sorts of trouble here.
Dreth tries to hold on but Tomcic pushes him away.
Tomcic lands a heavy elbow.
Tomcic lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Tomcic throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.

Tomcic is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Dreth can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Tomcic looking to control but Dreth is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Dreth is looking to improve his position but Tomcic isn't that keen on the idea.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tomcic with good strikes from the mount here!
Tomcic lands a heavy elbow.
Dreth avoids a series of strikes thrown by Tomcic.
Tomcic landing strikes from the mount.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Dreth is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Tomcic throws a sloppy strike and Dreth uses the opportunity to reverse the position! A bit of a scramble here and Dreth has ended up in Tomcic's guard.

Tomcic working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Dreth doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Dreth manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

Tomcic looking for a guillotine here but Dreth defends easily.

And that's the end of the fight!
Vladimir Tomcic comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Dreth 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 Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 29:28
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 29:28
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Valen Dreth!
An out of breath Valen Dreth thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.