PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Kaiden Thibodeaux (ranked 185 p4p, 1222 weight class) and Mike Ziegler (ranked 7 p4p, 61 weight class). Thibodeaux comes into the arena with Scotty x D4L blaring out of the sound system. Kaiden Thibodeaux could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Mike Ziegler's chin.

Thibodeaux
vs
Ziegler

150 cm
28
140
11 - 2 - 0

160 cm
28
140
7 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Brawler
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Good kicks
Good gas tank

Conquer
HELLBENT

Highland Clothing

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the bantamweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 11 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Kaiden Thibodeaux!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Mike Ziegler!
The judges for this bout are James Glass, Daniel Bishop and James Ackerman.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Thibodeaux sizes up Ziegler with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Ziegler displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Ziegler scores with a body shot.
Ziegler goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
A slow jab from Thibodeaux misses its intended target.
Thibodeaux thows a left - swing and a miss!
Thibodeaux misses with an uppercut. Ziegler saw that one coming.
Thibodeaux punishes Ziegler's body with a nice straight punch.
Ziegler avoids the body shot from Thibodeaux.
Ziegler flicks out a counter leg kick but Thibodeaux steps away.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Ziegler uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Thibodeaux.
Thibodeaux jabs at Ziegler's body.
Ziegler buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Ziegler walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Thibodeaux throws a predictable looking body shot
and Ziegler counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Ziegler doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thibodeaux pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Thibodeaux definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Thibodeaux lands a nice shot to the body.
Thibodeaux swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Ziegler tries a quick counter leg kick but Thibodeaux is wise to it.
Thibodeaux lands with an overhand left.
Ziegler looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Thibodeaux throws a shot from downtown. Ziegler moves away and avoids it.
Thibodeaux throws a sloppy body shot
and Ziegler connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Thibodeaux is looking to wear down Ziegler with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Thibodeaux scores with a body shot.
A shot to the liver by Thibodeaux. Beautiful body shot.
Thibodeaux swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Thibodeaux throws a body punch but Ziegler moves out of range.
Nice body kick from Ziegler.
Thibodeaux throws a right hand that misses
and Ziegler counters with a nice uppercut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Thibodeaux throws an overhand right that lands on Ziegler's shoulder, as Ziegler tries to avoid the shot.
Ziegler misses with a low kick.
Kaiden Thibodeaux seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Thibodeaux throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

Thibodeaux rushes Ziegler and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Thibodeaux misses with a shot to the kidneys.
A short body shot lands from Thibodeaux as the two fighters clinch.
Thibodeaux blocks a body shot from Ziegler.

Thibodeaux breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Thibodeaux throws a lazy uppercut
and Ziegler cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Thibodeaux misses with an uppercut.

Thibodeaux closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Thibodeaux scores with a nice hook to the head.
Ziegler blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Thibodeaux is looking to break free of the clinch but Ziegler has double underhooks.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Good body shot from Thibodeaux.

Ziegler manages to break the clinch.
Thibodeaux throws out a token jab with nothing on it.

Thibodeaux forces Ziegler back against the cage and clinches.

Ziegler manages to break the clinch.
Ziegler moves out of range of the strikes.

Thibodeaux clinches.

Ziegler breaks from the clinch.
Ziegler takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
Thibodeaux swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Nice jab there from Thibodeaux.

Thibodeaux takes the fight into the clinch.
A short uppercut from Thibodeaux.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Ziegler.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Ziegler cracks Thibodeaux with a nice body shot.
Ziegler blocking some punches.
Thibodeaux lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Ziegler backwards.
Thibodeaux lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
A head punch on the inside from Ziegler fails to land.
Ziegler tries a body shot but Thibodeaux blocks it.
Ziegler misses with a punch to the body.

Thibodeaux breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Thibodeaux tries to clinch up but Ziegler circles away and keeps his distance.
Thibodeaux staying out of range there.
Thibodeaux throws a right hand that misses
letting Ziegler counter with a right hand.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Thibodeaux connects with a right hand. Ziegler shakes it off.
Ziegler ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Ziegler keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Ziegler throws an off balance right hand
letting Thibodeaux counter with a right hand.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Kaiden Thibodeaux dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Good shot there by Thibodeaux.
Ziegler has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
The fight stays on the outside here - Thibodeaux looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Ziegler counters with a body kick.
Thibodeaux has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Thibodeaux misses with a wild body shot.
Thibodeaux looks to score with a jab to the body but Ziegler is just out of range.
Thibodeaux backing away here, and Ziegler unleashes a leg kick that just misses.
Thibodeaux rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Ziegler counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Thibodeaux blocks a leg kick.
Thibodeaux throws a poor cross that misses

and Ziegler counters with a nice right hand that sends Thibodeaux toppling to the canvas! Thibodeaux scrambles and gets back to his feet - can Ziegler finish him?!

Thibodeaux is rocked!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Nice cross by Thibodeaux.
Oh Thibodeaux is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Ziegler steps in with a hook that catches Thibodeaux right on the chin and knocks him to the floor! Ziegler follows him down with more strikes and that's all she wrote! Thibodeaux looks absolutely devastated.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:47 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Mike Ziegler!
Mike Ziegler is the new bantamweight champion!
After winning the bout, Mike Ziegler thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.