PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Corey Thompson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sala Manteri (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). This should be a great matchup!

Thompson
vs
Manteri

170 cm
22
145 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

170 cm
18
150 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Counter striker
Intelligent

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Corey Thompson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Sala Manteri!
The judges for this bout are Jonathan Paton, Alyssa Summers and Columbo Gatti.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Manteri shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Thompson but Thompson pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Manteri with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Thompson thumps Manteri with a low kick.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Manteri.
Manteri trying to control the position but Thompson is working away.
Manteri scores with a couple of short elbows.
Thompson prevents Manteri from improving position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Manteri controls the position from side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Manteri decides to stand up, so the ref orders Thompson to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Manteri is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Manteri tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Thompson swivels and escapes.
Manteri throws a series of punches but Thompson moves out of range.
Thompson throws a nice outside leg kick.
Manteri is looking to clinch but Thompson is avoiding it.
Thompson swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thompson blocks a head kick by Manteri.
Corey Thompson is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Manteri takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Manteri misses with a combination
and Thompson counters with an inside leg kick.
Thompson leaves Manteri with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Corey Thompson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Sala Manteri.
Manteri looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Manteri looks gassed!
Manteri tries to close the distance and clinch up but Thompson swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Thompson throws a quick inside leg kick.
Manteri tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Thompson counters with a two punch combo.
Manteri takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Manteri looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Thompson throws a right hand that Manteri ducks under and follows up with a left that Manteri also avoids with ease.
Thompson feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Manteri's calf.
Manteri chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Thompson can pounce on him.
Thompson throws a series of punches but Manteri moves out of range.
Sala Manteri seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Thompson throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Manteri counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Thompson wants to stand and escape but Manteri is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Thompson throws a nice outside leg kick.
An inside leg kick lands from Thompson.
Thompson misses with a few strikes there.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Thompson, right into the meat.
Manteri tries to clinch but Thompson moves away
and Thompson makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Manteri's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Thompson throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Thompson circles away from the clinch attempt
and Thompson counters with an outside leg kick.
Manteri is breathing heavily.
Manteri fails with the takedown
and Thompson counters with a series of strikes. Manteri will be more careful next time no doubt.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Manteri shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Thompson napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Manteri sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Thompson is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Manteri wants to lay and pray for a moment but Thompson keeps working.
Manteri wants to stand but Thompson is controlling his arm.
Thompson is trying to buck Manteri off.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Manteri is looking to take a break and control but Thompson is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Manteri looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.

Manteri decides to take the fight back to the feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A nice leg kick lands there from Thompson.
Thompson feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Manteri's calf.
A head kick by Manteri misses
and Thompson counters with a slapping leg kick.
Thompson cracks the inside of Manteri's front leg.
Thompson leaves Manteri with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
A nice leg kick lands there from Thompson.
Thompson turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Thompson is looking to slow Manteri down with leg kicks.
Thompson lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Manteri on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Thompson. Thompson obviously looking to wear him down.
Thompson works over Manteri's head and body with a nice combination.
Manteri takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
A nice leg kick lands there from Thompson.
Manteri stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Thompson.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Corey Thompson dominated that second round.
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!

Manteri wants to clinch but Thompson slips to the side
and Thompson counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Thompson throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Manteri.
Thompson feints and then cracks Manteri's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Manteri down.
Corey Thompson is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Thompson throws a quick inside leg kick.
Manteri dodges the punch combination from Thompson.
A punch combination from Thompson misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Thompson throws a right and a left that Manteri avoids nicely.
Thompson displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Manteri.
Manteri takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Manteri swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Manteri misses with a double jab
and Thompson counters with a nice leg kick.
A nice leg kick lands there from Thompson.
Manteri fails with the takedown
and Thompson counters with a slapping leg kick.
A good leg kick by Thompson.
Thompson lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Manteri looks to throw a body kick
and Thompson counters with a two punch combo.
Manteri closes the distance but Thompson moves to the side
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Thompson feints and then cracks Manteri's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Manteri down.
Thompson lands with a thumping leg kick.
Thompson cracks the inside of Manteri's front leg.
Manteri tries for a takedown but Thompson circles away easily
and Thompson counters with a left and a right that stings Manteri.
Corey Thompson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Sala Manteri.
Thompson tries to bum rush Manteri with a series of wild strikes but Manteri uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
A nice inside leg kick there by Thompson. That's going to slow Manteri down.
Thompson feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Manteri's calf.
Thompson thumps Manteri with a low kick.
Thompson looks to land a combination. Manteri sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Thompson.
A solid leg kick lands there for Thompson.
Nice sprawl there from Thompson as Manteri shoots in.
Good leg kick by Thompson there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Thompson lands a jab-cross combination.
A nice leg kick lands there from Thompson.
Thompson buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Manteri misses with a double jab
and Thompson counters with a leg kick.
Manteri takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Thompson moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
A low kick from Manteri is predictable there
and Thompson counters with a left and a right that stings Manteri.
Manteri tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Thompson counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Thompson feints and then cracks Manteri's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Manteri down.
A left and a right from Thompson both land. Nice combination.
Thompson with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Left hook, right uppercut from Thompson.
Thompson scoring well with a low kick there.
Corey Thompson is winning the standup battle so far.
Thompson scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Manteri shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Thompson makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.

And that's the end of the fight!
Corey Thompson showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Thompson 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 Jonathan Paton scores the fight for Corey Thompson!
Judge Alyssa Summers scores the fight for Corey Thompson!
Judge Columbo Gatti scores the fight for Corey Thompson!

Corey Thompson wins by unanimous decision!