PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Joe Blammo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Michel Thurtz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Joe Blammo has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Blammo
vs
Thurtz

150 cm
21
130 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

175 cm
22
135 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Tends to cut

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 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Joe Blammo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Michel Thurtz!
The judges for this bout are Leandro Rodrigues, Emerson Jorge and Luis Engracia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Blammo tries to clinch there but Thurtz circles away.
Blammo defending well as Thurtz loads up on a big left hand.
Blammo wants to clinch up but Thurtz keeps it at a distance.
Blammo tries to close the distance and clinch up but Thurtz swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Blammo avoids the body shot from Thurtz.
Thurtz throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Blammo tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Thurtz with a nice cross.

Blammo decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

Blammo is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Blammo is looking for a kimura here.
Thurtz is pressing down on Blammo's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Thurtz wants to sweep here but Blammo controlling him for the moment.
Thurtz is looking to sweep but instead, Blammo has passed into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thurtz manages to get to full guard.

Blammo is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.

Blammo drops back looking for a leg! Thurtz is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Thurtz manages to kick Blammo off! Blammo jumps back into Thurtz's guard.
Blammo is breathing heavily.
Thurtz manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Blammo manages to get himself to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Thurtz controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Thurtz advances to half guard.
Thurtz not doing much here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
I looks like Thurtz might be adopting somewhat of a lay and pray gameplan here, which I'm sure won't go down too well with the paying fans in attendance... Or the ring announcers come to think of it.
Blammo is controlling Thurtz's position as best he can from this difficult position.
Thurtz trying to control the pace.
Thurtz is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

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.
Thurtz wants to take a breather but Blammo is having none of it.

Despite being in the dominant position, Michel Thurtz just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Thurtz gets a clinch.

Thurtz has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Blammo uses from the top position.
Blammo preventing the sweep.

Thurtz looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Blammo thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

Thurtz escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Blammo gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Blammo preventing the sweep.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Michel Thurtz dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

No luck for Blammo with that takedown attempt.
Blammo tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Thurtz paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Thurtz connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Nice takedown defense from Thurtz. No joy for Blammo on that attempt.
Blammo wants to clinch.
Blammo defending well as Thurtz loads up on a big left hand.
Blammo could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.

Thurtz instigates a clinch.

Thurtz has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Blammo uses from the top position.

Thurtz has his foot on Blammo's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Blammo works his way back into a safe position though.

Blammo is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Thurtz tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Thurtz wriggles free and stands up.
Blammo tries to clinch there but Thurtz circles away.
Nice takedown defense from Thurtz. No joy for Blammo on that attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Joe Blammo. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Thurtz drives through and clinches with Blammo against the cage.
Thurtz gets through Blammo's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
The referee is keeping an eye on Thurtz - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.

Thurtz breaks from the clinch.
Thurtz tries to clinch up but Blammo circles away and keeps his distance.
Thurtz keeps the fight on the outside.

Thurtz drives through with a takedown into guard.
Thurtz controls from within his opponent's guard.

Blammo throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Blammo looking for a guillotine here but Thurtz defends easily.
Thurtz is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Let's hope that Thurtz has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thurtz tries to free his leg and advance position but Blammo is retaining full guard.
Thurtz looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Thurtz pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Blammo is keeping the position for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Blammo is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Thurtz is controlling him.
Thurtz showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Thurtz 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.

Michel Thurtz showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Thurtz has closed the distance and engaged Blammo in a clinch.

Thurtz breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Thurtz throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Blammo wants to clinch.
Blammo slips under a jab.
Blammo shoots for a double leg takedown but Thurtz sprawls well. He's pushed Blammo's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Blammo.
Thurtz misses with a double jab.
Horrible takedown by Blammo or perhaps it was just good defense by Thurtz which made him look bad.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Joe Blammo. That's going to take a lot out of him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Blammo shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Thurtz as he jumps to the side.
Thurtz scores with a nice head shot.
Blammo on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Thurtz closes the distance and pushes Blammo back into the cage.

Thurtz jumps guard.
Thurtz looking to hit a scissor sweep but Blammo is one step ahead there.

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

Blammo drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Blammo jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

Blammo thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Blammo drops back looking for a leg! Thurtz is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Thurtz manages to kick Blammo off! Blammo jumps back into Thurtz's guard.
Thurtz tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Thurtz lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Blammo!
Thurtz wants to control the pace but Blammo is squirming around nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thurtz is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Thurtz takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Thurtz trying to control but Blammo is having none of it.
Thurtz controlling from the full mount.
Blammo is looking to improve his position but Thurtz isn't that keen on the idea.

That's four 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.
Thurtz takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Michel Thurtz is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Thurtz scoring with strikes but Blammo is staying in there.
Thurtz working the ground and pound effectively.
Joe Blammo has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Michel Thurtz has got the better of the ground game so far.
Thurtz pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Michel Thurtz comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Thurtz has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 27:30
Judge Emerson Jorge scores the fight 27:30
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Michel Thurtz!