PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Thomas Henning (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Didiero Drogbah (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Henning
vs
Drogbah

190 cm
22
203 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

185 cm
22
210 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter striker
Intelligent

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Thomas Henning!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Didiero Drogbah!
The judges for this bout are Summer Carpenter, Winston Howard and Skip Squint.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Drogbah tries to bum rush Henning with a series of wild strikes but Henning uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

Henning closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Henning lands in his opponent's guard.
Henning throwing strikes from guard but Drogbah blocks nicely.
Henning content to stall in guard here.
Henning wants to control from the top but Drogbah keeps moving.
Henning postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Henning lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Henning throwing strikes but missing.
Drogbah wants to stand but Henning is controlling the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Henning wants to pass the guard but Drogbah is keeping the position.
Henning throws a strike but Drogbah rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Drogbah tries to stand but Henning is controlling from the bottom.

Drogbah stands up from Henning's guard - Drogbah perhaps looking for a knockout.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Drogbah fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Henning looks for a takedown but Drogbah sprawls well.
Henning gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Drogbah.
Drogbah lands a right hook to the body.

Henning shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Drogbah manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Henning throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Drogbah works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Drogbah is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Henning is controlling him.
Drogbah is using up a lot of energy trying to get back to his feet. Perhaps he should improve his position first.
Henning in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Henning is working Drogbah over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Drogbah is looking to stand up but Henning isn't so interested in that idea.
Drogbah keeping full guard, as Henning tries to pass.
Drogbah is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Drogbah looks gassed!

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Henning showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Drogbah.
Drogbah scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Didiero Drogbah seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Drogbah's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Drogbah duly obliges.
Henning changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Drogbah tries to avoid it but Henning manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Drogbah to the ground. Drogbah escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Drogbah throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Henning.

Henning shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Drogbah is looking to escape.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Drogbah is not content to let Henning control the position.
Henning winds up and cracks Drogbah with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Henning working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Drogbah looks like he's trying to stand up.
Henning lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Thomas Henning dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Drogbah connects with a single shot there.
Henning is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Drogbah.
Thomas Henning is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Henning shoots in but no luck this time.
Drogbah throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Henning drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Drogbah dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Drogbah lands a head kick. Henning smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Henning takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Drogbah goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Drogbah looks to land a combination but Henning avoids it well.
Drogbah lands a glancing blow to the side of Henning's head.
A jab from Drogbah finds it's way through Henning's defenses.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Henning shoots in for a takedown but Drogbah shows good takedown defense.
Drogbah throws a series of punches but Henning avoids them all with ease.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Drogbah.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Henning takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Drogbah ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Drogbah stalks Henning and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Henning's face. Henning staggers backwards, shaken.
Drogbah lands a two punch combo.
Drogbah misses with a jab, cross combination.
Left hook, right uppercut from Drogbah.
Drogbah with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Henning takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Drogbah scores with a three punch combo!
Drogbah throws the left hand but Henning avoids the punch easily.
Henning misses with a takedown attempt - Drogbah sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Thomas Henning. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Henning drops his hands momentarily and Drogbah takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Drogbah throws a right hand that Henning ducks under and follows up with a left that Henning also avoids with ease.
Henning uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Drogbah.
Henning shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Drogbah defends it nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Drogbah scores with a jab.
Henning takes a jab right on the kisser.
Drogbah throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Drogbah fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Henning looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Drogbah scores with a body shot.

Henning shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Drogbah is trying to defend but Henning finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Henning missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Drogbah is trying to stand.

Henning is looking for a kimura but Drogbah is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Henning to get the leverage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Henning is trying to control the action in half guard but Drogbah is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Henning is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Drogbah wants to get back to his feet.
Drogbah has hold of Henning's hands but Henning slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Henning missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Drogbah leaves Henning with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Drogbah scores with a hook to the body. Henning takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Drogbah cracks a nice hook into Henning's ribs.
Drogbah throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Didiero Drogbah seems to be getting the better of the standup.
A cross from Drogbah lands.
Drogbah looks to score with a jab to the body but Henning is just out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Henning drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Drogbah regains half guard, as Henning was trying to land strikes.
Henning thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Drogbah's head.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Henning connects with a nice short shot to Drogbah's temple.
Drogbah is trying to stand.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Henning is working for a kimura from half guard. He's really concentrating on the hold and it's allowed Drogbah to slip a leg under and get back to full guard.
Henning is looking to advance position but Drogbah has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Didiero Drogbah showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Drogbah moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Henning slips a jab and a cross from Drogbah.

Henning looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Henning throws a strike but Drogbah rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Drogbah stopping the sweep attempt from Henning.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Drogbah would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Henning 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.

That's two 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.
Drogbah prevents Henning from getting back to his feet.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Drogbah scores with a nice right hand.
Drogbah slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Drogbah scores with a body shot.
Drogbah fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Drogbah fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Henning on the side of the head.
Drogbah lands with a nice combination. Henning backs away looking to recover.
Henning looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Drogbah throws a series of strikes that have Henning backpedaling.
Drogbah thuds a left hand into Henning's body.
Drogbah getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Drogbah scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Drogbah moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Drogbah lands a with a good body shot.
Drogbah tries to bum rush Henning with a series of wild strikes but Henning uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Drogbah tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Henning shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Drogbah defends it nicely.
Drogbah lands a slapping body shot.
Drogbah keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Henning takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Didiero Drogbah is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Danga de danga de dang - Drogbah scores with a four punch combination!
A shot to de liver by Drogbah. Beautiful body shot.
Henning takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Drogbah throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Drogbah is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Henning rather than just go for the knockout.
Drogbah throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Drogbah looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Drogbah works the jab nicely.
Henning walks into a jab.
Drogbah moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Drogbah does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Drogbah works over Henning's head and body with a nice combination.
Drogbah throws a head kick that misses.
Henning misses with a wild combination.
Drogbah misses with a double jab.

Henning closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Henning lands in his opponent's guard.
Drogbah preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Didiero Drogbah comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Drogbah has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Summer Carpenter scores the fight 28:29
Judge Winston Howard scores the fight 28:29
Judge Skip Squint scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Didiero Drogbah!