PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Stian Tomt Thoresen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ali Talib (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Tomt Thoresen
vs
Talib

190 cm
20
185 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

174 cm
24
171 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Powerful

Bloodbath Fighting Clothes

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Stian Tomt Thoresen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Ali Talib!
The judges for this bout are Tarja Halkonen, Anni Minnemäki and Roosa Järviläinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Talib looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Thoresen is fending him off so far but Talib persists. Nope, Thoresen circles away and we're back to standing.
Talib misses with a takedown attempt - Thoresen sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Thoresen tries to sprawl but Talib drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Thoresen blocking the ground and pound attempt from Talib.
Thoresen tries to kick Talib off but Talib keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Talib thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Thoresen blocking the ground and pound attempt from Talib.
Thoresen is looking for a sweep. Talib is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Thoresen wants to get back to his feet.
Thoresen knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Talib on the ground.
Talib scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Talib drops an elbow to the side of Thoresen's head.

Talib stands, ready to strike. The ref makes him back up and allows Thoresen to get to his feet.
Talib misses with a series of wild punches.
Talib avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Talib shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Talib not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Talib throwing shots but Thoresen is blocking nicely.
Thoresen on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Thoresen tries to get out of the position.

Talib is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Thoresen keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Talib works his way into side control.
Thoresen is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Talib has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Talib in side control, throwing shots but Thoresen defends.

Talib looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Thoresen wants to control but Talib postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Thoresen is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Talib with the ground and pound but Thoresen regains half guard under the barage of strikes.
Thoresen is trying to stand back up but Talib is controlling him
Talib working over Thoresen with some ground and pound. Thoresen looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.

Talib is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Talib trying to mount his opponent but Thoresen defends it.
Thoresen works his way to full guard. Good work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Talib looking to pass the guard.
Talib prevents Thoresen from getting back to his feet.
Talib chips away with some ground and pound.
Talib stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Thoresen swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Thoresen is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Thoresen looking for a sweep. Not yet Thoresen, not yet.

Talib drops back looking for a leg! Thoresen is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Thoresen manages to kick Talib off! Talib jumps back into Thoresen's guard.
Thoresen looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Talib throws a big right hand that misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Talib stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Thoresen swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Talib postures up in Thoresen's guard and throws a big left but Thoresen blocks it.
Thoresen is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Talib distracts Thoresen with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Talib stops Thoresen from standing up.
Thoresen avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Thoresen will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Talib chips away with some ground and pound.
Thoresen wants to stand and escape but Talib is having none of it.
Thoresen is breathing heavily.

Talib drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Talib jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Thoresen keeping moving, preventing Talib from controlling successfully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Talib scoring well with a low kick there.
Talib displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Danga de danga de dang - Talib scores with a four punch combination!

Talib shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Talib cracks Thoresen with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Talib working Thoresen over with strikes here.
Talib trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Talib in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.

Talib goes for an armbar but Thoresen turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from Thoresen.
Thoresen won't allow Talib to get back to his feet.
Talib is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thoresen throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Thoresen has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Talib 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.
Thoresen thows a big elbow that misses.
Talib avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Thoresen in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Thoresen scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Thoresen sitting in guard here, content to control.
Thoresen missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Talib is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Thoresen is in close to Talib's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Talib looking to control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.

Talib uses the cage to get back to his feet.

Thoresen gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Talib to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Talib throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Thoresen works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Talib has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Thoresen is on top in guard.
Thoresen seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Talib looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Thoresen trying to control but Talib is working from the bottom.
Thoresen preventing the sweep.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Talib keeping moving, preventing Thoresen from controlling successfully.
Thoresen loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Thoresen loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Talib 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.
Talib will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Talib keeping moving, preventing Thoresen from controlling successfully.

Talib has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Thoresen can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Talib 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 four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Talib keeping moving, preventing Thoresen from controlling successfully.

Thoresen avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Thoresen pushing down on Talib's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Thoresen landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Talib is looking for a sweep. Thoresen is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Talib on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Talib tries to roll over but Thoresen keeps him under control.
Talib flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ali Talib showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Talib closes the distance and clinches up with Thoresen, looking for a takedown. Talib pushes Thoresen against the cage but Thoresen circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

Thoresen gets a takedown into half guard.
Thoresen trying to control the pace.
Thoresen drops an elbow to the side of Talib's head.
Thoresen seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Talib does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Thoresen not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Talib gets full guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Talib throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Talib looking to hit a scissor sweep but Thoresen is one step ahead there.
Talib is trying to keep Thoresen in close.
Thoresen in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Talib wants to stand but Thoresen is controlling the position.
Thoresen thows a big elbow that misses.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Thoresen's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Talib is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Talib 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.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Talib throwing shots but Thoresen is blocking nicely.
Talib wants to pass to mount but Thoresen is defending the position.
Talib wants to control but Thoresen is keeping him busy.
Thoresen wants to improve his position but Talib is controlling well.
Thoresen gets back to full guard.
Talib working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Thoresen is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Talib is controlling him.
Talib postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Thoresen wants to stand up but Talib is controlling him.
Talib loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Talib postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Thoresen holds on and takes a little breather.
Talib landing some decent shots from guard.
Talib working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Thoresen's head.
Talib working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Thoresen avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Talib throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Talib pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Thoresen is keeping the position for now.
Talib working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Thoresen's head.
Ali Talib is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Thoresen tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Talib throwing strikes from guard but Thoresen blocks nicely.
Talib makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Talib trying to control but Thoresen is working from the bottom.
Stian Tomt Thoresen has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Talib throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Talib tries to free his leg and advance position but Thoresen is retaining full guard.
Talib trying to control the position from guard on top but Thoresen is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Thoresen is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

And that's the end of the fight!
Stian Tomt Thoresen showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Talib 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 Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 28:29
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 28:29
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ali Talib!