PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Herman Hermanson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tommy Toole (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.

Hermanson
vs
Toole

180 cm
23
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

179 cm
18
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Herman Hermanson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Tommy Toole!
The judges for this bout are Richard Clark, Sam Margolis and Steven Brown.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hermanson clobbers Toole with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Toole looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Hermanson is fending him off so far but Toole persists. Nope, Hermanson circles away and we're back to standing.
Hermanson lands the left hand.
Toole fails to land the takedown.

Hermanson darts in and clinches Toole up against the cage.
Toole jumps guard but Hermanson turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Herman Hermanson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Tommy Toole.

Hermanson breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Hermanson thumps Toole with a low kick.
Hermanson shoots in looking for a takedown. Toole tries to sprawl out of it but Hermanson keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Toole manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Hermanson fails with the takedown

and Toole counters with a single leg into guard. Hermanson didn't expect that.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Hermanson is trying to control the position but Toole postures up.
Toole trying to control but Hermanson is working from the bottom.
Toole sitting in guard here, content to control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hermanson 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.
Hermanson wants to hit a switch here but Toole passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for Hermanson there!
Toole can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Hermanson is looking to escape.
Hermanson wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Toole.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hermanson is trying desperately to improve position.
Toole can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Hermanson is looking to escape.
Toole with the ground and pound from mount.
Toole tries to control but Hermanson wriggling away.
Toole is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
Hermanson wants to control but Toole is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hermanson is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.
Hermanson wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Toole.
Hermanson tries to control Toole's body but Toole pushes him off. Hermanson squirms to his side and now Toole has his back!

Toole looking to finish the fight with a rear naked choke. Hermanson is controlling Toole 's left arm and he spins nicely into guard.
Hermanson wanted to stand there but Toole had control of the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Toole throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Hermanson not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Toole wants to stand and escape but Hermanson is having none of it.
Toole keeping full guard, as Hermanson tries to pass.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Toole is working an open guard so Hermanson takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Hermanson fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Herman Hermanson will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Toole throws a right hand that Hermanson ducks under and follows up with a left that Hermanson also avoids with ease.
Hermanson stuffs the takedown.

Toole closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Hermanson's guard.

Hermanson throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Hermanson looking to hit a scissor sweep but Toole is one step ahead there.
Hermanson looking to control.

Hermanson is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.

That's one minute gone in the round.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Toole.

Toole pulls guard successfully.
Toole wants to sweep here but Hermanson controlling him for the moment.
Hermanson postures up in Toole's guard and throws a big left but Toole blocks it.
Toole is trying to keep Hermanson in close.
Hermanson with a flurry of punches that miss.

Toole is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Hermanson is aware though and is defending well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hermanson tries to free his leg and advance position but Toole is retaining full guard.
Toole trying to keep a closed guard but Hermanson is proving a slippery customer.
Hermanson engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Hermanson won't allow Toole to sweep him here.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Toole is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Hermanson circles away from the clinch attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hermanson scores with a head kick.
Toole tries to close the distance and clinch but Hermanson swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
A head kick misses from Hermanson.

Hermanson instigates a clinch.
Hermanson wants a takedown.
A right hook to the body lands for Hermanson.
Hermanson tries to pull guard but Toole forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Toole stops a takedown attempt from Hermanson.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Herman Hermanson. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Toole jumps guard but Hermanson stands there with Toole around his waist. Toole gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Hermanson goes for a takedown in the clinch but Toole prevents it.
Toole wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Toole gets underhooks to prevent Hermanson's takedown attempt.

Hermanson pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Hermanson walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Toole checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Toole.
Hermanson fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Toole displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Hermanson.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Toole closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Toole looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Tommy Toole will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Hermanson is trying hard to land a takedown here. Toole sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Toole tries to clinch there but Hermanson circles away.

Toole closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Hermanson to the mat! Hermanson manages to get full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Hermanson looking for a sweep. Not yet Hermanson, not yet.

Hermanson looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Toole passes into half guard.
Hermanson is not content to let Toole control the position.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Toole in particular looking to stall.

Toole escapes and gets back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hermanson tries to clinch but Toole is having none of it.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Toole shoots in looking for a takedown. Hermanson tries to sprawl out of it but Toole keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Hermanson manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

Toole rushes Hermanson and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Toole throws a head punch that misses.
Toole tries for a takedown. No joy.
Toole is trying to break free.
Hermanson gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Toole.
Herman Hermanson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Tommy Toole.
Hermanson is trying to pull guard but Toole turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Toole misses with a knee to the head.
Toole has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Hermanson is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Toole is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Hermanson is defending well for now.

Hermanson has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Toole uses from the top position.
Hermanson wants to sweep but no luck.
Hermanson can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Toole controls the pace.
Hermanson working a defensive guard here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hermanson wants to stand up but Toole is controlling him.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Toole throws a lazy head kick
and Hermanson counters with a stiff right hand.
Hermanson lands with a straight right. Toole didn't see that one coming.
Toole throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.

Hermanson moves into the clinch.
Hermanson effectively controlling the action here.
Toole looking to throw knees to the head but Hermanson is blocking nicely.
Hermanson gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Toole.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hermanson is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Toole gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Hermanson struggles to land a body shot inside as Toole controls his hands.

Hermanson escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Toole avoids the body shot from Hermanson.
Hermanson wants to clinch up but Toole keeps it at a distance.
Toole shoots in but no luck this time.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
A bone on bone clash there as Hermanson blocks the leg kick.
Toole shoots for a double leg takedown but Hermanson sprawls well. He's pushed Toole's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Hermanson stuns Toole with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Tommy Toole.
I think Toole 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 Richard Clark scores the fight 29:29
Judge Sam Margolis scores the fight 27:30
Judge Steven Brown scores the fight 29:29

The fight is ruled a majority draw!