PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Jesse Drake (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Paulo Thiago (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The key to victory for Jesse Drake has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Drake
vs
Thiago

172 cm
19
133 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

168 cm
19
134 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Intelligent

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Jesse Drake!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Paulo Thiago!
The judges for this bout are Steven Brown, Sam Margolis and William Gold.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A combination from Thiago does no damage.
Drake misses with a takedown attempt - Thiago sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Thiago tries to close the distance and clinch up but Drake swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Drake lands a glancing blow to the side of Thiago's head.
Drake darts in trying to clinch

and Thiago counters with a takedown into side control.
Thiago in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Thiago fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Thiago scores with punches from side control.
Drake manages to get back to half guard.
Thiago lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Thiago content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Drake tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Drake is trying to get back to full guard.
Drake makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Drake.
Thiago throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Drake works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Thiago looks gassed!
Thiago wants to pass the guard but Drake is keeping the position.
Drake trying to keep a closed guard but Thiago is proving a slippery customer.
Thiago trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Drake throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Drake stalks Thiago and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Thiago's face. Thiago staggers backwards, shaken.
Drake keeps the fight on the outside.
Drake scores with a punch to the head.

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.
Drake misses the shot to the body.

Thiago has closed the distance and engaged Drake in a clinch.
Drake with an attempt at a knee that misses.

Thiago breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Thiago swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Drake counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Thiago misses with a jab, cross combination.
Thiago walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.

Drake moves into the clinch.
Drake scores with a knee to the head.

Drake's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Thiago throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Drake tries to clinch

and Thiago counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Drake moves into full guard.
Thiago working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Drake working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Thiago.
Drake not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Drake looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Thiago makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Thiago trying to control but Drake is working from the bottom.
Drake is trying to control the position from the bottom.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Drake tries to clinch up but Thiago circles away and keeps his distance.

Thiago forces Drake back against the cage and clinches.

Thiago gets control of Drake's arms and successfully pulls guard. Thiago will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Drake trying to control but Thiago is working from the bottom.
Drake preventing the sweep.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Thiago will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.

Thiago kicks Drake off and gets to his feet.
Thiago lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Drake tries to clinch

and Thiago counters by moving into the clinch.
Thiago looking for a takedown.

Thiago breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Thiago blocks a head kick by Drake.

Thiago clinches with his opponent.

Thiago pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Drake closes the distance but Thiago moves to the side

and Thiago counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Thiago avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Drake throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Paulo Thiago dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Drake takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Drake, as that shot connected.
Paulo Thiago seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Drake darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
The fighters are battling for position here. Thiago manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

Thiago is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.
Thiago wants to get back to striking at distance but Drake won't allow it.
Drake lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Drake lands a right hand that snaps the head of Thiago backwards.
Drake is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Drake trying to land knees to the body.
A shot in the inside from Drake.
Drake can't break the clinch.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Drake just misses with a elbow thrown towards Thiago's brow.
Drake swings away with an uppercut that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Drake trying to land knees to the body.

Thiago breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Thiago takes one on the button.

Thiago fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Drake, pushing him back against the cage.
Drake fails to pull guard.

Thiago breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Thiago tries to clinch but Drake is having none of it.
Thiago has a takedown stuffed.
Thiago avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Drake lands with a thumping leg kick.
Drake will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Drake lands the left hand.
Drake throws a head kick that misses.

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.
Thiago connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.

Thiago pushes Drake up against the cage in a clinch.
Drake misses with some punches.

Thiago breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Drake fails in his attempt to clinch.

Thiago pushes Drake up against the cage in a clinch.
Drake doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Drake is trying to break free.
Drake is trying to break free.
Thiago leaning his opponent against the cage.
Drake wants to break free but Thiago has control.

Thiago escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Drake moves in looking to clinch but Thiago pushes him off.
Drake throws a right and a left that Thiago avoids nicely.
Drake throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thiago has a takedown stuffed.
Drake slips under a jab.

Thiago scores a takedown into full mount!
Thiago working the ground and pound effectively.
Drake working to try and regain half guard.
Thiago lands with some strikes.
Thiago dominating with strikes here.
Drake is trying to escape the mount.
Thiago has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Thiago landing shots from mount.
Thiago with the ground and pound from mount.
Thiago lands a big elbow.
Drake is trying to escape but when you're mounted that's not too easy.
Thiago pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Thiago scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Drake really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Paulo Thiago showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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!

Good shot there by Drake.
Drake looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Thiago throws a head kick but Drake moves out of range.
Thiago wants to clinch

and Drake counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Thiago's guard now.
Drake lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Drake is working Thiago over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Thiago preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Thiago wants to sweep but no luck.
Drake has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Drake trying to control the position from guard on top but Thiago is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Thiago has his foot on Drake's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Drake works his way back into a safe position though.
Drake throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Thiago works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Thiago is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.
Drake prevents Thiago from breaking the clinch.
Thiago comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Thiago wants a takedown.

Drake pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Thiago tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Drake paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Thiago looks to clinch
and Drake counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Thiago takes a kick to the side of the head.
Drake fails in his attempt to clinch.

Thiago drives through and clinches with Drake against the cage.
Thiago wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Drake fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Thiago with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.

Thiago's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Thiago shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Drake's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Thiago wants to control from the top but Drake keeps moving.
Thiago is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Thiago is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Drake wants to sweep here but Thiago controlling him for the moment.

Thiago 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.
Thiago throws a big right hand that misses.

Drake is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Thiago trying to control but Drake is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Drake tries to clinch there but Thiago circles away.
Drake checks a leg kick nicely.
Thiago looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Drake is fending him off so far but Thiago persists. Nope, Drake circles away and we're back to standing.
Drake digs a good body shot into Thiago's ribs.
Thiago pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Drake throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Thiago counters with a single leg into guard. Drake didn't expect that.
Drake scores with a nice shot.
Thiago showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Thiago keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Drake's head.
Thiago sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Drake's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Drake moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Drake wants to get back to his feet but Thiago is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

Drake looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Thiago passes into half guard.
Drake tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.

Thiago decides to stand up.
Drake avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Jesse Drake has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Paulo Thiago is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Drake fails in his attempt to clinch.

Thiago closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Paulo Thiago comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Thiago winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Steven Brown scores the fight 27:30
Judge Sam Margolis scores the fight 27:30
Judge William Gold scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Paulo Thiago!