PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Tommy Gavin (ranked 4707 p4p, 4864 weight class) and Ares Shirley (ranked 517 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.

Gavin
vs
Shirley

190 cm
19
165
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
18
155
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Tommy Gavin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Ares Shirley!
The judges for this bout are Aleksei Zolotukhin, Aleksandr Martynov and Illya Tyunina.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Shirley clinches.
Gavin landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Gavin misses with some punches.

Shirley breaks the clinch.

Shirley rushes Gavin and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Shirley breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Gavin throws a head kick that misses.
A head kick misses from Gavin.
Tommy Gavin seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Shirley gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Gavin avoiding damage.
Gavin with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Gavin with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Shirley effectively controlling the action here.
Shirley managing to block the knees to the body from Gavin.
Shirley on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Shirley prevents Gavin from breaking the clinch.
Gavin with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gavin pressing his opponent against the cage.
Gavin controlling the action here for a moment.
Gavin is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Shirley is defending well for now.

Shirley manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Shirley manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Gavin manages to get himself to full guard.

Shirley slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Shirley throwing strikes from guard but Gavin blocks nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Shirley throws a big elbow that misses.
Gavin is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Gavin can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Shirley controls the pace.
Shirley pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Gavin is keeping the position for now.
Shirley sitting in guard here, content to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Shirley stands and steps away. Gavin gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.

Gavin instigates a clinch.
A bit of stalling here from Gavin.
Gavin is looking to break free of the clinch but Shirley has double underhooks.
Gavin scores a nice knee to the body.
Gavin content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Shirley tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Shirley is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Gavin to keep the fight standing.
Stalling in the clinch from Gavin.
Gavin landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Gavin lands a good knee to the midsection. Shirley won't want to take too many of those.

Shirley pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Shirley goes for a double leg but Gavin avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Gavin continues to drive forward.
Tommy Gavin has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ares Shirley.

Shirley gets tackled into the cage by Gavin. Gavin maintains the clinch.
Shirley has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Gavin avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Shirley looks winded!
Shirley tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Gavin smiles and moves away.
Gavin tries to close the distance and clinch up but Shirley swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Gavin lands a high kick!

Gavin pushes Shirley up against the cage in a clinch.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Gavin pushes off an throws an elbow but Shirley leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Gavin missing with knees to the body.
Gavin really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Gavin tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Shirley avoids it.
Shirley has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Gavin is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.

Gavin pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Gavin fails in his attempt to clinch.
Gavin is looking to clinch.
Despite the aggression on Shirley's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Shirley shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Gavin as he avoids it easily.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

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

Shirley shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Gavin as he avoids it easily.

Gavin gets a clinch.
Shirley lands a left hand that snaps the head of Gavin backwards.
Shirley goes for a takedown in the clinch but Gavin prevents it.

Shirley drags the fight down to the ground.
Shirley wants to sweep but no luck.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gavin postures up.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Gavin gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Shirley is breathing heavily.
Thud! ouch! good body kick from Gavin - that will leave a mark!
Tommy Gavin is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Gavin looks to score with a jab to the body but Shirley is just out of range.
Shirley tries to counter with a clinch but Gavin shakes him off and moves away.
Gavin scores with a kick to the midsection.
Tommy Gavin is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A head kick misses from Gavin.

Gavin moves into the clinch.

Gavin escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
The fight stays on the outside here - Gavin looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Gavin throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Shirley is looking to clinch.
Gavin tries to close the distance and clinch up but Shirley swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Shirley tries to keep at a distance but Gavin has taken the fight into the clinch.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Shirley is trying to push Gavin away but Gavin has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Gavin utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Gavin trying to stall but Shirley improves his position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Gavin has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Shirley uses from the top position.
Gavin is looking to stand up but Shirley isn't so interested in that idea.
Shirley trying to control but Gavin is working from the bottom.
Shirley controlling from the top position.
Gavin is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Shirley can do to turn this around?
Gavin seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gavin keeping moving, preventing Shirley from controlling successfully.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Shirley passes into half guard.
Gavin is trying to escape back to his feet but Shirley uses the scramble to pass into side control.
Gavin is looking for a sweep.

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.
Shirley looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Gavin is avoiding damage well.
Gavin stops Shirley from passing to mount.

Shirley decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Shirley tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Gavin manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Gavin tries to keep at a distance but Shirley has taken the fight into the clinch.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Shirley successfully pulls guard.
Shirley trying to keep a closed guard but Gavin is proving a slippery customer.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Tommy Gavin dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Gavin moves into range and clinches up with Shirley.
Gavin is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Shirley is defending well for now.
Gavin taking a breather.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Shirley drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Shirley blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gavin tries a knee to the head but Shirley blocks it.
Gavin crunches a lovely knee into Shirley's ribcage.
Shirley is working for takedown but Gavin is calmly controlling the position for now.
Shirley tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Tommy Gavin has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ares Shirley.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shirley tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Gavin smiles and moves away.
Shirley takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Gavin closes the distance and clinches.
Gavin prevents a takedown attempt there.
Gavin using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Shirley has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Gavin landing knees to the head.
Shirley blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Shirley takes a knee right on the jaw!
Shirley on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Gavin manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.

Shirley manages to pull guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gavin trying to stand up but can't free himself from Shirley's guard.
Shirley trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!

Shirley is scooting his butt against the cage and has managed to get back to his feet. Gavin presses him back against the cage, presumably looking to take the fight back to the mat.

Gavin's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
The fight stays on the outside here - Gavin looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Shirley fails with an attempt to clinch.
Shirley circles away from the clinch attempt.
Shirley shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Gavin but Gavin pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Gavin is looking to counter with head kicks.
Gavin tries to close the distance and clinch up but Shirley swats him away and circles back towards the center.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shirley fails with the takedown.

Gavin clinches up with Shirley and pushes him back against the cage.
Gavin lands a knee to the body.
Shirley looking for a takedown.
Gavin tries to pull guard but Shirley forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Shirley is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Gavin working Shirley over with knees to the body.
Gavin is struggling to control the position.
Tommy Gavin is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Gavin pushes off an throws an elbow but Shirley leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Gavin tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gavin misses with some punches.

Shirley pulls Gavin into guard.
Shirley looking to hit a scissor sweep but Gavin is one step ahead there.
Gavin is looking to stand up but Shirley won't let him.
Gavin postures up.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Gavin wants to get up but he can't break Shirley's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Ares Shirley has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

And that's the end of the fight!
Tommy Gavin showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Gavin, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight for Tommy Gavin!
Judge Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight for Tommy Gavin!
Judge Illya Tyunina scores the fight for Tommy Gavin!

Tommy Gavin wins by unanimous decision!