PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Greg Thornton (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ronald Powers (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Thornton
vs
Powers

180 cm
22
170 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

178 cm
22
182 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Prefers ground

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Tends to cut

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 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of London, Greg Thornton!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Ronald Powers!
The judges for this bout are James Ackerman, William Gold and Colin Fotheringham.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Thornton misses with a wild combination.
Powers will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Thornton shoots and misses
and Powers makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.

Powers bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Thornton gets back to half guard.
Well, if Powers is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Powers lands strikes from half guard.

Powers seems to be looking for submissions.
Thornton desperately trying to maintain half guard.
Thornton wants to control but Powers is keeping busy and won't allow it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thornton throws a sloppy strike from the bottom. He's now off balance and Powers manages to pass to side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Powers is looking to take a break and control but Thornton is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Powers gets to mount! Thornton was on the offensive and wasn't defending properly.
Powers tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Powers can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Thornton is looking to escape.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Thornton is trying desperately to improve position.
Thornton is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Powers scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Thornton?
Powers looking to control but Thornton is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Thornton tries to hold on but Powers postures up.
Thornton is working to get back to half guard.
Thornton swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.
Thornton on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Thornton tries to get out of the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thornton tries to hold on but Powers pushes him away.
Powers trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Powers with the ground and pound from mount.
Thornton tries to reverse the position but Powers maintains control.
Powers avoids the attempt from Thornton to control.
Thornton really wants to buck Powers off and get back to his feet.
Thornton is breathing heavily.
A nice elbow there by Powers.
Powers scoring with strikes but Thornton is staying in there.
Thornton wants to hold on but Powers pushes him away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Powers lands a big shot there that rocks Thornton but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Powers lands a heavy elbow.
Powers can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Thornton is looking to escape.
Thornton tries to lock up and control but Powers gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Thornton tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Powers with a couple of short strikes.
Thornton wants to hold on but Powers pushes him away.
Thornton is desperately trying to improve his position but Powers has a good base and remains in mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Thornton misses with a few strikes there.
Thornton stalks Powers and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Powers's face. Powers staggers backwards, shaken.

It looks like Ronald Powers has been cut.
Thornton will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Powers showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Thornton.
Powers fails with the takedown.
Thornton misses with a wild body shot.

Thornton gets caught flat footed, as Powers shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Powers trying to control but Thornton is working from the bottom.
Powers slips nicely into half guard.
Powers wants to pass the guard but Thornton is defending well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thornton is trying to stand up here but Powers is controlling him well.
Thornton misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Powers is thwarting Thornton's attempts to control the position.
Powers trying to control the action but Thornton is working from the bottom.
Thornton won't allow Powers to pass to mount.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
A punch combination from Thornton misses.
Powers tries to clinch up.
Thornton misses with a combination

and Powers counters with a single leg into guard. Thornton didn't expect that.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Powers is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Powers postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Powers preventing the sweep.
Thornton wants to get back to his feet but Powers is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Powers has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Powers postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Thornton avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Powers slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.

Powers goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Thornton rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Powers's guard! Nice work there by Thornton!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Powers wants to sweep but no luck.
Powers is looking to sweep but instead, Thornton has passed into half guard.
Thornton is controlling the pace.
Powers keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Thornton 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 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.
Powers works his way to full guard. Good work.
Powers tries to strike from the bottom.

Powers throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Thornton escapes and throws Powers's legs to the side, diving into side control!
Thornton trying to control the action but Powers is working from the bottom.
Thornton knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Powers on the ground.
Thornton in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Ronald Powers has got the better of the ground game so far.
Powers tries to bench press Thornton off him but Thornton keeps the position.
Thornton gets to mount! Powers was on the offensive and wasn't defending properly.
Powers is wriggling around trying to escape.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ronald Powers showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Ronald Powers's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Thornton lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Thornton lands a body shot.
Thornton thows a body shot but no joy.
Thornton tries for a takedown but Powers circles away easily

and Powers counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Thornton!
Thornton swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.
Powers looking to control but Thornton is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Thornton is trying desperately to improve position.
Powers landing strikes from the mount and Thornton is in trouble!
Powers lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Thornton throwing hammer fists to the chest of Powers. What's that going to do exactly?

That's one minute gone in the round.
Powers is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Thornton wants to hold on but Powers pushes him away.
Thornton is wriggling around trying to escape.
Powers trying to control but Thornton is having none of it.
Thornton is trying desperately to improve position.
Powers controlling his opponent.
Powers lands with some strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Powers wants to control the pace but Thornton is squirming around nicely.
Thornton sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Thornton wants to control but Powers is keeping busy.
Thornton has hold of Powers's hands but Powers slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Powers wants to control but Thornton is keeping him busy.
Powers prevents Thornton from standing back up.
Thornton is looking for a sweep. Powers is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Thornton is working hard here to advance position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thornton wants to get back to his feet.
Powers is thwarting Thornton's attempts to control the position.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Powers shoots for a takedown but Thornton saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Nice takedown defense from Powers. No joy for Thornton on that attempt.
Greg Thornton seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Powers shoots for a takedown but Thornton saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Thornton swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
No luck for Powers with that takedown attempt.
Greg Thornton has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ronald Powers.
Thornton throws a right and a left that both miss.
Powers shoots in for a takedown but Thornton shows good takedown defense.
Greg Thornton has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Thornton misses with a series of wild punches.

Powers closes the distance and clinches.
Powers lands a right hand.
Powers is pressed up against the cage. Thornton has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Powers down to the mat. Powers avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

Powers drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Thornton tries to buck Powers off but Powers is having none of it.
Powers trying to control the action but Thornton is working from the bottom.
Thornton tries to strike but it doesn't land.
Ronald Powers is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Thornton wings away with a couple of strikes but they don't land.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ronald Powers comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Powers 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 James Ackerman scores the fight 27:30
Judge William Gold scores the fight 27:30
Judge Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ronald Powers!