PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Essien Ekuoba (ranked 661 p4p, 819 weight class) and Thomas English (ranked 42 p4p, 52 weight class). Ekuoba comes to the cage accompanied by Pure Water. English is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Muffin Man. Thomas English will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Ekuoba
vs
English

183 cm
22
302
10 - 1 - 0

194 cm
22
300
7 - 2 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Conviction
Shadow Realm Apparel

30th Century Beer Store

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 10 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Essien Ekuoba!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Thomas English!
The judges for this bout are Saam Ante, Paul Aken and Albert Achterberg.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ekuoba misses with the combination.
English throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
A little feinted left hand from Ekuoba on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
English keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Ekuoba.
Ekuoba moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.

It looks like Thomas English has been cut.
English slips under a jab from Ekuoba.
Ekuoba looks to land a left hand but English moved out of range nicely.
English unleashes a big counter combination but Ekuoba bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.
English lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Ekuoba circles away quickly and effectively.
Ekuoba slips under a jab.
English takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Ekuoba waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract English.
Ekuoba throws a shot from downtown. English moves away and avoids it.
A big right from Ekuoba misses.
Ekuoba connects with a right hand. English shakes it off.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Ekuoba misses with a hook
and English counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

It looks like Essien Ekuoba has been cut.
Ekuoba takes a jab right on the kisser.
Ekuoba looks to land a right hand but English moved out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
English bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
English looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Ekuoba scores with a jab to the head.
Ekuoba has been working on his boxing with his coaches at Gold Samurai's Gym in the buildup to the fight.
Nice defenses there by English.
English let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.
English misses with a head kick.
Ekuoba loads up on a big right hand but English slips the punch.
Ekuoba waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract English.
Ekuoba is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
English wants to clinch up but Ekuoba keeps it at a distance.
English swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Ekuoba tries to close the distance and clinch but English swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Ekuoba misses the jab.
English avoids a punch combination nicely.
The fighters circling - Ekuoba throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
A jab from Ekuoba misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A jab from English misses.
Ekuoba circles away from the clinch attempt.
Ekuoba slips a straight right by English.
English fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Ekuoba manages to avoid it.
Ekuoba avoids the body shot from English.

English pushes Ekuoba up against the cage in a clinch.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
English misses with a hook to the ribs.
Ekuoba lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Ekuoba tries to land knees in the clinch but English avoids the damage to the body.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Ekuoba misses with a hook to the ribs.
English misses with a hook from the clinch.
English misses with a punch on the inside.
A right handed body shot lands from English.
Stalling in the clinch from Ekuoba.
A right handed body shot lands from English.
Ekuoba is breathing heavily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ekuoba tries to land knees in the clinch but English avoids the damage to the body.
Ekuoba blocking some punches.
Ekuoba blocking some punches.
English has a couple of punches blocked by Ekuoba.
A head punch on the inside from English fails to land.
Ekuoba taking a breather.
Ekuoba tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Ekuoba is struggling to control the position.
English lands a right hand.
English lands with a short head shot on the inside.
English lands a right hand that snaps the head of Ekuoba backwards.
Ekuoba's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!

Essien Ekuoba's cut is getting worse.
English swings away with an uppercut that misses.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Ekuoba.
Ekuoba working aggressively here.
English blocks a body shot from Ekuoba.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
English working aggressively here.
English can't find room to land a body shot as Ekuoba controls the action.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, English creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Ekuoba is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but English is keeping busy.
English tries to throw a body punch but Ekuoba avoids it by throwing English back against the cage.
English works on Ekuoba's body with a couple of short punches.
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!
English tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
English lands a shoulder strike.
A right handed body shot lands from English.
English throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Ekuobas head.

Essien Ekuoba's cut is bleeding quite badly. He's got to try and protect it.
English tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
English has a couple of punches blocked by Ekuoba.
English lands a shoulder strike.
English lands with a right to the head.
We've been informed that English has been working hard on his conditioning in the buildup to the fight.
English lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
English fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
English lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Thomas English dominated that round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

English throws a hook but Ekuoba blocks it.
Ekuoba tries to bum rush English with a series of wild strikes but English uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Ekuoba moves out of range as English strikes.
Ekuoba is looking to counter punch.
Ekuoba throws a poor cross that misses
and English counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
English ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
It seemed like English was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Ekuoba drops his hands momentarily and English takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
We are yet to see a takedown attempt from English in the fight. On paper you would think he is the more dominant ground fighter so let's see if these unusual tactics pay off.
English looks to land a right hand but Ekuoba moved out of range.
English ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
A chopping leg kick lands by English.
English steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Ekuoba.
Ekuoba cracks English with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Ekuoba drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
English working some nice short punches in the clinch.

Jeez, Essien Ekuoba's cut is really nasty now. The referee must be thinking about getting that checked.
Ekuoba stalling in the clinch but English improves position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
English presses Ekuoba against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Good body shot from English.
English has a couple of punches blocked by Ekuoba.
English scores with a shoulder strike.
English throws a head punch that misses.
English lands with a light punch inside.
English lands a nice uppercut.

The referee calls the doctor in to look at Essien Ekuoba's cut. Oh no, the doctor has called an end to the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:35 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Cut). Thomas English!
Thomas English really struggled to get his t-shirt on before his hand was raised. Making sure that 30th Century Beer Store logo gets some air time is pretty tricky when you're all sweaty.