PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Leonard Khan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ryan Thomas (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Thomas has chosen Muse - Knights of Cydonia as his entrance music. Leonard Khan has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Khan
vs
Thomas

174 cm
28
165 lbs
15 - 4 - 0

190 cm
24
166 lbs
10 - 7 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
KO power

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Determined

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 15 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Leonard Khan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 7 - 0, fighting out of New York, Ryan Thomas!
The judges for this bout are Dillan Fox, Gregory Folan and Ian Loll.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Thomas swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Thomas looks to score with a jab to the body but Khan is just out of range.
A shot to the body from Khan misses

and Thomas counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Thomas trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Khan tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Khan is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Khan is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Khan thows a huge punch but Thomas dodges it nicely.
Thomas is trying to maintain the position but Khan is very close to passing his half guard.

Khan is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Thomas sees it coming and defends easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Khan decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.
Khan tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Thomas avoids the body shot from Khan.
Khan missing with a left hand there. Thomas was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.

Khan has managed to clinch.
Khan wants to get back to striking at distance but Thomas won't allow it.
A nice left hand lands by Thomas.
Thomas tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Khan just stands there and leans against the cage.

Khan escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Khan swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Khan throws an overhand right that lands on Thomas's shoulder, as Thomas tries to avoid the shot.
Thomas just misses with a punch to the body.
Khan throws a series of punches but Thomas moves out of range.
Thomas misses with a straight left.
Thomas circles away from the clinch attempt
and Thomas counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Thomas tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Khan was well out of range. Poor timing from Thomas.
Thomas shoots in looking for a takedown. Khan tries to sprawl out of it but Thomas keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Khan manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Khan looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Thomas scores with a one two! Khan had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Khan wants to clinch
and Thomas cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
A shot to the body from Khan misses

and Thomas counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Thomas won't allow Khan to sweep him here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Thomas distracts Khan with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Khan has a closed guard, preventing Thomas from standing up.
Khan preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thomas makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Khan wants to control but Thomas passes easily into half guard.

Khan looking for submissions off his back.
Thomas throwing shots but Khan is blocking nicely.
Thomas thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Khan's head.
Khan might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Thomas missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Khan is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Thomas scores with a couple of nice shots.
Thomas missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Thomas prevents Khan from improving his position.
Khan is looking to control Thomas's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Khan avoid being mounted?

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.
Khan is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Thomas blocks the strikes from Khan.
Thomas passes to side control.
Khan tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Thomas wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Thomas in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Khan dodges the ground and pound from Thomas.
Khan tries to improve position but can't.
Thomas throws a strike aimed at the side of Khan's head but Khan avoids it well.
Khan tries to buck Thomas off but Thomas is having none of it.

Thomas tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Thomas has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Thomas is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

Thomas goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Khan has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Thomas but great work by Khan.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ryan Thomas dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Khan connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Thomas momentarily.
Khan keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Khan misses with a body punch
and Thomas counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Khan rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Thomas moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Some wild striking there from Thomas.
A looping hook to the body misses from Khan. Thomas does a little dance to reset his feet.
Khan misses with a telegraphed body shot

and Thomas counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Khan's guard now.
Thomas working some strikes from top position.
Khan looking for a sweep. Not yet Khan, not yet.

Thomas drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Khan dives on top into guard.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
Khan misses with a straight left.
Thomas avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Khan tries to clinch but Thomas is having none of it.
Khan throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Thomas sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Khan fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Thomas manages to avoid it.
Khan thows a left - swing and a miss!
Khan throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Thomas digs a good hook to Khan's body.
Khan throws a leg kick that misses.
Khan throws a hook but Thomas blocks it.
Thomas checks a leg kick.
Khan throws the left hand but Thomas avoids the punch easily.
Khan avoids a punch combination nicely.
Thomas lands a lovely overhand right.
Khan fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.

That's two 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.
Khan misses with a low kick.
Khan throws a low kick but it's checked well by Thomas.
Thomas avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
A swing and a miss from Khan.
Khan dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Khan throws a chopping leg kick but Thomas manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Khan misses with an uppercut.
Thomas tries to bum rush Khan with a series of wild strikes but Khan uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Ryan Thomas is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Thomas moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Khan scores with the left hand. Thomas knows he should have avoided that one.
Thomas uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Khan.
Leonard Khan is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Khan misses with a wild combination.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Khan lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Thomas has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Thomas and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Khan throws a leg kick
and Thomas counters with a left and a right that stings Khan.
Thomas uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Khan.

Thomas shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Khan is trying to defend but Thomas finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Khan manages to get to full guard.
Thomas is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Thomas throws a big right hand that misses.
Thomas trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Khan striking off his back.
Thomas is looking to work some ground and pound but Khan has wrist control.
Khan looking for a sweep. Not yet Khan, not yet.
Thomas has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Khan looking to control.
Thomas won't allow Khan to sweep him here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Thomas throwing strikes from guard but Khan blocks nicely.
Thomas thows a big elbow that misses.
Khan trying to control the position.
Khan lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Thomas!
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Khan throws some wild stikes that Thomas manages to avoid easily.
Thomas is desperately trying to improve his position but Khan has a good base and remains in mount.

Khan goes for an armbar but he's not got it… Thomas turns into him and now he's in Khan's guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ryan Thomas showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Khan dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Khan throws a series of punches but Thomas moves out of range.
Khan dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Thomas. That did some damage!
Khan misses with a body shot
and Thomas makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Thomas is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Khan rather than just go for the knockout.
Khan punishes Thomas's body with a nice straight punch.
A shot to the liver by Thomas. Beautiful body shot.
Thomas shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Thomas lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Khan misses the jab.
Khan avoids the body shot from Thomas.
Thomas loads up on a big right hand but Khan slips the punch.
Leonard Khan seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Khan misses with a looping left.
Thomas dodges the punch combination from Khan.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thomas shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Khan throws a hook but Thomas blocks it.
Khan tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Thomas paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Khan has taken the fight to the clinch.
Khan gets underhooks to prevent Thomas's takedown attempt.
Khan tries to break free but Thomas pushes him back against the cage.
Thomas blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

Thomas works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Thomas takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Khan pulls Thomas in close to his closed guard and prevents Thomas from doing any damage or advancing position.
Thomas postures up in Khan's guard and throws a big left but Khan blocks it.

Khan is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Khan trying to control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Thomas has gone for a leg lock! Khan slips out almost immediately though and dives into Thomas's guard.
Thomas has a closed guard, preventing Khan from standing up.
Thomas wants to stand up but Khan is controlling him.
Leonard Khan has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Khan wants to stand and escape but instead Thomas has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Ryan Thomas is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Khan 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.
Thomas with a flurry of punches that miss.
Thomas trying to control the position from guard on top but Khan is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Thomas throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Khan works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Thomas preventing the sweep.
Khan lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Thomas!
Khan throws some wild stikes that Thomas manages to avoid easily.

That's four 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.
Thomas looks out of his depth in this position - he's holding on tight.
Khan throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Khan thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!

Khan is giving the impression that he's looking to ground and pound but he switches suddenly into a beautiful far side armbar! Thomas is forced to tap! Great finish!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:49 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Leonard Khan!