PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Joe Thompson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sid Taylor (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Thompson comes to the cage accompanied by The game. Taylor has chosen Bodies as his entrance music. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Thompson
vs
Taylor

190 cm
30
201 lbs
20 - 15 - 0

181 cm
25
201 lbs
13 - 9 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Very strong

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 20 - 15 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Joe Thompson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 13 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Sid Taylor!
The judges for this bout are Cecil Peabody, Gwen Towbar and Tiny Johnson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Thompson has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Thompson there as he acknowledges the shot.
Thompson shoots in looking for a takedown but Taylor manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Thompson's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Thompson looks to land a combination but Taylor avoids it well.
Thompson lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Thompson dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Taylor. That did some damage!
Taylor misses with a straight left.

Taylor has closed the distance and engaged Thompson in a clinch.
Taylor lands a nice uppercut.

Taylor turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.

Taylor working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Thompson is being controlled here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Taylor is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Thompson knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Thompson is trying to control Taylor's posture but Taylor avoids it.
Taylor controls the position.

Taylor tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

Taylor working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Taylor postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Taylor slows the pace down.
Thompson is looking to regain half guard here but Taylor keeps moving and retains side control.
Taylor throwing strikes but Thompson manages to buck up and roll into a nice reversal - now he's on top in side control!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thompson working the head with strikes.
Taylor is looking to reverse the position.
Taylor manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.

Thompson stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.

Thompson moves into the clinch successfully.
Thompson misses with a hook from the clinch.
Taylor avoiding damage as Thompson throws knees to the body.
Taylor cracks Thompson with a nice body shot.
Thompson misses with a short punch on the inside.

Taylor breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Thompson gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Taylor.
Taylor wants to clinch.
Thompson avoids the head kick by Taylor.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Taylor jabbing away but nothing is landing.

Thompson closes the distance and pushes Taylor back into the cage.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Thompson pushes off an throws an elbow but Taylor leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Taylor taking a breather.
Thompson throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Taylor blocks it with crossed arms.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sid Taylor dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Taylor throws a head kick that misses
and Thompson counters with a big head kick but Taylor shrugs it off.
Thompson checks a low kick from Taylor.
Taylor throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.

Thompson gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Thompson throws a head punch that misses.
Thompson misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Taylor.
Taylor scores with a hook to the body.
Thompson trying to land knees to the body.
Thompson misses with some punches.
Thompson trying to land knees to the body.
Thompson with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Taylor lands a hook to the side of the head.
Taylor lands a hook that snaps the head of Thompson backwards.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Taylor misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Taylor misses with a body punch.
Thompson can't get the takedown.
Thompson looking to throw knees to the head but Taylor is blocking nicely.
Thompson doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Taylor lands a nice knee to the body.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Thompson struggles to land a body shot inside as Taylor controls his hands.
Taylor has Thompson pushed against the cage.
Taylor misses with a punch to the body.
Taylor scores with a shoulder strike.
Taylor cracks Thompson with a nice body shot.
Taylor avoids a wild elbow strike from Thompson.
Taylor lands with a light punch inside.

Taylor jumps guard.
Taylor looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Thompson puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Taylor regains full guard. Nicely done.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Taylor looking for a guillotine here but Thompson defends easily.

Taylor has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Thompson is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Taylor.
Taylor manages to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Thompson is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

Taylor looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Taylor is staying active underneath Thompson, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Taylor moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.

Taylor is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Taylor looking for a guillotine here but Thompson defends easily.

Taylor looking for subs off his back but Thompson has passed one foot through into half guard.
Taylor tries to get to full guard but Thompson has control of the leg.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sid Taylor showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Thompson closes the distance and pushes Taylor back into the cage.
Thompson can't find room to land a body shot as Taylor controls the action.
Thompson lands a right hand.
Taylor blocks the elbow strike.
Taylor scores with a shot to the side of Thompson's head.
Thompson throws an elbow but it misses.
Taylor is looking to control Thompson's arms but Thompson gets an underhook and turns him. Now Taylor has his back to the cage.
Thompson tries to land knees in the clinch but Taylor avoids the damage to the body.
Thompson misses with a body punch.
Taylor avoiding damage as Thompson throws knees to the body.
Taylor lands a body shot in the clinch.
Taylor misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Taylor stalling.
Thompson lands a left hand that snaps the head of Taylor backwards.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
A nice left hand lands by Thompson.

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

Thompson closes the distance and clinches.
Thompson is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Taylor pulls him back up using the underhooks.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Taylor.
Thompson misses with an elbow strike.
Taylor blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Thompson lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Thompson takes a knee to the side of the body.
Taylor tries to land knees in the clinch but Thompson avoids the damage to the body.
Taylor avoiding damage as Thompson throws knees to the body.
Taylor connects with a knee to the head.

It looks like Joe Thompson has been cut.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Thompson tries a knee to the head but Taylor blocks it.
Joe Thompson has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Taylor blocks a body shot from Thompson.
Thompson tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Taylor using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
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!
A nice left hand lands by Taylor.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Thompson just misses with a elbow thrown towards Taylor's brow.

Taylor has hold of one of Thompson's legs. Thompson is fighting the takedown attempt but Taylor gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
Taylor is stalling in the full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Thompson working a defensive guard here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Sid Taylor was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Taylor lands a leg kick that knocks Thompson off balance momentarily.
Horrible takedown by Taylor or perhaps it was just good defense by Thompson which made him look bad.
Taylor shoots in but Thompson avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Sid Taylor is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Taylor pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Thompson has Taylor up against the cage in a clinch.
A shot in the inside from Taylor.
Sid Taylor seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Thompson swings wildly with an uppercut but Taylor uses good head movement to avoid it.
Thompson misses with some punches.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Thompson just misses with a elbow thrown towards Taylor's brow.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Thompson misses with a short punch on the inside.
Thompson misses with an elbow over the top.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Sid Taylor.
Well Taylor has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Cecil Peabody scores the fight 27:30
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 27:30
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Sid Taylor!