PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Mathias Thomason (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Justin Murray (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Thomason comes to the cage accompanied by The Prodigy - Invaders Must Die. The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Thomason
vs
Murray

191 cm
20
195 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

185 cm
20
185 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

Crippler's Corner
MMA's Best Nutrition

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 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Mathias Thomason!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Justin Murray!
The judges for this bout are Gwen Towbar, Wesley Smith and Chris Downing.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Thomason looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Murray!
Murray tries to lock up and control but Thomason gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Murray is looking to improve his position but Thomason isn't that keen on the idea.

Thomason looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
Thomason prevents Murray from getting the reversal.
Thomason wants to control the pace but Murray is squirming around nicely.
Murray working to try and regain half guard.
Murray is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Murray in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Thomason lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Murray hang on?
Murray sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Murray is staying active underneath Thomason, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Murray slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Thomason wanted to stand there but Murray had control of the position.
Thomason trying to control but Murray is working from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Thomason is really struggling to control Murray but he's trying to hold on to the position.
Murray throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.

Murray working for a triangle but Thomason defends it easily.
Murray is trying to control the position but Thomason postures up.
Thomason is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Thomason pushing down on Murray's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.

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.
Thomason takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Murray trying to hold on to Thomason's head to control him but Thomason postures up.
Murray is looking to improve his position.

Murray actively working from the bottom here.
Murray looks gassed!
Murray wants to get back to full guard.
Thomason not doing much here.
Thomason is pressing down on Murray's thigh, looking to free his foot. Murray is holding on for now.

Thomason stands, ready to strike. The ref makes him back up and allows Murray to get to his feet.
Murray misses with a takedown
and Thomason counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thomason connects with a body shot.

Thomason scores with a takedown into Murray's guard.
Thomason trying to control the position from guard on top but Murray is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Murray wants to improve his position but instead Thomason has moved into half guard.
Thomason prevents Murray from improving his position.
Murray slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Murray is on top in guard.
Thomason looking to control.
Murray trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Murray advances to half guard.

Murray looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Murray wants to pass to mount but Thomason is defending the position.
Murray works his way into side control.
Thomason prevents Murray from moving into mount.
Murray scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Thomason to see if he's OK.
Thomason tries to bench press Murray off him but Murray keeps the position.
Murray connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Thomason some visible discomfort.

Murray is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Thomason knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Murray trying to control the action but Thomason is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mathias Thomason dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Murray feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Murray loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Thomason is on top in guard.

Thomason thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

Murray had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Thomason is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Murray Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Thomason's back instead.
Murray doesn't have the hooks in and Thomason manages to turn into his guard.
Thomason sitting in guard, not really doing much.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Thomason trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

Murray looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Thomason passes into half guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Thomason is looking to take a break and control but Murray is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thomason tries to pass the half guard into mount. Murray knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Thomason thows a huge punch but Murray dodges it nicely.
Thomason is thwarting Murray's attempts to control the position.
Thomason wants to lay and pray for a moment but Murray keeps working.
Murray makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Murray.

Thomason decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.

Thomason decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

Murray is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Thomason pulls his head out easily.
Murray tries to get to full guard but Thomason has control of the leg.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Thomason controlling the pace.
Murray is looking to control Thomason's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Murray avoid being mounted?
Murray is refusing to be controlled, as Thomason sits in half guard.
Murray manages to get to full guard.

Murray keeping busy on the bottom but Thomason has passed one foot through into half guard.
Murray is looking to get back to full guard here but Thomason has managed to pass to side control instead.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thomason tries to control but Murray wriggling away.
Thomason lands a nice shot to the head.

Thomason with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Thomason pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Murray tries to improve his position but instead Thomason has taken his back!
Murray is trapped and Thomason is scoring with shots to the head and body.
Murray tries to roll but Thomason sticks to his back.
Thomason is looking to control Murray but Murray is wriggling around and keeping busy.
Thomason punishes Murray with strikes from the back mount.

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.
Murray is in bad spot here.

Murray is trying to get back to his feet. He's worked up on to his knees and now he's on his feet with his head on the canvas, trying to shake Thomason off. It looks like it's working - Thomason slides off, much to his dismay, and we're back to standing! Murray displaying calm under pressure there.

Thomason shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Murray is trying to escape the mount.
Thomason controlling the pace for now.
Murray looking to escape from mount but he's given up his back!
Murray tries to escape but Thomason has the hooks in and won't let him break free.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mathias Thomason dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Thomason instigates a clinch.
Murray drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Thomason gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Murray stops a takedown attempt from Thomason.
Murray can't break the clinch.
Murray tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

Thomason ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Thomason no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Thomason working a defensive guard here.
Murray postures up in Thomason's guard and throws a big left but Thomason blocks it.
Murray looking to pass the guard.

Thomason had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Murray is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Thomason Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Murray's back instead.

Thomason is remaining active here, looking for the choke. The more discerning members of the crowd will appreciate his efforts.
Mathias Thomason overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Murray tries to escape but Thomason has the hooks in and won't let him break free.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Murray tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Thomason prevents Murray from getting the reversal.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Murray can do anything to dispel that myth.

Thomason looking for a guillotine from mount but Murray is having none of it.
Murray is wriggling around trying to escape.
Thomason looking to control but Murray is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Thomason looking to finish Murray with some ground and pound. This is bad for Murray!
Thomason takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Murray is squirming around, avoiding Thomason's attempts to control the action.
Murray tries to reverse the position but Thomason maintains control.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Thomason cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Thomason sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Thomason tries to control but Murray wriggling away.
Thomason pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Thomason lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Murray hang on?
Thomason landing strikes, looking to finish!
Thomason controlling the position easily from mount.
Thomason scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Thomason with a couple of short strikes.
BOOM! Thomason connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Thomason unloading with bombs!
Murray is looking to get to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Murray tries to hold on but Thomason pushes him away.
Murray keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Murray in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.

Thomason is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Murray has managed to escape the submission attempt.
Murray is working to get back to half guard.
Murray wants to hold on but Thomason pushes him away.
Murray gets back to half guard.
Thomason wants to control but Murray is keeping him busy.

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.
Murray is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Thomason connects with a nice short shot to Murray's temple.
Thomason trying to mount his opponent but Murray defends it.
Thomason not doing much here.

Murray is looking to regain full guard. He's left an arm up in the air though and Thomason has latched onto it... Big trouble! Thomason pivots for an armbar - it's in tight and it Murray is tapping in no time flat! Great counter grappling there from Thomason!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:48 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Mathias Thomason!