PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Dave Casey (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Billy Thomas (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Billy Thomas is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Casey
vs
Thomas

225 cm
18
154 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
19
155 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Intelligent

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Dave Casey!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Billy Thomas!
The judges for this bout are Phil Schofield, Colin Fotheringham and James Atkins.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Thomas circles away from the clinch attempt.
Thomas blocks a head kick by Casey.
Thomas misses with a takedown

and Casey counters by clinching up.
Thomas is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Casey gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.

Thomas gets a trip takedown into half guard.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Casey trying to control but Thomas postures up.
Casey is trying is best to control the position here.
Thomas is looking to advance position but Casey won't allow it.

Casey manages to escape and get back to his feet!
Thomas avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Thomas misses with a takedown attempt - Casey sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Dave Casey has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Billy Thomas.

Casey moves into range and clinches up with Thomas.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Casey is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Thomas is defending well.
Thomas tries for a takedown. No joy.
Thomas drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Casey gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Casey has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Thomas after a bit of a struggle.
Casey is stalling here.
Casey gets underhooks to prevent Thomas's takedown attempt.
Thomas drops down looking for an ankle pick but Casey pulls his leg out and moves away.
Casey throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Casey dives in and grabs Thomas's left leg, looking for a takedown. Thomas pushes down on Casey's head and hops out.
Casey fails with a takedown attempt.

Casey shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Thomas lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Casey!
Casey doing his best to control the position. Can he escape?
Casey is breathing heavily.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Thomas looking to control and managing it successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thomas avoids the attempt from Casey to control.
Casey taking shots to the head.
Thomas wants to control the pace but Casey is squirming around nicely.
Thomas avoids the attempt from Casey to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Casey is working to get back to half guard.
BOOM! Thomas connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Thomas controlling from the full mount.
Casey takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Casey is squirming around, avoiding Thomas's attempts to control the action.
Thomas prevents Casey from getting the reversal.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Dave Casey will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Casey takes the fight into the clinch.
Casey wants a takedown but no success here.
Casey is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Thomas gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Casey jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Thomas walks away with a smile on his face. Casey gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Dave Casey. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Thomas throws a right and a left that both miss.
Casey throws a head kick but Thomas moves out of range.

Thomas gets a double leg takedown into Casey's guard.
Thomas slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Casey is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Casey prevents Thomas from improving his position.
Thomas is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Casey passes to full mount!
Billy Thomas has got the better of the ground game so far.
Casey trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Thomas sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Casey works his way into side control.
Thomas really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Casey. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Casey throws a strike aimed at the side of Thomas's head but Thomas avoids it well.
Thomas is not content to let Casey control the position.
Casey moves into full mount!
Casey punishing his opponent with strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Casey controlling his opponent.
A nice elbow there by Casey.
Casey lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Thomas hang on?
Thomas is trying to escape the mount.
Casey scoring with strikes but Thomas is staying in there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A nice elbow there by Casey.
Casey really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Casey tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Casey lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Casey takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Casey connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Casey is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Casey with shots to the head and body - Thomas looks very uncomfortable down there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dave Casey 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!

Thomas dives in and grabs Casey's left leg, looking for a takedown. Casey pushes down on Thomas's head and hops out.

Thomas gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Casey to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Casey advances to half guard.
Casey will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Casey tries to pass the half guard into mount. Thomas knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Casey is looking to take a break and control but Thomas is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Casey wants to free his trapped foot but Thomas is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Casey has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thomas is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Thomas avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Casey.

Casey decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.
Thomas throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Casey.
Casey fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
The fight stays on the outside here - Casey looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Thomas moves out of range as Casey strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Thomas throws a nice looking combination but Casey bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.

Casey closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Casey lands in his opponent's guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Casey gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Casey moves in looking to clinch but Thomas pushes him off.
Casey looks to land a body kick but Thomas moved away.
Thomas swats away the attempt to clinch by Casey.

Thomas gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Thomas is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Casey defends well.
Thomas seems keen to control Casey's posture.
Casey is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Casey stands up from guard. Let's bang!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Casey misses with the combination.
Casey gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Thomas counters with a good low kick that Casey was not able to check.
Thomas shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Casey defends it nicely.
Casey avoids the head kick by Thomas.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Casey clinches.

And that's the end of the fight!
Dave Casey showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Casey has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Phil Schofield scores the fight 30:28
Judge Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 30:27
Judge James Atkins scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Dave Casey!