PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Frank Thomas (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nick Earls (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Earls has chosen Tommy Gun as his entrance music. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Thomas
vs
Earls

193 cm
20
213 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
18
215 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Basic striking
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Frank Thomas!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Nick Earls!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Thomas misses with the combination.
Thomas doesn't manage to clinch there - Earls circles away.

Earls clinches with his opponent.

Thomas breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Earls tries to clinch but Thomas moves out of range.
Earls takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.
Thomas fails to land the takedown.
Earls takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Left hook, right uppercut from Thomas.
A low kick from Earls is predictable there

so Thomas counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Earls is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

Earls looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

Earls is looking for a triangle here but Thomas uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
Earls looks gassed!
Thomas controlling the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Earls 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.
Earls sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Thomas controlling the pace.
Thomas wants to control but Earls is keeping him busy.
Earls wants to improve his position but Thomas is controlling well.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Earls trying to control here but he's found himself mounted! Oh no!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Earls is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Earls tries to reverse the position but Thomas maintains control.
Thomas looking to control but Earls is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Earls keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Earls is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Thomas controlling his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thomas's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Earls should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
Earls keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Thomas controlling the position easily from mount.
Earls tries to lock up and control but Thomas gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Thomas will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Earls working to try and regain half guard.
Earls is hanging on here. He's in a desperate position.
Thomas avoids the attempt from Earls to control.
Earls is trying desperately to improve position.
Thomas trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Thomas blocks Earls's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Frank Thomas dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Nice sprawl there from Earls as Thomas shoots in.
Thomas tries to clinch up.
Thomas doesn't manage to clinch there - Earls circles away.
Thomas misses with a wild combination.
Thomas keeps the fight on the outside.
Earls tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Thomas counters with a nice body kick.
Thomas misses with the combination.

Earls moves into the clinch successfully.
Thomas wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Earls is working for takedown but Thomas is calmly controlling the position for now.
Earls stalling.
Thomas wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Earls keeps control of Thomas as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Earls wants to stall.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Thomas is trying to break free.
Thomas wants to get back to striking at distance but Earls won't allow it.
Earls stalling.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Earls receives a warning from the referee for stalling.
Earls misses with a body punch.
Earls is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Thomas wants a takedown.
Thomas has had enough of the clinch but Earls keeps him there for the moment.

Thomas breaks from the clinch.
Thomas misses with a body kick.
Earls misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Earls throws a sloppy head kick and Thomas moves out of range easily.

Earls rushes Thomas and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Thomas wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Earls has him pressed against the cage.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Earls.
Earls is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Earls keeps control of Thomas as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Thomas is trying to break free.
Thomas wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Earls has him pressed against the cage.
Thomas is pressed up against the cage. Earls has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Thomas down to the mat. Thomas avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Frank Thomas has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Nick Earls.
Thomas lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Earls backs up against the cage.

It looks like Nick Earls has been cut.
A head kick from Thomas lands but Earls takes it in his stride.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Earls is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Earls looks for a takedown but Thomas sprawls well.
Frank Thomas seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Earls tries to clinch up but Thomas circles away and keeps his distance.
Earls tries to clinch there but Thomas circles away.
Earls moves out of range as Thomas throws a body kick.
Thomas tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Earls circles away from the clinch attempt
and Earls counters with a good, hard body kick but Thomas shrugs it off.
Earls swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Earls misses with a leg kick.
Thomas throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
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!

Earls drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Earls connects with a couple of short punches.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Earls pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Thomas is keeping the position for now.
Thomas trying to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thomas keeping full guard, as Earls tries to pass.

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

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

Thomas preventing the rear naked choke attempt from Earls.
Thomas staying busy and making it hard for Earls to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.

Earls is staying calm and holding on to the back position, whilst working on a rear naked choke. Thomas is defending well though. Earls let's go of the attempt for now.
Earls wants to control but Thomas is keeping busy.
Thomas tries to break free.
Thomas knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Earls on the ground.

Thomas fending off the submission attempt from Earls.
You can see the frustration on Thomas's face… He knows he is in trouble unless he improves his position sooner rather than later.
Thomas trying to control the position but Earls manages to sink in the hooks.

Thomas showing good submission defense here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Frank Thomas will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Nick Earls's cut.
That's time! Thomas's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Earls tries to clinch there but Thomas circles away.
Earls tries to clinch but Thomas moves away

and Thomas counters with a takedown into side control.
Earls is trying to improve his position.
You can see the frustration on Earls's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Earls is not content to let Thomas control the position.
Thomas wants to stand but Earls is controlling his arm.
Frank Thomas overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
You can see the frustration on Earls's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Earls manages to work his way to half guard, despite Thomas's best efforts.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Earls slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Thomas wants to stand but Earls is controlling his posture from full guard.

Earls has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Thomas can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Thomas is looking to stand up but Earls won't let him.

Earls looking for a guillotine here but Thomas defends easily.
Thomas wants to stand but Earls has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

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.
Earls looking to control.
Thomas won't allow Earls to sweep him here.

Earls looking for a guillotine here but Thomas defends easily.

Earls looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Thomas passes into side control.
Thomas controlling from side mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thomas tries to get to his feet but he's trapped momentarily.
Earls tries to improve position but can't.
Earls is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Thomas off and has taken his back!

Earls has both hooks in and is working for a choke. Thomas is in real trouble here. Earls gets an arm under the chin and tightens the submission attempt... is this the end? Yes, Thomas is tapping out! Earls wins by rear naked choke!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:47 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Nick Earls!