PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Paulo Maldini (ranked 2485 p4p, 4205 weight class) and Mario Thomas (ranked 299 p4p, 467 weight class). 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.

Maldini
vs
Thomas

181 cm
26
154
2 - 0 - 0

172 cm
24
160
4 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter fighter
Granite chin

Decent wrestler
Decent boxing
Granite chin

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 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Paulo Maldini!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Mario Thomas!
The judges for this bout are Arvi Lind, Johanna Lukiainen and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Maldini throws a series of punches but Thomas avoids them all with ease.
Thomas lands a nice shot to the body.
Thomas looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Thomas jabs Maldini right on the nose. Maldini blinks but takes it well.
Thomas throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Maldini misses the shot to the body.
The fighters circling - Maldini throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Maldini seems to be moving with more speed, compared to his last bout. He must have been working on that in the gym.
Thomas waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Maldini.
Maldini throwing a counter right hand but Thomas manages to avoid it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Thomas has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Maldini finds it's way round the side to connect with Thomas's head.
Thomas looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Maldini looks to land a combination but Thomas avoids it well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thomas swings for the body but Maldini moves out of range.
An attempted straight right counter from Maldini misses the target.
Thomas on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Thomas fails to land with a series of punches.
Thomas ducks under a wild hook from Maldini.
Thomas throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Maldini cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Thomas lands with a cross.
Maldini misses with a looping right.
No joy there for Maldini, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Despite the aggression on Thomas's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Thomas throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
A punch combination from Thomas misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Thomas blocks a jab.
Thomas connects with a body shot that sends Maldini's belly button to the back.
Thomas defending well as Maldini loads up on a big left hand.
Thomas misses with a double jab.
Maldini scores with a decent looking hook.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Maldini misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Thomas.
A little jabbing left from Thomas on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Maldini misses with a double jab.
Thomas throws out a counter right but Maldini avoids it with no problem.
Maldini swinging wildly here.
Paulo Maldini seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A looping hook to the body misses from Maldini. Thomas does a little dance to reset his feet.
Thomas is looking for the big counter here.
Thomas looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Maldini is fending him off so far but Thomas persists. Nope, Maldini circles away and we're back to standing.
Maldini looks to land a right hand but Thomas moved out of range.
Maldini ducks right into an uppercut from Thomas.
Thomas looks to land a left hand but Maldini moved out of range nicely.
Thomas takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Maldini throws a right hand that Thomas ducks under and follows up with a left that Thomas also avoids with ease.
Maldini throws out a loose jab but Thomas uses good head movement to avoid it.
Paulo Maldini is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Maldini on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Thomas throws a right and a left that both miss.
Thomas goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Maldini throws a body shot but no joy.
Maldini defending well as Thomas loads up on a big left hand.
Maldini throws a body shot but no joy.
Maldini fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Thomas manages to avoid it.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Thomas gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Maldini keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Thomas.
Maldini appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Thomas!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Mario Thomas will probably get the nod.
That's time! Maldini's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Maldini connects with the punch.
Mario Thomas is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Thomas takes a swing at Maldini's ribcage but misses.
Thomas throws a shot from downtown. Maldini moves away and avoids it.
Thomas looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Maldini showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Thomas.
Maldini connects with a body shot.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Maldini misses with a straight right.
Despite the aggression on Thomas's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Thomas misses with an uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A looping hook to the body misses from Maldini. Thomas does a little dance to reset his feet.
Maldini throws a body punch but Thomas moves out of range.
Maldini throws a looping overhand right but Thomas ducks down to avoid it.
Maldini throws the left hand but Thomas avoids the punch easily.
Thomas lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Maldini scores with a jab. Thomas acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Thomas looks to throw the jab but Maldini is out of range.
Maldini keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Thomas slips a straight right by Maldini.
Thomas is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Thomas takes one on the button.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maldini lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Thomas backs up against the cage.
Maldini slips under a jab from Thomas.

Maldini pushes Thomas up against the cage in a clinch.
Maldini keeps control of Thomas as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

Maldini breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Thomas defending well as Maldini loads up on a big left hand.
Paulo Maldini is winning the standup battle so far.
Maldini defending well as Thomas loads up on a big left hand.
Thomas steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Maldini.
Thomas lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.

Maldini closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Maldini breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Thomas fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Maldini lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Maldini punishes Thomas's body with a nice straight punch.
Nice uppercut there from Maldini.
Thomas connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
A looping hook to the body misses from Maldini. Thomas does a little dance to reset his feet.
Thomas throws out a counter right but Maldini avoids it with no problem.
Thomas ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Thomas! But no joy.
Maldini avoids a punch combination nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Maldini misses the jab.
Thomas throws a body punch but Maldini moves out of range.
Thomas throws a hook to the side of Maldini's head but Maldini sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Maldini thuds a left hand into Thomas's body.
Sloppy strikes from Maldini. Those never looked like landing.
Maldini ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Thomas moves away.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Maldini slips a jab and a cross from Thomas.
Maldini fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Thomas on the side of the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Paulo Maldini dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Thomas takes a swing at Maldini's ribcage but misses.
A counter left hand to the body from Maldini misses its target.
Thomas throws a left and a right that both miss
and Maldini counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Thomas throws a right hand that Maldini ducks under and follows up with a left that Maldini also avoids with ease.
Maldini throws a looping overhand right but Thomas ducks down to avoid it.
Thomas let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.
Thomas takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Maldini stuffs the takedown.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Thomas moves out of range of the strikes.
Thomas misses with a two punch combination.
Maldini lands a jab to Thomas's midsection.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A big right from Maldini misses.
Maldini misses with a few strikes there.
Maldini has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
A punch lands to the side of Thomas 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Thomas fails to land with a series of punches.
Thomas blocks a jab.
Maldini cracks Thomas with a good jab.
Maldini looks to throw the jab but Thomas is out of range.
Thomas throws a series of punches but Maldini avoids them all with ease.
Thomas swings away with a body shot that misses
and Maldini connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Jab, jab by Maldini - just one landing.
Sloppy strikes from Thomas. Those never looked like landing.
Thomas misses with a lunging right hand
and Maldini connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Maldini scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Maldini misses with an uppercut.
Thomas thows a left - swing and a miss!
A little feinted left hand from Maldini on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Thomas thuds a left hand into Maldini's body.
Maldini misses with a wild body shot.
Maldini is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Thomas can do to turn this around?

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thomas ducks right into an uppercut from Maldini.
Thomas has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Maldini finds it's way round the side to connect with Thomas's head.
Thomas is really struggling to land any decent head shots against his taller opponent.
Maldini throws a hook to the side of Thomas's head but Thomas sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Maldini uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Thomas.
Thomas scores with a nice strike.
Thomas will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Thomas lands with a shot to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Thomas takes a swing at Maldini's ribcage but misses.
Maldini throws an overhand right that lands on Thomas's shoulder, as Thomas tries to avoid the shot.
Thomas appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
The fighters circling - Maldini throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Thomas looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Maldini connects with a body shot.
Donk. Maldini catches Thomas right on the button with a cross.
A swing and a miss from Thomas.
A jab lands there for Thomas.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Maldini thows a left - swing and a miss!
Thomas is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Maldini with a body shot.
A decent looking cross lands there for Maldini.

And that's the end of the fight!
Paulo Maldini showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Maldini 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 Arvi Lind scores the fight 29:28
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 29:28
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Paulo Maldini!
Mario Thomas was interviewed post fight and said 'He's Italian and I got Italian heritage, no bad blood here. Better fighter won tonight, hats off to Paulo. '.