PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Jamal Kinston (ranked 4482 p4p, 4600 weight class) and John Thomas (ranked 494 p4p, 498 weight class). This should be fireworks!

Kinston
vs
Thomas

190 cm
17
195
1 - 0 - 0

182 cm
18
182
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Inexperienced

BJJ White Belt
Dangerous knees
Intelligent

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Jamal Kinston!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, John Thomas!
The judges for this bout are Tarja Halkonen, Johanna Lukiainen and Roosa Järviläinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Thomas gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.

It looks like Jamal Kinston has been cut.
Thomas throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Thomas lands a nice knee to the body.
Thomas missing with knees to the body.

Kinston escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
John Thomas seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Thomas tries to clinch up but Kinston circles away and keeps his distance.
Kinston listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Thomas wants to clinch up but Kinston keeps it at a distance.

Thomas rushes Kinston and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Thomas connects with a knee to the head.
Kinston lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Thomas is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Kinston is defending well for now.
Kinston looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Thomas just leaning against Kinston, taking a breather.
Thomas tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Kinston on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Thomas landing knees to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kinston wants to get back to striking at distance but Thomas won't allow it.
Thomas prevents Kinston from breaking the clinch.
Thomas landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Thomas tries to land knees in the clinch but Kinston avoids the damage to the body.
I was talking to Kinston's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.

Kinston breaks from the clinch.
Thomas avoids the body shot from Kinston.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Thomas crunches a lovely knee into Kinston's ribcage.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Kinston.
Kinston misses with a hook to the ribs.
Thomas comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Thomas utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Kinston tries to pull guard but Thomas forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Kinston lands a body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Thomas scores a nice knee to the body.
Thomas displaying some good clinch control by pressing Kinston up against the cage.
Thomas tries a body shot but Kinston blocks it.
Thomas tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Thomas putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Kinston in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with 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!
Thomas with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Thomas lands an elbow that stopped Kinston in his tracks for a moment.
Thomas working Kinston over with knees to the body.
Thomas unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Thomas goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Thomas landing knees to the body.

Kinston jumps guard and drags Thomas to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Thomas is trying to tuck his arms in to keep them safe but Kinston has managed to isolate one of them and has got a loose triangle. Thomas is looking to defend but Kinston has done well to lock his legs together - this could be big trouble for Thomas! Kinston pulls down on the head and a little smile comes across his face - he knows he's got it. Yep, Thomas taps out and this one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:55 of round 1, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle). Jamal Kinston!