PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Lee Thomas (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mike Chavez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Lee Thomas has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Thomas
vs
Chavez

187 cm
22
220 lbs
3 - 7 - 0

184 cm
20
225 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Experienced

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Lee Thomas!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Mike Chavez!
The judges for this bout are Cecil Peabody, Alan Glass and George Francis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Chavez tries to clinch but Thomas moves out of range.

Chavez drives through with a takedown into guard.
Chavez trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Chavez tries to stand but Thomas is controlling from the bottom.
Thomas utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Chavez keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Thomas's head.
Chavez forces his way into half guard.
Thomas pushes Chavez off looking to stand but Chavez dives back in and keeps control.
Chavez wants to stand up but Thomas is controlling the position.
Chavez trying to control the action but Thomas is working from the bottom.
Thomas wants to get back to full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Thomas is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Chavez sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Thomas defending well though.
Chavez content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Thomas is trying to stand back up but Chavez is controlling him

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Thomas leaves Chavez with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.

Chavez closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Chavez is looking to stand up but he'll have to free his leg first. Instead, Thomas manages to get to full guard.
Thomas is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Chavez passes easily into side control. Nice work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Thomas takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Check out the look on Chavez's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Thomas is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Chavez advances to mount.
Thomas wants to hold on but Chavez pushes him away.
Thomas tries to reverse the position but Chavez maintains control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Chavez looking to control and managing it successfully.

Thomas bucks up and throws Chavez to the side - he's got back to his feet. Great escape!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Thomas forces Chavez back against the cage and clinches.
Chavez is trying to drag Thomas to the mat but Thomas just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Chavez throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Thomas blocks it with crossed arms.

Thomas breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Thomas circles away from the clinch attempt
and Thomas counters with a nice uppercut.

Chavez drives through and clinches with Thomas against the cage.
Thomas avoiding damage as Chavez throws knees to the body.
Thomas blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Thomas tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Chavez smiles and moves away.
Chavez is trying hard to land a takedown here. Thomas sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Lee Thomas has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mike Chavez.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Thomas drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Thomas working away.
Thomas trying to control the action but Chavez is working from the bottom.
Thomas in side control, throwing shots but Chavez defends.
Thomas in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Thomas trying to control the action but Chavez is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mike Chavez dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Thomas tries for a takedown but Chavez sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Thomas fails with the takedown
and Chavez counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Chavez thuds his shin into the meat of Thomas's side.
Chavez pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Chavez shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Thomas's guard.
Chavez really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Thomas. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

Chavez stands up and waves to Thomas to follow him.
Thomas tries to clinch there but Chavez circles away.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Chavez tries to clinch but Thomas moves out of range.
Thomas looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Chavez wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Chavez tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Thomas paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Mike Chavez seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Chavez tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Thomas counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Thomas is nestled in close to Chavez, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Chavez is in trouble now - Thomas has advanced to mount!
Chavez wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Thomas.
Chavez tries to lock up and control but Thomas gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Chavez is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Chavez tries to hold on but Thomas postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Thomas wants to control the pace but Chavez is squirming around nicely.
Thomas looking to land elbow strikes but Chavez uses the position to regain half guard.
Thomas trying to mount his opponent but Chavez defends it.
Chavez is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Chavez.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thomas is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.

Thomas has one foot on Chavez's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.
Chavez clinches but Thomas breaks the clinch

and Thomas counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Chavez tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

Thomas breaks the clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Thomas looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Thomas fails with the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Lee Thomas. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Chavez closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Chavez lands in his opponent's guard.
Chavez thows a big elbow that misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Chavez wants to stand and escape but instead Thomas has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Thomas tries to free his leg and advance position but Chavez is retaining full guard.
Chavez is trying to keep Thomas in close.
Chavez controlling the position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Thomas avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Chavez is looking to stand back up but Thomas counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Chavez.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mike Chavez showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Thomas decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Chavez tries to get to full guard but Thomas has control of the leg.
Chavez trying to hold on to Thomas's head to control him but Thomas postures up.
Chavez is trying to stand.
Thomas throwing shots but Chavez is blocking nicely.
Chavez wants to control but Thomas is keeping busy.
Chavez won't allow Thomas to pass to mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thomas is keen to just control but Chavez is a slippery customer.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Chavez wants to improve his position but Thomas is controlling well.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Chavez shoots for a double leg takedown but Thomas sprawls well. He's pushed Chavez's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Thomas gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Chavez counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

Thomas manages to break the clinch.

Chavez clinches up with Thomas and pushes him back against the cage.
Chavez gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Thomas.
Chavez wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Chavez tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Thomas just stands there and leans against the cage.
Thomas is working for takedown but Chavez is calmly controlling the position for now.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Lee Thomas. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Thomas can't break the clinch.
Chavez unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Thomas is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Chavez pulls him back up using the underhooks.

Chavez breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Chavez uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Thomas.

Chavez instigates a clinch.
Chavez throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Thomas blocks it with crossed arms.

Chavez breaks the clinch.
Chavez closes the distance but Thomas moves to the side

and Thomas counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Thomas lands a right hand.
Knees to the body from Chavez.
Chavez tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thomas will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Chavez up against the cage.
Chavez missing with knees to the body.
Thomas slowing the pace effectively.
Thomas misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Chavez prevents a takedown attempt there.
Chavez missing with knees to the body.
Chavez has Thomas pushed against the cage.
Chavez takes a knee to the side of the body.
Chavez has Thomas pressed against the cage, preventing Thomas from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Thomas tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Chavez on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

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.
Chavez tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Chavez is trying to maintain a safe position but Thomas gets an underhook and turns Chavez into the cage.
Chavez is struggling to control the position.
Thomas avoiding damage as Chavez throws knees to the body.
Thomas leaning against his opponent.
Chavez wants to break free but Thomas has control.
Thomas lands with a right to the head.

Thomas pulls guard effortlessly.
Thomas lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Chavez!
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Chavez can do anything to dispel that myth.
Thomas looking to control but Chavez is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

And that's the end of the fight!
Lee Thomas showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Chavez has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Cecil Peabody scores the fight 28:29
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 28:29
Judge George Francis scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mike Chavez!