PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Thiago Gomes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bob Russell (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Russell has chosen Rio by Duran Duran as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Thiago Gomes could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Bob Russell's chin.

Gomes
vs
Russell

175 cm
18
170 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

178 cm
22
170 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Self confident

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

2KMMA Ultimate Nutrition (144 Quality)
2KMMA Ultimate Nutrition (144 Quality)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 2 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Thiago Gomes!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of London, Bob Russell!
The judges for this bout are Sam Margolis, James Glass and Paul Tew.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Russell throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Gomes's waist but Gomes gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Russell off to one side.
Russell is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Gomes is looking to clinch.
Russell looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Gomes tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Gomes tries to clinch up.
Gomes tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Russell paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Russell throws a lazy right hand but Gomes sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Gomes moves in looking to clinch but Russell pushes him off.
Russell shoots for a double leg takedown but Gomes sprawls well. He's pushed Russell's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Thiago Gomes has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bob Russell.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gomes tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Russell counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Gomes blocking the ground and pound attempt from Russell.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Russell stops Gomes from getting back to his feet.
Russell is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Gomes is looking to control Russell's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Gomes avoid being mounted?

That's one minute gone in the round.
Russell is looking to advance position but Gomes won't allow it.
Gomes pushes Russell off looking to stand but Russell dives back in and keeps control.
Russell slips a nice elbow through Gomes's hands, connecting with Gomes's forehead.
Gomes blocking the ground and pound attempt from Russell.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Nice sprawl there from Gomes as Russell shoots in.
Gomes tries to close the distance and clinch up but Russell swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Gomes has closed the distance and engaged Russell in a clinch.
Gomes using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Russell looks gassed!
Gomes lands a knee to the head.
Gomes lands a nice elbow.

It looks like Bob Russell has been cut.
Russell goes for a takedown attempt but Gomes pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Gomes tries to clinch but Russell is having none of it.
Gomes tries to clinch but Russell moves out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Russell shoots in looking for a takedown. Gomes tries to sprawl out of it but Russell keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the ropes. Gomes manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Gomes clinches but Russell breaks the clinch

and Russell counters with a takedown into side control.
Gomes pushes Russell away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Russell gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Gomes taking punishment in the form of punches.
Gomes can't do much from the bottom here.
Gomes is trying to buck Russell off.
Russell lands a decent elbow from side control.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Russell trying to control the position but Gomes is working away.
Gomes gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Gomes tries to push off, looking to stand up, but Russell manages to move to mount!
Gomes tries to lock up and control but Russell gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gomes is in a horrible position here. Russell smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Russell breaks from Gomes's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Russell landing strikes from the mount and Gomes is in trouble!
Russell lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Gomes hang on?
Russell punishing his opponent with strikes.
Russell lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Gomes tries to hold on but Russell pushes him away.
A nice elbow there by Russell.
Russell landing strikes from the mount and Gomes is in trouble!
Russell pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Gomes is trying desperately to improve position.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Russell lands a heavy elbow.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Russell lands a heavy elbow.
Russell working the ground and pound effectively.
Russell looking to finish Gomes with some ground and pound. This is bad for Gomes!
Russell has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

Gomes defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Russell.
Gomes tries to hold on but Russell postures up.

Russell working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Gomes wants to control but Russell is having none of it.
Russell lands a heavy elbow.

That's five minutes gone in the round.
Russell has his opponent pinned against the ropes, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Gomes's face.
Gomes taking shots to the head.
Gomes is wriggling around trying to escape.
Gomes sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Gomes is looking to get full guard. It looks like he might be successful but at the last minute Russell jumps into side control!
Russell in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Russell scores with a couple of short elbows.
Russell is chipping away with strikes.
Russell wants to control but Gomes is keeping him busy.
Gomes is looking to regain half guard here but Russell keeps moving and retains side control.
Gomes sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Russell working the head and body with strikes.

That's six minutes gone in the round.
Russell sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Gomes defending well though.
Ground and pound from Russell.

Gomes is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Russell pulls his head out easily.
Gomes looks like he's trying to stand up.
Russell takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Gomes trying to control from the bottom.
Russell takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Gomes is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Gomes has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Russell is working away from the top position though.
Gomes tries to roll over but Russell keeps him under control.

Gomes looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.

Russell is trying to work for a kimura but Gomes is defending well.
Gomes tries to roll over but Russell keeps him under control.
Russell uses his free foot to push down on Gomes's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Gomes.
Russell is landing with some decent strikes but Gomes is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Russell fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Russell connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Russell unloading with bombs!
Gomes is trying desperately to improve position.
Gomes is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

That's eight minutes gone in the round.
Russell landing shots from mount.
Gomes really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Gomes is working hard here to advance position.
Russell raining down shots from the mount!
Gomes is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Russell controlling the pace for now.
Gomes tries to reverse the position but Russell maintains control.
Russell working the ground and pound effectively.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Russell cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!

That's nine minutes gone in the round.
Gomes is working to get back to half guard.
Gomes is squirming around, avoiding Russell's attempts to control the action.
Gomes manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Russell is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Russell takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Russell scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Russell wants to lay and pray for a moment but Gomes keeps working.

Gomes is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Russell pulls his head out easily.
Russell wants to take a breather but Gomes is having none of it.
Gomes works his way to full guard. Good work.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bob Russell dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Bob Russell's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Russell fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Russell tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Gomes swivels and escapes.
Bob Russell is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Gomes tries to clinch but Russell is having none of it.
Russell will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Gomes tries to clinch up but Russell circles away and keeps his distance.
Gomes tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Russell paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Gomes tries to clinch but Russell moves out of range.

Gomes has closed the distance and engaged Russell in a clinch.
Russell trying to stall but Gomes improves his position.
Knees to the body from Gomes.
Gomes connects with a nasty looking knee right to Russell's face.
Gomes throws a knee to the head but misses.
Russell takes an elbow to the temple.

Russell breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Russell fails with the takedown.
Thiago Gomes has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bob Russell.
Russell shoots for a takedown but Gomes saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Russell looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Russell has a takedown stuffed.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Russell shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Gomes as he avoids it easily.
Gomes moves in looking to clinch but Russell pushes him off.
Gomes tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Russell paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Russell circles away from the clinch attempt.

Gomes closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Russell is not content to let Gomes control the position.
Gomes tries to stand but Russell is controlling his head.
Gomes trying desperately to get back to his feet here but he's not having any joy at all. He's going to tire himself out if he's not careful.
Russell prevents Gomes from improving position.
Gomes wants to lay and pray for a moment but Russell keeps working.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Russell throws an elbow to the body but it doesn't land.

Gomes stands up.

Gomes has taken the fight to the clinch.
Gomes lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Gomes is trying to maintain a safe position but Russell gets an underhook and turns Gomes into the ropes.
Gomes with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Knees to the body from Gomes.
Gomes is looking to control Russell's arms but Russell gets an underhook and turns him. Now Gomes has his back to the ropes.

Russell pulls guard.
Russell is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

Russell looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Russell looking for a sweep. Not yet Russell, not yet.
Gomes has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gomes not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Gomes wanted to stand there but Russell had control of the position.
Gomes won't allow Russell to sweep him here.
Russell is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Russell looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Gomes puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Russell is looking to improve his position.
Gomes wants to get back to his feet.
Bob Russell has got the better of the ground game so far.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Gomes stuffs the takedown.
Gomes connects with a solid leg kick.
Gomes stuffs the takedown.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Gomes fails with an attempt to clinch.
Russell is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Gomes.
Russell shoots in for a double leg but Gomes sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Russell has his takedown stuffed

and Gomes counters by moving into the clinch.

Russell ties up his opponent against the ropes and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Russell no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Gomes trying to control but Russell is working from the bottom.
Russell manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Gomes manages to get himself to full guard.
Russell is looking to work some ground and pound but Gomes has wrist control.
Russell postures up and lands a big shot to Gomes's brow.
Gomes is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Gomes wants to stand but Russell is controlling the position.
Russell lands a couple of decent looking shots.

That's five minutes gone in the round.
Gomes manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Russell manages to get himself to full guard.
Gomes wants to stand but Russell has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Russell is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Gomes is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Gomes trying to control but Russell is working from the bottom.
Gomes is looking to stand up but Russell won't let him.
Gomes sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Russell's guard.
Gomes is pressing down on Russell's thigh, looking to free his foot. Russell is holding on for now.

Gomes is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.

That's six minutes gone in the round.
Russell is looking for a sweep. Gomes is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Gomes wants to stand up but Russell has a hold of him and won't allow it.

Gomes is trying to work for a kimura. He's got his hands clasped together - this could be trouble! No, Russell has managed to free his arm - good work.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Russell closes this distance looking for a takedown but Gomes circles away.

Gomes takes the fight into the clinch.
Russell wants a takedown but no success here.
Russell tries to break the clinch but Gomes is controlling the position.
Gomes landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.

Russell gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
Gomes not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Gomes keeping moving, preventing Russell from controlling successfully.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.

Gomes working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Russell doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Russell manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Gomes is trying to control the position but Russell postures up.

Gomes working for a triangle but Russell defends it easily.
Russell slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Gomes looking for a sweep. Not yet Gomes, not yet.
Gomes wants to stand and escape but Russell is having none of it.

Gomes is looking for a triangle here but Russell uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
Gomes being controlled for a moment.

That's eight minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Gomes struggling a bit here.
Gomes pushes Russell away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Russell gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Gomes tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Gomes is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the ropes but Russell has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Russell working away.
Gomes is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Gomes tries to clinch up.

That's nine minutes gone in the round.
Russell shoots in but no luck this time.
Russell has his takedown stuffed

and Gomes counters by clinching up.
Gomes with a knee to the head.
With the fighters up against the ropes, Gomes throws an elbow but misses.

Russell breaks the clinch.

Russell rushes Gomes and pushes him back against the ropes in a clinch.

Russell wants the takedown. Gomes is fighting it off but Russell persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Gomes's guard against the ropes.
Russell pushes down on Gomes's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Russell working Gomes over with strikes.
Gomes scrambles, trying to get to his feet, but Russell manages to mount him!
Russell connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
BOOM! Russell connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Russell wants to control the pace but Gomes is squirming around nicely.

And that's the end of the fight!
Thiago Gomes showed his dominance in that final round.
I have no idea who won that fight. Let's wait and see whether the judges are as confused as me! Time for a split decision perhaps?!. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.

Judge Sam Margolis scores the fight for Bob Russell!
Judge James Glass scores the fight for Bob Russell!
Judge Paul Tew scores the fight for Bob Russell!

Bob Russell wins by unanimous decision!