PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Philip Phillips (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ash Thomas (ranked 0 p4p, 0 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.

Phillips
vs
Thomas

180 cm
30
177 lbs
16 - 7 - 1

182 cm
32
178 lbs
21 - 10 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Very quick

BJJ Purple Belt
Lethal high kicks
Heavy handed

Popeye’s Spinach - 159 + 158 Proof Supps
Black Hand Fight Gear & Laundry

Popeye’s Spinach - 159 + 158 Proof Supps
Diamond Nutrition 160q

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 16 - 7 - 1, fighting out of Montreal, Philip Phillips!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 21 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Ash Thomas!
The judges for this bout are Steve Smith, Yves DeLean and Elvis Blanc.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Phillips throws a right and a left that Thomas avoids nicely.
Thomas thuds his shin into the meat of Phillips's side.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Phillips.
Thomas moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Thomas blocks a head kick by Phillips.
Philip Phillips seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Phillips fails with an attempt to clinch.
Phillips throws a right and a left that Thomas avoids nicely.
Phillips will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Thomas has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Thomas digs a good hook to Phillips's body.
Phillips shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Phillips will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Thomas throws a leg kick but Phillips sees it coming and checks it nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Phillips takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Phillips misses with a double jab
and Thomas counters with a leg kick.
Phillips displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Phillips checks a leg kick nicely.
Thomas throws a big shot that misses.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Thomas.
That kick from Thomas tenderised Phillips's leg. Phillips is trying to keep his angry face on.
Phillips fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Philip Phillips. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Thomas tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Phillips counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Thomas's guard now.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Thomas bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Phillips's guard.
Thomas wants to control from the top but Phillips keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Thomas wants to pass the guard but Phillips is keeping the position.
Thomas won't allow Phillips to sweep him here.
Thomas trying to control the position from guard on top but Phillips is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Phillips looking for a sweep. Not yet Phillips, not yet.
Phillips trying to keep a closed guard but Thomas is proving a slippery customer.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Ash Thomas wasn't active enough on the ground.
Thomas tries to clinch there but Phillips circles away.
Some bone on bone action there as Phillips checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Phillips lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Thomas circles away quickly and effectively.
Phillips chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Thomas can pounce on him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thomas lands with a hook. Phillips tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Phillips scoring well with a low kick there.
Thomas throws a body kick that misses.
Thomas ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Phillips moves away.
A combination from Phillips does no damage.
Phillips misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Thomas is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Phillips.
Thomas throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Thomas connects with a crisp jab.
Phillips fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Thomas misses the jab.
Phillips throws a hook but Thomas blocks it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Thomas throws a leg kick but Phillips sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Phillips misses with a double jab.
Thomas thows a left - swing and a miss!
Thomas throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Thomas tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Thomas throws a nice outside leg kick.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Thomas swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Thomas avoids a punch combination nicely.
Phillips looks to land a left hand but Thomas moved out of range nicely.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Phillips on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Phillips with a hook.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Ash Thomas will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Thomas tries a head kick but it misses.
Thomas jabs away that one connects to the head of his opponent.
Phillips misses with a double jab
and Thomas counters with a good, hard body kick but Phillips shrugs it off.
Phillips takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Thomas swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Thomas motions for Phillips to come forward. Thomas throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
A combination from Phillips does no damage.
Thomas connects with a crisp jab.
Phillips blocks the body kick.
Phillips avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Phillips lands a jab-cross combination.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Thomas scoring well with a low kick there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Phillips throws a combination that misses
letting Thomas counter with a right hand.
Phillips shoots in for a takedown but Thomas shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Phillips misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Phillips steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Thomas.
Thomas wants to clinch.
Phillips throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Thomas tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Phillips manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Phillips moves away from the strike by Thomas.
Phillips lands with a nice combination. Thomas backs away looking to recover.
Phillips blocks a head kick by Thomas.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Thomas tries to land a front kick but Phillips steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Decent striking displayed by Thomas there.
Phillips fails to land with a series of punches.
Phillips moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Thomas takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Phillips misses with a double jab.
Phillips misses with the combination.
Thomas throws a poor cross that misses

and Phillips counters with a nice double leg into half guard.

Phillips seems to be working for a kimura but Thomas defends the submission attempt.
Phillips uses his free foot to push down on Thomas's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Thomas.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thomas tries to get back to half guard but can't.

Thomas defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Phillips.
Phillips avoids the attempt from Thomas to control.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Thomas can do anything to dispel that myth.
Phillips trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Phillips throws some wild stikes that Thomas manages to avoid easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Phillips pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.

Phillips working for a submission but Thomas is keeping him at bay.

Phillips is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Thomas has managed to escape the submission attempt.

Phillips wants to finish this one by submission but Thomas is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Phillips.
Thomas is working to get back to half guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Phillips swings around for an armbar but it's a sloppy attempt and Thomas is now in Phillips's guard. A big mistake from Phillips there, giving up the dominant position!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Philip Phillips dominated that second 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. 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.

A solid body kick from Thomas.
Thomas misses with a leg kick
and Phillips counters with a left and a right that stings Thomas.
Philip Phillips is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Thomas swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Phillips counters with a two punch combo.
Thomas defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Phillips.
A big right from Thomas misses.
Phillips takes a kick to the side of the head.
Crunch! Thomas slams his shin into Phillips's torso.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Thomas avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Phillips throws a right hand that Thomas ducks under and follows up with a left that Thomas also avoids with ease.
Thomas connects with an inside leg kick.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thomas throws a leg kick
and Phillips counters with a head kick.
Thomas feints and then cracks Phillips's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Phillips down.
Thomas scores with a head kick. Phillips tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.
Phillips will be looking to protect his midsection after taking some solid kicks to the body.
Thomas throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Phillips throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Phillips keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Thomas scores with a jab. Phillips acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Phillips has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Thomas.
Phillips tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Thomas swivels and escapes.
Phillips throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

Thomas drives through and clinches with Phillips against the cage.

Thomas pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Phillips tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Thomas paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Phillips shoots in for a double leg but Thomas sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Philip Phillips. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Phillips misses with a series of wild punches.
Phillips throws a combination. Thomas tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Phillips misses with a wild combination.
Thomas lands with a slapping head kick.
Phillips on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Thomas. Thomas obviously looking to wear him down.
Thomas moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Thomas throws a sloppy head kick and Phillips moves out of range easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Phillips throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Thomas.
Thomas scores with a nice head shot.
Thomas looks for the body kick but Phillips saw that one coming.
Thomas lunges at Phillips with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Phillips's hand.

Thomas has managed to clinch.
Thomas has a couple of punches blocked by Phillips.
Thomas gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Phillips.

Thomas manages to break the clinch.
Good work by Phillips as he checks the leg kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Good leg kick by Thomas there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Phillips tries a head kick but it misses.
Thomas slips a jab and a cross from Phillips.
Nice body kick there by Thomas.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Thomas scores with a leg kick.
Thomas lands with a good body shot.
Thomas keeps Phillips at a distance using the push kick.
Phillips blocks a head kick by Thomas.
Phillips closes the distance and lands a one-two.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Thomas ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Phillips blocks the body kick.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ash Thomas comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Thomas has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Steve Smith scores the fight 28:29
Judge Yves DeLean scores the fight 28:29
Judge Elvis Blanc scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ash Thomas!
A less than humble Ash Thomas misjudged his post fight interview somewhat and came across a little too arrogant whilst trying to hype up his own abilities.