PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ricardo Castillo (ranked 335 p4p, 37 weight class) and Odin Thorsen (ranked 871 p4p, 100 weight class). Thorsen is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Skalder og Legender. Odin Thorsen has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Castillo
vs
Thorsen

200 cm
25
275 lbs
12 - 3 - 0

198 cm
25
250 lbs
14 - 4 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Cardio machine

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

Aspire Clothing

Urban Fighter
Aspire Nutrition

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 12 - 3 - 0, fighting out of New York, Ricardo Castillo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 14 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Odin Thorsen!
The judges for this bout are James Glass, Colin Fotheringham and James Ackerman.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Castillo is looking to slow Thorsen down with leg kicks.
Thorsen digs a good hook to Castillo's body.
Thorsen misses with a straight left.
A telegraphed right hand from Castillo misses the target.
Castillo connects with a body shot.
Castillo throws a right hand that Thorsen ducks under and follows up with a left that Thorsen also avoids with ease.
Castillo lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Thorsen avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Castillo fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Thorsen is out of range.
A little jabbing left from Thorsen on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Castillo tries to clinch up.
Ricardo Castillo seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Castillo lands with a kick to the ribs.
Thorsen avoids a punch combination nicely.
Castillo throws a sloppy head kick and Thorsen moves out of range easily.
Thorsen doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Thorsen looks to score with a jab to the body but Castillo is just out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thorsen throws an off balance right hand
and Castillo counters with a nice body shot.
Castillo slips under a jab.
Castillo defending well as Thorsen loads up on a big left hand.
Castillo uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Thorsen.
Castillo throws a lazy body kick
and Castillo takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Castillo fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Thorsen.
Castillo tries to score with a low kick but Thorsen moves his leg out of the way.
Thorsen throws a counter combo.
Thorsen throws a hook but Castillo avoids it easily.
Thorsen fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Castillo manages to avoid it.

Castillo rushes Thorsen and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Castillo with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Castillo misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Thorsen.
Castillo makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Thorsen wants to stall.
Thorsen misses with a hook to the ribs.
Thorsen misses with some punches.
A short body shot lands from Castillo as the two fighters clinch.
Castillo lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.

It looks like Odin Thorsen has been cut.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Castillo lands a shoulder strike.
Castillo lands a hook to the side of the head.
Thorsen takes an elbow to the temple.

Thorsen breaks the clinch.
Thorsen steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Castillo.
Thorsen takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Castillo misses with the body kick
and Thorsen connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Thorsen throws a body shot but no joy.
Castillo with a hook.
Castillo thuds a left hand into Thorsen's body.
Thorsen takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thorsen on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Thorsen connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Castillo fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Thorsen looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Thorsen crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Castillo - the referee stops the clock and Thorsen gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Castillo. Thorsen manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
Thorsen lands with a good body shot.
Nice defenses there by Castillo.
Castillo is looking to counter punch.
Thorsen misses with an uppercut.
Castillo misses the body punch
and Thorsen counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Castillo misses the body punch
and Thorsen counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
A telegraphed right hand from Castillo misses the target.
A slapping body kick lands there for Castillo.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Castillo's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Thorsen connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Castillo scrambles back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Castillo closes the distance but Thorsen moves to the side
letting Thorsen counter with a right hand.
Castillo keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Thorsen.
An attempted straight right counter from Castillo misses the target.
Castillo misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Castillo lands a slapping body shot.
Thorsen misses with a body shot.
Thorsen throws a big shot that misses.
Castillo misses with a wild body shot.
A little jabbing left from Thorsen on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Thorsen scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Castillo doesn't seem bothered though.
Castillo connects with a leg kick. Thorsen looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Castillo misses with a kick to the body
and Thorsen counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Castillo takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ricardo Castillo dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Odin Thorsen's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Castillo lands a nice leg kick that just misses Thorsen's sensitive parts.
Nice body kick from Castillo.
Thorsen scores with a nice strike.
Thorsen throws a shot from downtown. Castillo moves away and avoids it.
As Thorsen backs away, Castillo returns fire with a leg kick that just misses.
Thorsen blocks a jab.
Thorsen takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Thorsen fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Castillo appeared to be looking to counter that last move with a leg kick.
Castillo misses with the body kick
and Thorsen counters with a nice uppercut.
A jab from Castillo finds it's way through Thorsen's defenses.
Thorsen cracks Castillo with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Castillo takes a shot to the body in his stride.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Castillo misses with a body kick.
Thorsen lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Castillo lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Castillo is looking to land body kicks.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Castillo.
Castillo is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Thorsen can do to turn this around?
Thorsen just misses with a punch to the body.
Castillo misses the shot to the body.
Nice body punch from Thorsen.
Ricardo Castillo is winning the standup battle so far.
Castillo misses with a hook
and Thorsen connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Castillo throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Thorsen lunges at Castillo with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Castillo's hand.
Thorsen misses with a looping right.
A quick step to the side and Castillo tries to counter with a shot to the body but it doesn't connect.
Castillo lands a front kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fight stays on the outside here - Castillo looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Castillo feints and then cracks Thorsen's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Thorsen down.
Thorsen checks a leg kick nicely.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Castillo throws a low kick but Thorsen avoids it.
Castillo takes one to the side of the head.

Castillo forces Thorsen back against the cage and clinches.
Castillo tries to work over Thorsen's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Castillo lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Nice body punch from Thorsen - that landed with a thud.
Thorsen blocking some punches.
Castillo goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Castillo misses with a hook to the ribs.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thorsen misses with some punches.
Thorsen lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Castillo backwards.
A head punch on the inside from Thorsen fails to land.
Thorsen tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Castillo working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Thorsen working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Castillo misses with a body punch.
Thorsen has been looking to improve his clinch game in recent weeks. Castillo seems to have the measure of him in the clinch so far, so let's see if Thorsen can turn it around.
Castillo blocking some punches.
A frustrated look appears on Thorsen's face as he tries to break the clinch.
A short right from Thorsen on the inside.
Thorsen has developed a nice purple lump on his ribcage, as a result of some heavy body kicks from Castillo.
Thorsen makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Thorsen lands with a short shot to the head.
Castillo tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Castillo lands an elbow that stopped Thorsen in his tracks for a moment.
Thorsen tries a body shot but Castillo blocks it.
Castillo lands a shoulder strike.
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!
Thorsen fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Thorsen managing to block the knees to the body from Castillo.
Thorsen is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Castillo lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Castillo misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Thorsen.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Castillo throws a knee to the head but misses.
A frustrated look appears on Thorsen's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Castillo blocks a body shot from Thorsen.
Thorsen lands with a right to the head.
Thorsen gets through Castillo's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Castillo blocking some punches.
Thorsen lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Castillo backwards.
Thorsen lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Castillo backwards.

Castillo is rocked!
Castillo keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Thorsen's efforts to push away.
Oh Castillo is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Thorsen lands a body shot in the clinch.
Castillo seems to have got his legs back now.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Thorsen.
Castillo prevents Thorsen from breaking the clinch.
Thorsen wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Thorsen misses with a punch to the body.
Thorsen misses with a short punch on the inside.
Castillo prevents a body shot from Thorsen.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Odin Thorsen will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Odin Thorsen's cut.
That's time! Castillo's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. And we move into the final round!

Thorsen misses with a jab to the body
and Castillo counters with a good, hard body kick but Thorsen shrugs it off.
Thorsen moves out of range of the body kick from Castillo.
A little jabbing left from Thorsen on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Castillo misses with a jab to the body
and Thorsen counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Thorsen misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Castillo.
Thorsen throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Thorsen checks a low kick from Castillo.
Thorsen throws a body shot but no joy.
Castillo throws a right hand that Thorsen ducks under and follows up with a left that Thorsen also avoids with ease.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Castillo throws a body shot but no joy.
Thorsen jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Castillo bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Thorsen's head backwards.
Thorsen fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Castillo manages to avoid it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thorsen scores with a sloppy right hand. Castillo should have avoided that one.
Thorsen misses with a looping left.
Castillo gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Thorsen.
Thorsen throws a hook but Castillo blocks it.
Thorsen lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Castillo scores with a body shot.
Castillo moves out of range of the strikes.
Castillo tries a head kick but it misses.
Castillo throws a low kick but it's checked well by Thorsen.
Castillo lands a jab to the nose.
Castillo throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Castillo slips a jab from Thorsen.
Castillo ducks under a wild hook from Thorsen.
An attempted straight right counter from Castillo misses the target.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Castillo.
Thorsen bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Castillo's head.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Thorsen takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Castillo takes one on the button.
Nice defenses there by Castillo.
Castillo moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Castillo steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Thorsen.
Thorsen keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Thorsen ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Castillo moves away.
Thorsen misses with a wild body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Castillo thumps Thorsen with a low kick.
A swing and a miss from Thorsen.
Castillo lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Castillo scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
A big left from Thorsen misses.
A nice inside leg kick there by Castillo. That's going to slow Thorsen down.
Thorsen throws a hook but Castillo avoids it easily.
Castillo jabs Thorsen to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Thorsen missing with a left hand there. Castillo was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Castillo throws a body kick that misses
enabling Thorsen to counter with a crisp jab.
Castillo looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Castillo cracks Thorsen with an open hand slap.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Castillo wants to clinch.
Castillo tries to land a front kick but Thorsen steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Thorsen throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Castillo on the side of the head.
Thorsen throws out a loose jab but Castillo uses good head movement to avoid it.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Castillo throws a right and a left that both miss.
Castillo takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Thorsen walks forward, straight into a front kick from Castillo.
Castillo throws a wild body kick that Thorsen sees coming a mile off.
A little jabbing left from Thorsen on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
A slow jab from Thorsen misses its intended target.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Ricardo Castillo.
Well Castillo 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 James Glass scores the fight 29:28
Judge Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 29:28
Judge James Ackerman scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Ricardo Castillo!
A victorious Ricardo Castillo thanked his army of followers in his post fight interview, telling people to make sure they follow him on Twitter.