PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Richard Weed (ranked 21949 p4p, 224 weight class) and Thad Thayer (ranked 22456 p4p, 229 weight class). The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Weed
vs
Thayer

165 cm
23
140 lbs
1 - 9 - 0

165 cm
22
134 lbs
1 - 4 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Powerful takedowns
Decent boxing
Good gas tank

Helsinki Xtreme Fightwear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Richard Weed!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 4 - 0, fighting out of New York, Thad Thayer!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, Frank Antenori and Don Winkell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Weed ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Weed scores with a hook to the body. Thayer takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Weed scores with a jab to the jaw.
Weed lands an overhand right.
Thayer ducks right into an uppercut from Weed.
Weed throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Thayer.
Weed lands with a shot to the body.
Thayer keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Weed.
Weed is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Thayer.
Thayer is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Weed lands a high kick!
Weed lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Thayer takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Weed throws a lazy right hand but Thayer sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Thayer takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Weed displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Thayer.

Weed manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Thayer on his heels. He'll look to pass Thayer's guard now, I'm sure.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Weed pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Thayer is keeping the position for now.
Weed connects with a couple of short punches.
Thayer is looking to stand up but Weed isn't so interested in that idea.
Weed chips away with some ground and pound.
Thayer is trying to keep Weed in close.
Weed preventing the sweep.
Thayer being controlled here, momentarily.
Weed landing some decent shots from guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Thayer looking for a sweep. Not yet Thayer, not yet.
Thayer lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Thayer stopping the sweep attempt from Weed.
Weed has his hands on Thayer's head, controlling the position.
Thayer throws a big elbow that misses.
Thayer trying to control the position from guard on top but Weed is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Weed pulls Thayer in close to his closed guard and prevents Thayer from doing any damage or advancing position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Weed keeping moving, preventing Thayer from controlling successfully.
Weed wants to sweep here but Thayer controlling him for the moment.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Weed holds on and takes a little breather.
Thayer trying to control but Weed is working from the bottom.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Richard Weed seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Thayer takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.

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.
Weed throws a nice inside leg kick.
It looks like Weed has been trying to sharpen up his punching technique, as it looks crisper than last time we saw him.
Thayer on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Thayer stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Thayer wants it to stay on the feet.
Weed scores with a jab to the head.
Weed throws a head kick that Thayer semi-blocks.
Thayer doesn't manage to clinch there - Weed circles away.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
A left and a right from Weed both land. Nice combination.
Weed misses with an uppercut. Thayer saw that one coming.
Thayer fails with an attempt to clinch.
Thayer closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Weed looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Thayer is fending him off so far but Weed persists. Nope, Thayer circles away and we're back to standing.
Thayer pivots, looking for a leg kick but Weed is out of range and Thayer settles back down.
Thayer fails to land the takedown.
Weed misses with a telegraphed body shot

and Thayer counters with a nice double leg into guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Weed is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Richard Weed dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Weed looks to throw the jab but Thayer is out of range.
Weed lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!

Thayer manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Weed on his heels. He'll look to pass Weed's guard now, I'm sure.

Thayer decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Weed, up you get!

Weed drives through with a takedown into guard.

Thayer has his feet on Weed's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Weed misses with the combination.
Thayer tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
A jab from Weed misses.
Thayer shoots for a takedown but Weed saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
A chopping leg kick lands by Weed.
Thayer fails in his attempt to clinch.
Weed throws a nice looking combination but Thayer bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Weed is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Thayer can do to turn this around?
Weed throws a series of punches but Thayer avoids them all with ease.
Thayer shoots in for a takedown but Weed shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thayer slips a jab and a cross from Weed.
Weed sets himself, and Thayer steps forward looking for the clinch! Weed avoids it this time.
Weed tries to land a leg kick but Thayer saw it coming and moves away.
Thayer uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Weed.
Weed misses with a kick to the body.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Thayer is defended easily by Weed.
Richard Weed has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Thad Thayer.
Thayer tries to clinch but Weed moves away
and Weed counters with a nice uppercut.
Thayer moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Weed misses with an uppercut.
Weed lands with a thumping leg kick.

Weed gets tackled into the cage by Thayer. Thayer maintains the clinch.
Thayer misses with a punch to the body.
Weed wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Thayer has him pressed against the cage.
Thayer tries to pull guard but Weed won't allow it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Weed breaks from the clinch.
Thayer is looking to clinch.
Good exchange - Weed coming out on top.
Weed pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Nice cross by Weed.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Thayer walks into a straight right hand from Weed.
Richard Weed is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Jab by Weed.
Thayer showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Weed.
Thayer fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Thayer throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Weed's waist but Weed gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Thayer off to one side.
Thayer showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Weed.
Weed misses with a double jab.
Weed avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Thayer fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Thayer avoids the head kick by Weed.
Thayer looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Weed is fending him off so far but Thayer persists. Nope, Weed circles away and we're back to standing.
Weed fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Thayer manages to avoid it.
Thayer misses with a takedown attempt - Weed sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Weed looks for the body kick but Thayer saw that one coming.
Weed throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Thayer fails with an attempt to clinch.

Thayer bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Weed struggling a bit here.
Thayer looking to control but instead Weed has slipped a leg in, to regain half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Weed is holding on to half guard well.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Weed continues to stall.
Thayer wants to control but Weed is keeping him busy.
Thayer is stalling here. Weed is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Thayer seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Weed has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Weed is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Thayer will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Richard Weed dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, 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.

Weed takes a body punch but keeps moving.
A head kick from Weed lands but Thayer takes it in his stride.
Weed throws a shot from downtown. Thayer moves away and avoids it.
Weed rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Thayer moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Thayer tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Weed defends well and Thayer ends up having to push Weed into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Weed connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.

Weed throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Thayer tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Weed is in Thayer's guard.
Thayer utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Weed wants to control from the top but Thayer keeps moving.
Our spies down at at Touch Of Death Combat Academy inform us that Thayer has really been working on his submissions in the buildup to this fight. Will it pay off?
Thayer looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Weed trying to control the position from guard on top but Thayer is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Weed lands a couple of digs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Weed distracts Thayer with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Thayer trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Weed postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Weed landing with the ground and pound.
Weed scoring with some ground and pound.
Richard Weed overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Weed's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Thayer wants to get back to his feet but Weed is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Weed wanted to stand there but Thayer had control of the position.
Weed wants to control from the top but Thayer keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Weed lands a couple of elbows.
Weed has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Thayer is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Weed trying to control but Thayer is working from the bottom.
Thayer not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Thayer keeping full guard, as Weed tries to pass.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Weed throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Weed pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Weed leaves Thayer with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Weed stuffs the takedown.
Richard Weed has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Thad Thayer.
Sloppy strikes from Weed. Those never looked like landing.
Thayer throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Weed's waist but Weed gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Thayer off to one side.
A nice inside leg kick there by Weed. That's going to slow Thayer down.
Thayer with a poor takedown
and Weed cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

Weed scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Thayer is trying to control but can't.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Weed lands a nice short elbow.
Thayer trying to hold on to Weed's head to control him but Weed postures up.
Thayer tries to roll over but Weed keeps him under control.
Richard Weed is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Thayer pushes Weed off looking to stand but Weed dives back in and keeps control.
Thayer is looking to control Weed's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Thayer avoid being mounted?
Weed looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Weed landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Weed trying to control the pace.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

And that's the end of the fight!
Richard Weed showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Weed, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 30:27
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 30:27
Judge Don Winkell scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Richard Weed!