PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Max Tavares (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Joe Marquis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Tavares comes into the arena with Swedish House Mafia - One blaring out of the sound system. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Tavares
vs
Marquis

185 cm
22
190 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

187 cm
19
190 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Max Tavares!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Joe Marquis!
The judges for this bout are Leandro Rodrigues, Seu Braga and Thiago Cunha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Marquis fails to land with a series of punches.
Tavares tries to clinch there but Marquis circles away.
Marquis keeps the fight on the outside.
Tavares wants to clinch.

Tavares gets a clinch.
Marquis is working for takedown but Tavares is calmly controlling the position for now.
Marquis is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Marquis fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Tavares lands a knee to the body.
Marquis looks gassed!
Marquis looking for a takedown.
Max Tavares has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Joe Marquis.
Marquis misses with a hook to the ribs.
Tavares scores with a knee to the head.
A knee to the head by Tavares.

It looks like Joe Marquis has been cut.
Nice elbow from Tavares.
Tavares with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Tavares tries to land a knee to the head but Marquis blocks with his arms.

Tavares breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
A solid leg kick lands there for Tavares.
Tavares wants to clinch up but Marquis keeps it at a distance.
Tavares tries to clinch but Marquis moves out of range.

Tavares has closed the distance and engaged Marquis in a clinch.
Tavares with a knee to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Marquis with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Tavares.
A hook to the body from Tavares.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Marquis as Tavares tries to tie him up.
Tavares connects with a nasty looking knee right to Marquis's face.
Tavares has Marquis pressed against the cage, preventing Marquis from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Tavares wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Marquis takes a knee to the side of the body.
Marquis takes a knee right on the jaw!
Tavares with a knee to the head.
Tavares tries to break the clinch but Marquis is controlling the position.
Tavares looks to throw an elbow but misses.

Tavares breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Tavares tries to close the distance and clinch but Marquis swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Marquis misses with a leg kick
letting Tavares counter with a right hand.
Tavares lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Tavares uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Tavares works over Marquis's head and body with a nice combination.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tavares wants to clinch up but Marquis keeps it at a distance.
Marquis keeps the fight on the outside.
Tavares tries to clinch there but Marquis circles away.
Tavares looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Marquis swats away the attempt to clinch by Tavares.
Tavares tries to clinch up but Marquis circles away and keeps his distance.
Marquis chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Tavares can pounce on him.
Tavares lands with a kick to the temple. Marquis shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Tavares works over Marquis's head and body with a nice combination.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Tavares fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Marquis, pushing him back against the cage.

Tavares breaks from the clinch.

Tavares instigates a clinch.
Tavares lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Tavares is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Marquis is keeping busy.
Marquis wants to break the clinch but can't.
Tavares is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tavares tries to break the clinch but Marquis is controlling the position.
A frustrated look appears on Tavares's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Tavares misses with an elbow strike.
Tavares using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Marquis has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
A knee to the head by Tavares.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Tavares obliges.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Marquis is looking to break free of the clinch but Tavares has double underhooks.
Tavares prevents Marquis from breaking the clinch.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Tavares just misses with a elbow thrown towards Marquis's brow.
Marquis jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Tavares walks away with a smile on his face. Marquis gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Tavares scores with a decent looking hook.
Marquis avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Tavares chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Tavares tries to clinch up but Marquis circles away and keeps his distance.
Max Tavares seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Tavares tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Marquis paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Tavares tries to clinch up.
Tavares fails with an attempt to clinch.
Tavares is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Tavares fakes the leg kick and cracks Marquis in the body.
Tavares bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.
Tavares tries to close the distance and clinch up but Marquis swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Marquis changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Tavares tries to avoid it but Marquis manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Tavares to the ground. Tavares escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Tavares uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Tavares throws a head kick that Marquis semi-blocks.
Tavares throws out a powerful jab.
Tavares is looking to clinch but Marquis is avoiding it.
Tavares fakes the leg kick and cracks Marquis in the body.
Marquis avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Tavares tries to clinch but Marquis moves out of range.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Tavares lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Marquis misses with a takedown attempt - Tavares sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Marquis circles away from the clinch attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Max Tavares dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Joe Marquis's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Tavares tries to clinch there but Marquis circles away.
Left hook, right uppercut from Marquis.
Marquis throws a sloppy head kick
and Tavares counters with a nice kick to the body.
Marquis takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Tavares with a hook.
Tavares tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Max Tavares is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
The fight stays on the outside here - Tavares looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Tavares moves in looking to clinch but Marquis pushes him off.
Tavares lands a nice leg kick that just misses Marquis's sensitive parts.
Tavares is looking to clinch but Marquis is avoiding it.
Tavares tries to clinch up.
Marquis circles away from the clinch attempt.
Marquis is breathing heavily.
Marquis throws a series of punches but Tavares avoids them all with ease.
Tavares fakes the leg kick and cracks Marquis in the body.
Tavares tries to close the distance and clinch but Marquis swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Marquis shoots for a double leg takedown but Tavares sprawls well. He's pushed Marquis's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tavares tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Max Tavares is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Tavares fails in his attempt to clinch.
Tavares is looking to clinch but Marquis is avoiding it.
Max Tavares is winning the standup battle so far.
Marquis avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Tavares moves in looking to clinch but Marquis pushes him off.
Marquis takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Tavares moves in looking to clinch but Marquis pushes him off.
Tavares is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Marquis can do to turn this around?
A nice leg kick lands there from Tavares.
Marquis takes one to the chin there.
Marquis avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Tavares misses with a few strikes there.
Tavares moves in looking to clinch but Marquis pushes him off.
Marquis swats away the attempt to clinch by Tavares.
Tavares connects with a high kick.
Tavares tries to clinch up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tavares is looking to clinch but Marquis is avoiding it.
Tavares lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
A head kick from Tavares lands but Marquis takes it in his stride.
Tavares with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Tavares is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Marquis walks into a jab.
Tavares fails with an attempt to clinch.
Tavares lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.

Tavares fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Marquis, pushing him back against the cage.
Marquis's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Tavares is trying to maintain a safe position but Marquis gets an underhook and turns Tavares into the cage.

Tavares breaks from the clinch.
Tavares tries to clinch but Marquis is having none of it.
Tavares tries to clinch but Marquis is having none of it.
Tavares tries to close the distance and clinch up but Marquis swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Tavares tries to close the distance and clinch but Marquis swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Tavares goes for a high kick. It partially lands.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marquis on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Tavares works over Marquis's head and body with a nice combination.
Tavares doesn't manage to clinch there - Marquis circles away.
Tavares throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
Tavares throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Marquis takes one to the chin there.
Tavares tries to close the distance and clinch up but Marquis swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Tavares tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Marquis paws at him with a jab and circles away.
The fight stays on the outside here - Tavares looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Tavares lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
No joy there for Marquis, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Tavares tries to clinch up but Marquis circles away and keeps his distance.
Tavares tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Tavares closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Marquis tries to break free but Tavares pushes him back against the cage.
Tavares connects with a nasty looking knee right to Marquis's face.
Tavares creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Marquis's defenses.

Tavares breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Marquis avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Marquis avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Danga de danga de dang - Tavares scores with a four punch combination!
Marquis tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Tavares wants to clinch up but Marquis keeps it at a distance.
The fight stays on the outside here - Tavares looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Marquis takes a kick to the side of the head.
Tavares tries to clinch up but Marquis circles away and keeps his distance.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
The fight stays on the outside here - Tavares looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Tavares tries to close the distance and clinch up but Marquis swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Tavares wants to clinch up but Marquis keeps it at a distance.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Max Tavares dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Joe Marquis's cut.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Tavares is looking to clinch but Marquis is avoiding it.

Marquis darts in and clinches Tavares up against the cage.
A short body shot lands from Tavares as the two fighters clinch.
Tavares lands a knee to the head.
Marquis keeps control of Tavares as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Marquis has developed a nice purple lump on his ribcage, as a result of some heavy body kicks from Tavares.
Marquis keeps control of Tavares as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Tavares looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Tavares looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Tavares is looking to control Marquis's arms but Marquis gets an underhook and turns him. Now Tavares has his back to the cage.
Tavares lands an elbow inside.
Marquis is looking to break free of the clinch but Tavares has double underhooks.
Tavares tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Tavares taking a breather.
Tavares with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.

Tavares manages to break the clinch.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Marquis shoots in looking for a takedown. Tavares tries to sprawl out of it but Marquis keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Tavares manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Tavares is looking to clinch.
Tavares tries to clinch up but Marquis circles away and keeps his distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tavares thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Marquis if he has to take too many more of those.
Marquis is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Tavares doesn't manage to clinch there - Marquis circles away.
Tavares cracks the inside of Marquis's front leg.
Tavares tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Tavares tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Tavares lets loose with a powerful body kick. Marquis will feel that in the morning.
Tavares tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Tavares tries to clinch up but Marquis circles away and keeps his distance.
Tavares lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Tavares pushes Marquis away with a front kick.
Marquis fails in his attempt to clinch.

Tavares gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Tavares breaks from the clinch.
Tavares tries to clinch up but Marquis circles away and keeps his distance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tavares is looking to clinch but Marquis is avoiding it.
Tavares tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Marquis shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Marquis wants to control the pace but Tavares is squirming around nicely.
Marquis misses with a head shot.
Tavares is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.
Marquis content just to control the position here.

Marquis working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Tavares is trying to get back to his feet but can't.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marquis fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Marquis in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Marquis is landing with some decent strikes but Tavares is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Tavares blocking the ground and pound.
Max Tavares is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Tavares is trying to stand up.
Marquis looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Marquis has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Marquis punching from mount but Tavares doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Marquis sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Tavares is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.

That's four 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.
Marquis looking to finish Tavares with some ground and pound. This is bad for Tavares!
Marquis sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Marquis looking to control and managing it successfully.
Joe Marquis has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Marquis connects with a couple of good shots from mount.

Marquis looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
Tavares wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Max Tavares showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Tavares, 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 Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 30:25
Judge Seu Braga scores the fight 30:25
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 30:26

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Max Tavares!