PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Marcus Lawrence (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jason Steele (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Lawrence comes to the cage accompanied by MAO~. Steele has chosen The Terminator Theme as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Rumors backstage are that the fighters have been paid to keep it standing but we know that would never happen in MMA!

Lawrence
vs
Steele

177 cm
26
182 lbs
10 - 5 - 0

179 cm
23
175 lbs
10 - 6 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Excellent boxer
Very strong

ADCC Champion
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

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 10 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Marcus Lawrence!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Jason Steele!
The judges for this bout are Paulo Santos, Edson Gomes and Felipe Paraventi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A big right from Lawrence misses.
Lawrence lands with a right hand.
Lawrence misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Steele.
Lawrence connects with a single shot there.
Lawrence misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Steele.
Lawrence misses with a looping right.
Steele slips under a jab from Lawrence.
Lawrence throws a hook but Steele blocks it.
Lawrence misses the jab.
Steele fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Lawrence manages to avoid it.
Lawrence looks to throw the jab but Steele is out of range.
Steele slips under a jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Steele throws a right and a left that both miss.
Lawrence slips a jab from Steele.
Lawrence misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Steele cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Lawrence is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Steele.
Lawrence uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Steele.
Lawrence takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Steele lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Steele's jab looks to have found its range, popping Lawrence under the eye.
Marcus Lawrence seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Steele ducks under a wild hook from Lawrence.

Steele closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Lawrence quickly recovers to half guard.

Steele is looking for a kimura here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Steele lands a nice short elbow.
Steele winds up and cracks Lawrence with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Steele missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Steele thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Steele thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Lawrence's head.

Steele is looking for a kimura but Lawrence is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Steele to get the leverage.
Steele working Lawrence over with strikes.
Lawrence is trying to maintain the position but Steele is very close to passing his half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lawrence is not content to let Steele control the position.
Steele is stalling here. Lawrence is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Steele seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Lawrence has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
Steele is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.

Steele looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Steele is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

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.
Steele works his way to full guard. Good work.

Steele looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Lawrence stopping the sweep attempt from Steele.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jason Steele dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Steele cracks Lawrence with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Lawrence misses with a jab to the body

and Steele counters with a single leg into guard. Lawrence didn't expect that.
Steele landing with the ground and pound.
Steele working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Steele missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Steele postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Steele throws and elbow that misses. Lawrence uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Steele's guard. Nice move by Lawrence!

Steele is looking for a triangle here but Lawrence uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Steele gets back to half guard.
Steele is looking to control Lawrence's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Steele avoid being mounted?
Steele might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Lawrence kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Lawrence looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Lawrence trying to control the action but Steele is working from the bottom.
Steele slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Lawrence has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Steele escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Lawrence gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Lawrence accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Steele looking for a sweep. Not yet Steele, not yet.
Lawrence controlling from the top position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Lawrence won't allow Steele to sweep him here.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.

Steele is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Lawrence defends well.
Lawrence postures up.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Lawrence wants to control from the top but Steele keeps moving.

Steele is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jason Steele showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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.

Steele ducks under a wild hook from Lawrence.
Lawrence throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Lawrence changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Lawrence misses with a combination
and Steele counters with a three punch combo that has Lawrence backing up. Lawrence nods at Steele to acknowledge the strikes.
Lawrence works over Steele's head and body with a nice combination.
Lawrence throws a hook but Steele blocks it.
Lawrence uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Steele.
Lawrence swings away with a body shot that misses

and Steele counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Lawrence!

That's one minute gone in the round.

Steele goes for an armbar but Lawrence turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from Lawrence.
Lawrence wants to control from the top but Steele keeps moving.

Steele throws his legs up looking for a submission but Lawrence uses it to pass to side control.
Steele is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Steele is pressing down on Lawrence's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Steele lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Lawrence!
Steele throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Steele is landing with some decent strikes but Lawrence is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Steele postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Lawrence looks a forlorn figure.

Steele swings around for an armbar but it's a sloppy attempt and Lawrence is now in Steele's guard. A big mistake from Steele there, giving up the dominant position!
Marcus Lawrence has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Steele tries to land a sweep but no joy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Steele manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Lawrence manages to get himself to full guard.
Steele is in close to Lawrence's body, working some short punches and elbows.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Steele accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Steele with a flurry of punches that miss.
Lawrence utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Jason Steele is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Steele working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Lawrence's head.
Steele trying to control but Lawrence is working from the bottom.
Steele postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Steele controls from within his opponent's guard.
Steele trying to control but Lawrence is working from the bottom.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Steele working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jason Steele comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Steele winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Paulo Santos scores the fight 27:30
Judge Edson Gomes scores the fight 27:30
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jason Steele!