PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Markus Justice (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Best Fighter (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Markus Justice has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Justice
vs
Fighter

182 cm
18
170 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

170 cm
23
170 lbs
1 - 1 - 1

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Markus Justice!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 1, fighting out of New York, Best Fighter!
The judges for this bout are Dean Styles, Alyssa Summers and Joseph Jones.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Fighter misses with a hook.
Justice stalks Fighter and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Fighter's face. Fighter staggers backwards, shaken.

It looks like Best Fighter has been cut.
Fighter rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Justice moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

Fighter shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Justice trying to hold on to Fighter's head to control him but Fighter postures up.
Justice is looking to improve his position.
Justice is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Fighter's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Fighter's back!

Justice is working really hard to secure the rear naked choke. Fighter defends successfully for a significant amount of time. Both fighters are looking very determined.
Justice missing with strikes from the back.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fighter has hold of Justice's arm. He needs to escape this position sooner or later but for now he's happy enough to control the position and prevent the submission attempts.
Justice trying to control momentarily.
Fighter wants to escape the position but for the time being he's just trying to control the pace.
Justice gets his hands free as Fighter looks to control.
You can see the frustration on Fighter's face… He knows he is in trouble unless he improves his position sooner rather than later.
Justice gets his hands free as Fighter looks to control.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Fighter prevents Justice from getting a body triangle.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Fighter looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.
Justice will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Fighter looking very determined here, making life difficult for Justice.
Fighter tries to break free.
Fighter has hold of Justice's arm. He needs to escape this position sooner or later but for now he's happy enough to control the position and prevent the submission attempts.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Will Justice go for the finish here or will he try and keep control of the position?

Fighter manages to get to his feet, escaping the difficult position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Justice shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Fighter eats them both and turns towards Justice to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Justice blocks a head kick by Fighter.
Fighter will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Fighter looks gassed!

Fighter drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Fighter trying to control but Justice is working from the bottom.
Justice is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Justice is really struggling to control Fighter but he's trying to hold on to the position.
Justice tries to land a sweep but no joy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Justice punching from the bottom - just letting Fighter know he's still in a fight.
Justice trying to control the position here.
Fighter trying to control but Justice is working from the bottom.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Fighter throws and elbow that misses. Justice uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Fighter's guard. Nice move by Justice!
Fighter wants to control the position but Justice says "no thanks buddy" and passes to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Markus Justice will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Best Fighter's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Justice closes this distance looking for a takedown but Fighter circles away.

Fighter has Justice up against the cage in a clinch.
Justice can't break the clinch.

Fighter breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Justice bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Fighter's head.
Fighter fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Justice swinging wildly here.
Justice lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Justice fails to land with a series of punches.
Fighter is breathing heavily.

Justice tries to sprawl but Fighter drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Fighter not doing much here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Fighter seems to be working for a kimura but Justice defends the submission attempt.
Justice is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Justice is working hard here to advance position.
Fighter is keen to just control but Justice is a slippery customer.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Justice is controlling Fighter's trapped leg to prevent Fighter from advancing to side control.
Still in half guard, Fighter seems content to control.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Fighter is trying to control the action in half guard but Justice is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Best Fighter hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Donk. Justice catches Fighter right on the button with a cross.
Markus Justice is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Justice lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Justice throws a series of punches but Fighter avoids them all with ease.
No joy there for Justice, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Justice lands a really nice looking cross but Fighter seems unphased.
Justice throws a series of punches but Fighter moves out of range.

Fighter shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fighter looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Justice trying to hold on to Fighter's head to control him but Fighter postures up.
Fighter seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Justice is looking to improve his 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.
Fighter not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.

Fighter is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Justice is looking to control Fighter's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Justice avoid being mounted?
Justice is doing well to control the position and prevent Fighter from advancing to side control.

Fighter is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Best Fighter showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Best Fighter's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Justice tries to bum rush Fighter with a series of wild strikes but Fighter uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Justice is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
Justice throws a left and a right that both miss
and Fighter counters with a nice leg kick.

Fighter closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Fighter lands in his opponent's guard.
Fighter wants to control from the top but Justice keeps moving.
Justice not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Justice pulls Fighter in close to prevent any damage.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Justice wants to sweep but no luck.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fighter wants to control from the top but Justice keeps moving.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.

Best Fighter has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.

Fighter scores with a takedown into Justice's guard.
Fighter advances position into side control!
Fighter wants to control but Justice is keeping him busy.
Justice is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fighter content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
Justice bucks up and tries to throw Fighter off but instead Fighter has got his back!

Fighter patiently working for the choke. Which fighter will keep their nerve here?
Fighter not allowing Justice to control his hands.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Fighter working for a choke but Justice is defending well.
Justice tries to escape but Fighter has the hooks in and won't let him break free.

Fighter looking to break Justice's wrist control so he can sink in the choke. Justice remaining controlled and patient though - he really has to keep calm otherwise Fighter will wrap this one up with the rear naked choke!
Justice breaks Fighter's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
Fighter is trying to control the position but Justice postures up.

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.
Justice cracks Fighter with a solid left hand.
Fighter has control of Justice's left arm, preventing Justice from doing any damage.

Fighter looking for a guillotine here but Justice defends easily.
Fighter wants to get back to his feet but Justice is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Justice thows a big elbow that misses.

And that's the end of the fight!
Best Fighter comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Fighter 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 Dean Styles scores the fight 28:29
Judge Alyssa Summers scores the fight 28:29
Judge Joseph Jones scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Best Fighter!