PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Marcel Mandic (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Urijah Faber (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Well, I have no idea who's going to take this one!

Mandic
vs
Faber

225 cm
22
132 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

168 cm
19
141 lbs
3 - 5 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Great low kicks
Very strong

BJJ White Belt
Counter striker
Solid chin

Malicious Intent Fight Gear

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 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Marcel Mandic!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Urijah Faber!
The judges for this bout are Stewart Dunkirk, Alan Glass and Gwen Towbar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mandic throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Mandic really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Mandic throws a sloppy head kick and Faber moves out of range easily.
A jab lands there for Mandic.
Oh, that's a big right hand from Mandic and Faber goes tumbling to the canvas! Mandic follows him to the ground and looks to finish from half guard.

Faber is rocked!
Mandic tries to stand and escape but Faber is controlling the position.
Faber is still in real trouble! Can Mandic finish him?
Faber wants to get back to full guard.
Faber trying to keep hold of his opponent's head but Mandic manages to pass to mount!
Faber seems to have recovered his senses.
Faber tries to control Mandic's body but Mandic pushes him off. Faber squirms to his side and now Mandic has his back!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Faber turns into Mandic and is now in his guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Faber prevents Mandic from getting back to his feet.
Mandic preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Faber stands up over Mandic, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Faber sitting in guard here, content to control.
Faber passes Mandic's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Faber has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Mandic is trying to stand.
Mandic knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Faber on the ground.
Faber wants to control but Mandic is keeping him busy.

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.
Faber moves nicely into side control.
Faber cracks Mandic with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Faber working the body and head with strikes.
Faber landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Faber controls the position.
Mandic wants to get back to his feet but Faber drags him back down.
Mandic is breathing heavily.
Faber cracks Mandic with a big elbow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mandic taking punishment in the form of punches.

Faber thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Mandic taking a bit of punishment here - Faber scoring with strikes.
Faber advances to mount.
Faber unloading with bombs!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Faber looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.

Faber is working for a guillotine from mount but Mandic frees his head quite easily.
Faber is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Mandic can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Faber lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Mandic hang on?
Faber looking to control and managing it successfully.
Faber scoring with strikes but Mandic is staying in there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Urijah Faber dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Mandic throws a head kick that looked like it stung.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Faber.
Faber looks up at the clock and then as Mandic takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Faber smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Mandic avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Faber.

Faber tries for a kimura but Mandic is defending well.
Faber lands a nice forearm strike.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mandic is not content to let Faber control the position.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Faber is chipping away with strikes.
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.

Faber wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Mandic, who protects the arm well.

Faber decides to stand back up. Faber steps back and let's Mandic get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mandic throws a head kick that half lands.

Faber scores with a takedown into Mandic's guard.
Faber controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Faber wants to control from the top but Mandic keeps moving.
Mandic wants to stand up but Faber is controlling him.
Faber working some strikes from top position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Mandic is working an open guard so Faber takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Mandic throws a series of punches but Faber avoids them all with ease.
Mandic knocks Faber to the floor with a head kick! Can he finish him!?
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Faber can do anything to dispel that myth.
Faber sneaks back into half guard.
Faber regains full guard. Nicely done.

Faber had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Mandic is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Faber Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Mandic's back instead.
Mandic is trying to get back to his feet but he's not managed it yet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mandic grimaces as he takes a shot to the body.
Faber has Mandic flattened out and is raining down punches.
Faber lands punches and elbows.
Faber is looking to finish with some ground and pound!
The crowd hopeful of a finish here - Faber's supporters are on their feet, screaming for him to go for the rear naked choke.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Mandic controlling the position well but he knows he's in a bad position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Urijah Faber 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. This is the final round!

Mandic tries a head kick but it misses.
Faber avoids the head kick by Mandic.
Mandic tries a head kick but it misses.
Mandic loads up on a big right hand but Faber slips the punch.

Faber closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Faber lands in his opponent's guard.
Faber sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Mandic's guard.
Faber frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Faber with good strikes from the mount here!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Faber wants to control the pace but Mandic is squirming around nicely.
Faber takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Mandic takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Mandic is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.
Mandic taking shots to the head.
Mandic is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.
Faber throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Faber scoring with strikes but Mandic is staying in there.
Mandic is trying to get back to his feet but can't.
Faber tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Faber trying to control but he's not successful this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Faber is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Faber looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Faber tries to control but Mandic wriggling away.
Faber scoring with strikes but Mandic is staying in there.
Mandic is trying to stand up.
Faber breaks from Mandic's wrist control and lands an elbow.

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.
Faber can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Mandic is looking to escape.
Faber with a couple of short strikes.
Faber controlling the position easily from mount.
Marcel Mandic has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Faber looking to finish Mandic with some ground and pound. This is bad for Mandic!

And that's the end of the fight!
Urijah Faber comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Faber 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 Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 27:30
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 27:30
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Urijah Faber!