PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Marcelo Garcia (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jim Bang (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). This should be fireworks!

Garcia
vs
Bang

170 cm
18
152 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

177 cm
19
140 lbs
2 - 4 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Marcelo Garcia!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Jim Bang!
The judges for this bout are Matheus Silva, Edson Gomes and Thiago Cunha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Garcia shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Bang as he avoids it easily.
Garcia throws a series of punches but Bang moves out of range.
Garcia fails with the takedown.
Garcia throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Bang's waist but Bang gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Garcia off to one side.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Marcelo Garcia. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Garcia tries to close the distance and clinch but Bang swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Bang lands a head kick. Garcia smiles back at him and beckons him forward.

It looks like Marcelo Garcia has been cut.

Bang gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Garcia not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

Garcia drops back looking for a leg! Bang is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Bang manages to kick Garcia off! Garcia jumps back into Bang's guard.
Garcia throws and elbow that misses. Bang uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Garcia's guard. Nice move by Bang!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Garcia keeping moving, preventing Bang from controlling successfully.
Garcia trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Bang must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Bang wants to control from the top but Garcia keeps moving.
Garcia will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Bang tries to free his leg and advance position but Garcia is retaining full guard.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Garcia tries to clinch there but Bang circles away.
Garcia is breathing heavily.
Bang doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Garcia counters with a shoot takedown. Bang fights it but they end up in guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Garcia wants to control from the top but Bang keeps moving.
Bang tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Bang trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Bang keeping full guard, as Garcia tries to pass.
Garcia is pushing down on Bang's leg trying to pass to half guard. Bang is fighting to maintain full guard but Garcia has managed to sneak the leg through.

Garcia is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Garcia has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
The fighters are battling for position here. Bang manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Garcia preventing the sweep.
Garcia working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

Bang wriggles free and stands up.

Bang shoots in and bounces Garcia off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Garcia not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Bang trying to control but Garcia is working from the bottom.
Bang is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Bang sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Garcia's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Garcia is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Bang trying to control the action but Garcia is working from the bottom.
Garcia trying to get back to full guard but Bang takes advantage of the position and moves to full mount!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Jim Bang will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Marcelo Garcia's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Bang fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Garcia wants to clinch.
Garcia shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Bang counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Bang.
Garcia has his hands on Bang's head, controlling the position.

Bang stands up from Garcia's guard - Bang perhaps looking for a knockout.

Bang shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Garcia is trying to get back to full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Garcia is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Bang pulls his head out easily.
Bang wants to lay and pray for a moment but Garcia keeps working.
Garcia wants to control but Bang is keeping busy.

That's two 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.
Bang is trying to get back to his feet now but his leg is trapped.
Garcia makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Garcia.
Bang preventing the sweep.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Bang wants to clinch.
Garcia fails with the takedown

and Bang counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Garcia's guard now.

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Garcia is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Bang off and has taken his back!
Garcia lands punches and elbows.

Garcia working for a RNC but it's not happening just yet.
Garcia thows a strike but Bang uses the opportunity to reverse the position! Great move by Bang as he ends up in Garcia 's guard!
Garcia is trying to control the position but Bang postures up.

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.
Garcia looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Garcia trying to strike off his back.
Garcia throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Garcia throwing strikes off his back to little effect.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Garcia takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.

Bang looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Garcia!
Garcia is working to get back to half guard.
Garcia throwing punches despite being mounted.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jim Bang showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Marcelo Garcia's cut.
That's time! Garcia's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Garcia bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Garcia trying to control the action but Bang is working from the bottom.
Bang tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Garcia wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
You can see the frustration on Bang's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

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

Garcia is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Bang is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Garcia tries to advance to mount but can't.

Garcia is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Bang has escaped the position, nice work there.
Garcia trying to control the position but Bang is working away.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Garcia clinches but Bang breaks the clinch

and Bang counters with a nice double leg into side control. Garcia won't be happy with that.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Bang has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.

Bang clinches up with Garcia and pushes him back against the cage.
Bang fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Bang lands with a left to the head.
Garcia looking for a takedown.

Bang has picked Garcia up - he's going for a ride! Bang dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Garcia punching from the bottom.
Garcia tries to roll over but Bang keeps him under control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Garcia is working hard here to advance position.
Bang prevents Garcia from standing back up.
Garcia has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Bang is working away from the top position though.
Garcia is looking for a sweep. Bang is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Bang scores with a takedown into Garcia's guard.
Marcelo Garcia has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bang stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Garcia swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Garcia is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Bang stopping the sweep attempt from Garcia.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Jim Bang is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Bang is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jim Bang comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Bang has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Matheus Silva scores the fight 27:30
Judge Edson Gomes scores the fight 27:30
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jim Bang!