PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Marcus Falaris (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Thiago Costa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Falaris
vs
Costa

200 cm
22
190 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

183 cm
21
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Determined

SCP Fight Gear

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Marcus Falaris!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Thiago Costa!
The judges for this bout are Thiago Cunha, Seu Braga and Leandro Rodrigues.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Costa fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Falaris misses with a head kick.
Falaris lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Falaris stuffs the takedown attempt from Costa. Costa gets slowly back to his feet.
Costa tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Falaris keeps the fight on the outside.
Falaris throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Falaris plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Costa throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Falaris's waist but Falaris gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Costa off to one side.
Marcus Falaris has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Thiago Costa.
A solid leg kick lands there for Falaris.
Falaris wants to clinch.
Falaris has a takedown stuffed.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Falaris feints and then cracks Costa's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Costa down.
Costa doesn't manage to clinch there - Falaris circles away.

Costa gets the takedown into side control.
Costa tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
You can see the frustration on Falaris's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Costa trying to control the action but Falaris is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Falaris knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Costa on the ground.
You can see the frustration on Falaris's face as Costa controls the position.
Falaris tries to buck Costa off but Costa is having none of it.
Costa tries to advance to mount but Falaris denies him.
Costa is looking to take a break and control but Falaris is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Costa looks gassed!

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Costa moves in looking to clinch but Falaris pushes him off.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Costa throws a head kick that misses
and Falaris counters with a two punch combo.
Falaris goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Falaris looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Costa is fending him off so far but Falaris persists. Nope, Costa circles away and we're back to standing.
Falaris really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Costa tries to clinch up but Falaris circles away and keeps his distance.
Falaris tries to clinch up.
Costa tries to close the distance and clinch but Falaris swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Falaris throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Costa.
Falaris throws a head kick but Costa moves out of range.
Costa tries to clinch but Falaris is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Falaris swats away the attempt to clinch by Costa.
Falaris wants to clinch.
Falaris throws a head kick that half lands.
Costa misses with a takedown attempt - Falaris sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
A head kick by Costa misses
and Falaris counters with a head kick.
Costa fails with a takedown attempt.
Falaris keeps the fight on the outside.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Marcus Falaris dominated that round.
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.

Costa on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Falaris lands with a slapping head kick.
Falaris is looking to clinch.
Falaris connects with a high kick.
Costa shoots in but Falaris avoids the takedown attempt easily.
The fight stays on the outside here - Falaris looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Costa clinches.
Costa is breathing heavily.
Costa is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Costa breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Nice takedown defense from Costa. No joy for Falaris on that attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A nice inside leg kick there by Falaris. That's going to slow Costa down.
Falaris tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Marcus Falaris is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Falaris misses with a takedown

and Costa counters by clinching up.
Falaris wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

Costa manages to break the clinch.
Costa misses with a kick to the body
and Falaris counters with a nice leg kick.
Falaris fails with the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Marcus Falaris. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Costa will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Falaris is looking to slow Costa down with leg kicks.
Falaris connects with a high kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Falaris stuffs the takedown.
Falaris plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Costa takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Costa takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Costa takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Falaris lands a head kick!
Falaris wants to clinch.
Falaris is looking to clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A head kick from Falaris lands but Costa takes it in his stride.
Costa takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Costa is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Costa shoots for a takedown but Falaris saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Falaris goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Falaris throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Costa.
Falaris scores with a head kick.
Costa has a takedown stuffed.
Falaris throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Costa's head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Costa takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Falaris shoots for a takedown but Costa saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Falaris throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Falaris throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Costa.
Costa throws a combination that misses
and Falaris counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Costa tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Nice sprawl there from Costa as Falaris shoots in.
Costa takes a head kick and keeps coming.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Costa takes one on the button.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Marcus Falaris dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're 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.

Falaris avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Costa misses with a hook to the body
and Falaris counters with a head kick.

Costa drives through and clinches with Falaris against the cage.

Costa gets control of Falaris's arms and successfully pulls guard. Costa will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Falaris won't allow Costa to sweep him here.
Costa throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Falaris controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Falaris stopping the sweep attempt from Costa.
Costa takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Costa has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Falaris off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Costa throws a lazy body kick
and Falaris counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Falaris fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Falaris shoots in but Costa avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Falaris lands with a slapping head kick.
Costa misses the body punch
and Falaris counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Costa is lucky that one didn't land flush.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Falaris misses with a head kick.

Costa darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Falaris controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.
Falaris avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Costa.
Costa is trying to get back to his feet now but his leg is trapped.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Falaris is trying to maintain the position but Costa is very close to passing his half guard.
Falaris won't allow Costa to pass to mount.
Falaris is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.
Costa wants to stand up but Falaris is controlling the position.
Falaris trying to control from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Falaris throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Falaris fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Costa.
Marcus Falaris is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Costa darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Costa is trying to get back to his feet now but his leg is trapped.
Costa is looking to stall here but Falaris recovers full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Costa trying to control the position from guard on top but Falaris is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

And that's the end of the fight!
Thiago Costa comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Falaris has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Thiago Cunha scores the fight 29:28
Judge Seu Braga scores the fight 29:28
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Marcus Falaris!