PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Jim Foster (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Craig Marduk (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Marduk has chosen DMX - Intro as his entrance music. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Foster
vs
Marduk

184 cm
19
210 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

189 cm
22
203 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

Team S.W.A.T.

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Jim Foster!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Craig Marduk!
The judges for this bout are Reed Andrews, Jonathan Paton and Joseph Jones.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Marduk keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.

Foster clinches up with Marduk and pushes him back against the ropes.
Marduk goes for a takedown in the clinch but Foster prevents it.
Marduk tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

Foster breaks the clinch.
Marduk tries for a takedown but Foster circles away easily
and Foster counters with a leg kick.
Jim Foster has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Craig Marduk.
Marduk shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Marduk is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Foster.
Marduk with a lazy takedown attempt

and Foster counters by clinching up.

Foster breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Foster has closed the distance and engaged Marduk in a clinch.

Foster breaks the clinch.
Foster fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Marduk manages to avoid it.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Marduk drives through with a takedown into guard.
Foster is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Marduk scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Marduk throwing strikes from guard but Foster blocks nicely.
Foster not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Foster bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Marduk's guard.
Foster throwing strikes but missing.
Foster keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Marduk's head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Marduk working for a triangle but Foster defends it easily.
Foster won't allow Marduk to sweep him here.
Foster pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Marduk is keeping the position for now.

Marduk is looking for a triangle but Foster pushes his legs off easily.
Marduk looks gassed!
Foster pushing down on Marduk's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marduk is trying to control but Foster manages to pass to mount!
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Marduk throwing hammer fists to the chest of Foster. What's that going to do exactly?
Foster has his opponent pinned against the ropes, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Marduk's face.
Foster landing strikes, looking to finish!
Foster lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Marduk is bucking up trying to escape but Foster cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Marduk is desperately trying to improve his position but Foster has a good base and remains in mount.
A nice elbow there by Foster.
Foster lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Marduk hang on?

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Foster is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Marduk can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Foster landing strikes from the mount and Marduk is in trouble!
Foster trying to control but Marduk is having none of it.
Marduk is trying desperately to improve position.
Foster landing strikes, looking to finish!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Foster lands a big shot there that rocks Marduk but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Foster prevents Marduk from getting the reversal.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jim Foster dominated that round.
That's time! Foster's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Marduk tries to land a body kick

and Foster holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Foster has Marduk pressed against the ropes.
A short body shot lands from Foster as the two fighters clinch.

Marduk pulls guard.
Foster scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Foster has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Foster tries to free his leg and advance position but Marduk is retaining full guard.
Foster throwing strikes from guard but Marduk blocks nicely.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Marduk looking to control but Foster passes into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Marduk misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Marduk works his way to full guard. Good work.
Marduk looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Foster throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Marduk works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Marduk throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Marduk wants to sweep here but Foster controlling him for the moment.
Marduk working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Foster.
Marduk is trying to control the position from the bottom.

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.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Foster looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

Foster forces Marduk back against the ropes and clinches.
Marduk wants a takedown.
Marduk is breathing heavily.
Marduk wants a takedown but no success here.
Marduk tries for a takedown but Foster manages to get underhooks.
Jim Foster has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Craig Marduk.

Foster pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Foster misses with a series of wild punches.

Foster gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Marduk is working for a takedown up against the ropes. He can't get it on this occasion though.

Foster is trying to trip Marduk. He has hold of a leg but Marduk is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Foster persists though and gets the takedown into guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Marduk is looking for a triangle but Foster pushes his legs off easily.
Foster wants to pass the guard but Marduk is keeping the position.
Foster wants to control from the top but Marduk keeps moving.
Foster advances to half guard.
Nice strikes from Foster there.
Foster blocks the strikes from Marduk.

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

Foster is looking for a kimura but Marduk is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Foster to get the leverage.

Foster is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Foster wants to advance to full mount but Marduk doesn't think that's going to happen and regains full guard instead.
Marduk is looking to stand up but Foster isn't so interested in that idea.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Foster slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jim Foster dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Marduk swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Foster counters with a nice body shot.
Foster thuds his right hand into Marduk's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Foster circles away from the clinch attempt

and Foster counters by clinching up.

Foster escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Marduk looks to clinch

and Foster holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Marduk drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Foster lands a body punch in the clinch.
Marduk fails to pull guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Foster's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Foster lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Marduk backs up against the ropes.
Foster misses with a few strikes there.
Marduk shoots and misses
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Jim Foster has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Craig Marduk.
Marduk takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Marduk moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Marduk jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Marduk throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Marduk takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Good leg kick by Foster there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.

Foster closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Marduk to the mat! Marduk manages to get full guard.
Foster missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Marduk keeping moving, preventing Foster from controlling successfully.
Foster lands a couple of digs.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Foster drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Foster jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Foster wants to pass the guard but Marduk is keeping the position.
Foster trying to control but Marduk is working from the bottom.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Marduk looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Foster tries to free his leg and advance position but Marduk is retaining full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Marduk misses with a takedown attempt
and Foster counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Jim Foster is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Foster closes the distance and clinches.
A body shot lands from Foster.
Craig Marduk has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Marduk changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Foster fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Foster lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Foster.

Foster clinches with his opponent.

Foster has clasped his hands together around Marduk's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
Marduk is looking to reverse the position.

Foster is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Marduk has escaped the position, nice work there.
Marduk is working to avoid the ground and pound but Foster connects with a decent elbow.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Foster is looking to take a break and control but Marduk is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Marduk throws a couple of strikes even though he's not really in a good position to do so.
Jim Foster is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Marduk regains half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jim Foster showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Foster has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Reed Andrews scores the fight for Jim Foster!
Judge Jonathan Paton scores the fight for Jim Foster!
Judge Joseph Jones scores the fight for Jim Foster!

Jim Foster wins by unanimous decision!