PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Tanaka Matsuda (ranked 710 p4p, 1207 weight class) and Luka Marka (ranked 109 p4p, 190 weight class). Matsuda's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Avenged Sevenfold - Hail to the King. Marka has chosen The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly 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.

Matsuda
vs
Marka

190 cm
24
200
11 - 3 - 0

180 cm
24
185
8 - 4 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Olympic wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Brooklyn Apothecary
Brooklyn Threads

Hardcore Alchemy
HARDCORE Threads

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 11 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Tanaka Matsuda!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 4 - 0, fighting out of New York, Luka Marka!
The judges for this bout are Steve Erwin, Skip Squint and Ben Hemmingworth.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Marka stuns Matsuda with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Marka throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Matsuda has been working on his boxing with his coaches at Gunner's School of Combat in the buildup to the fight.
Marka connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Luka Marka seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Nice shot lands for Marka.
Marka gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Matsuda.
A cross from Marka lands.

Marka fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Matsuda to the ground. Marka is now in Matsuda's guard.
Matsuda wants to improve his position but instead Marka has moved into half guard.
Marka misses with a head shot. Matsuda uses the momentum to regain guard.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Marka is fighting to break Matsuda's control of his arms but Matsuda is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Matsuda is trying to control the position but Marka postures up.

Marka avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

Matsuda had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Marka defends it easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Marka wants to control from the top but Matsuda keeps moving.
Marka stands up over Matsuda, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Marka sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Matsuda's guard.
Marka is looking to advance position but Matsuda won't allow it.
Marka winds up and cracks Matsuda with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Marka thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Marka thows a huge punch but Matsuda dodges it nicely.

Matsuda is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Marka pulls his head out easily.
Marka thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Matsuda's head.
Marka prevents Matsuda from improving his position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Matsuda controlling the position for now.
Marka missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Marka tries to pass to full mount but Matsuda defends it.
Matsuda is looking to control Marka's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Matsuda avoid being mounted?
Matsuda gets back to full guard.
Marka pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Matsuda is keeping the position for now.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Matsuda is looking for a triangle but Marka pushes his legs off easily.
Marka tries to free his leg and advance position but Matsuda is retaining full guard.
Marka postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marka throwing strikes from guard but Matsuda blocks nicely.
Marka throws a strike but Matsuda rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Marka is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Matsuda scoring with some ground and pound.
Marka looking to hit a scissor sweep but Matsuda is one step ahead there.
Marka is looking to sweep but instead, Matsuda has passed into half guard.
Matsuda lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Marka tries to regain full guard. Instead though, Matsuda has advanced to mount. Uh oh.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Matsuda lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Marka tries to reverse the position but Matsuda maintains control.
Marka slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Matsuda lands strikes from half guard.
Matsuda working Marka over with strikes.
Marka is trying to get back to full guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Matsuda is looking to stall here but Marka recovers full guard.
Marka keeping full guard, as Matsuda tries to pass.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Luka Marka will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Marka tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Matsuda swivels and escapes.
Marka shoots in for a takedown but Matsuda shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Matsuda ducks right into an uppercut from Marka.
Marka avoids the body shot from Matsuda.
Matsuda misses with a straight left.
Matsuda displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Marka throws out the jab.
Marka lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Marka swings for the body but Matsuda moves out of range.
Matsuda throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Matsuda lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Matsuda misses with a hook. Marka ducked under it nicely.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Marka feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Matsuda preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Marka pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Matsuda is keeping the position for now.

Matsuda throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Matsuda looking for a sweep. Not yet Matsuda, not yet.
Marka cracks Matsuda with a solid left hand.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Matsuda is on top in guard.

Marka lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Marka working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Matsuda working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Marka.
Marka must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Matsuda is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Marka's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Matsuda looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Marka working some strikes from top position.
Luka Marka has got the better of the ground game so far.
Matsuda manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Marka manages to get himself to full guard.

Matsuda trying to move into half guard but instead Marka has managed to sweep!

Matsuda is trying to control the position from the bottom.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Marka accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Marka postures up in Matsuda's guard and throws a big left but Matsuda blocks it.
Matsuda looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.

Marka throws a sloppy strike and Matsuda has hooked up an armbar on the loose arm! He's turned and extended fully! Marka is forced to tap! Great BJJ from Matsuda!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:57 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Tanaka Matsuda!
A victorious Tanaka Matsuda thanked his army of followers in his post fight interview, telling people to make sure they follow him on Twitter.
The defeated Luka Marka had this to say: 'Luka Marka took an IQ test today and scored 112.'.