PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Mareth Line (ranked 461 p4p, 275 weight class) and Manco Capac (ranked 63 p4p, 40 weight class). Capac has chosen Iggy Pop - The Passenger as his entrance music. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Line
vs
Capac

180 cm
35
175
17 - 8 - 0

180 cm
29
170
19 - 14 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Excellent grappler
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

New Standard

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 17 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Mareth Line!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 19 - 14 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Manco Capac!
The judges for this bout are Tatsuya Matsuyama, Yuuki Gou and Sosuke Kotani.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Line takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Capac is trying hard to land a takedown here. Line sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Line throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Line keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
It looked like Line wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Capac throws a body punch but Line moves out of range.
Capac checks the leg kick nicely there.
Capac takes a swing at Line's ribcage but misses.
A quick step to the side and Line tries to counter with a shot to the body but it doesn't connect.
Capac tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Line looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Line swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Capac throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Line fires out a quick counter leg kick but Capac just manages to avoid it.
Capac misses with a left hand
and Line counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Capac misses with a body shot
and Line cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Line misses with a kick to the body.
Capac misses the shot to the body.
Capac shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Line sprawls well. Line wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Capac gets slowly back to his feet.
And Line counters with a quick kick to the body but Capac blocks it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Line throws a hook to the side of Capac's head but Capac sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Line paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Line pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Capac scores with a punch to the head.
Line catches Capac with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Capac ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Line moves away.
Line uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Capac.
Line tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Capac was well out of range. Poor timing from Line.
Capac appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.

Capac throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Line tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Capac is in Line's guard.
Capac wants to control from the top but Line keeps moving.
Line is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Capac in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Capac trying to control but Line is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Line is looking to stand up but Capac isn't so interested in that idea.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Capac working his ground and pound in the gym. He isn't landing a great percentage of his ground strikes so far though.
Capac throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Line works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Line keeping moving, preventing Capac from controlling successfully.
Capac looking to sit in guard and control but Line gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Capac working for a triangle but Line defends it easily.
Line won't allow Capac to sweep him here.
Line wants to pass the guard but Capac is keeping the position.
Capac controls Line momentarily but Line frees himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Capac looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Capac is trying to control the position but Line postures up.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Capac looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Capac is adopting a defensive guard.
Line wants to stand but Capac is controlling his posture from full guard.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Capac has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Capac is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Line rather than just go for the knockout.
Capac swings for the body but Line moves out of range.
Line uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Capac.
Line lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Capac defending well as Line loads up on a big left hand.
Capac misses with a few strikes there.
Capac takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Capac throws a jab when Line was well out of range.
Capac avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Capac throws a hook but Line avoids it easily.
Line looks to land a body kick but Capac moved away.
Capac uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Line.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Mareth Line dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Capac throws a nice looking combination but Line bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Capac throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Line ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Line waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Capac.
Capac cracks a nice hook into Line's ribs.
Line takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Capac swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Line jinks towards his opponent looking like he wants to counter with a mid kick but doesn't commit.
Line with a nice cross.
Nice straight punches there by Line. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Line.
Capac throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Line tries a head kick but it misses.
Line is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Capac can do to turn this around?
Line dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Line ducks under a wild hook from Capac.
Capac lands with a good body shot.
Line stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Line wants it to stay on the feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Capac misses with a straight right.
Line bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Line throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Capac.

It looks like Manco Capac has been cut.
Capac misses with a wild body shot.

Capac closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Line quickly recovers to half guard.
Capac throwing shots but Line is blocking nicely.

Capac is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

Capac is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Line defends it well.

Capac is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Line doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Capac.
Capac is stalling here. Line is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Capac seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Line has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Line trying to control the action but Capac is working from the bottom.
Capac is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Line tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Capac is not content to let Line control the position.
Line is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Capac is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Capac tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Line wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Capac struggling a bit here.
Line wants to lay and pray for a moment but Capac keeps working.
Line tries to get to his feet but he's trapped momentarily.
Line in side control, throwing shots but Capac defends.
Line wants to stand but Capac is controlling his arm.
Capac is trying to get back to half guard.
Capac sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Line tries to stand but his arm is trapped.
Capac is looking to improve his position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Capac moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Manco Capac has got the better of the ground game so far.

Capac is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Line controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Line tries to stand but Capac is controlling from the bottom.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Line controls from within his opponent's guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Capac is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Line.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Mareth Line will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Manco Capac's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. And we move into the final round!

A good leg kick by Line.
Line looks for the body kick but Capac saw that one coming.
Capac looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Mareth Line is winning the standup battle so far.
A big right from Capac misses.
Capac lands a nice looking body shot.
Capac misses with a few strikes there.
Capac will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Line tries to work over Capac's front leg with a kick but Capac checks it.
Capac throws a right hand that misses
and Line counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Capac takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Line is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Line fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Capac waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Line.
Line swings and misses with a hook to the body.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Capac! But no joy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Capac scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Line throws a looping overhand right but Capac ducks down to avoid it.
A shot to the liver by Line. Beautiful body shot.
Capac misses with a hook.
Line scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Capac misses with a wild body shot.
Line scores with a body shot.

Capac shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Capac was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Line is looking for a sweep.
Line is trying to control Capac's posture but Capac avoids it.
Line tries to improve position but can't.
Capac has knee on belly and moves into mount.
Manco Capac has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Line's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.
Capac wants to control the pace but Line is squirming around nicely.
Capac unloading with bombs!
Capac looking to take Line's back but Line rolls and after a scramble, Line ends up on top in guard. Nice escape there from Line to escape a tricky position.
Line wants to get up but he can't break Capac's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Capac wants to sweep but no luck.
Line would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Line trying to control but Capac is working from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Line is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Line stopping the sweep attempt from Capac.
Line wants to get up but he can't break Capac's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Line controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Line has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
Line postures up.
Line stays in close to Capac's body and controls the position.

Capac looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Line wants to stand but Capac has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.

Capac looking for a guillotine here but Line defends easily.
Line has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Capac is proving hard to escape from.
Capac is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Capac throwing shots but Line is blocking nicely.
Capac not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Line works his way to full guard. Good work.
Mareth Line is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Capac throws a strike but Line rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Capac has his foot on Line's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Line works his way back into a safe position though.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Mareth Line.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Line, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 30:27
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 30:28
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mareth Line!
A victorious Mareth Line thanked his army of followers in his post fight interview, telling people to make sure they follow him on Twitter.