PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Julius Howell (ranked 2606 p4p, 2017 weight class) and Keanu Marlin (ranked 311 p4p, 246 weight class). Howell comes into the arena with HonestKey- The Unseen blaring out of the sound system. 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.

Howell
vs
Marlin

195 cm
21
273
3 - 3 - 0

194 cm
20
279
4 - 1 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Solid boxing
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Honest Apparel ($30 SPECIAL ALL Shorts!)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Julius Howell!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Keanu Marlin!
The judges for this bout are William Peck, Alec Ball and Dillan Fox.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Marlin is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Howell.
Marlin throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Marlin takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Marlin just misses with a punch to the body.
Howell looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
A big left from Howell misses.
Marlin fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Marlin just misses with a punch to the body.
Marlin stalks Howell and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Howell's face. Howell staggers backwards, shaken.

It looks like Julius Howell has been cut.
Jab by Marlin.
Howell looks to land a body kick but Marlin moved away.
Howell slips a straight right by Marlin.
Marlin takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Marlin moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Marlin takes a swing at Howell's ribcage but misses.
Howell moves out of range of the strikes.
Marlin has done a lot of speed work in the buildup to this fight.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Marlin takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
The fight stays on the outside here - Howell looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Marlin swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Nice defenses there by Howell.
Jab, jab by Marlin - just one landing.
Marlin throws a right hand that misses
and Howell counters with a right hand to the body.
Howell missing with a left hand there. Marlin was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Howell misses with a hook.
Keanu Marlin seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Marlin fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Howell throws a jab when Marlin was well out of range.
Marlin throws out a counter right but Howell avoids it with no problem.
Marlin throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Howell throws a quick counter kick to the body but Marlin avoids it.
Marlin digs a good hook to Howell's body.
Marlin misses with an uppercut. Howell saw that one coming.
Marlin lands a nice hook to Howell's body. Howell takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Marlin pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Howell throws a counter high kick but Marlin was just alert enough to avoid it.
Nice shot lands for Marlin.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Howell takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Marlin moves out of range of the strikes.
Marlin swings for the body but Howell moves out of range.
Marlin waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Howell.
Marlin jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Howell is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Howell misses with a left hand
and Marlin counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Marlin lands a body shot.
Howell throws a poor cross that misses
and Marlin connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Nice uppercut there from Howell.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Howell fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Marlin has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Howell throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Howell steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Marlin.
Marlin walks into a straight right hand from Howell.
Howell tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Marlin counters with a straight right hand.
Marlin throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Howell avoids the body shot from Marlin.
Marlin misses with a two punch combination.
Howell moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Marlin misses with a jab to the body
and Howell counters with a good low kick that Marlin was not able to check.
A lazy left from Marlin finds it's target.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A swing and a miss from Marlin.
Marlin throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Howell ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Marlin moves away.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Howell throws a wild body kick that Marlin sees coming a mile off.
A nice leg kick from Howell, right into the meat of the thigh.
Marlin throws an overhand right that lands on Howell's shoulder, as Howell tries to avoid the shot.
Marlin is landing a lot of head punches in this opening round! Howell had better start moving his head a bit unless he wants his face to turn into mush.
Howell throws a body shot but no joy.
Marlin scores with a jab to the body.
Marlin misses with a body shot.
Marlin walks into a left hand.
Marlin tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Howell was well out of range. Poor timing from Marlin.
Marlin throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Howell moves away from the strike by Marlin.

That's five minutes gone in the round.
Howell swings for the body but Marlin moves out of range.
Howell throws the left hand but Marlin avoids the punch easily.
Marlin appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
The fight stays on the outside here - Howell looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Howell slips a jab from Marlin.
Nice uppercut there from Marlin.
Howell throws a sloppy head kick
and Marlin counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Marlin checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Marlin scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Marlin swings widly with a right hand
and Howell counters with a good, hard body kick but Marlin shrugs it off.
A jab from Marlin misses.
Marlin 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.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Howell, as that shot connected.

That's six minutes gone in the round.
Marlin throws a big shot that misses.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Marlin missing with a left hand there. Howell was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Howell pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Howell plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Marlin throws a hook to the side of Howell's head but Howell sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Marlin fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Howell looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Marlin dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Howell misses the body punch
letting Marlin counter with a right hand.
Howell misses with the body kick
and Marlin counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Howell swings widly with a right hand
and Marlin counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Marlin lands with a cross.
Howell gets cracked there but stands up to it.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.
Marlin throws a shot to the body.
Marlin throws a looping overhand right but Howell ducks down to avoid it.
Marlin's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Marlin duly obliges.
Marlin lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
A jab from Marlin finds it's way through Howell's defenses.
Marlin fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Howell looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Marlin takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.
Howell uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Marlin.
Marlin throws a big shot that misses.
Marlin throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Marlin connects with the punch.
Howell takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Howell tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

That's eight minutes gone in the round.
Howell ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Howell tests Marlin's chin there with a solid looking shot.
A big right from Marlin misses.
A head kick by Howell misses
enabling Marlin to counter with a crisp jab.
Marlin takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Marlin just misses with a punch to the body.
Howell throws a body kick that misses.
Howell misses with an uppercut.
Marlin throws a shot from downtown. Howell moves away and avoids it.
Marlin ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Marlin swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Marlin throws a body shot but no joy.
Howell misses with a two punch combination.
Marlin looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.

That's nine minutes gone in the round.
Marlin misses with a lunging right hand
and Howell counters with a nice leg kick.
Marlin throws a lazy right hand but Howell sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
A low kick lands for Howell.
Howell slips under a jab.
Marlin wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Marlin misses with the combination.
Howell thumps Marlin with a low kick.
Both fighters circling a little - Howell finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Howell slips a straight right by Marlin.
Marlin connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Keanu Marlin dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Julius Howell's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

A jab lands there for Howell.
Howell throws a body kick that misses
and Marlin counters with a straight right hand.
Marlin listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
A punch combination from Marlin misses.

Howell forces Marlin back against the cage and clinches.
Howell misses with a punch on the inside.
Marlin tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Howell tries to pull guard but Marlin won't allow it.
Howell misses with a punch on the inside.
Marlin misses with a shot to the kidneys.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Marlin goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Howell.
A short body shot lands from Howell as the two fighters clinch.
Howell fails to pull guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Marlin blocking some punches.
Howell fails to pull the fight into his guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Julius Howell. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Marlin blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Howell looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Howell blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Marlin softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Howell tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Marlin has a couple of punches blocked by Howell.
Howell is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Marlin lands an uppercut.
Marlin misses with some punches.
Howell working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Marlin fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Marlin has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Howell.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A short right from Howell.
Howell doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Marlin makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Howell jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Marlin walks away with a smile on his face. Howell gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Marlin digs a good hook to Howell's body.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A punch combination from Marlin misses.
Donk. Marlin catches Howell right on the button with a cross.
Howell loads up on a big right hand but Marlin slips the punch.
Marlin misses the shot to the body.
Marlin uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Howell.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Howell tries to throw a body punch but Marlin avoids it by throwing Howell back against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Howell decides to pull guard.
Marlin pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Howell is keeping the position for now.

Howell is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Marlin is aware though and is defending well.

Howell is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Marlin is aware though and is defending well.
Marlin's corner is telling him to maintain position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Howell working a defensive guard here.
Howell is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Marlin is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Marlin really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Howell. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Howell is really struggling to control Marlin but he's trying to hold on to the position.

Howell is looking for a triangle but Marlin pushes his legs off easily.

Howell looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Marlin is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

Howell working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Marlin doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Oh but Howell is tightening it up a little... Marlin has to be careful here... He's got his foot tucked under now, this looks tight! Marlin reacted too slowly and this one could be over in a matter of seconds! YES! Marlin taps out! Nice BJJ there by Howell!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 5:55 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle Choke). Julius Howell!
Our winner, Julius Howell, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.