PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Bob Soszynski (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Marcas Gray (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The key to victory for Bob Soszynski has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Soszynski
vs
Gray

185 cm
22
200 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

186 cm
22
210 lbs
0 - 3 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Big right hand

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Likes ground

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Bob Soszynski!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 3 - 0, fighting out of New York, Marcas Gray!
The judges for this bout are David Schapiro, Bruno Lombardi and Chad Campbell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nice body punch from Gray.
Soszynski will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Soszynski moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.

Gray drives through and clinches with Soszynski against the cage.
Soszynski tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Gray's elbow.
Soszynski drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Gray breaks the clinch.
Soszynski looks for a takedown but Gray sprawls well.
Nice takedown defense from Soszynski. No joy for Gray on that attempt.
Gray fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Soszynski scores with a punch to the head.
Soszynski looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Gray is fending him off so far but Soszynski persists. Nope, Gray circles away and we're back to standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bob Soszynski. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Gray wants to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Soszynski throws a right hand that Gray ducks under and follows up with a left that Gray also avoids with ease.
Gray fails with the takedown
and Soszynski cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

Gray looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Soszynski!
Soszynski is in all sorts of trouble here.
Gray sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Soszynski is squirming around, avoiding Gray's attempts to control the action.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Soszynski wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Gray.
Soszynski is in all sorts of trouble here.
Gray lands a nice shot to the head.
Gray avoids the attempt from Soszynski to control.
Soszynski is trying desperately to improve position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gray controlling the pace for now.
Gray is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Soszynski can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Gray tries to control but Soszynski wriggling away.
Soszynski tries to hold on but Gray pushes him away.
Soszynski knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Gray on the ground.
Soszynski is wriggling around trying to escape.
Soszynski is working hard here to advance position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Soszynski is breathing heavily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Gray controlling from mount.
Gray looking to control but Soszynski is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Soszynski on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Soszynski tries to get out of the position.
Soszynski takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Gray connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Soszynski has given up his back here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Marcas Gray will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Gray gets a takedown into half guard.
Soszynski is trying to get back to full guard.
Soszynski flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Soszynski won't allow Gray to pass to mount.
Gray is trying to control the action in half guard but Soszynski is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Gray is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
Soszynski is trying to stand up here but Gray is controlling him well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Soszynski wants to control but Gray is keeping busy.
Gray wants to take a breather but Soszynski is having none of it.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Gray throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Soszynski connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Gray is breathing heavily.
Soszynski tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Gray paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Soszynski's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Soszynski duly obliges.
Bob Soszynski is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Gray fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Donk. Soszynski catches Gray right on the button with a cross.

Gray is rocked!
Gray showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Soszynski.
Gray is still on wobbly legs! Can Soszynski finish him?
Soszynski misses with the combination.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gray dodges the punch combination from Soszynski.
Gray seems to have recovered his senses.
Soszynski looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Gray shoots in but Soszynski avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Soszynski avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
A combination from Soszynski does no damage.
Soszynski ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Soszynski lands the left hand.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Soszynski with a nice cross.
Soszynski throws a front kick aimed at Gray's knee but Gray avoids it well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Soszynski has a takedown stuffed.
Good work by Gray as he checks the leg kick.
Nice sprawl there from Gray as Soszynski shoots in.
Gray thows a body shot but no joy.
Soszynski lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Gray circles away quickly and effectively.
Gray fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Bob Soszynski has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Marcas Gray.
Soszynski throws a series of strikes that have Gray backpedaling.
Gray with a poor takedown
and Soszynski counters with a nice uppercut.
Soszynski scores with a crisp jab that stopped Gray in his tracks.
Soszynski is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Soszynski misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gray throws a body kick that misses.
Nice sprawl there from Gray as Soszynski shoots in.

Gray has closed the distance and engaged Soszynski in a clinch.

Gray decides to pull guard.
Soszynski is looking to work some ground and pound but Gray has wrist control.
Gray wants to sweep but no luck.
Gray is adopting a defensive guard.
Soszynski trying to control but Gray is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bob Soszynski dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Soszynski clinches but Gray breaks the clinch

and Gray counters by moving into the clinch.
Soszynski gets underhooks to prevent Gray's takedown attempt.
Gray looking for a takedown.

Gray breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Soszynski changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Gray tries to avoid it but Soszynski manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Gray to the ground. Gray escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Gray has a takedown stuffed.
Bob Soszynski has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Marcas Gray.

Soszynski shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Gray is trying to control but can't.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Soszynski tries to pass the half guard into mount. Gray knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Soszynski is looking to take a break and control but Gray is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Gray wants to control but Soszynski is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Soszynski content to control rather than advance.
Gray slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Gray wants to sweep here but Soszynski controlling him for the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Soszynski works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Soszynski is looking to advance position but Gray won't allow it.
Soszynski seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.
Gray trying to control from the bottom.
Soszynski tries to stand but his arm is trapped.
Gray trying to control here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gray is trying to avoid being dragged into an even worse position than he's already in but Soszynski is staying active.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Soszynski bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Gray's head backwards.
Gray tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Soszynski swivels and escapes.
Soszynski lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Gray at a distance.
Gray takes one to the chin there.

Soszynski shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gray tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Gray tries to hold on but Soszynski postures up.
Soszynski misses with a head shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gray is desperately trying to get back to half guard.

Soszynski goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Gray is on top in guard.

Gray stands up from Soszynski's guard - Gray perhaps looking for a knockout.
Soszynski throws an overhand right that lands on Gray's shoulder, as Gray tries to avoid the shot.

And that's the end of the fight!
Bob Soszynski showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Soszynski 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 David Schapiro scores the fight 29:28
Judge Bruno Lombardi scores the fight 30:28
Judge Chad Campbell scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Bob Soszynski!