PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Gabriel Marcello (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mike Metcalf (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Metcalf has chosen "Highway to the Danger Zone," by Kenny Loggins as his entrance music. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Marcello
vs
Metcalf

190 cm
18
210 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

188 cm
22
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Counter striker
Prefers ground

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Determined

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Gabriel Marcello!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Mike Metcalf!
The judges for this bout are Alexandre Firmino, Paulo Santos and Matheus Silva.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Metcalf misses with the combination.
Metcalf swats away the attempt to clinch by Marcello.

Marcello has Metcalf up against the cage in a clinch.
Metcalf wants to break free but Marcello has control.
Marcello tries to stall but Metcalf uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Marcello prevents Metcalf from breaking the clinch.
Metcalf has had enough of the clinch but Marcello keeps him there for the moment.
Marcello keeps control of Metcalf as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Marcello misses with an elbow over the top.
Metcalf is trying to break free.

Metcalf manages to break the clinch.
A combination from Metcalf does no damage.
Marcello takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Metcalf has managed to clinch.

Metcalf breaks the clinch.
Mike Metcalf seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Metcalf misses with a two punch combination.
Marcello avoids a kick to the body.
Metcalf throws a right and a left that both miss.
Metcalf throws a right hand that Marcello ducks under and follows up with a left that Marcello also avoids with ease.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Metcalf lands with a nice body kick.
Metcalf shoots in and drives through. Marcello sprawls well.
Marcello lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.

Marcello drives through and clinches with Metcalf against the cage.
Marcello tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

Metcalf manages to break the clinch.
Marcello moves in looking to clinch but Metcalf pushes him off.

Metcalf closes the distance and clinches.
Metcalf wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Marcello has him pressed against the cage.
Marcello with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Marcello landing knees to the body.

Metcalf breaks the clinch.
Marcello tries to clinch up but Metcalf circles away and keeps his distance.
Metcalf misses with a series of wild punches.
Marcello tries to clinch but Metcalf moves out of range.
Metcalf shoots in but Marcello avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Metcalf looks gassed!
Metcalf throws a series of punches but Marcello moves out of range.
Metcalf fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Marcello fails in his attempt to clinch.
Marcello moves in looking to clinch but Metcalf pushes him off.

Marcello closes the distance and clinches.
Metcalf wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Metcalf is trying to break free.
Marcello prevents Metcalf from breaking the clinch.
Metcalf wants to break the clinch but can't.
Metcalf misses with the head strike.
Marcello lands an elbow that stopped Metcalf in his tracks for a moment.
Marcello's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Metcalf avoids the elbow strike from Marcello, against the cage.
Metcalf takes an elbow to the forehead.

It looks like Mike Metcalf has been cut.
Metcalf wants to break the clinch but can't.
Metcalf tries to break the clinch but Marcello is controlling the position.
Marcello keeps control of Metcalf as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Marcello trying to land knees to the body.
Marcello throws an elbow that misses.
Metcalf wants to get back to striking at distance but Marcello won't allow it.

Metcalf breaks the clinch.
Marcello tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Metcalf will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Marcello throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Metcalf circles away from the clinch attempt.
Metcalf misses with a wild combination.
Marcello is looking to clinch.
Metcalf looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Metcalf shoots in but Marcello avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Gabriel Marcello has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mike Metcalf.

Metcalf closes the distance and clinches.
Marcello misses with an elbow over the top.
Marcello throws an elbow but it misses.
Metcalf can't break the clinch.
Marcello prevents Metcalf from breaking the clinch.
Metcalf wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Marcello gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Metcalf.
Metcalf wants to get back to striking at distance but Marcello won't allow it.
Marcello lands a knee to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Metcalf is trying to break free.
Metcalf takes an elbow to the forehead.
Metcalf wants to break free but Marcello has control.
Metcalf avoiding damage as Marcello throws knees to the body.
Metcalf on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Marcello looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Metcalf is trying to break free.
Marcello stalling in the clinch but Metcalf improves position.

Metcalf escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
A punch combination from Metcalf misses.
Metcalf throws a nice looking combination but Marcello bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Metcalf lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.

Marcello darts in and clinches Metcalf up against the cage.
Metcalf wants to break the clinch but can't.

Metcalf escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Marcello fails with the takedown.
Marcello is looking to clinch but Metcalf is avoiding it.
Metcalf fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Marcello clinches but Metcalf breaks the clinch

and Metcalf moves into the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Mike Metcalf will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Mike Metcalf's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Marcello has Metcalf up against the cage in a clinch.
Marcello is pressed up against the cage. Metcalf has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Marcello down to the mat. Marcello avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Marcello shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Metcalf but Metcalf pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Metcalf looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Marcello ducks under a wild hook from Metcalf.
Metcalf throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Metcalf throws a one two combo.
Marcello is looking to clinch but Metcalf is avoiding it.
Marcello tries to clinch up.
Metcalf fakes the leg kick and cracks Marcello in the body.
Metcalf wants to clinch up but Marcello keeps it at a distance.
Marcello misses with a body kick.
Metcalf throws a right and a left that Marcello avoids nicely.
Marcello closes this distance looking for a takedown but Metcalf circles away.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Metcalf pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Marcello tries to clinch up but Metcalf circles away and keeps his distance.
Metcalf throws a leg kick which misses Marcello's front leg but catches the back leg as Marcello tries to avoid it.
Marcello tries to clinch up but Metcalf circles away and keeps his distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Metcalf scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Metcalf with a jab.
Metcalf fails to land with a series of punches.
Metcalf circles away from the clinch attempt.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Marcello keeps control of Metcalf as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Metcalf wants to break the clinch but can't.
Metcalf lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Metcalf wants to get back to striking at distance but Marcello won't allow it.
Nice elbow from Marcello.
Marcello pressing his opponent against the cage.
Metcalf wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Marcello has him pressed against the cage.

Metcalf breaks from the clinch.
Metcalf throws a lazy right hand but Marcello sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Metcalf's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Metcalf duly obliges.

Marcello decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Marcello stops Metcalf from getting back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Metcalf throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Metcalf wants to get back to his feet.
Metcalf trying to control from the bottom.
Metcalf looks like he's trying to stand up.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Marcello tries to clinch up but Metcalf circles away and keeps his distance.
Marcello scores with a nice body kick.

Marcello moves into the clinch successfully.
Metcalf wants to get back to striking at distance but Marcello won't allow it.
Marcello has Metcalf pressed against the cage.
Marcello gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Metcalf.
Marcello crunches a lovely knee into Metcalf's ribcage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marcello throws an elbow but it misses.

Metcalf breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Metcalf!

Marcello is rocked!
Metcalf throws a series of punches but Marcello moves out of range.
Oh Marcello is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
No joy there for Metcalf, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Metcalf sees an opening and throws a straight punch right through Marcello's defenses. It connects perfectly with Marcello's jaw and knocks him out cold! Wow - that's a contender for knockout of the year - absolutely brutal!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:24 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Mike Metcalf!