PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Marcellus Marcus (ranked 2405 p4p, 0 weight class) and Usman Al Naemi (ranked 6327 p4p, 0 weight class). Usman Al Naemi has the eye of the tiger tonight.

Marcus
vs
Al Naemi

184 cm
25
157 lbs
8 - 2 - 0

173 cm
26
157 lbs
5 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
Brawler
Experienced

BJJ Brown Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Marcellus Marcus !
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 5 - 0, fighting out of New York, Usman Al Naemi!
The judges for this bout are Columbo Gatti, Franklyn Lucas and Joseph Jones.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Marcus moves into the clinch.
Al Naemi letting Marcus take a breather here.
A bit of stalling here from Marcus .
Marcus gets a warning from the ref for wasting time.

Marcus breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Al Naemi shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Marcus but Marcus pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Al Naemi tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Marcus swivels and escapes.
Marcus shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Al Naemi pinned against the cage. Al Naemi gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Marcus scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Al Naemi is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Marcus staying calm.
Marcus working the body and head with strikes.
Marcus throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Marcus remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
Marcus working away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Al Naemi tries to strike but it doesn't land.
An elbow from Marcus crashes against the mat.

Marcus is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Al Naemi has escaped the position, nice work there.
Al Naemi is trying to improve his position.
A lull in the action here as Marcus stalls from top position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marcus seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Al Naemi for as long as he can get away with.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Marcus tries to advance to mount but can't.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Al Naemi tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Marcus paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Al Naemi slips a straight right by Marcus .
A head kick misses from Marcus .
A head kick misses from Marcus .
Al Naemi throws a body kick, spinning off balance

and Marcus counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Marcus slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Al Naemi is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Marcus wants to get back to his feet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Marcus is looking for a sweep. Al Naemi is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Marcus is looking to control Al Naemi's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Marcus avoid being mounted?
Al Naemi is trying to control the action in half guard but Marcus is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Marcus wants to improve his position but Al Naemi is controlling well.
Al Naemi tries to stand and escape but Marcus is controlling the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Marcellus Marcus dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Marcus shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Marcus was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Marcus lands a nice forearm strike.
Marcus trying to control the position but Al Naemi is working away.
Marcus is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Al Naemi can do to turn this around?
Al Naemi struggling a bit here.

Marcus decides to stand back up. Marcus steps back and let's Al Naemi get back to his feet.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Al Naemi throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Marcus .
Marcus tries for a takedown but Al Naemi sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Marcus dives in for a single leg takedown but Al Naemi sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Marcus circles away from the clinch attempt.

Marcus forces Al Naemi back against the cage and clinches.
Marcus tries to pull guard but Al Naemi holds him up against the cage and eventually Marcus drops back down to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Marcellus Marcus . That's going to take a lot out of him.
The referee calls for Marcus to work.
Al Naemi wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Al Naemi is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Marcus is keeping busy.
A frustrated look appears on Marcus 's face as he tries to break the clinch.

Al Naemi manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Marcus showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Marcus knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Al Naemi on the ground.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Al Naemi trying to keep a closed guard but Marcus is proving a slippery customer.

Al Naemi has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Marcus can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Al Naemi is breathing heavily.
Al Naemi keeping moving, preventing Marcus from controlling successfully.
Al Naemi working a defensive guard here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marcus looking to sit in guard and control but Al Naemi gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Marcus tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Marcus pulls Al Naemi in close to his closed guard and prevents Al Naemi from doing any damage or advancing position.
Marcus 's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Marcus throws a couple of heel strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Marcus tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Marcus is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Al Naemi stopping the sweep attempt from Marcus .
Marcus is adopting a defensive guard.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.

Marcus closes the distance and clinches.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Marcus is looking to break free of the clinch but Al Naemi has double underhooks.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Usman Al Naemi will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Al Naemi wants to clinch up but Marcus keeps it at a distance.
Al Naemi dives in and grabs Marcus 's left leg, looking for a takedown. Marcus pushes down on Al Naemi's head and hops out.
Marcus seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Marcus closes this distance looking for a takedown but Al Naemi circles away.
Marcellus Marcus is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Marcus gets a clinch.
Marcus is trying to push Al Naemi away but Al Naemi has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Marcus swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Al Naemi goes for a takedown attempt but Marcus pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Al Naemi avoids the head kick by Marcus .
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Al Naemi gets tackled into the cage by Marcus . Marcus maintains the clinch.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Al Naemi tries to break the clinch but Marcus is controlling the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Al Naemi tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Marcus just stands there and leans against the cage.
Marcellus Marcus has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Usman Al Naemi.
Al Naemi takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Marcus jumps guard.
Marcus wants to stand but Al Naemi is controlling the position.
Marcellus Marcus overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Marcus looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Marcus keeping moving, preventing Al Naemi from controlling successfully.
Marcus looking for a sweep. Not yet Marcus , not yet.

Marcus is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Al Naemi goes for a double leg but Marcus avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Marcus continues to drive forward.
A combination from Al Naemi does no damage.

Marcus scores with a takedown into Al Naemi's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marcus controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Marcus tries to stand but Al Naemi is controlling from the bottom.
Al Naemi controls Marcus momentarily but Marcus frees himself.
Marcus scoring with some ground and pound.
Marcus trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Al Naemi tries to land a sweep but no joy.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Marcus makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.

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.
Al Naemi throws some sloppy strikes off his back.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

Marcus closes the distance and clinches.
Marcus is pushing Al Naemi up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.

Al Naemi jumps guard.
Marcus has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Al Naemi is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Marcus will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Marcus engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Marcus continues to stall.

And that's the end of the fight!
Marcellus Marcus showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Marcus has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Columbo Gatti scores the fight 30:27
Judge Franklyn Lucas scores the fight 29:28
Judge Joseph Jones scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Marcellus Marcus !