PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Naoko Marui (ranked 1249 p4p, 2537 weight class) and Craig Mack (ranked 162 p4p, 304 weight class). Craig Mack will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Marui
vs
Mack

167 cm
26
150
9 - 6 - 0

180 cm
27
155
7 - 5 - 0

Decent wrestler
Solid boxing
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Counter fighter
Powerful

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 9 - 6 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Naoko Marui!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 5 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Craig Mack!
The judges for this bout are Winston Alpacca, Bart Greer and Sandra Marshall.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mack with a nice cross.
Mack misses with a body shot.
Naoko Marui seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Marui throws a body punch but Mack moves out of range.
Mack looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Marui swinging wildly here.
Mack throws out a loose jab but Marui uses good head movement to avoid it.
Mack uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Marui.
Mack throws a lazy right hand but Marui sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Mack showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Marui.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Marui lands the left hand.
Marui throws a nice looking combination but Mack bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Marui throws a looping overhand right but Mack ducks down to avoid it.
Marui blocks a jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mack throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Marui on the side of the head.
Mack fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Marui manages to avoid it.
Marui misses with a double jab
and Mack counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Marui fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Mack manages to avoid it.
Marui tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Mack was well out of range. Poor timing from Marui.
Mack doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Mack takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Mack looks to score with a jab to the body but Marui is just out of range.
Mack throws a looping overhand right but Marui ducks down to avoid it.
Marui is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Mack steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Marui.
The fighters circling - Marui throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Mack takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Marui lands a nice shot to the body.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Marui!

It looks like Craig Mack has been cut.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A combination from Mack does no damage.
Marui is looking light on his feet compared to last time was saw him fight.

Marui rushes Mack and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Mack lands with a right to the head.
Marui digs a right hand into Mack's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Mack's gas tank.
Marui makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Mack blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Mack has a couple of punches blocked by Marui.
Marui lands with a light punch inside.
Marui prevents a body shot from Mack.
Mack tries to work over Marui's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Mack misses with a punch to the body.
Marui blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Mack misses with a punch to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marui misses with a body punch.
Marui content to slow the pace in the clinch.

Marui breaks the clinch.
Marui scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Marui scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Marui thuds his right hand into Mack's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Mack thows a left - swing and a miss!
Mack walks into a straight right hand from Marui.
Marui avoids the body shot from Mack.
Marui with a hook.
Marui misses with a right hand
and Mack counters with a straight right hand.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Marui misses with a hook
and Mack cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Mack steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Marui.
Mack is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Marui with a body shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Marui misses with a leg kick.

Marui clinches with his opponent.
Mack tries to work over Marui's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.

Marui breaks from the clinch.
Some wild striking there from Marui.
Marui swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Marui lands with a shot to the body.
Marui connects with a single shot there.
Marui slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Marui lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Mack at a distance.
Marui throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Mack counters with a stiff right hand.

It looks like Naoko Marui has been cut.
Marui misses with a double jab
and Marui takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Naoko Marui dominated that round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Marui scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Marui misses with a left hand
and Mack counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Marui ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Marui lands the left hand.
Marui scores with a punch to the head.

Mack is rocked!
Marui takes a swing at Mack's ribcage but misses.
A nice side step and Mack releases a counter shot to the body, but it doesn't find it's home.
Mack just misses with a punch to the body.
Mack has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Mack throws a hook but Marui blocks it.
Marui lands with a shot to the body.
Marui misses with a series of wild punches.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Mack with a hook.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mack lands a nice shot that snaps Marui's head back.
Marui ducks under a wild hook from Mack.
Marui comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Marui cracks Mack with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Mack doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Marui misses the shot to the body.
Mack appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
Mack uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Marui.
A little jabbing left from Mack on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Marui scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Marui misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Marui throws a big shot that misses.
Mack looks to land a left hand but Marui moved out of range nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Marui misses with a body punch
enabling Mack to counter with a crisp jab.
Marui avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Mack swinging wildly here.
Marui throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Mack checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Mack takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Marui misses with a right hand
and Marui takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Marui scores with a jab to the body.
Marui lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Marui throws a body shot but no joy.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Mack! But no joy.
Marui takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jab from Marui.
Mack showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Marui.
Some wild striking there from Marui.
Mack misses with a left hand
and Marui counters with a right hand to the body.
Mack keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Donk. Marui catches Mack right on the button with a cross.
Mack throws a jab when Marui was well out of range.
Marui throwing a counter right hand but Mack manages to avoid it.
Mack looks to land a left hand but Marui moved out of range nicely.
Mack moves out of range of the strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Marui misses with a body shot.
Mack looks to throw the jab but Marui is out of range.
A slow jab from Marui misses its intended target.
Mack throws out a counter right but Marui avoids it with no problem.
A slow jab from Mack misses its intended target.
Marui dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Marui ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Mack moves away.
Mack misses with a lunging right hand
and Marui counters with a lovely straight right hand!
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Marui looks to land a right hand but Mack moved out of range.
Mack throws out a counter right but Marui avoids it with no problem.
Marui misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Mack.
Marui misses with a series of wild punches.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Mack! But no joy.
Naoko Marui is winning the standup battle so far.
Mack ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Mack let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Naoko Marui dominated that second round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
That's time! Marui's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

A telegraphed right hand from Marui misses the target.
Craig Mack has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Mack moves forwards but Marui connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Mack throws a shot from downtown. Marui moves away and avoids it.
Marui misses with a series of wild punches.
Marui lands a jab to the head.
Mack throws a lazy right hand but Marui sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Mack moves out of range as Marui strikes.
Nice uppercut there from Marui.
Marui takes a swing at Mack's ribcage but misses.
Mack doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Marui with a nice cross.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Marui lands a left and a right that send Mack crashing to the mat, dazed. Marui thinks about following him to the mat but decides to wave him back up to his feet!
Mack is still on wobbly legs! Can Marui finish him?
Marui closes the distance and lands a brutal uppercut that knocks Mack out! We're looking at the replay now - he was out before he hit the floor!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:11 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Naoko Marui!
Naoko Marui was full of energy after the big win and talked about how he thinks he can do big things in this sport. The crowd were appreciative of his determination to succeed.