PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Caleb Jones (ranked 1439 p4p, 835 weight class) and Marco Natta (ranked 106 p4p, 62 weight class). There are an array of beautiful celebrities at ringside tonight! I wonder if any of them paid for their tickets.

Jones
vs
Natta

170 cm
29
145
14 - 10 - 2

170 cm
29
145
18 - 9 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter fighter
Granite chin

BJJ Brown Belt
Basic striking
Good gas tank

Silverguard Outfitters 🛡
Furnace Performance 🔥

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 14 - 10 - 2, fighting out of Helsinki, Caleb Jones!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 18 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Marco Natta!
The judges for this bout are David Schapiro, Chad Campbell and John Kavanagh.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Natta swings and misses with a hook to the body.
It looked like Jones wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.

Natta has taken the fight to the clinch.
Jones lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.

Natta gets control of Jones's arms and successfully pulls guard. Natta will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.

Natta is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Jones is aware though and is defending well.
Jones definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Jones stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Natta swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Natta working for a triangle but Jones defends it easily.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Natta is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Natta pulls Jones in close to prevent any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Natta controls Jones momentarily but Jones frees himself.
Jones pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Natta is keeping the position for now.
Natta is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Natta trying to control the position here.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.

That's two 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.
Let's hope that Natta has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.
Natta tries to clinch up but Jones circles away and keeps his distance.
Jones uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Natta.
Natta misses with a jab to the body
letting Jones counter with a right hand.
Natta throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Natta looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Marco Natta seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Jones clinches.
Natta is trying to pull guard but Jones has him pressed against the cage.
Natta swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Jones tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Natta smiles and moves away.
Natta misses with a shot to the body
and Jones counters with a straight right hand.
Natta loads up on a big right hand but Jones slips the punch.
Jones throws a body punch but Natta moves out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Natta thows a left - swing and a miss!
A jab from Natta misses.
Natta swings away with a body shot that misses
letting Jones counter with a right hand.
Natta takes a swing at Jones's ribcage but misses.
Jones wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.
Natta misses with an uppercut.
Jones steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Natta.
Jones is looking to counter the offense by Natta and move into the clinch.
Natta misses with a jab to the body
and Jones counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
A telegraphed right hand from Natta misses the target.
Jones avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Jones keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
It looked like Jones wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Natta throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Natta throws a jab but it's blocked by Jones.
Natta is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Jones rather than just go for the knockout.
Jones ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Natta moves away.
A jab from Natta misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Natta swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Jones slips under a jab from Natta.
Natta circles away from the clinch attempt.
Natta ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Jones moves away.
Jones wants to clinch up but Natta keeps it at a distance.
Jones avoids the body shot from Natta.
Jones ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Natta moves away.
Natta steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Jones.
Natta throws a body punch but Jones moves out of range.
Nice defenses there by Jones.
Natta misses with a looping left.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Natta throws out a loose jab but Jones uses good head movement to avoid it.
Jones avoids the body shot from Natta.

Natta pushes Jones up against the cage in a clinch.
Jones is trying to pull guard but Natta turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Marco Natta dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Natta misses the shot to the body.
Jones wants to clinch up but Natta keeps it at a distance.
Jones defending well as Natta loads up on a big left hand.

Jones moves into the clinch.
Natta fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Natta blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.

Natta pulls Jones into guard.
Natta not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Jones wants to control from the top but Natta keeps moving.
Jones looking to pass the guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Jones is working hard here to advance position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Natta being controlled here, momentarily.
Jones postures up.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Natta keeping full guard, as Jones tries to pass.

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

Natta moves into range and clinches up with Jones.

Natta successfully pulls guard.

Natta has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Jones can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Natta controls Jones momentarily but Jones frees himself.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Natta might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Jones haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Jones pushes down on Natta's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Natta tries to roll over but Jones keeps him under control.
Natta is not content to let Jones control the position.
Jones tries to pass to full mount but Natta defends it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Natta wants to get back to full guard.
Natta wants to control but Jones is keeping busy and won't allow it.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Natta is staying active underneath Jones, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Natta throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Jones counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Jones displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Natta throws out the jab.
Nice body punch from Jones.
A slow jab from Jones misses its intended target.
Jones takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Natta tries to clinch but Jones is having none of it.
Natta misses with a straight left.
Jones bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Natta misses with a straight left.
Jones displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Natta throws out the jab.
Jones throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Jones tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Natta paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Natta wants to counter with a clinch but Jones pushes him away.
Jones is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Jones slips a straight right by Natta.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Jones moves out of range as Natta strikes.
An attempted straight right counter from Jones misses the target.
Natta fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Jones manages to avoid it.
Jones bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Jones uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Natta.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Marco Natta will probably get the nod - 10:9.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Natta swings and misses with a hook to the body.
An attempted straight right counter from Jones misses the target.
Caleb Jones has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
A shot to the body from Natta misses

and Jones counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Natta blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Natta misses with a punch to the body.

Natta pulls guard effortlessly.
Jones trying to control but Natta is working from the bottom.
Natta wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Jones is now in half guard.
Natta is looking to control Jones's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Natta avoid being mounted?
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Jones trying to control from half guard but Natta is working away.

Jones is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jones keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Natta is looking for a sweep. Jones is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Marco Natta has got the better of the ground game so far.
Jones wants to take a breather but Natta is having none of it.
Natta desperately trying to maintain half guard.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Jones is looking to advance position but Natta won't allow it.

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Natta misses with an uppercut.
Natta circles away from the clinch attempt.
Natta throws an off balance right hand
and Jones counters with a left to the body.
Natta misses with a right hand
and Natta takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Natta takes a swing at Jones's ribcage but misses.
Jones throwing a counter right hand but Natta manages to avoid it.

Natta closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Natta ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Natta no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Jones trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Jones postures up.
Jones being controlled here momentarily.
Natta looking to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jones is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Marco Natta is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Natta is adopting a defensive guard.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Natta misses the shot to the body.
Natta throws out a loose jab but Jones uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Natta just misses with a punch to the body.
Natta misses the body punch

and Jones counters by clinching up.
Jones jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Natta walks away with a smile on his face. Jones gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Jones throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

Natta moves into the clinch.
Jones jumps guard but Natta turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.

Jones manages to pull guard.
Natta seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Caleb Jones.
Well Natta has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 28:29
Judge Chad Campbell scores the fight 28:29
Judge John Kavanagh scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Marco Natta!
A very excited looking Marco Natta made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.