PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between nick slater (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mike Mark (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

slater
vs
Mark

195 cm
22
250 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

188 cm
20
220 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Prefers ground

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, nick slater!
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 Mark!
The judges for this bout are Edson Gomes, Mauricio Rocha and Daniel Cesar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mark tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
slater shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Mark but Mark pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Mark tries to close the distance and clinch up but slater swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Mark doesn't manage to clinch there - slater circles away.
A good leg kick by Mark.

slater gets the takedown into side control.

slater working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Mark is trying to control slater's posture but slater avoids it.
Mark is not content to let slater control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mark parries the strikes from slater easily there. slater is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Mark to escape.
Mark manages to get back to half guard.
slater thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Mark's head.
Mark is trying is best to control the position here.
slater stalling.
Mark controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Mark has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. slater is working away from the top position though.
Mark is refusing to be controlled, as slater sits in half guard.
slater thows a huge punch but Mark dodges it nicely.
Mark trying to control here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mark is staying active underneath slater, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

Mark looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
slater shoots in and drives through. Mark sprawls well.
slater misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for nick slater. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from slater.
slater slips a jab from Mark.

Mark closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming slater to the mat! slater manages to get full guard.
slater is breathing heavily.
slater is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
slater can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Mark controls the pace.
slater working a defensive guard here.
Mark wants to control from the top but slater keeps moving.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Mark controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mike Mark 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.

Mark fails with the takedown

and slater counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Mark is not content to let slater control the position.
Mark is positioning himself well to prevent slater advancing to mount.
Mark trying to control but slater postures up.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Mark is controlling slater's trapped leg to prevent slater from advancing to side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
slater controlling the action here.
Nice strikes from slater there.
slater seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Mark does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Mark blocking the ground and pound attempt from slater.
Mark is trying to get back to full guard.
slater controlling the pace.

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.
Mark trying to keep hold of his opponent's head but slater manages to pass to mount!
slater pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
slater can't control as he wanted to and Mark manages to get the fight back to his half guard.
slater takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
slater stalling away here and it's allowed Mark to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
slater throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Mark keeping moving, preventing slater from controlling successfully.
slater throws a big right hand that misses.
Mark not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Mark keeping moving, preventing slater from controlling successfully.
Mark trying to control the position here.
slater has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
slater trying to control the position from guard on top but Mark is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
slater closes this distance looking for a takedown but Mark circles away.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
slater closes this distance looking for a takedown but Mark circles away.

Mark shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. slater is trying to defend but Mark finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

nick slater dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. 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.

Mark lands with a thumping leg kick.
Mark looks to clinch

and slater counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
slater wants to pass to mount but Mark is defending the position.
Mark wants to control but slater is keeping busy.
Mark is trying to avoid being dragged into an even worse position than he's already in but slater is staying active.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Mark slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mark wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Let's hope that Mark 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.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Mark working a defensive guard here.
slater throwing strikes from guard but Mark blocks nicely.
slater controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

Mark is looking to sinch up a triangle. slater throws the leg off to one side though and gets in tight to Mark's body to avoid the submission. Mark has instead reached around slater's neck and now has a guillotine! Oh, this is biiiig trouble! Mark arches his back and squeezes and forces the tap from his hapless opponent.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:04 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Guillotine). Mike Mark!