PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Miroslav Markov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Knowshon Moreno (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Miroslav Markov has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Markov
vs
Moreno

196 cm
22
272 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

200 cm
18
295 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

Decent wrestler
Counter striker
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Knockout power

Firebird Designs

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Miroslav Markov!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Knowshon Moreno!
The judges for this bout are Robert Twigg, Chris Downing and Gwen Towbar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Markov tries to close the distance and clinch up but Moreno swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Markov looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!
Markov stuffs the takedown attempt from Moreno. Moreno gets slowly back to his feet.

Moreno shoots in and bounces Markov off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Moreno should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.

Markov throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Moreno escapes and throws Markov's legs to the side, diving into side control!

Moreno tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Moreno has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Markov is trying to improve his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Moreno trying to control the position but Markov is working away.
Markov tries to buck Moreno off but Moreno is having none of it.

Moreno stands up.
Markov keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Markov tries to clinch up but Moreno circles away and keeps his distance.

Moreno tries to keep at a distance but Markov has taken the fight into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

Markov lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Markov thows a huge punch but Moreno dodges it nicely.

Markov wants to work for an arm triangle but Moreno is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Moreno is refusing to be controlled, as Markov sits in half guard.
Markov missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Markov not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Markov is looking for the mount but instead finds himself back in full guard.
Markov pushes down on Moreno's leg and manages to get into half guard.
It looks like Markov is going to stand back up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Markov trying to control from half guard but Moreno is working away.
Moreno avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Markov.
Markov thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Markov is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Ground and pound from Markov.

Moreno is rocked!

It looks like Knowshon Moreno has been cut.
Moreno trying to control from the bottom.
Moreno is still in real trouble! Can Markov finish him?
Moreno might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Markov kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Moreno seems to have recovered his senses.
Markov landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Moreno is trying to control but can't.
Markov sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Moreno defending well though.
Moreno slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Moreno controls Markov momentarily but Markov frees himself.
Markov trying to control but Moreno is working from the bottom.
Markov postures up in Moreno's guard and throws a big left but Moreno blocks it.
Moreno is trying to keep Markov in close.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Moreno shoots for a double leg takedown but Markov sprawls well. He's pushed Moreno's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Miroslav Markov has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Knowshon Moreno.
Moreno fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Miroslav Markov dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Knowshon Moreno's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

No luck for Moreno with that takedown attempt.
Moreno shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Markov as he avoids it easily.
Moreno avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Nice takedown defense from Markov. No joy for Moreno on that attempt.
Miroslav Markov has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Knowshon Moreno.
Moreno looks frusrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Moreno is looking to clinch.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Markov doesn't manage to clinch there - Moreno circles away.
Moreno stuffs the takedown.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Moreno misses with a takedown

and Markov counters by clinching up.
Markov lands a body shot in the clinch.
Markov has Moreno pushed against the cage.
Moreno tries for a takedown. No joy.
Moreno tries to pull guard but Markov holds him up against the cage and eventually Moreno drops back down to his feet.
Markov looking for a takedown.
Moreno prevents a takedown attempt there.
Moreno using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Markov misses with a hook from the clinch.
Moreno tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Markov just stands there and leans against the cage.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Markov takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Markov stalling in the clinch but Moreno improves position.

Moreno wants the takedown. Markov is fighting it off but Moreno persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Markov's guard against the cage.
Markov working a defensive guard here.
Markov looking for a sweep. Not yet Markov, not yet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Moreno wants to control from the top but Markov keeps moving.
Markov trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Markov is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Markov tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Markov bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Moreno's guard.
Markov wants to get up but he can't break Moreno's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Moreno working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Markov.
Markov postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Markov tries to stand but Moreno is controlling from the bottom.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Moreno is on top in guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Moreno passes Markov's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Markov is refusing to be controlled, as Moreno sits in half guard.
Markov is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Moreno's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Moreno's back!
Moreno trying to control the action but Markov just sinks the hooks in.
Markov throwing wild punches that miss their target.

Markov goes for a risky armbar from back mount and it's not paid off. Moreno escapes and is now in half guard on top.
Markov tries to get to full guard but Moreno has control of the leg.

That's four 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.
Markov is working hard here to advance position.
Moreno perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Markov flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Markov tries to roll over but Moreno keeps him under control.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Moreno lands with a slapping head kick.
Markov closes the distance but Moreno moves to the side
and Moreno counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Markov is lucky that one didn't land flush.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Miroslav Markov will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Knowshon Moreno's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Markov scores a takedown into full mount!
Moreno wants to hold on but Markov pushes him away.
Moreno avoids a strike by Markov and manages to complete a very nice reversal in the process, to end up in Markov's guard! Fantastic escape!
Markov wants to hit a switch here but Moreno passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for Markov there!
Markov keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Moreno can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Markov is looking to escape.
Markov tries to reverse the position but Moreno maintains control.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Markov wants to hold on but Moreno pushes him away.
Markov is in all sorts of trouble here.
Markov on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Markov tries to get out of the position.
Moreno can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Markov is looking to escape.
Moreno controlling the pace for now.
Markov gets back to half guard.

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.
Markov wants to control but Moreno is keeping busy.
Markov is pressing down on Moreno's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Moreno won't allow Markov to sweep him here.
Markov wants to improve his position but instead Moreno has moved into half guard.
Markov pushes Moreno off looking to stand but Moreno dives back in and keeps control.
Markov is trying to maintain the position but Moreno is very close to passing his half guard.
The fighters are battling for position here. Markov manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Markov keeping moving, preventing Moreno from controlling successfully.
Markov wants to sweep here but Moreno controlling him for the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Markov thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Markov is striking but Moreno is not phased and passes to half guard.
Moreno wants to control but Markov is keeping him busy.
Moreno content to control rather than advance.
Markov misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Markov wants to improve his position but Moreno is controlling well.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Moreno shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Markov counters with a nice double leg into guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Markov throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Markov throwing strikes but missing.

Moreno has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Markov can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Moreno working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Markov.
Moreno trying to control the position.
Moreno looking for a sweep. Not yet Moreno, not yet.
Moreno preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Moreno keeping moving, preventing Markov from controlling successfully.
Knowshon Moreno has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Markov is looking to clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
Miroslav Markov showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Markov 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 Robert Twigg scores the fight 30:27
Judge Chris Downing scores the fight 30:27
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Miroslav Markov!