PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Quinton Evans (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Steven Mareklidis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Fingers crossed for an exciting fight - I'm sure both fighters are looking for a nice under the table bonus!

Evans
vs
Mareklidis

183 cm
20
204 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

190 cm
22
205 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Quinton Evans!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Steven Mareklidis!
The judges for this bout are Frank Antenori, and Timothy Bukovac.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Evans tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Evans wants to clinch up but Mareklidis keeps it at a distance.
Evans is looking to clinch.
Mareklidis keeps the fight on the outside.
Evans moves in looking to clinch but Mareklidis pushes him off.
Evans fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Mareklidis closes this distance looking for a takedown but Evans circles away.
Evans tries to clinch but Mareklidis moves out of range.
Mareklidis wants to clinch.
Mareklidis is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Some wild striking there from Evans.

Mareklidis instigates a clinch.

Mareklidis pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Evans wants to clinch but Mareklidis slips to the side

and Mareklidis decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Evans's guard.
Mareklidis looking to sit in guard and control but Evans gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Evans has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Evans tries to free his leg and advance position but Mareklidis is retaining full guard.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Evans stops Mareklidis from standing up.

Mareklidis pushes Evans off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Evans darts in trying to clinch

and Mareklidis counters with a nice double leg into side control. Evans won't be happy with that.
Evans is breathing heavily.
Mareklidis trying to control the action but Evans is working from the bottom.
Mareklidis in side control, just content to control the action for now.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Mareklidis misses with an attempted head punch from side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mareklidis wants to control but Evans is keeping him busy.

Mareklidis thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

Mareklidis looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Mareklidis is trying to get an arm triangle but Evans is defending well.

Mareklidis is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Evans is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.

Mareklidis wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Evans, who protects the arm well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mareklidis creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Evans sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
Evans parries the strikes from Mareklidis easily there. Mareklidis is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Evans to escape.
Evans is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Evans tries to get back to his feet but has found himself mounted instead. Damn, that's gotta suck.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Steven Mareklidis dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Mareklidis lands with a slapping head kick.
Evans closes the distance looking to clinch

and Mareklidis counters with a crisp one two that drops Evans! Mareklidis thinks about following him to the mat for a moment but instead steps back and waves Evans to his feet! Evans is in big trouble!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Mareklidis closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the ropes.
Nice elbow from Mareklidis.
Mareklidis comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Mareklidis with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Mareklidis lands an elbow that stopped Evans in his tracks for a moment.

Mareklidis jumps guard.

Mareklidis is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Evans defends well.
Mareklidis trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Mareklidis uses the ropes to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mareklidis stuns Evans with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.

Mareklidis takes the fight into the clinch.
A battle for position here, against the ropes.
Knees in the clinch landing for Mareklidis.

Mareklidis pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Mareklidis throws a shot to the body.
A solid leg kick lands there for Mareklidis.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Mareklidis darts in and clinches Evans up against the ropes.
Mareklidis lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the ropes.
Mareklidis lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Evans.
Mareklidis tries to land a knee to the head but misses.

Mareklidis's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Evans keeps the fight on the outside.
Mareklidis tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Mareklidis tries to clinch up.

Evans tries to keep at a distance but Mareklidis has taken the fight into the clinch.
Mareklidis manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Mareklidis looking to stall.
Mareklidis is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Evans is defending well for now.
Mareklidis tries a body shot but Evans blocks it.

Mareklidis pulls guard successfully.
Mareklidis is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Mareklidis has his hands on Evans's head, controlling the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mareklidis trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Mareklidis looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Evans wants to stand but Mareklidis has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Mareklidis 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.
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.
Evans is staying active underneath Mareklidis, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Mareklidis thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Evans's head.
Mareklidis sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Evans defending well though.
Mareklidis is looking to take a break and control but Evans is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Mareklidis perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Steven Mareklidis showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, 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.

Ouch! a nice leg kick from Mareklidis, right into the meat.
Mareklidis has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Evans tries to clinch up
and Mareklidis counters with an inside leg kick.
Mareklidis moves in looking to clinch but Evans pushes him off.

Mareklidis takes the fight into the clinch.
Mareklidis lands an elbow that stopped Evans in his tracks for a moment.
Evans wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Mareklidis stalling against the ropes.

Mareklidis escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Nice body kick from Mareklidis.
Evans avoids the head kick by Mareklidis.

Mareklidis closes the distance and pushes Evans back into the ropes.
The referee calls for Mareklidis to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mareklidis digs a right hand into Evans's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Evans's gas tank.
Mareklidis tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Evans smiles and moves away.
Quinton Evans is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Mareklidis looks for a takedown but Evans sprawls well.
Mareklidis turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Mareklidis fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Quinton Evans has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Steven Mareklidis.
Mareklidis scores with a kick to the midsection.

Mareklidis clinches up against the ropes.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Mareklidis.
Mareklidis lands an elbow that stopped Evans in his tracks for a moment.
Mareklidis creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Mareklidis fails to pull guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Mareklidis has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Evans is trying to keep an underhook but Mareklidis manages to get the takedown into half guard.

Mareklidis is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Mareklidis works his way into full mount!
Evans is squirming around, avoiding Mareklidis's attempts to control the action.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Evans wants to use the ropes to get back to his feet here.
Steven Mareklidis has got the better of the ground game so far.
Mareklidis takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Evans tries to hold on but Mareklidis postures up.
Quinton Evans has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

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.
Mareklidis scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Evans taking shots to the head.
Mareklidis putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Evans on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Evans tries to get out of the position.
Mareklidis looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Evans has given up his back - I don’t know if this is a deliberate ploy to try and escape or if he is just struggling down there.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Mareklidis looking to break Evans's wrist control so he can sink in the choke. Evans remaining controlled and patient though - he really has to keep calm otherwise Mareklidis will wrap this one up with the rear naked choke!

And that's the end of the fight!
Steven Mareklidis comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Mareklidis 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 Frank Antenori scores the fight 25:30
Judge Suge Night scores the fight 25:30
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 25:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Steven Mareklidis!