PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Marko Paric (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Marko Basara (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Paric
vs
Basara

195 cm
18
258 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

215 cm
22
250 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Tends to cut

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Marko Paric!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Marko Basara!
The judges for this bout are Sam Margolis, William Gold and Paul Tew.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Paric tests Basara's chin there with a solid looking shot.

It looks like Marko Basara has been cut.

A big head kick from Basara and Paric is sent sprawling to the canvas!

It looks like Marko Paric has been cut.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Basara wanted to stand there but Paric had control of the position.
Paric has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Basara wants to stand but Paric is controlling his posture from full guard.
Basara being controlled here momentarily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Paric manages to escape and get back to his feet.
Basara wants to clinch.

Paric closes the distance and pushes Basara back into the cage.

Paric pulls guard.

Paric is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Basara defends well.
Basara wants to stand but Paric has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Basara wants to stand and escape but instead Paric has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Basara is looking to stand up but Paric isn't so interested in that idea.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Paric sitting in guard here, content to control.
Paric works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Still in half guard, Paric seems content to control.
Basara really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Paric. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Basara wants to get back to his feet.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Paric connects with a nice short shot to Basara's temple.
Paric seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Paric postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Basara to stand up.
Paric looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Paric is breathing heavily.
Basara tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Paric counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Paric is trying to drag Basara to the mat but Basara just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Basara tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Basara tries to land knees in the clinch but Paric avoids the damage to the body.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Basara with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Paric takes a knee right on the jaw!
Basara with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Basara throws a knee to the head but misses.

Paric breaks the clinch.
Paric circles away from the clinch attempt

and Paric counters by moving into the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Basara with an attempt at a knee that misses.

Paric works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Basara wants to stand and escape but Paric is having none of it.
Paric trying to control but Basara is working from the bottom.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Paric pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Basara is keeping the position for now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Marko Paric will probably get the nod.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
That's time! Back to the action!

Basara wants to clinch but Paric slips to the side
and Paric counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Basara stuffs the takedown attempt from Paric. Paric gets slowly back to his feet.
Basara tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Paric paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Paric closes this distance looking for a takedown but Basara circles away.
Basara tries to close the distance and clinch but Paric swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Basara wants to clinch up but Paric keeps it at a distance.
Basara tries to close the distance and clinch up but Paric swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Basara wants to clinch

and Paric counters by moving into the clinch.
Paric tries to stall but Basara uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Basara throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Paric blocks it with crossed arms.
Basara tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Basara with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Basara tries a knee to the head but Paric blocks it.
Basara connects with a nasty looking knee right to Paric's face.
Basara misses with a knee strike.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Basara is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Paric is defending well for now.
Basara tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Basara tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
A knee to the head by Basara.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Basara tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Paric avoiding damage as Basara throws knees to the body.

Paric ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Paric no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Paric 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.
Paric trying to keep a closed guard but Basara is proving a slippery customer.

Paric has his foot on Basara's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Basara works his way back into a safe position though.
Paric looking for a sweep. Not yet Paric, not yet.
Basara wants to get up but he can't break Paric's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Paric wants to sweep but no luck.
Basara wanted to stand there but Paric had control of the position.
Paric bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Basara's guard.
Paric controls from within his opponent's guard.

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.
Paric slips nicely into half guard.
Paric slows the pace down in half guard.
Paric wants to get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Basara wants to get back to his feet.
Paric is looking to advance position but Basara won't allow it.
Basara is trying to stand up here but Paric is controlling him well.
Paric with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Paric not landing any meaningful shots this time.

That's four 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.
Paric stops Basara from getting back to his feet.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Basara misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Basara throws a sloppy head kick and Paric moves out of range easily.
Marko Paric is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Paric has Basara up against the cage in a clinch.
Basara with a knee to the head.
Basara tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

Paric breaks the clinch.
A chopping leg kick lands by Paric.
Paric fails with the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Marko Paric. That's going to take a lot out of him.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Basara tries to clinch but Paric moves away

and Paric moves into the clinch.
Basara misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Paric.
Basara with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Basara connects with a knee to the head.

Paric has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Basara uses from the top position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Marko Paric dominated that second round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Paric tries a head kick but it misses.

Paric has Basara up against the cage in a clinch.
A right hand to the body from Paric.
Basara prevents a takedown attempt there.
Basara's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Paric on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Basara throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Paric blocks it with crossed arms.
Paric avoiding damage as Basara throws knees to the body.
Basara is pressed up against the cage. Paric has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Basara down to the mat. Basara avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

Paric shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Paric showed some decent athleticism there.
Paric seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Basara does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Basara wants to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Paric is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Paric performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Paric trying to mount his opponent but Basara defends it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Basara is trying to stand up here but Paric is controlling him well.

That's two 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.
Paric seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Paric works his way into side control.
A lull in the action here as Paric stalls from top position.
Basara is trying to escape and get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Basara is trying to escape the position but Paric is controlling the position.
Basara wants to get back to his feet.
Paric wants to lay and pray for a moment but Basara keeps working.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Paric misses with an attempted head punch from side control.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Paric circles away from the clinch attempt

and Paric counters with a nice double leg into side control. Basara won't be happy with that.
Basara is trying to get back to his feet.

Paric has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
Marko Basara has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Marko Paric is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Basara throws a head kick but Paric moves out of range.

And that's the end of the fight!
Marko Paric showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Paric, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Sam Margolis scores the fight 29:28
Judge William Gold scores the fight 30:27
Judge Paul Tew scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Marko Paric!