PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Samy Diabate (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ray Marsh (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Samy Diabate has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Diabate
vs
Marsh

210 cm
22
190 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

174 cm
21
182 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Basic striking
Enjoys gardening

FNF Energy - (Sale!)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Samy Diabate!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Ray Marsh!
The judges for this bout are Chris Downing, Frank Dennis and George Francis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Diabate shoots for a takedown but Marsh saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Marsh lands a high kick!
Diabate fakes the leg kick and cracks Marsh in the body.
Marsh throws a looping overhand right but Diabate ducks down to avoid it.

Diabate forces Marsh back against the cage and clinches.
Diabate wants to break the clinch but can't.
Diabate looking to stall.

Marsh breaks from the clinch.
Diabate showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Marsh.
Marsh clinches but Diabate breaks the clinch

and Diabate counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Diabate.
Marsh is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Marsh keeping full guard, as Diabate tries to pass.
Diabate preventing the sweep.
Marsh looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Diabate postures up.
Diabate wants to stand but Marsh has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Marsh looking to control.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Diabate fails to land the takedown.
Diabate misses with a takedown attempt - Marsh sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Samy Diabate. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Diabate doesn't manage to clinch there - Marsh circles away.
Marsh stuffs the takedown attempt from Diabate. Diabate gets slowly back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Marsh fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Marsh looks gassed!
Marsh tries to clinch but Diabate moves out of range.
Diabate shoots and misses

and Marsh counters with a shoot takedown. Diabate fights it but they end up in guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Diabate keeping moving, preventing Marsh from controlling successfully.
Marsh stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Diabate swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Marsh wants to control from the top but Diabate keeps moving.
Marsh thows a big elbow that misses.
Marsh working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Diabate's head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Diabate is looking to stand up but Marsh isn't so interested in that idea.

Diabate wriggles free and stands up.
Marsh doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Diabate counters with a shoot takedown. Marsh fights it but they end up in guard.
Marsh looking for a sweep. Not yet Marsh, not yet.
Marsh is trying to keep Diabate in close.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Marsh can do anything to dispel that myth.
Diabate wants to stand but Marsh has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Marsh looking to hit a scissor sweep but Diabate is one step ahead there.

Diabate decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Ray Marsh seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Marsh misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Diabate counters with a nice uppercut.

Diabate clinches up against the cage.
Marsh blocks the elbow strike.
Diabate digs a right hand into Marsh's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Marsh's gas tank.
Diabate looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Diabate tries to break the clinch but Marsh is controlling the position.
Marsh jumps guard but Diabate stands there with Marsh around his waist. Marsh gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.

Diabate breaks from the clinch.
Marsh fails with an attempt to clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Diabate throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Marsh with a lazy takedown attempt

and Diabate counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Diabate tries to break the clinch but Marsh is controlling the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Samy Diabate dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Samy Diabate's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Diabate closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Marsh has Diabate pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Diabate manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Marsh has Diabate pressed against the cage, preventing Diabate from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

Marsh manages to break the clinch.
Marsh tries a head kick but it misses.

Diabate has closed the distance and engaged Marsh in a clinch.

Marsh escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Diabate tries a head kick but it misses.
Marsh wants to clinch

and Diabate counters with a nice double leg into half guard.

Diabate decides he's had enough of the ground and stands up.

Diabate shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Marsh manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Marsh is trying to keep Diabate in close.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Diabate would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Diabate really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Samy Diabate overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Diabate stands up from Marsh's guard - Diabate perhaps looking for a knockout.
A shot to the body from Marsh misses
and Diabate makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Marsh tries to clinch up.
Nice takedown defense from Diabate. No joy for Marsh on that attempt.
Marsh wants to clinch but Diabate slips to the side

and Diabate counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Marsh!
Diabate with the ground and pound from mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Marsh is trying desperately to improve position.
Marsh is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Diabate sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Marsh tries to hold on but Diabate postures up.
Diabate unloading with bombs!
Marsh wants to try and get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Diabate looking to control but Marsh is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Marsh is looking to improve his position but Diabate isn't that keen on the idea.
Diabate controlling the position easily from mount.
Diabate trying to control but Marsh is having none of it.
Marsh keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.

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.
Diabate takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Diabate has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Marsh's face.
Diabate will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

Diabate gets to his feet and calls his opponent to stand. Here come the fireworks!

Marsh closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Diabate manages to work his way to half guard, despite Marsh's best efforts.
Diabate wants to get back to full guard.
Diabate looks like he's trying to stand up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Samy Diabate dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Samy Diabate's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds 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.

Diabate tries to clinch but Marsh is having none of it.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Diabate.
Samy Diabate is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Marsh clinches up against the cage.

Marsh breaks from the clinch.
Diabate tries to land a body kick

and Marsh counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Diabate's guard now.
Diabate wants to stand but Marsh is controlling the position.
Marsh throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Diabate works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Marsh prevents Diabate from getting back to his feet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Marsh stands up and waves to Diabate to follow him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Marsh falls off balance throwing a combination
and Diabate counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Marsh thinking.
Diabate fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Diabate misses with the body kick
and Marsh counters with a nice uppercut.

Marsh rushes Diabate and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Diabate gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Marsh.
Diabate can't break the clinch.

Marsh breaks the clinch.
Diabate has his takedown stuffed

and Marsh counters with a nice double leg into guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Samy Diabate. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Marsh stops Diabate from standing up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Marsh decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Marsh throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Diabate misses with a takedown attempt
and Marsh counters with a low kick, right behind Diabate 's knee.
Diabate throws a sloppy head kick and Marsh moves out of range easily.
Diabate shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Marsh counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Marsh.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Marsh 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.
Diabate wants to get back to his feet but Marsh is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Diabate keeping moving, preventing Marsh from controlling successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marsh postures up.
Marsh won't allow Diabate to get back to his feet.
Marsh wants to control from the top but Diabate keeps moving.
Marsh wants to get up but he can't break Diabate's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

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

so Marsh counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Diabate utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Marsh trying to control the position from guard on top but Diabate is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Marsh wants to stand but Diabate has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

Diabate has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Marsh off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Diabate doesn't manage to clinch there - Marsh circles away.
Diabate has a takedown stuffed.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
A head kick by Marsh misses
and Diabate counters with a left to the body.

Marsh is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Diabate's half guard.

Marsh gets to his feet - back to striking we go!

And that's the end of the fight!
Ray Marsh comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Diabate has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Chris Downing scores the fight as a draw!
Judge Frank Dennis scores the fight for Samy Diabate!
Judge George Francis scores the fight as a draw!

The fight ends as a draw!