PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Marc Leben (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Carlo McCloughan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The key to victory for Marc Leben has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Leben
vs
McCloughan

173 cm
25
148 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

172 cm
18
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Big heart

Good wrestler
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Marc Leben!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Carlo McCloughan!
The judges for this bout are Arvi Lind, Marco Blurström and Roosa Järviläinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Leben misses with a head kick.
McCloughan walks into a left hand.
Leben lands with a slapping head kick.

McCloughan closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
McCloughan working the head and body with strikes.
McCloughan is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.
I looks like McCloughan might be adopting somewhat of a lay and pray gameplan here, which I'm sure won't go down too well with the paying fans in attendance... Or the ring announcers come to think of it.
McCloughan has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
McCloughan grinds an elbow into Leben's temple.
Leben knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for McCloughan on the ground.

That's one minute gone in the round.
McCloughan looks up at the clock and then as Leben takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, McCloughan smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
You can see the frustration on Leben's face as McCloughan controls the position.
McCloughan in side control lands a decent elbow.
McCloughan happy to just control the position for now.
McCloughan working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Leben tries to wriggle free to get back to his feet but he's given up his back! Oops.
Leben takes a big shot to the side of the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
McCloughan is punishing Leben with some ground and pound.
Leben is very frustrated here, being controlled quite effectively by McCloughan.
McCloughan lands with a nice looking elbow that stuns Leben.
Leben trying to get back to his feet but McCloughan is in full control for now.
McCloughan lands a shot to the head.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
McCloughan keeps control of the position easily here as Leben tries to buck him off.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
McCloughan landing with strikes.
McCloughan is landing with strikes. Leben can't take much more of this.
McCloughan trying to secure his dominant position for a moment - making sure Leben doesn't escape.
McCloughan lands shots from the back.
McCloughan controlling from the back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Leben has the hand control, trying to stop the rear naked choke.
McCloughan is punishing Leben with strikes - can he finish him?!
McCloughan throwing damaging strikes from the back! Leben could be in trouble here!
McCloughan scores with a nice shot to the head of his opponent. Leben is looking for a way out.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
McCloughan softening up his opponent with strikes here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
McCloughan scores with strikes from the back.
McCloughan throwing strikes from the back - he gets a warning from the referee for striking the back of the head but all these shots are hurting Leben!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Carlo McCloughan dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Leben tests McCloughan's chin there with a solid looking shot.
A thudding body kick lands there by Leben!
Leben misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
McCloughan throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Leben uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from McCloughan.
McCloughan is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
McCloughan misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Leben throws a right hand that McCloughan ducks under and follows up with a left that McCloughan also avoids with ease.
McCloughan misses with a kick to the body
and Leben cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Leben throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
McCloughan throws a lazy head kick
and Leben counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. McCloughan is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Leben lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Leben tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Leben lands with a slapping head kick.
Leben throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
McCloughan throws a combination that misses
and Leben counters with a flying knee. Nice.

That's one minute gone in the round.

McCloughan closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Leben is letting McCloughan control him for a moment.
Leben is working to avoid the ground and pound but McCloughan connects with a decent elbow.
McCloughan is staying tight to Leben's torso, preventing him from escaping.
Leben is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.
McCloughan scoring with punches from side control.
McCloughan is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Leben will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Leben is pushing McCloughan's head away, looking to escape. McCloughan manages to hold on to the position though.
Carlo McCloughan has got the better of the ground game so far.
Leben taking a bit of punishment here - McCloughan scoring with strikes.
McCloughan lands a decent elbow from side control.
McCloughan working the body and head with strikes.
McCloughan is staying tight to Leben's torso, preventing him from escaping.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Leben is trying to buck McCloughan off.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
McCloughan lands a nice forearm strike.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
McCloughan passes to full mount! That's big trouble for Leben!
McCloughan controlling from mount.
McCloughan with the ground and pound from mount.
McCloughan landing strikes from the mount.
McCloughan is in the full mount, landing strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Leben in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
McCloughan in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
McCloughan lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Leben wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
McCloughan controlling the position easily from mount.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Carlo McCloughan showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

McCloughan closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - McCloughan lands in his opponent's guard.
McCloughan not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
McCloughan lands a couple of digs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
McCloughan looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

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.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Carlo McCloughan.
Leben tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Marc Leben is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Good leg kick by Leben there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
McCloughan has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
McCloughan shoots in looking for a takedown but Leben manages to keep the fight standing, pushing McCloughan's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Leben misses with a head kick.
Leben moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
A punch combination from Leben misses.

McCloughan closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Leben seems a little lost for a moment, as McCloughan dominates the positioning.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Leben wants to get back to his feet but McCloughan drags him back down.
Leben tries to wriggle free to get back to his feet but he's given up his back! Oops.
McCloughan is riding his opponent, not letting Leben buck him off.
Leben holding both McCloughan 's hands and preventing any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
McCloughan lands shots from the back.
Leben is being controlled on the ground here - he must escape this position otherwise surely the end is near.
Marc Leben has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Carlo McCloughan is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

And that's the end of the fight!
Carlo McCloughan comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got McCloughan winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Arvi Lind scores the fight 27:30
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 27:30
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Carlo McCloughan!