PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ze Marcello (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Koldan Heartless (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Koldan Heartless has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Ze Marcello's chin.

Marcello
vs
Heartless

180 cm
27
275 lbs
5 - 3 - 0

190 cm
23
275 lbs
5 - 6 - 0

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Solid chin

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 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of London, Ze Marcello!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 6 - 0, fighting out of London, Koldan Heartless!
The judges for this bout are Steven Brown, Chris Edwards and Sam Margolis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Marcello is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Marcello shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Heartless manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.

Marcello thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Heartless is pulling down on Marcello's head. It's preventing any offense from Marcello, at least for the moment.
Marcello advances to half guard.
Marcello tries to pass the half guard into mount. Heartless knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Heartless wants to get back to full guard.

Marcello is actively looking for submissions here but good counter grappling here from Heartless as he works his way to full guard.
Marcello stopping the sweep attempt from Heartless.
Heartless is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Heartless trying to control the position.
Marcello works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Marcello throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Marcello slows the pace down in half guard.
Marcello throwing shots but Heartless is blocking nicely.
Marcello looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.

We're going to have a standup here because Ze Marcello wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Heartless misses with a right hand

and Marcello counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Marcello trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Heartless pulls Marcello in close to prevent any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Marcello slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Marcello looking to pass the guard.

Marcello drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Marcello jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Marcello stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Heartless swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Marcello wants to control from the top but Heartless keeps moving.
Heartless is trying to control the position but Marcello postures up.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Marcello wants to control from the top but Heartless keeps moving.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Heartless moves into the clinch.

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marcello blocking the ground and pound attempt from Heartless.
Marcello is trying to control but can't.
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. Heartless connects with a nice short shot to Marcello's temple.
Marcello moves into full guard.

Heartless drops back, looking for a kneebar! Marcello looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Marcello looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Marcello!
Heartless really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Marcello. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Heartless is trying to escape the position but Marcello is controlling the position.
Heartless tries to slip a leg under to move to half guard but Marcello presses down on the leg and jumps into full mount!
Marcello controlling his opponent.
Heartless is trying desperately to improve position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Marcello tries to control but Heartless wriggling away.
Marcello thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Marcello looking to control and managing it successfully.
Heartless can't escape the position.
Marcello looking to control and managing it successfully.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Heartless tries to lock up and control but Marcello gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Marcello tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ze Marcello dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Marcello on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Marcello walks into a straight right hand from Heartless.

Heartless scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.

Heartless thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
You can see the frustration on Marcello's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Marcello taking a bit of punishment here - Heartless scoring with strikes.

Heartless is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Marcello knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Marcello tries to bench press Heartless off him but Heartless keeps the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Marcello manages to get back to half guard.
Marcello is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Heartless's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Heartless's back!
Heartless tries to roll but Marcello sticks to his back.
Marcello really has the hooks in deep now - there seems like no escape for Heartless.
Marcello throwing wild punches that miss their target.
Heartless tries to escape the position.

Marcello is staying calm and holding on to the back position, whilst working on a rear naked choke. Heartless is defending well though. Marcello let's go of the attempt for now.
Heartless is very frustrated here, being controlled quite effectively by Marcello.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Heartless is trying to break free.
Heartless trying to control the hands but Marcello won't let him.

Marcello tightening his grip on Heartless, looking for the choke.
Marcello misses with a punch to the head.
Heartless covering up well and avoiding damage.
Marcello gets his hooks in and is throwing strikes.
Marcello trying desperately to keep hold of the dominant position.
Heartless is trying to break free.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Heartless is in a world of trouble here. He's outmatched on the ground here and he'd better get Marcello off his back sharpish unless he wants to be submitted.
What can Heartless do to escape this position? He's going to have to figure it out pretty quick if he wants to stay in the fight!
You can see the frustration on Heartless's face… He knows he is in trouble unless he improves his position sooner rather than later.
Marcello is working the ground and pound here and the referee is taking a close look at Heartless. He must escape soon or this one will be stopped.
Marcello throwing lazy shots from the back mount that aren't doing any damage.
Marcello is looking cool and calm here, just waiting for a good opportunity to attack and finish the fight from this dominant position.
Heartless rolls, trying to escape but Marcello keeps control of the position.
Heartless is breathing heavily.
Marcello is riding his opponent, not letting Heartless buck him off.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Ze Marcello wasn't doing enough on the ground.
No luck for Marcello with that takedown attempt.

Heartless is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Marcello's half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
The fighters are battling for position here. Marcello manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
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 Ze Marcello will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Heartless shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Marcello's guard.
Heartless working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Ze Marcello overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Marcello trying to keep a closed guard but Heartless is proving a slippery customer.
Marcello wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.

Marcello working for a triangle but Heartless defends it easily.
Marcello pulls Heartless in to control the position.
Marcello looking to control.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Heartless is looking to work some ground and pound but Marcello has wrist control.
Marcello is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Heartless tries to roll over but Marcello keeps him under control.
Marcello sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Heartless defending well though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Still in half guard, Marcello seems content to control.
Heartless moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Marcello trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Heartless utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Marcello controls from within his opponent's guard.
Marcello looking to sit in guard and control but Heartless gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Marcello manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Heartless manages to get himself to full guard.
Heartless wants to sweep but no luck.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Marcello trying to control the position from guard on top but Heartless is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Marcello accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Marcello loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Marcello 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.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Ze Marcello just wasn't active enough.

Marcello scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Heartless tries to buck Marcello off but Marcello is having none of it.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.
Marcello prevents Heartless from escaping the position.
Marcello controlling the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marcello trying to control the position but Heartless is working away.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Marcello tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
Ze Marcello is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Marcello trying to control the position but Heartless is working away.
Heartless is trying to control Marcello's posture but Marcello avoids it.
The referee asks Marcello politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Marcello prefers to stall for the moment though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Ze Marcello wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Heartless lands with a straight right. Marcello didn't see that one coming.
Marcello avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Heartless is looking to clinch.

Heartless changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Marcello looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Sloppy strikes there by Heartless.
Marcello manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Marcello gets full guard.
Heartless must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Heartless being controlled here momentarily.
Marcello looking to control.
Marcello tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Koldan Heartless has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Marcello is trying to control the position from the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Ze Marcello.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Marcello, 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 Steven Brown scores the fight 30:27
Judge Chris Edwards scores the fight 30:27
Judge Sam Margolis scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Ze Marcello!