PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Domagoj Kovacic (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Juan Marcos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Juan Marcos struggled to make weight for this fight. He only made it down to 157.4lbs at the first attempt and had to take the additional two hours to make the official bout weight. Let's see how much it's taken out of him. Domagoj Kovacic has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Kovacic
vs
Marcos

175 cm
25
165 lbs
1 - 5 - 0

175 cm
21
163 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Domagoj Kovacic!
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, Juan Marcos!
The judges for this bout are Cecil Peabody, George Francis and Chris Downing.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kovacic misses with a wild combination.
Kovacic tries for a takedown but Marcos sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Kovacic is defended easily by Marcos.
Marcos throws a right hand that Kovacic ducks under and follows up with a left that Kovacic also avoids with ease.
Kovacic swinging wildly here.
Kovacic falls off balance throwing a combination
and Marcos counters with a three punch combo that has Kovacic backing up. Kovacic nods at Marcos to acknowledge the strikes.
Kovacic tries to clinch up but Marcos circles away and keeps his distance.
Marcos stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Kovacic.
Kovacic shoots in looking for a takedown. Marcos tries to sprawl out of it but Kovacic keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Marcos manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Domagoj Kovacic. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Kovacic fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Marcos avoids it really well and circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kovacic throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Kovacic fails in his attempt to clinch.
Marcos lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Kovacic wants to clinch up but Marcos keeps it at a distance.
Marcos paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Marcos stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Marcos wants it to stay on the feet.
Marcos slaps away a takedown attempt from Kovacic, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Kovacic throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Marcos's waist but Marcos gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Kovacic off to one side.
Kovacic tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Marcos swivels and escapes.
Marcos scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kovacic with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Marcos jabs Kovacic right on the nose. Kovacic blinks but takes it well.
Juan Marcos is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Marcos looks gassed!
Marcos swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Kovacic.
Marcos misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

Marcos moves into the clinch.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Kovacic breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Marcos throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Kovacic misses with a jab, cross combination.
Kovacic has a takedown stuffed.
A nice leg kick lands there from Kovacic.
A combination from Marcos does no damage.
Kovacic tries to close the distance and clinch up but Marcos swats him away and circles back towards the center.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kovacic tries for a takedown but Marcos sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Kovacic fails with a takedown attempt.
Kovacic doesn't manage to clinch there - Marcos circles away.
Marcos looks to land a combination but Kovacic avoids it well.
Marcos throws the left hand but Kovacic avoids the punch easily.
Marcos stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Marcos wants it to stay on the feet.
Kovacic wants to clinch up but Marcos keeps it at a distance.
Kovacic fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Sloppy strikes from Kovacic. Those never looked like landing.
Nice takedown defense from Marcos. No joy for Kovacic on that attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A right-left combo lands from Marcos.
Marcos tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Kovacic moves in looking to clinch but Marcos pushes him off.
Domagoj Kovacic seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Marcos bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Kovacic's head backwards.
Kovacic changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Marcos tries to avoid it but Kovacic manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Marcos to the ground. Marcos escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Marcos on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Kovacic. Kovacic obviously looking to wear him down.
Marcos lands with a shot to the body.
Marcos keeps the fight on the outside.
Kovacic misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Kovacic is looking to clinch but Marcos is avoiding it.
Marcos circles away from the clinch attempt.
Marcos tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Juan Marcos will probably get the nod.
That's time! Kovacic's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Kovacic fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Kovacic shoots in looking for a takedown. Marcos tries to sprawl out of it but Kovacic keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Marcos manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Horrible takedown by Kovacic or perhaps it was just good defense by Marcos which made him look bad.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Domagoj Kovacic. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Marcos connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Kovacic lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Kovacic shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Marcos as he jumps to the side.
Kovacic is looking to clinch.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Kovacic shoots in but no luck this time.
Marcos has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Kovacic.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Marcos misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Kovacic swinging wildly here.

Marcos clinches with his opponent.

Kovacic's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Marcos moves in looking to clinch but Kovacic pushes him off.
Marcos wants to clinch up but Kovacic keeps it at a distance.
Kovacic closes the distance and clinches up with Marcos, looking for a takedown. Kovacic pushes Marcos against the cage but Marcos circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Kovacic is looking to clinch but Marcos is avoiding it.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Kovacic.
Kovacic shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Marcos as he jumps to the side.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Marcos clinches.
Marcos managing to block the knees to the body from Kovacic.
Kovacic using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Marcos has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Kovacic landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Marcos blocks an elbow strike from Kovacic.
Kovacic keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Marcos's efforts to push away.
Marcos on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Kovacic missing with knees to the body.

Kovacic breaks the clinch.
Kovacic looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kovacic avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Marcos tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Kovacic manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Marcos circles away from the clinch attempt.
Kovacic is looking to clinch.
Kovacic shoots in but Marcos avoids the takedown attempt easily.

Marcos has Kovacic up against the cage in a clinch.
Marcos can't break the clinch.
Kovacic tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Marcos avoids it.
Kovacic is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Marcos is defending well for now.
Marcos avoiding damage as Kovacic throws knees to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kovacic landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Kovacic looking to throw knees to the head but Marcos is blocking nicely.
Marcos wants to break free but Kovacic has control.
Marcos is trying to push Kovacic away but Kovacic has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Marcos blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Marcos is trying to push Kovacic away but Kovacic has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Marcos wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Marcos blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Kovacic misses with a knee to the head.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Marcos has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Kovacic misses with an elbow over the top.

Kovacic breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
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 Domagoj Kovacic will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Marcos throws a right hand that Kovacic ducks under and follows up with a left that Kovacic also avoids with ease.

Kovacic gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Kovacic's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Marcos tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Domagoj Kovacic is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Kovacic circles away from the clinch attempt.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Kovacic.
Kovacic misses with a series of wild punches.
Marcos lands a jab.
Domagoj Kovacic is winning the standup battle so far.
Marcos thows a body shot but no joy.
Kovacic feints and then cracks Marcos's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Marcos down.
Marcos takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Kovacic shoots in looking for a takedown. Marcos tries to sprawl out of it but Kovacic keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Marcos manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kovacic misses with a two punch combination.
Marcos slaps away a takedown attempt from Kovacic, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Marcos throws a series of punches but Kovacic avoids them all with ease.

Kovacic clinches up against the cage.

Kovacic breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Kovacic shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Marcos manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Marcos wants to stand up but Kovacic is controlling him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kovacic has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Marcos is proving hard to escape from.

Kovacic stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Kovacic misses with a takedown attempt - Marcos sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Domagoj Kovacic. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Marcos stuffs the takedown.
Marcos fails with an attempt to clinch.
Kovacic fails with the takedown.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Marcos throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Kovacic rushes Marcos and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Marcos can't break the clinch.

Kovacic pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Marcos doesn't manage to clinch there - Kovacic circles away.
Marcos on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Kovacic. Kovacic obviously looking to wear him down.
Kovacic fails in his attempt to clinch.

Kovacic gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Kovacic missing with knees to the body.

Kovacic breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Marcos stuffs the takedown.
Marcos fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Marcos stuffs the takedown.
Kovacic fails with an attempt to clinch.
Marcos throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Kovacic misses with the combination.
Kovacic closes the distance and clinches up with Marcos, looking for a takedown. Kovacic pushes Marcos against the cage but Marcos circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
No luck for Kovacic with that takedown attempt.
Marcos tries to close the distance and clinch but Kovacic swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Kovacic swinging wildly here.
Kovacic will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

And that's the end of the fight!
Domagoj Kovacic showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Kovacic has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Cecil Peabody scores the fight 29:28
Judge George Francis scores the fight 29:28
Judge Chris Downing scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Domagoj Kovacic!