PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Marcus Freedman (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Igor Kotzlowski (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Freedman
vs
Kotzlowski

190 cm
25
200 lbs
5 - 1 - 0

190 cm
26
190 lbs
7 - 11 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

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 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Marcus Freedman!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 11 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Igor Kotzlowski!
The judges for this bout are Aafke Stam, Saam Ante and Patrick Alders.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Freedman lands a slapping body shot.
Kotzlowski dodges the punch combination from Freedman.
Freedman lands a lovely overhand right.
Freedman misses with a two punch combination.
Freedman misses with a body shot

and Kotzlowski counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

Freedman has his foot on Kotzlowski's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Kotzlowski works his way back into a safe position though.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Kotzlowski drops back looking for a leg! Freedman is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Freedman manages to kick Kotzlowski off! Kotzlowski jumps back into Freedman's guard.
Freedman tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Freedman is working hard here to advance position.

Freedman is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Freedman looking for a sweep. Not yet Freedman, not yet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kotzlowski must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Kotzlowski throws a big elbow that misses.
Kotzlowski lands a couple of digs.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Freedman looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Kotzlowski tries to free his leg and advance position but Freedman is retaining full guard.
Kotzlowski is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Kotzlowski stopping the sweep attempt from Freedman.

Freedman has his foot on Kotzlowski's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Kotzlowski works his way back into a safe position though.
Freedman manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Freedman thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Kotzlowski is trying desperately to improve position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kotzlowski sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Freedman is looking to advance position but Kotzlowski won't allow it.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Kotzlowski wants to control but Freedman is keeping busy.
Freedman works his foot free and advances to mount.
Kotzlowski wants to control but Freedman is having none of it.
Kotzlowski keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Freedman is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Kotzlowski can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Kotzlowski is looking to improve his position but Freedman isn't that keen on the idea.

Freedman gets to his feet and calls his opponent to stand. Here come the fireworks!
Freedman throws a series of punches but Kotzlowski moves out of range.
Freedman throws a series of punches but Kotzlowski avoids them all with ease.
Freedman shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Freedman swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Kotzlowski counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Kotzlowski.
Freedman wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Kotzlowski has him pressed against the ropes.
Kotzlowski is trying to maintain a safe position but Freedman gets an underhook and turns Kotzlowski into the ropes.
Kotzlowski lands an elbow inside.
Freedman has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Kotzlowski is working for takedown but Freedman is calmly controlling the position for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kotzlowski is pushing Freedman up against the ropes, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Freedman tries to break the clinch but Kotzlowski is controlling the position.

Freedman's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Freedman cracks Kotzlowski with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Freedman shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Kotzlowski but Kotzlowski pushes him off and we're back to square one.
A punch combination from Freedman misses.
Kotzlowski uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Freedman.
Marcus Freedman seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Kotzlowski shoots in for a takedown but Freedman shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Freedman throws a jab but it's blocked by Kotzlowski.
Kotzlowski defending well as Freedman loads up on a big left hand.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Marcus Freedman dominated that round.
That's time! Freedman's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Freedman shoots in for a takedown but Kotzlowski shows good takedown defense.
A cross from Freedman lands.
Kotzlowski takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Freedman misses with a hook. Kotzlowski ducked under it nicely.
Freedman shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Kotzlowski as he jumps to the side.
Freedman with a jab.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Freedman.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Marcus Freedman. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Kotzlowski shoots in looking for a takedown. Freedman tries to sprawl out of it but Kotzlowski keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the ropes. Freedman manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Freedman throws a left and a right that both miss

and Kotzlowski counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Kotzlowski trying to control the position from guard on top but Freedman is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Freedman isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Kotzlowski stacks Freedman on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Kotzlowski!
Kotzlowski trying to control the action but Freedman is working from the bottom.
Freedman gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Kotzlowski is trying to get back to his feet now but his leg is trapped.
Kotzlowski tries to pass to full mount but Freedman defends it.
Freedman makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Freedman.
Kotzlowski passes Freedman's left leg - he's now in half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Freedman manages to get to full guard.
Freedman is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Kotzlowski is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Freedman is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Kotzlowski is controlling him.
Kotzlowski preventing the sweep.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Kotzlowski tries to free his leg and advance position but Freedman is retaining full guard.
Kotzlowski won't allow Freedman to sweep him here.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Kotzlowski pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Freedman is keeping the position for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Freedman looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Freedman controls Kotzlowski momentarily but Kotzlowski frees himself.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Freedman stuffs the takedown attempt from Kotzlowski. Kotzlowski gets slowly back to his feet.
Kotzlowski is pinned up against the ropes taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Freedman fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Freedman looks to land a combination. Kotzlowski sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kotzlowski changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Freedman tries to avoid it but Kotzlowski manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Freedman to the ground. Freedman escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Freedman throws out a powerful jab.
Freedman uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Kotzlowski has time to react.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Kotzlowski shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Freedman but Freedman pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Kotzlowski shoots in but Freedman avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Freedman tries for a takedown but Kotzlowski sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Freedman shoots in for a takedown but Kotzlowski shows good takedown defense.
Kotzlowski is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Marcus Freedman dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the ring so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Freedman tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Kotzlowski was well out of range. Poor timing from Freedman.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Freedman.

Kotzlowski gets a double leg takedown into Freedman's guard.
Kotzlowski wants to control from the top but Freedman keeps moving.
Kotzlowski sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Freedman's guard.
Freedman is looking for a sweep. Kotzlowski is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

Freedman actively working from the bottom here.
Freedman tries to roll over but Kotzlowski keeps him under control.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Kotzlowski lands a nice short elbow.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Freedman wants to improve his position but Kotzlowski is controlling well.
Kotzlowski not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Kotzlowski wants to lay and pray for a moment but Freedman keeps working.
Freedman is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Kotzlowski trying to control from half guard but Freedman is working away.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Freedman wants to get back to full guard.
Kotzlowski stops Freedman from getting back to his feet.
Kotzlowski thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Freedman's head.
Kotzlowski landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Kotzlowski looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kotzlowski looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Freedman with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Kotzlowski looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Freedman with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Kotzlowski is looking to take a break and control but Freedman is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Freedman works his way to full guard. Good work.
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!
Freedman working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Kotzlowski.
Kotzlowski is looking to work some ground and pound but Freedman has wrist control.

Freedman throws his legs up looking for a submission but Kotzlowski uses it to pass to side control.
Freedman on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Kotzlowski scores with punches from side control.
Igor Kotzlowski has got the better of the ground game so far.
Kotzlowski tries to advance to mount but can't.
Kotzlowski is looking to take a break and control but Freedman is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Freedman is looking for a sweep.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Freedman wants to get back to his feet but Kotzlowski drags him back down.
Freedman is trying to escape the position but Kotzlowski is controlling the position.
Freedman is trying to get back to his feet.
You can see the frustration on Freedman's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Freedman prevents Kotzlowski from improving position.
Freedman defending against the ground and pound.
Freedman tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Kotzlowski wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Kotzlowski postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.

Kotzlowski decides to stand up, so the ref orders Freedman to his feet.
Freedman keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Freedman will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Igor Kotzlowski has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Marcus Freedman is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Kotzlowski shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Freedman pinned against the ropes. Freedman gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Freedman throws a jab but it's blocked by Kotzlowski.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Freedman will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Kotzlowski shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Freedman sprawls well. Freedman wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Kotzlowski gets slowly back to his feet.

And that's the end of the fight!
Igor Kotzlowski comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Freedman 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 Aafke Stam scores the fight 29:28
Judge Saam Ante scores the fight 29:28
Judge Patrick Alders scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Marcus Freedman!
Marcus Freedman decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.