PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Thabiso Rowan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Marcus Crudd (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Rowan
vs
Crudd

180 cm
23
193 lbs
5 - 0 - 0

186 cm
22
196 lbs
5 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Good kicks
Solid chin

Blueprint Clothing
Arashi Fighting Nutrition

Blueprint Clothing

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Thabiso Rowan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Marcus Crudd!
The judges for this bout are Paulo Santos, Alexandre Firmino and Emerson Jorge.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rowan has a takedown stuffed.
Crudd misses with a series of wild punches.

Rowan changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Crudd looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Crudd tries to improve position but can't.
Crudd is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Rowan looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Rowan is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Crudd avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Rowan.
Rowan landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Crudd on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Crudd has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Rowan is working away from the top position though.
Rowan is looking for the mount but instead finds himself back in full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rowan won't allow Crudd to sweep him here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Crudd keeping moving, preventing Rowan from controlling successfully.

Crudd working for a triangle but Rowan defends it easily.
Crudd looking to hit a scissor sweep but Rowan is one step ahead there.
Rowan postures up and lands a big shot to Crudd's brow.
Crudd controls Rowan momentarily but Rowan frees himself.
Rowan with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.

That's two 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.
Rowan content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Rowan missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

Crudd working for a triangle but Rowan defends it easily.
Rowan trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Crudd keeping moving, preventing Rowan from controlling successfully.
Rowan connects with a couple of short punches.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Crudd is on top in guard.
Rowan on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Rowan tries to get out of the position.
Rowan looking to hit a scissor sweep but Crudd is one step ahead there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rowan lands with a heel strike from the guard.
Crudd is on the wrong end of a couple of strikes there.
Rowan trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Rowan will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Rowan lands a couple of decent looking body shots there.
Rowan throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Rowan trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Rowan is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Rowan throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Rowan scoring with strikes to the body and head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rowan thows a huge punch but Crudd dodges it nicely.
Crudd on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Rowan throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Rowan throwing shots but Crudd is blocking nicely.
Rowan landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Crudd on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
The fighters are battling for position here. Crudd manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Rowan throwing strikes from guard but Crudd blocks nicely.
Rowan trying to control but Crudd is working from the bottom.
Rowan throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Thabiso Rowan dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Rowan shoots for a double leg takedown but Crudd sprawls well. He's pushed Rowan's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Crudd stuffs the takedown.
Thabiso Rowan is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Rowan shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Thabiso Rowan. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Crudd misses with a double jab.
Crudd is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Rowan.
Crudd misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Crudd keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Rowan fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Rowan looks for a takedown but Crudd sprawls well.
Rowan will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Crudd connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.

Rowan decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Rowan sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Crudd defending well though.
Crudd blocking the ground and pound attempt from Rowan.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Crudd is pressing down on Rowan's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Crudd avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Crudd is controlling Rowan's posture.
Rowan missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Crudd is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Rowan is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Crudd's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Crudd's back!
Crudd tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Rowan is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Crudd can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Rowan connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Thabiso Rowan overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Rowan moves into side control, trying to work for a kimura. That looks painful! Will he finish!!?? No, Crudd has worked his arm free - good work by Crudd!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
An elbow from Rowan crashes against the mat.
Rowan throwing ground and pound but whilst doing so, he forgets to control position and Crudd works his way back to half guard. Good composure under pressure.
Rowan throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Rowan not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Rowan slips a nice elbow through Crudd's hands, connecting with Crudd's forehead.
Rowan passes to full mount!
Crudd is looking to get to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rowan postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Crudd looks a forlorn figure.
Rowan lands a heavy elbow.
Crudd taking shots to the head.
Rowan lands a heavy elbow.
Crudd is working to get back to half guard.
Rowan working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Rowan has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Crudd's face.
Rowan lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Crudd is bucking up trying to escape but Rowan cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Crudd is desperately trying to improve his position but Rowan has a good base and remains in mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rowan has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Crudd's face.
Crudd in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Rowan putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Rowan lands a big elbow.

Crudd is rocked!
Rowan with good strikes from the mount here!
Crudd is still in real trouble! Can Rowan finish him?
Rowan working the ground and pound effectively.
Rowan lands a big elbow - Crudd is in trouble! More strikes from the mount and Crudd is forced to tap out!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:52 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Strikes). Thabiso Rowan!