PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Marek Jebut (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Pablo Escobar (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Jebut
vs
Escobar

177 cm
27
193 lbs
12 - 4 - 1

187 cm
27
189 lbs
10 - 3 - 0

Great wrestler
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Excellent grappler
World class MT
Granite chin

Milwaukee's Best 160

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 12 - 4 - 1, fighting out of St Petersburg, Marek Jebut!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Pablo Escobar!
The judges for this bout are Ivan Kurochkin, Fedor Mirinova and Illya Tyunina.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Jebut throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Escobar counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Jebut misses the jab.
Escobar blocks a jab.
Escobar dips to his left and cracks Jebut with an uppercut!
Escobar slips under a jab from Jebut.
Escobar scores with a body shot.
Jebut closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Escobar has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Jebut finds it's way round the side to connect with Escobar's head.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Escobar misses with a low kick.
Jebut displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Escobar throws out the jab.

Jebut looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Escobar!
Escobar is trying to control Jebut's posture but Jebut avoids it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jebut throws a strike aimed at the side of Escobar's head but Escobar avoids it well.
Escobar regains half guard there - taking advantage of Jebut's attempt to lay and pray for a moment.
Escobar blocking the ground and pound attempt from Jebut.
Escobar is staying active underneath Jebut, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Jebut lands strikes from half guard.
Jebut is trying to control. Escobar wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Jebut wants to free his trapped foot but Escobar is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Escobar is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Escobar manages to get to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Escobar avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Jebut throwing strikes from guard but Escobar blocks nicely.
Escobar manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Jebut manages to get himself to full guard.
Jebut is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Escobar wants to control from the top but Jebut keeps moving.
Jebut will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Jebut has his foot on Escobar's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Escobar works his way back into a safe position though.
Jebut has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Escobar controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Jebut is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Escobar preventing the sweep.
Jebut is working hard here to advance position.
Jebut striking off his back but it's not causing Escobar any problems.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Jebut is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Escobar defends well.
Jebut trying to control the position.

Jebut has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Escobar can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Escobar slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Escobar trying to control but Jebut is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Marek Jebut dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

A cross from Escobar lands.
Escobar with a jab.
Escobar swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Escobar throws a hook but Jebut blocks it.
Escobar misses the shot to the body.
Jebut defending well as Escobar loads up on a big left hand.
Jebut fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Escobar displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Jebut throws out the jab.
Jebut uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Escobar.
Jebut defending well as Escobar loads up on a big left hand.
Escobar is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Jebut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Escobar is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Jebut shoots in but no luck this time.
A slow jab from Jebut misses its intended target.
Escobar doesn't manage to clinch there - Jebut circles away.
Jebut with a hook.
Jebut swinging wildly here.
Escobar slips a jab from Jebut.

Escobar fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Jebut, pushing him back against the cage.
Escobar makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Escobar lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Escobar misses with a shot to the kidneys.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Escobar swings wildly with an uppercut but Jebut uses good head movement to avoid it.
Jebut lands an uppercut.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Jebut blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Escobar tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Jebut looking to slow down the pace here.
Escobar misses with a punch on the inside.
Jebut drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Escobar gets the underhooks and prevents it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Marek Jebut. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Escobar will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Jebut up against the cage.
Nice body punch from Escobar.
Escobar lands with a short shot to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A bit of stalling here from Escobar.
Jebut is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Jebut is trying to break free.
Escobar tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Jebut wants a takedown.
A nice left hand lands by Jebut.
Jebut is trying to break the clinch but Escobar has him pressed against the cage.
Escobar tries to work over Jebut's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Escobar tries a body shot but Jebut blocks it.
Escobar has been looking to improve his clinch game in recent weeks. So far he's outscoring his opponent in the clinch so it seems to have been worthwhile.
Jebut wants to stall.
Jebut slowing the pace effectively.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Escobar looking to slow down the pace here.
Escobar throws a punch but it's blocked by Jebut.
Jebut has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Escobar after a bit of a struggle.
Jebut is looking to control Escobar's arms but Escobar gets an underhook and turns him. Now Jebut has his back to the cage.
A frustrated look appears on Jebut's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Jebut blocking some punches.
Jebut wants a takedown.
Escobar tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Jebut lands a shoulder strike.
Pablo Escobar seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Escobar can't find room to land a body shot as Jebut controls the action.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Jebut has Escobar pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Escobar manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Escobar softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Escobar misses with a body punch.
Escobar presses Jebut against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Pablo Escobar will probably get the nod - 10:9.
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. This is the final round!

Jebut looks to land a right hand but Escobar moved out of range.
Jebut thuds a left hand into Escobar's body.
Escobar avoids the body shot from Jebut.
Escobar slips under a jab from Jebut.
Jebut misses with an uppercut.
Jebut misses with a jab, cross combination.
Jebut shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Escobar as he avoids it easily.
Jebut circles away from the clinch attempt.
Jebut thows a leg kick but Escobar checks it
and Escobar counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.

Jebut gets a takedown into half guard.
Escobar is trying to get back to full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jebut not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Jebut not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Escobar wants to control but Jebut is keeping busy.
Escobar gets full guard.
Jebut trying to control the position from guard on top but Escobar is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Escobar wants to sweep but no luck.
Jebut trying to control but Escobar is working from the bottom.
Escobar preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Jebut wants to control from the top but Escobar keeps moving.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Marek Jebut wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Escobar throws a nice outside leg kick.
Escobar throws a right and a left that Jebut avoids nicely.
Escobar motions for Jebut to come forward. Escobar throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
A nice inside leg kick there by Escobar. That's going to slow Jebut down.
Jebut rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Escobar counters with a straight right hand.
Escobar with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Jebut to score with a decent uppercut.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Good shot there by Jebut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Escobar slaps away a takedown attempt from Jebut, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Jebut scores with a nice strike.
Horrible takedown by Jebut or perhaps it was just good defense by Escobar which made him look bad.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Marek Jebut. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Escobar misses with a wild combination.
Jebut connects with a body shot.
Jebut checks a leg kick.
Escobar walks into a jab.
Escobar staying out of range there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Jebut misses with an uppercut. Escobar saw that one coming.
Escobar misses with a few strikes there.
Escobar throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Jebut on the side of the head.
Escobar slips a jab from Jebut.
Jebut misses with a looping right.
Escobar bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Jebut's head.
Nice shot by Escobar.
Escobar has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Escobar throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Escobar moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Jebut swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Pablo Escobar is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Escobar lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.

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 Marek Jebut.
I think Jebut 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 Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 29:28
Judge Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 29:28
Judge Illya Tyunina scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Marek Jebut!
After the fight, Marek Jebut was humble in paying tribute to his opponent but made it clear he wants to go on to bigger and better things. It seemed to go down well with the crowd who cheered him loudly.