PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Matt Mattews (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Marco Marcolini (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Marcolini's choice of entrance music: Raffaella Carra - Rumore. This should be fireworks!

Mattews
vs
Marcolini

192 cm
27
290 lbs
15 - 6 - 0

185 cm
37
259 lbs
25 - 19 - 0

Great wrestler
Great elbows
Cardio machine

BJJ Brown Belt
Dangerous knees
Good gas tank

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 15 - 6 - 0, fighting out of New York, Matt Mattews!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 25 - 19 - 0, fighting out of New York, Marco Marcolini!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, George Francis and Stewart Dunkirk.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Marcolini ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Mattews moves away.

Mattews takes the fight into the clinch.

Mattews breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Donk. Marcolini catches Mattews right on the button with a cross.

It looks like Matt Mattews has been cut.

Mattews moves into range and clinches up with Marcolini.
Mattews lands a right hand.
Mattews managing to block the knees to the body from Marcolini.
Mattews is working for takedown but Marcolini is calmly controlling the position for now.
Marcolini lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Mattews is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Marcolini tries to land knees in the clinch but Mattews avoids the damage to the body.
Marcolini tries to land a knee to the head but Mattews blocks with his arms.
Marcolini tries a knee to the head but Mattews blocks it.
Nice body punch from Marcolini.
Marcolini throws a knee to the head but misses.
Mattews wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Marcolini missing with knees to the body.
Mattews takes an elbow to the forehead.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Marcolini is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Marcolini has Mattews pressed against the cage, preventing Mattews from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mattews drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Matt Mattews. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Mattews is breathing heavily.
Marcolini misses with a body punch.
Marcolini is trying to maintain a safe position but Mattews gets an underhook and turns Marcolini into the cage.

Mattews works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Mattews postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Marcolini keeping moving, preventing Mattews from controlling successfully.
Mattews 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.
Mattews won't allow Marcolini to sweep him here.
Mattews postures up.
Mattews sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Marcolini's guard.
Marcolini wants to get back to his feet.
Marcolini is looking for a sweep. Mattews is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
We've been hearing that Mattews has been drilling a lot of ground and pound in training, so let's see if he get the finish.

Mattews is looking for a kimura but Marcolini is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Mattews to get the leverage.

Mattews is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Marcolini sees it coming and defends easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Marcolini tries to get to full guard but Mattews has control of the leg.
Mattews trying to pass the guard but Marcolini defending well.
Marcolini works his way to full guard. Good work.
Mattews stays in close to Marcolini's body and controls the position.

Mattews gets to his feet - Marcolini follows without any prompting.
Nice takedown defense from Marcolini. No joy for Mattews on that attempt.

Marcolini lands a big uppercut and Mattews crumbles to the floor! The ref thinks about stopping the fight but Mattews looks OK. Marcolini waves Mattews back to his feet!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Marcolini closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Marcolini is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Mattews is defending well for now.
Mattews avoiding damage as Marcolini throws knees to the body.
Marcolini tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Mattews avoids it.
Marcolini is trying to maintain a safe position but Mattews gets an underhook and turns Marcolini into the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Knees to the body from Marcolini.
Marcolini tries to land a knee to the head but Mattews blocks with his arms.
Mattews doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Marcolini trying to land knees to the body.

Mattews breaks from the clinch.
No luck for Mattews with that takedown attempt.

Mattews has closed the distance and engaged Marcolini in a clinch.
Marcolini tries to land knees in the clinch but Mattews avoids the damage to the body.
Mattews is looking for a takedown.
Marcolini tries to land a knee to the head but Mattews blocks with his arms.
Marcolini throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Mattews blocks it with crossed arms.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Mattews jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Marcolini walks away with a smile on his face. Mattews gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Mattews throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Marcolini's waist but Marcolini gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Mattews off to one side.
Marcolini lands a lovely overhand right.

Matt Mattews's cut is getting worse.

Marcolini gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Mattews to score an easy takedown into full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Marcolini looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Mattews puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Marcolini is staying active underneath Mattews, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Marcolini wants to control but Mattews is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Marcolini wants to improve his position but Mattews is controlling well.
Mattews lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Marcolini is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Mattews's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Mattews's back!
Mattews is defending well here and trying to improve his position.

Marcolini tightening his grip on Mattews, looking for the choke.
Marcolini struggling to land strikes to the head as Mattews covers up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Marco Marcolini dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Matt Mattews's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Mattews walks into a left hand.
Marcolini looks to throw the jab but Mattews is out of range.

Mattews instigates a clinch.
Mattews blocks a body shot from Marcolini.
Mattews goes for a takedown attempt but Marcolini pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

Mattews gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Marcolini throws a knee to the head but misses.

Mattews pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Mattews loses concentration momentarily and Marcolini pounces with a three punch combo! Right, left, right! Mattews crashes face first to the mat, out cold! Marcolini finishes this one with a fantastically precise combo! Great stuff.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:37 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Punches). Marco Marcolini!
Marco Marcolini seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.