PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Ryan Marks (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Hajime Saito (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Marks
vs
Saito

195 cm
22
195 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

190 cm
22
190 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Solid 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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Ryan Marks!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Hajime Saito!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The fight stays on the outside here - Marks looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Marks pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Marks wants to clinch up but Saito keeps it at a distance.

Marks closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Saito to the mat! Saito manages to get full guard.
Marks postures up.
Marks trying to control the position from guard on top but Saito is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Saito looking to control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Saito doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.

Marks is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Marks trying to control the position from guard on top but Saito is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Saito throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Marks shoots in but Saito avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Marks misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Saito.
Marks tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Saito paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Saito pushes Marks up against the cage in a clinch.
Saito using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Marks has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Saito tries a knee to the head but Marks blocks it.
Saito avoids a wild elbow strike from Marks.
Saito misses with a knee strike.
Saito with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Marks tries to break the clinch but Saito is controlling the position.
Marks tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

Marks jumps guard and drags Saito to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.

Saito avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Marks is breathing heavily.
Saito trying to control but Marks is working from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Saito working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Saito accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Saito working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Marks looking to control.
Saito working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Saito thows a big elbow that misses.
Marks preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Good work by Saito as he checks the leg kick.
Marks misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ryan Marks. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Saito instigates a clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Saito landing knees to the head.

It looks like Ryan Marks has been cut.
Saito throws a knee to the head but misses.
Saito lands a knee to the head.
Saito missing with knees to the body.

Saito pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Saito throws a lazy head kick

and Marks counters with a nice double leg into side control. Saito won't be happy with that.
Saito misses with a strike from the bottom.
Saito throwing some weak shots from the bottom that do no damage.
Saito struggling a bit here.
Saito tries to strike but it doesn't land.
Saito manages to get back to half guard.
Saito moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Saito is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Marks trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Saito scores with a nice shot.
Marks wants to control from the top but Saito keeps moving.
Saito throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Saito lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Marks!
Marks keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ryan Marks dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Ryan Marks's cut.
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.

Saito scores with a push kick.
Marks looks to clinch
and Saito counters with a big head kick but Marks shrugs it off.
A head kick misses from Saito.
Marks lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Saito stuffs the takedown.
Marks avoids a punch combination nicely.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Marks.
Saito gets back to half guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Saito trying to control here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Saito keeping control of the position.
Saito trying to control here.
Saito throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Saito tries to get to full guard but Marks has control of the leg.
Marks trying to control from half guard but Saito is working away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Saito is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Saito throws a nice head kick!
Marks tries to clinch
and Saito counters with a big head kick but Marks shrugs it off.
A jab from Saito misses.
Marks closes the distance but Saito moves to the side

and Saito moves into the clinch.
Marks is trying to break free.
Marks displaying some good clinch control by pressing Saito up against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Saito pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Saito drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.

Marks escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Saito gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Saito must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

Marks working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Saito doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Saito manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Marks avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Saito throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Saito is looking to work some ground and pound but Marks has wrist control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Saito lands a couple of elbows.
Marks looking to control.
Saito landing with the ground and pound.

Marks is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
The fight stays on the outside here - Marks looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Marks showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Saito.
Marks tries to clinch up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hajime Saito showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Ryan Marks's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. And we move into the final round!

Marks misses with a double jab
and Saito counters with a big head kick but Marks shrugs it off.
Saito throws a head kick but Marks moves out of range.
Marks fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Saito manages to avoid it.
Marks throws a body kick the misses
and Marks takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Marks is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Marks keeps the fight on the outside.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Marks wants to clinch but Saito slips to the side
and Saito counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

Saito connects with a vicious head kick that knocks Marks to the floor! Saito dives in looking for the finish!

Marks is rocked!

That's one minute gone in the round.

Saito is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Marks doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Saito.
Marks on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Marks wants to control but Saito is keeping busy.
Marks is trying to control but Saito manages to pass to mount!
Saito with shots to the head and body - Marks looks very uncomfortable down there.

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.
A nice elbow there by Saito.
Marks is looking to improve his position but Saito isn't that keen on the idea.
Ryan Marks overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
A nice elbow there by Saito.
Marks is wriggling around trying to escape.
Saito looking to control but Marks is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Marks is in a horrible position here. Saito smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Saito working the ground and pound effectively.
Saito lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Saito trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Marks is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Marks wants to control but Saito is having none of it.
Marks taking shots to the head.
Marks is in all sorts of trouble here.
Saito can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Marks is looking to escape.
Marks tries to reverse the position but Saito maintains control.
Saito lands a big elbow.
Saito controlling his opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Marks is trying desperately to improve position.
Saito is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Saito blocks Marks's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Marks taking shots to the head.
Marks can't escape the position.
Saito raining down shots from the mount!
Saito scoring with strikes but Marks is staying in there.
Marks is trying to escape the mount.

And that's the end of the fight!
Hajime Saito comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Saito has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Andi Peters scores the fight 27:29
Judge Gordon Ramsey scores the fight 27:29
Judge Frank Skinner scores the fight 27:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Hajime Saito!