PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Marshall Key (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ante Pavelic (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Key
vs
Pavelic

189 cm
19
150 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

178 cm
18
150 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Marshall Key!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Ante Pavelic!
The judges for this bout are Ron Honeybunn, Skip Squint and Francis DeMontford.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pavelic misses with a takedown attempt
and Key counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Pavelic doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Key decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Pavelic's guard.

Pavelic has managed to wall walk up one of the corner posts to get back to his feet. Key is pushing him up against the cage, looking to control the position.
Pavelic tries for a takedown. No joy.
Marshall Key has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ante Pavelic.
Pavelic has had enough of the clinch but Key keeps him there for the moment.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
A head punch on the inside from Pavelic fails to land.
Pavelic tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Key avoids it.

Pavelic breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pavelic misses with a head kick.
Key seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Key moves in looking to clinch but Pavelic pushes him off.
Nice sprawl there from Key as Pavelic shoots in.
Key is looking to clinch.
Key throws a series of punches but Pavelic moves out of range.
Key stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Key wants it to stay on the feet.
Key misses with a wild body shot.
Horrible takedown attempt by Pavelic or perhaps it was just good defense by Key, which made it look bad.
Pavelic doesn't manage to clinch there - Key circles away.
As Pavelic looks to move away, Key throws a big counter combo bu Pavelic just gets out of the way.
Key has a takedown stuffed.

Key moves into the clinch successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Key slows down the pace here.

Key manages to break the clinch.
Pavelic tries to score a power double leg takedown but Key sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Pavelic somewhat.
Key stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Key wants it to stay on the feet.
Pavelic shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Key pinned against the cage. Key gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Pavelic looks winded!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Key closes the distance and clinches up with Pavelic, looking for a takedown. Key pushes Pavelic against the cage but Pavelic circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Key lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Pavelic shoots in for a takedown but Key shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.

Pavelic gets caught flat footed, as Key shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Pavelic is looking to stand back up but Key counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Pavelic.

Key is looking for a kimura but Pavelic is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Key to get the leverage.
Key missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

Key is trying to work for a kimura but Pavelic is defending well.

Key is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Pavelic defends it well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Key stands up and beckons Pavelic to join him on the feet.
Key shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Pavelic but Pavelic pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Pavelic is looking for the big counter here.

Pavelic shoots in and gets a takedown into Key's guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Pavelic in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Marshall Key dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Key chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Pavelic can pounce on him.
Key shoots for a double leg takedown but Pavelic sprawls well. He's pushed Key's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Key defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Pavelic.
Key swinging wildly here.
Pavelic displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Key.
Pavelic darts in looking for a takedown but Key gets double underhooks and turns Pavelic into the cage.
Key is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Pavelic can do to turn this around?
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Pavelic throws a lazy head kick

and Key counters with a takedown into side control! That could mean trouble for Pavelic!
Key landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Marshall Key overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Sloppy strikes there by Key.

Key is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Pavelic is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pavelic tries to buck Key off but Key is having none of it.
Pavelic takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.

Key tries for a kimura but Pavelic is defending well.
Pavelic struggling a bit here.
Key grinds an elbow into Pavelic's temple.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Key throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Pavelic is trying to improve his position.
Key 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.
You can see the frustration on Pavelic's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Key in side control lands a decent elbow.
Pavelic tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Key wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Key trying to control the action but Pavelic is working from the bottom.
Pavelic felt the need to train up his defensive grappling in the buildup to the fight. Presumably he was expecting to be in a difficult position like this, so let's see if he can get out of it.
Pavelic manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Pavelic is breathing heavily.

Key is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Pavelic has managed to free his arm - good work.
Pavelic trying to hold on to Key's head to control him but Key postures up.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Pavelic swats away the attempt to clinch by Key.
Pavelic fails with a takedown attempt.
Marshall Key has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ante Pavelic.
Pavelic will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Pavelic shoots and misses
and Key counters with a two punch combo.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Key goes for a double leg but Pavelic avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Pavelic continues to drive forward.
No luck for Pavelic with that takedown attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Marshall Key dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Key drives through and clinches with Pavelic against the cage.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Key.
The referee calls for Pavelic to work.
Key leaning his opponent against the cage.
Pavelic wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Key dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Key misses with some punches.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Pavelic breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Pavelic fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Key throws a shot to the body.
Pavelic ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Key moves away.
Pavelic shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Key defends it nicely.
Key half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Ante Pavelic seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Pavelic takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Key is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Key clinches with his opponent.
Key displaying some good clinch control by pressing Pavelic up against the cage.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Key.
Pavelic is working for takedown but Key is calmly controlling the position for now.
Marshall Key has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ante Pavelic.
Key is struggling to control the position.

Pavelic breaks from the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pavelic fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Pavelic stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Pavelic wants it to stay on the feet.
Pavelic unleashes a big counter combination but Key bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.

Key clinches.

Pavelic has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Key is trying to keep an underhook but Pavelic manages to get the takedown into half guard.

Key looking for submissions off his back.
Pavelic is controlling the pace.
Pavelic stalling away here and it's allowed Key to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Key keeping moving, preventing Pavelic from controlling successfully.
Key will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Key wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Pavelic is now in half guard.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Pavelic content to control rather than advance.

And that's the end of the fight!
Marshall Key showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Key has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Ron Honeybunn scores the fight 30:27
Judge Skip Squint scores the fight 30:27
Judge Francis DeMontford scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Marshall Key!