PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Christian Evansen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Marcus Maven (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Evansen
vs
Maven

170 cm
30
155 lbs
18 - 2 - 0

166 cm
40
153 lbs
27 - 12 - 1

Good wrestling
Lethal high kicks
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

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 18 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Christian Evansen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 27 - 12 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Marcus Maven!
The judges for this bout are Hirohito Nitta, Taro Takaoka and Ren Mimura.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Evansen throws a big shot that misses.
Maven shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Evansen eats them both and turns towards Maven to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Good leg kick by Maven there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Maven has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.
Evansen misses with an uppercut.
Evansen displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Maven throws out the jab.
Evansen staying out of range there.
Maven fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Evansen checks it well.
Evansen lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Maven circles away quickly and effectively.
Evansen staying out of range there.
A big left from Maven misses.
Evansen uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Maven.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Maven throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Maven scores with a body shot.
That kick from Maven tenderised Evansen's leg. Evansen is trying to keep his angry face on.
Maven uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Evansen.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Evansen moves out of range as Maven strikes.
Evansen fires out a quick counter leg kick but Maven just manages to avoid it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maven takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Evansen tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Maven swivels and escapes.
Maven with the counter takedown but Evansen avoids it easily.
Maven moves out of range of the strikes.
Maven throws a jab when Evansen was well out of range.
Nice cross by Maven.
Evansen cracks a nice hook into Maven's ribs.
Evansen punishes Maven's body with a nice straight punch.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Evansen.
Evansen uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Maven.
Evansen lands a nice shot that snaps Maven's head back.
Evansen ducks under a wild hook from Maven.
Maven looks to throw the jab but Evansen is out of range.
Evansen ducks under a wild hook from Maven.
Evansen scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Evansen looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Maven!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Evansen trying to control the action but Maven is working from the bottom.
Maven is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Evansen wants to control but Maven is keeping him busy.
Maven prevents Evansen from moving into mount.
What's Maven going to do here then? He's in a bit of a pickle.
Evansen sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Maven is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Evansen controls the position from side control.

Evansen tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Maven is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Evansen off and has taken his back!
Evansen wants to control his opponent's hands but Maven gets his hands free.
Maven keeps control of the position easily here as Evansen tries to buck him off.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Evansen rolls, trying to escape but Maven keeps control of the position.
I would not like to be Evansen right now.
Evansen trying to control the action but Maven just sinks the hooks in.
Maven really has the hooks in deep now - there seems like no escape for Evansen.
Evansen trying to control the hands but Maven won't let him.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Marcus Maven dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Decent striking displayed by Maven there.
Maven throws a sloppy head kick
and Evansen counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Evansen moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Evansen throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Maven.
Evansen tries to move into range but Maven moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Evansen lands a head kick. Maven smiles back at him and beckons him forward.

It looks like Marcus Maven has been cut.
Maven throws a right and a left that Evansen avoids nicely.
Maven throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Maven lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Marcus Maven seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Maven lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Evansen at a distance.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Evansen misses with a body shot.
Evansen displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Maven throws out the jab.
Evansen throws a low kick, looking for Maven's leg but Maven calmly moves out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maven cracks the inside of Evansen's front leg.
Evansen bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
And Evansen counters with a quick kick to the body but Maven blocks it.
Maven checks a leg kick.
Evansen ducks under a wild hook from Maven.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Maven, right into the meat.
Maven slips a straight right by Evansen.
Evansen misses the shot to the body.
Some bone on bone action there as Evansen checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Evansen lands a nice leg kick that just misses Maven's sensitive parts.

Evansen rushes Maven and presses him up against the cage.
Maven tries to break free but Evansen pushes him back against the cage.
Maven throws a punch but it's blocked by Evansen.

Maven breaks the clinch.
Maven looks to land a combination. Evansen sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Evansen checks the leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maven uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Evansen.
A jab from Evansen misses.
Maven has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Maven tries a head kick but it misses.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Maven feints and then cracks Evansen's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Evansen down.
Evansen throws a chopping leg kick but Maven manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Evansen avoids the body shot from Maven.
It looked like Evansen wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Maven lands a body shot.
Evansen throws a low kick but Maven avoids it.
Evansen moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Evansen misses with a straight right.
Evansen swings away with a leg kick that misses.
A head kick misses from Maven.
Evansen throws out a leg kick but Maven moves out of range and Evansen only half commits.
Maven drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Evansen defends it well.
Evansen jabs Maven right on the nose. Maven blinks but takes it well.
Marcus Maven is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Evansen shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Maven is looking for a triangle but Evansen pushes his legs off easily.
Evansen trying to move into half guard but instead Maven has managed to sweep!

Evansen controlling Maven's posture.
Maven engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Evansen keeping moving, preventing Maven from controlling successfully.
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.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Evansen is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Evansen is trying to keep Maven in close.
Maven controls from within his opponent's guard.
Evansen is pulling down on Maven's head. It's preventing any offense from Maven, at least for the moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Marcus Maven showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Marcus Maven's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Maven throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Evansen.
Maven throws a series of punches but Evansen avoids them all with ease.
Donk. Maven catches Evansen right on the button with a cross.
Evansen tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Evansen on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
A jab from Maven misses.
Evansen throwing a counter right hand but Maven manages to avoid it.
Evansen misses with a low kick.
Evansen just misses with a punch to the body.
Evansen misses with a straight left.
Evansen tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Evansen tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Evansen throws a solid leg kick but Maven takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Evansen.
Maven scores with a head kick. Evansen tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.
A big left from Evansen misses.
Evansen throws out a loose jab but Maven uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maven lands the left hand.
Decent striking displayed by Maven there.
Evansen scores with a body shot.
Maven feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Evansen's calf.
Maven misses with a few strikes there.
Maven lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Evansen misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Maven.
Evansen moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Maven throws a solid leg kick but Evansen takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Maven.
Maven walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Evansen checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Evansen is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Evansen waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Maven.
Evansen moves out of range of the strikes.
A head kick by Maven misses
and Evansen counters with a lovely straight right hand!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
The fighters circling - Evansen throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Marcus Maven is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Evansen rushes Maven and presses him up against the cage.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Maven.
Maven misses with a punch to the body.
Evansen throws a punch but it's blocked by Maven.
Evansen struggles to land a body shot inside as Maven controls his hands.
Evansen drops down looking for an ankle pick but Maven pulls his leg out and moves away.
Marcus Maven is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Maven misses with an uppercut. Evansen saw that one coming.
Maven misses with an uppercut.
Maven buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Evansen fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Maven manages to avoid it.
Christian Evansen has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Evansen, as that shot connected.
Evansen misses with a wild body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maven throws a leg kick but Evansen checks it.
Evansen looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Evansen keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Maven.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Maven!
Maven's corner calls for a 1-2. Maven obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Evansen misses with a hook. Maven ducked under it nicely.
Evansen has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Maven.
Evansen checks the leg kick.
Maven thumps Evansen with a low kick.
Maven scores with a jab. Evansen acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Maven works the jab nicely.
Maven connects with a crisp jab.
Maven swats away the attempt to clinch by Evansen.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A nice combination there by Maven.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Evansen closes this distance looking for a takedown but Maven circles away.
Evansen scores with a one two! Maven had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Evansen takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Evansen lands with a hook. Maven tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Maven fails to land with a series of punches.
Maven keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Maven misses with a two punch combination.
Evansen was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
A punch lands to the side of Evansen 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Evansen dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Maven. That did some damage!
Maven takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Maven throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Evansen slips a straight right by Maven.
Evansen was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.

And that's the end of the fight!
Marcus Maven comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Maven winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 27:30
Judge Taro Takaoka scores the fight 27:30
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Marcus Maven!
An out of breath Marcus Maven thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.