PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Brendan Duff (ranked 561 p4p, 89 weight class) and Brandon Marsden (ranked 1072 p4p, 161 weight class). Duff's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Determined by Mudvayne. Marsden comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Feiticeira by Deftones kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Duff
vs
Marsden

178 cm
30
170 lbs
15 - 8 - 0

176 cm
44
170 lbs
44 - 35 - 2

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Excellent grappler
World class boxer
Powerful

Dauntless
Zenith Nutrition (160q/225$)

Zenith Nutrition (160q/225$)
Mockstar Energy Drinks 160Q

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 15 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Brendan Duff!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 44 - 35 - 2, fighting out of London, Brandon Marsden!
The judges for this bout are Andrew Berry, Sam Margolis and Steven Brown.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nice cross by Duff.
Duff with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Marsden avoids a kick to the body.
Marsden 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.
Marsden thuds his right hand into Duff's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Marsden slips under a jab from Duff.
Marsden looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Duff is fending him off so far but Marsden persists. Nope, Duff circles away and we're back to standing.
Marsden just misses with a punch to the body.
Duff drops down looking for a counter takedown but Marsden sprawls and moves away.
Some bone on bone action there as Duff checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Duff moves in looking to clinch but Marsden pushes him off.
Marsden throws the kick towards the body but Duff avoids it.
Marsden misses with a body punch

and Duff counters with a shoot takedown. Marsden fights it but they end up in guard.
Duff has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Duff stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Marsden swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Marsden is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Still in half guard, Marsden seems content to control.
Duff wants to control but Marsden is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Marsden trying to control from half guard but Duff is working away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Duff gets back to full guard.
Marsden scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Marsden tries to free his leg and advance position but Duff is retaining full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Marsden stays in close to Duff's body and controls the position.
Marsden wants to control from the top but Duff keeps moving.
Duff keeping full guard, as Marsden tries to pass.
Marsden preventing the sweep.

That's two 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.
Duff is working hard here to advance position.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Marsden wants to control from the top but Duff keeps moving.
Duff controls Marsden momentarily but Marsden frees himself.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Duff throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
Marsden looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Duff defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Marsden.
Duff connects with a crisp jab.
Marsden misses the shot to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Duff looking to score a takedown here. Marsden is defending well but Duff drives through and ends up in Marsden's guard.
Duff wants to control from the top but Marsden keeps moving.

Marsden escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Duff gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Duff tries to free his leg and advance position but Marsden is retaining full guard.
Duff scores with a decent looking elbow strike.

Marsden looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Duff stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Marsden swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Duff scoring with some ground and pound.

Marsden is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Duff is aware though and is defending well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Marsden looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Duff passes into half guard.
Marsden tries to roll over but Duff keeps him under control.
Marsden won't allow Duff to pass to mount.
Marsden is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Duff's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Duff's back!
Marsden is trying to stick to Duff's back but Duff is turning into Marsden. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Marsden's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Duff.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Duff makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Duff preventing the sweep.
Duff looking to sit in guard and control but Marsden gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Duff not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Marsden throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Duff was covering up waiting for the punch and Marsden finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Marsden postures up.
Marsden pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Duff is keeping the position for now.
Duff looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Marsden puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Duff tries to get to full guard but Marsden has control of the leg.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Marsden uses his free foot to push down on Duff's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Duff.
Marsden wants to control the pace but Duff is squirming around nicely.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Marsden cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Marsden controlling his opponent.
Marsden trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Duff manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Duff is looking for a sweep. Marsden is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Marsden seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Duff does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Marsden content to control rather than advance.
Marsden's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Duff preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.

That's two 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.
Marsden looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Duff tries to get to full guard but Marsden has control of the leg.
Marsden content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Marsden winds up and cracks Duff with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Duff tries to get to full guard but Marsden has control of the leg.
Duff is staying active underneath Marsden, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Duff tries to get to full guard but Marsden has control of the leg.
Marsden trying to control the action but Duff is working from the bottom.
Marsden might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Duff haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Marsden takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Duff is trying to get back to full guard.
Marsden is trying to control the action in half guard but Duff is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Marsden misses the shot to the body.
Duff lands with a straight right. Marsden didn't see that one coming.
Marsden connects with a body shot.
Duff keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Marsden throws a chopping leg kick but Duff manages to avoid taking any serious damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Duff scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Duff looks to land a left hand but Marsden moved out of range nicely.
Marsden moves into range and connects with a jab.
Duff checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
We've been told by Duff's head coaches at Rabid Dog that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.
Duff is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Marsden.
Marsden looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Marsden has a takedown stuffed.
Duff half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Marsden misses the shot to the body.
Duff throws a shot to the body.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Duff misses with a looping right.
Marsden is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Duff rather than just go for the knockout.
Marsden connects with a right hand. Duff shakes it off.
Duff ducks under a wild hook from Marsden.
Marsden misses with a leg kick.
Duff tries to move into range but Marsden moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Marsden will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Brendan Duff is winning the standup battle so far.
Marsden throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Marsden throws a shot to the body.
Marsden shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Duff as he avoids it easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Brandon Marsden showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Duff staying out of range there.
Marsden ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Marsden lands a nice shot that snaps Duff's head back.
Duff uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Marsden has time to react.
Marsden throws a body kick, spinning off balance

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

Duff avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Duff trying to control the position from guard on top but Marsden is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Duff is working Marsden over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Duff forces his way into half guard.
Marsden moves into full guard.

Duff gets to his feet. Marsden looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Duff moves away from the strike by Marsden.
Duff appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Marsden will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Marsden swings widly with a right hand

and Duff counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Duff.
Duff postures up and lands a big shot to Marsden's brow.

Marsden had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Duff defends it easily.
Duff stands up over Marsden, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Duff lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Duff sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Marsden's guard.
Ground and pound from Duff.

Marsden actively working from the bottom here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Duff is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Duff drops an elbow to the side of Marsden's head.
Marsden gets back to full guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Duff avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Marsden takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Duff trying to control the position from guard on top but Marsden is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Duff is in close to Marsden's body, working some short punches and elbows.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marsden wants to improve his position but instead Duff has moved into half guard.
Duff wants to take a breather but Marsden is having none of it.
Duff tries to pass to full mount but Marsden defends it.

Marsden looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Marsden on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Duff winds up and cracks Marsden with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Marsden slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

Marsden looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Marsden wants to sweep but no luck.
Duff sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Marsden's guard.
Marsden is looking to improve his position.
Duff tries to pass to full mount but Marsden defends it.
Duff lands strikes from half guard.
Marsden manages to get to full guard.
Marsden looking to hit a scissor sweep but Duff is one step ahead there.

And that's the end of the fight!
Brendan Duff showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Duff 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 Andrew Berry scores the fight 29:28
Judge Sam Margolis scores the fight 29:28
Judge Steven Brown scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Brendan Duff!
A relieved looking Brendan Duff thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.
Brandon Marsden spoke after the fight, saying 'I didn't lose that fight in my mind. True victory is to give all of yourself, without regret. '.