PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Jhin Markell (ranked 2305 p4p, 262 weight class) and Billy Batts (ranked 4029 p4p, 397 weight class). Billy Batts is staring across the cage at his opponent, tweaking his nipples.

Markell
vs
Batts

182 cm
27
182 lbs
7 - 3 - 0

192 cm
26
175 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

Good takedowns
Basic striking
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Tends to cut

Pit Bull Development

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 7 - 3 - 0, fighting out of New York, Jhin Markell!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Billy Batts!
The judges for this bout are , Frank Antenori and Timothy Bukovac.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Batts has managed to clinch.
We've been hearing reports that Markell has been drilling takedowns in recent sessions so let's see if that has an impact on the result of this fight.
A short body shot lands from Markell as the two fighters clinch.
Batts looking to slow down the pace here.
Markell misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Batts effectively controlling the action here.
Markell has Batts pressed against the cage.
Batts is trying to stall.
Batts is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Markell is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.

Batts escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Markell throws a body punch but Batts moves out of range.
The fight stays on the outside here - Batts looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Batts is looking to clinch but Markell is avoiding it.
Markell lands an overhand right.
Markell throws a looping overhand right but Batts ducks down to avoid it.
Batts steps in looking to clinch after the strikes miss from Markell.
Batts doesn't manage to clinch there - Markell circles away.
Batts tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Markell manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Markell swats away the attempt to clinch by Batts.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Batts avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Markell avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Batts tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Batts is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Markell keeps the fight on the outside.
Markell waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Batts.
No joy there for Markell, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Batts tries to clinch there but Markell circles away.

Batts closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Batts has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Markell misses with a body punch.
Markell keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Batts's efforts to push away.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Good body shot from Markell.
Batts is looking to control Markell's arms but Markell gets an underhook and turns him. Now Batts has his back to the cage.
Markell is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Batts is defending well for now.
Markell taking a breather.
Markell can't find room to land a body shot as Batts controls the action.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Batts wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Markell tries to throw a body punch but Batts avoids it by throwing Markell back against the cage.
Markell effectively controlling the action here.
Markell is pushing Batts up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Markell gets a warning from the ref for wasting time.

Batts's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Batts is looking to clinch.
Batts tries to close the distance and clinch but Markell swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Batts moves in looking to clinch but Markell pushes him off.
Markell looks to land a combination. Batts sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Markell ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Markell no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Markell seems keen to control Batts's posture.
Batts must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Markell looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Markell doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Batts is looking to stand up but Markell won't let him.
Markell trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.

Markell had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Batts defends it easily.
Batts has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Markell is proving hard to escape from.
Batts really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Markell. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Markell has control of Batts's left arm, preventing Batts from doing any damage.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.

Batts gets a clinch.
Markell is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Batts pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Markell tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Markell keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Batts's efforts to push away.

Batts manages to break the clinch.
Batts darts in trying to clinch
and Markell counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Batts avoids a punch combination nicely.
Markell circles away from the clinch attempt.
Markell drops down looking for a counter takedown but Batts sprawls and moves away.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Batts avoids the body shot from Markell.
Batts tries to close the distance and clinch up but Markell swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Markell goes for a double leg but Batts avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Batts continues to drive forward.
Batts is looking to clinch but Markell is avoiding it.

Batts has Markell up against the cage in a clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Batts tries to clinch up.
Markell misses with a two punch combination.

Markell shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Markell showed some decent athleticism there.
Batts wants to get back to his feet.
Markell drops an elbow to the side of Batts's head.
Markell controlling the action here.
Markell looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Batts with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Markell is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Markell tries to pass the half guard into mount. Batts knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Batts keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Batts wants to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Markell perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Markell takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Batts wants to get back to his feet.
Markell is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Markell lands strikes from half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Markell is working for a submission of some sort.
Batts wants to get back to his feet.
Markell working the head and body with strikes.
Markell 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.
Markell prevents Batts from standing back up.

Batts has managed to escape just enough to sneak back to his feet but Markell is on him like a limpet, forcing Batts back against the cage.
Batts wants to break the clinch but can't.
Markell lands a hook that snaps the head of Batts backwards.

Batts is rocked!
Markell is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Batts gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Batts has Markell pressed against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Markell jumps guard but Batts turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Batts stalling in the clinch but Markell improves position.
Markell tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Batts's elbow.
Markell misses with a hook to the ribs.
Markell lands a body shot in the clinch.
Batts tries to stall but Markell uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Batts taking a breather.
Batts taking a breather.
Markell misses with a body punch.
Batts has been looking to improve his clinch game in recent weeks. Markell seems to have the measure of him in the clinch so far, so let's see if Batts can turn it around.
A frustrated look appears on Batts's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Batts on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Markell goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Batts wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Markell has him pressed against the cage.
Markell has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Batts after a bit of a struggle.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jhin Markell. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Batts is trying to stall.
Batts looks to throw an elbow but misses.

Batts pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Batts tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Markell paws at him with a jab and circles away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Markell circles away from the clinch attempt.
Markell swats away the attempt to clinch by Batts.
Markell swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Markell fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Batts manages to avoid it.
Batts wants to counter with a clinch but Markell pushes him away.
Markell missing with a left hand there. Batts was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Batts ducks under a wild hook from Markell.
Batts tries to close the distance and clinch but Markell swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Jhin Markell is winning the standup battle so far.
Markell swats away the attempt to clinch by Batts.

Markell tries to keep at a distance but Batts has taken the fight into the clinch.
Batts is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Markell looking to stall.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Markell tries to pull guard but Batts holds him up against the cage and eventually Markell drops back down to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

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

Markell bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Markell wants to control but Batts is keeping him busy.
Batts stops Markell from passing to mount.
Markell cracks Batts with a big right hand but Batts just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Markell tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Both fighters have adopted an aggressive gameplan on the ground!

Markell is working for what looks like an arm triangle here. Batts is trying to escape and Markell transitions quickly into an armbar! He's slapped it on tight and Batts is forced to tap! Nice work there by Markell! Very nice indeed!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:52 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Jhin Markell!
Our winner, Jhin Markell, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.