PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Forest Martinez (ranked 6352 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bassuko Shiruba (ranked 5895 p4p, 0 weight class). Bassuko Shiruba has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Martinez
vs
Shiruba

196 cm
18
140 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

183 cm
19
130 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Intelligent

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Forest Martinez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Bassuko Shiruba!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Frank Antenori and Jack Bonds.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Shiruba throws a wild body kick that Martinez sees coming a mile off.
Martinez is looking for a counter combo.
Shiruba shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Martinez as he jumps to the side.
Shiruba fails with a takedown attempt.

Shiruba gets tackled into the cage by Martinez. Martinez maintains the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Martinez manages to pull guard.

Martinez is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Shiruba is aware though and is defending well.
Shiruba pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Martinez is keeping the position for now.

Martinez is working an open guard so Shiruba takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Shiruba clinches.
Shiruba tries a knee to the head but Martinez blocks it.

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

Martinez throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Shiruba throwing strikes from guard but Martinez blocks nicely.
Shiruba trying to control the position from guard on top but Martinez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Martinez keeping full guard, as Shiruba tries to pass.

Martinez escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Shiruba gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Shiruba pushing down on Martinez's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Well, if Shiruba is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Shiruba throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shiruba throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Shiruba trying to pass the guard but Martinez defending well.
Shiruba is figuring out what he wants to do next.

Shiruba seems to be looking for submissions.

Martinez looking for submissions off his back.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.

Shiruba stands up and beckons Martinez to join him on the feet.
Shiruba looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Martinez is fending him off so far but Shiruba persists. Nope, Martinez circles away and we're back to standing.
Forest Martinez has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bassuko Shiruba.
Shiruba shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Martinez as he jumps to the side.

Shiruba clinches with his opponent.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Martinez looking for a takedown.
Shiruba wants to break free but Martinez has control.
Martinez is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Shiruba to keep the fight standing.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Bassuko Shiruba will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Shiruba drives through and clinches with Martinez against the cage.
Shiruba trying to land knees to the body.
Martinez has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Shiruba prevents the takedown attempt.
Martinez jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Shiruba walks away with a smile on his face. Martinez gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Shiruba looks for a takedown but Martinez sprawls well.

Shiruba clinches up with Martinez and pushes him back against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Shiruba is struggling to control the position.

Martinez pulls Shiruba into guard.
Shiruba trying to control but Martinez is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Shiruba stands up from guard. Let's bang!

Martinez tries to keep at a distance but Shiruba has taken the fight into the clinch.
Martinez jumps guard but Shiruba stands there with Martinez around his waist. Martinez gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Forest Martinez. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Martinez fails to pull the fight into his guard.
A short right from Shiruba on the inside.

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

Shiruba darts in and clinches Martinez up against the cage.
Shiruba wants to break the clinch but can't.

Martinez manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Shiruba gets to his feet. Martinez looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Bassuko Shiruba seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Shiruba goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.

Martinez is rocked!

It looks like Forest Martinez has been cut.
A head kick misses from Shiruba.
Oh Martinez is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Martinez tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Shiruba paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Forest Martinez is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Shiruba scores with a body shot.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Martinez gets tackled into the cage by Shiruba. Shiruba maintains the clinch.

Shiruba breaks from the clinch.

Shiruba moves into range and clinches up with Martinez.
Shiruba is trying to break the clinch but Martinez is controlling him.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Shiruba.
Shiruba has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Shiruba wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Martinez has him pressed against the cage.
Shiruba manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.

Martinez jumps guard.
Shiruba postures up and lands a big shot to Martinez's brow.
Shiruba throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Shiruba throws a strike but Martinez rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Shiruba is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Shiruba controlling the position.
Shiruba tries to strike from the bottom.
Martinez trying to control but Shiruba is working from the bottom.
Shiruba throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Shiruba trying to control the position here.
Martinez controlling from the top position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Shiruba looking for a guillotine here but Martinez defends easily.

Shiruba is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Martinez is aware though and is defending well.
Shiruba working a defensive guard here.
Martinez seems to have got his legs back now.
Martinez trying to control but Shiruba is working from the bottom.
Martinez is really struggling to control Shiruba but he's trying to hold on to the position.

Martinez gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Shiruba showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Martinez.

Shiruba closes the distance and clinches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Martinez is looking for a takedown.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Shiruba just misses with a elbow thrown towards Martinez's brow.
Shiruba can't break the clinch.
Shiruba is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Martinez gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Martinez tries to pull guard but Shiruba won't allow it.
Martinez really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Shiruba takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Shiruba working hard to break the clinch.
Shiruba is stalling here.
Martinez tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bassuko Shiruba showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Forest Martinez's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Shiruba closes the distance and clinches.
Martinez wants a takedown.

Martinez works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Shiruba really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Martinez. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Shiruba is trying to control the position but Martinez postures up.
Martinez stands up over Shiruba, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Martinez accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Martinez trying to control the position from guard on top but Shiruba is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Shiruba striking off his back but it's not causing Martinez any problems.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Martinez stopping the sweep attempt from Shiruba.
Martinez will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Martinez's corner is telling him to maintain position.

Shiruba looking for a guillotine here but Martinez defends easily.
Shiruba keeping moving, preventing Martinez from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shiruba avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Martinez throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Shiruba works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Shiruba trying to keep a closed guard but Martinez is proving a slippery customer.

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

Shiruba has closed the distance and engaged Martinez in a clinch.
Shiruba takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Shiruba is trying to force a seperation but Martinez has the dominant position.
Shiruba lands with a short shot to the head.
Shiruba is trying to push Martinez away but Martinez has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.

Shiruba manages to break the clinch.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Shiruba is defended easily by Martinez.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Martinez tries to keep at a distance but Shiruba has taken the fight into the clinch.
Shiruba is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Martinez pulls him back up using the underhooks.

Martinez manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Shiruba is looking to pass into half guard but Martinez pushes him away with his feet and jumps on top - now Martinez is in guard.

Martinez passes Shiruba's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Shiruba avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Martinez.
Martinez working the head and body with strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Martinez is nestled in close to Shiruba, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Martinez thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Martinez winds up and cracks Shiruba with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Martinez controlling the action here.
Martinez missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Martinez lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Martinez not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Shiruba has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Martinez is working away from the top position though.
Martinez thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Shiruba is refusing to be controlled, as Martinez sits in half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Martinez is nestled in close to Shiruba, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Martinez looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Shiruba trying to control from the bottom.
Still in half guard, Martinez seems content to control.
Martinez slips a nice elbow through Shiruba's hands, connecting with Shiruba's forehead.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Martinez lands a nice short elbow.
Martinez seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Martinez throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Martinez connects with a nice short shot to Shiruba's temple.
Shiruba pushes Martinez off looking to stand but Martinez dives back in and keeps control.
Forest Martinez has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Bassuko Shiruba is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Shiruba is not content to let Martinez control the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Forest Martinez showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Shiruba has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Don Winkell scores the fight 29:28
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 28:29
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Bassuko Shiruba!