PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Timur Umarov (ranked 1293 p4p, 157 weight class) and Billy Marques (ranked 4520 p4p, 431 weight class). Umarov comes to the cage accompanied by Klergy with Valerie Broussard - Start a War. Marques comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Raining Blood kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Timur Umarov has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Umarov
vs
Marques

178 cm
31
185 lbs
13 - 7 - 0

191 cm
35
185 lbs
11 - 11 - 1

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Very quick

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Powerful

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 13 - 7 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Timur Umarov!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 11 - 1, fighting out of Sydney, Billy Marques!
The judges for this bout are Robert Twigg, Chris Downing and Gwen Towbar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Marques gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Umarov.
Marques's corner calls for a 1-2. Marques obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Marques shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Umarov eats them both and turns towards Marques to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.

Umarov looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Umarov's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Umarov working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Umarov slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Umarov pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Marques is keeping the position for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Marques has his feet on Umarov's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.

Umarov drives through with a takedown into Marques's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Marques keeping full guard, as Umarov tries to pass.
Umarov with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Umarov tries to free his leg and advance position but Marques is retaining full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Marques is trying to control the position but Umarov postures up.
Marques being controlled here, momentarily.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Marques throws a body punch but Umarov moves out of range.

Umarov shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Marques manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Umarov prevents Marques from getting back to his feet.
Umarov stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Marques swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Marques is pulling down on Umarov's head. It's preventing any offense from Umarov, at least for the moment.
Umarov is working Marques over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.

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.
Umarov passes Marques's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Umarov is taking a breather. Marques says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Marques is trying is best to control the position here.
Marques is trying to stand up here but Umarov is controlling him well.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Umarov with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Marques to score with a decent uppercut.
Marques closes the distance and clinches up with Umarov, looking for a takedown. Marques pushes Umarov against the cage but Umarov circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Marques delivers a nice body kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Timur Umarov will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Marques misses with a kick to the body

and Umarov counters with a nice double leg into side control. Marques won't be happy with that.

Marques sneaks out the side door and pushes Umarov away - he's back to his feet. The crowd show their appreciation for the escape.
Marques darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Marques with a nice cross.
Marques misses with the combination.
Umarov throwing a counter right hand but Marques manages to avoid it.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
A jab from Marques finds it's way through Umarov's defenses.
Umarov uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Marques.
A swing and a miss from Umarov.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Marques! But no joy.
Marques falls off balance throwing a combination
and Umarov counters with a nice uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Marques throws a body shot but no joy.

Umarov shoots in and gets a takedown into Marques's guard.

Marques pushes Umarov off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Marques has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.

Umarov gets the takedown into side control.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Marques is trying to buck Umarov off.
Marques prevents Umarov from moving into mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Umarov working away.
Umarov tries to move to mount but Marques blocks the move with his legs.
Marques seems a little lost for a moment, as Umarov dominates the positioning.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
You can see the frustration on Marques's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Umarov just content to control the position.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Marques jabbing away but nothing is landing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marques scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Marques tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Umarov was well out of range. Poor timing from Marques.
Marques throws a body punch but Umarov moves out of range.
Marques takes a swing at Umarov's ribcage but misses.
Umarov on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
A lazy body kick from Marques

and Umarov counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Umarov.
We've been hearing that Umarov has been drilling a lot of ground and pound in training, so let's see if he get the finish.

The fighters are working up against the cage. Marques manages to wriggle his way back to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched against the cage.
Marques goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Umarov.
Marques wants to break free but Umarov has control.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Umarov takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Marques is trying to break the clinch but Umarov is controlling him.

Umarov breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Marques swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Marques throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Umarov throws a jab when Marques was well out of range.

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

Marques is trying to stand up here but Umarov is controlling him well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Billy Marques 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! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

A jab from Umarov finds it's way through Marques's defenses.
Marques misses with a hook. Umarov ducked under it nicely.
Umarov shoots in for a takedown but Marques shows good takedown defense.
Marques misses with a looping left.
Marques cracks Umarov with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Marques throws a lazy uppercut
and Umarov counters with a straight right hand.
Marques misses with a right hand
and Umarov counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Marques has tried to improve his agility in the runup to this fight.
Umarov fails with a takedown attempt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Marques is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
No luck for Umarov with that takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Timur Umarov. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Umarov will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Umarov goes for a double leg but Marques avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Marques continues to drive forward.
Marques misses with a takedown attempt - Umarov sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Marques pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Marques throws a predictable looking body shot
enabling Umarov to counter with a crisp jab.
Umarov fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Marques throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Marques works the jab nicely.
Umarov walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.

Umarov scores with a takedown into Marques's guard.
Marques keeping moving, preventing Umarov from controlling successfully.
Marques is trying to keep Umarov in close.
Umarov sitting in guard here, content to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Umarov stops Marques from standing up.
Marques is pulling down on Umarov's head to control his posture.
Marques is trying to control the position but Umarov postures up.
Marques might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Umarov haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Umarov shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Marques pinned against the cage. Marques gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Marques fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Umarov manages to avoid it.
Umarov keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Umarov half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Marques takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Marques displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Umarov.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Billy Marques.
I think Marques 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 Robert Twigg scores the fight 28:29
Judge Chris Downing scores the fight 28:29
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Billy Marques!
Our winner, Billy Marques, 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.