PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Ed Marley (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tad Pohl (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Marley
vs
Pohl

172 cm
19
141 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

160 cm
18
145 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Inexperienced

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Ed Marley!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Tad Pohl!
The judges for this bout are Edson Gomes, Leandro Rodrigues and Daniel Cesar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pohl throws a push kick but Marley slaps the foot to one side.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Pohl.

Pohl tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Pohl sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Marley is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Marley tries to bench press Pohl off him but Pohl keeps the position.
Marley wants to control but Pohl postures up.
Marley is looking to reverse the position.
You can see the frustration on Marley's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pohl trying to control the position but Marley is working away.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Pohl looks for a takedown but Marley sprawls well.
Marley tries to clinch up but Pohl circles away and keeps his distance.

Pohl looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Marley looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Marley keeping moving, preventing Pohl from controlling successfully.
Pohl trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pohl slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Marley punching to the body, from the bottom.
Pohl trying to control but Marley is working from the bottom.
Marley looking to control.
Marley being controlled here, momentarily.
Marley looking for a sweep. Not yet Marley, not yet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Marley dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Pohl. That did some damage!
Marley throws a head kick but Pohl moves out of range.
Marley tries for a takedown but Pohl circles away easily

and Pohl counters with a takedown into side control.
Marley is breathing heavily.
Pohl is staying tight to Marley's torso, preventing him from escaping.
Marley gets back to half guard.
Marley trying to hold on to Pohl's head to control him but Pohl postures up.
Marley is trying to get back to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pohl tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Marley.
Pohl wants to advance to full mount but Marley doesn't think that's going to happen and regains full guard instead.
Pohl wants to pass the guard but Marley is keeping the position.
Pohl is looking to work some ground and pound but Marley has wrist control.
Marley is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Pohl postures up and lands a big shot to Marley's brow.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tad Pohl dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Marley shoots in for a takedown but Pohl shows good takedown defense.

Marley gets caught flat footed, as Pohl shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Pohl's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Pohl trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Pohl wants to get up but he can't break Marley's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Pohl prevents Marley from getting back to his feet.
Pohl wants to stand and escape but instead Marley has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Pohl keeping moving, preventing Marley from controlling successfully.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Marley is really struggling to control Pohl but he's trying to hold on to the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Marley tries to free his leg and advance position but Pohl is retaining full guard.
Pohl trying to control the position.
Pohl really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Marley. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Pohl tries to clinch but Marley is having none of it.
Left hook, right uppercut from Marley.
Pohl throws out a powerful jab.
Pohl closes the distance looking to clinch

so Marley counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Pohl is wriggling around but Marley manages to pass to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Marley is looking to take a break and control but Pohl is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Marley is thwarting Pohl's attempts to control the position.
Marley trying to control the action but Pohl is working from the bottom.
Marley missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Pohl is looking to escape.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marley wants to get back to his feet.
Pohl is looking to improve his position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Pohl closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Marley to the mat! Marley manages to get full guard.
Marley manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Pohl is in all sorts of trouble here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Marley looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Pohl tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Marley has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Pohl's face.
Marley trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Pohl tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Pohl throwing hammer fists to the chest of Marley. What's that going to do exactly?
Marley can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Pohl is looking to escape.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Pohl can do anything to dispel that myth.
Pohl is just holding on here. Marley manages to take his back.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Ed Marley 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. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Marley throws a right hand that Pohl ducks under and follows up with a left that Pohl also avoids with ease.
Marley doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Pohl counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Marley fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

Pohl feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Marley keeping moving, preventing Pohl from controlling successfully.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Marley is on top in guard.
Marley trying to control the position from guard on top but Pohl is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Marley avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Pohl preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Pohl working a defensive guard here.
Marley trying to control the position from guard on top but Pohl is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Pohl wants to stand but Marley is controlling the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Pohl is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Pohl is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Pohl looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Marley!
Marley is looking to get to half guard.
Pohl looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marley is trying desperately to improve position.
Pohl wants to control the pace but Marley is squirming around nicely.
Marley is desperately trying to improve his position but Pohl has a good base and remains in mount.
Marley is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Pohl looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Marley is squirming around, avoiding Pohl's attempts to control the action.
Marley regains half guard.

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.
Pohl controlling the action here.
Marley trying to hold on to Pohl's head to control him but Pohl postures up.
Pohl wants to take a breather but Marley is having none of it.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Pohl seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tad Pohl comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Pohl has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Edson Gomes scores the fight 28:29
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 28:29
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tad Pohl!