PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Damiao Marcos (ranked 608 p4p, 76 weight class) and Jack Daniels (ranked 523 p4p, 62 weight class). Jack Daniels will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Marcos
vs
Daniels

165 cm
32
158 lbs
17 - 9 - 0

179 cm
39
163 lbs
31 - 16 - 2

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Olympic wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Freebok (85% Laundry)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 17 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Damiao Marcos!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 31 - 16 - 2, fighting out of New York, Jack Daniels!
The judges for this bout are Vladimir Khabensky, Konstantin Menshow and Ivan Kurochkin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Daniels just misses with a punch to the body.
Nice jab there from Daniels.
Marcos looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Marcos staying out of range there.
A telegraphed right hand from Marcos misses the target.
Marcos on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Marcos throws a jab when Daniels was well out of range.
Daniels with a nice cross.
Daniels avoids the body shot from Marcos.
Marcos getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Daniels misses with a hook.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A jab from Daniels misses.
Marcos changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Daniels's corner calls for a 1-2. Daniels obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Jack Daniels seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Daniels tests Marcos's chin there with a solid looking shot.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Daniels scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Daniels tests Marcos's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Daniels lands a nice shot that snaps Marcos's head back.
Marcos gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Marcos darts in looking for a takedown but Daniels gets double underhooks and turns Marcos into the cage.
Marcos checks the leg kick nicely there.
Nice defenses there by Marcos.
Daniels throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Marcos sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Daniels throws a chopping leg kick but Marcos manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Marcos appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Daniels looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Marcos attempts a counter takedown but Daniels avoids it well and moves away.
Daniels has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Daniels misses with a leg kick.
Marcos shoots in and drives through. Daniels sprawls well.
Daniels misses with a few strikes there.
Marcos appears to be looking for a counter takedown.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Daniels takes a swing at Marcos's ribcage but misses.
Marcos wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.
The crowd cheers as Daniels lands an impressive looking overhand right. Marcos doesn't seem phased though.
Daniels drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Marcos lands with a nice body punch.
Daniels fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Daniels fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Daniels throws a predictable looking body shot

and Marcos counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Marcos.
Marcos gets through Daniels's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Nice body punch from Marcos.
Marcos lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Daniels tries to break free but Marcos pushes him back against the cage.
Marcos swings wildly with an uppercut but Daniels uses good head movement to avoid it.
Marcos throws a head punch that misses.
Daniels has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Daniels softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Daniels blocking some punches.
Marcos tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A short uppercut from Daniels.

Daniels manages to break the clinch.
Daniels connects with a looping right hand.
Marcos doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Daniels throws an overhand right that lands on Marcos's shoulder, as Marcos tries to avoid the shot.
A thudding body kick lands there by Daniels!
Marcos ducks under a wild hook from Daniels.
Daniels bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.
Marcos avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
A head kick misses from Daniels.
Daniels throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Marcos drops down looking for a counter takedown but Daniels sprawls and moves away.
Daniels misses with a shot to the body
and Marcos counters with a straight right hand.
Daniels throws a right hand that misses
and Marcos counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A left and a right from Daniels both land. Nice combination.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Marcos's corner calls for a 1-2. Marcos obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Daniels misses with an uppercut.
Marcos bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Marcos changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Marcos looks for a takedown but Daniels sprawls well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Damiao Marcos. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A jab from Daniels misses.
As Daniels looks to move away, Marcos throws a big counter combo but Daniels just gets out of the way.
Daniels lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Marcos tries to move into range but Daniels moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Nice defenses there by Marcos.
Marcos is looking to counter punch.
A telegraphed right hand from Daniels misses the target.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Daniels with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Daniels scores with a jab.
Ooooh, nice body kick lands from Daniels. Marcos shrugs it off though.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jack Daniels dominated that round.
That's time! Marcos's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Daniels throws a head kick but Marcos moves out of range.
Damiao Marcos has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Daniels throws a chopping leg kick but Marcos manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Marcos drops down looking for a counter takedown but Daniels sprawls and moves away.
Daniels connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Jack Daniels seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Daniels fails to land with a series of punches.
Daniels is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Decent striking displayed by Daniels there.
Marcos throws a lazy uppercut
and Daniels counters with a left to the body.
Marcos misses with a right hand
letting Daniels counter with a right hand.
A looping hook to the body misses from Marcos. Daniels does a little dance to reset his feet.
Daniels has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Daniels moves away from the strike by Marcos.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Marcos misses the body punch
and Daniels counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Daniels misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Marcos appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Daniels throws a lazy uppercut
and Marcos counters with a nice uppercut.
Marcos takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Marcos steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Daniels.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A head kick misses from Daniels.
Sloppy strikes from Daniels. Those never looked like landing.
Marcos tries to counter with a takedown but Daniels is quick to defend against it.
Daniels throws a hook but Marcos blocks it.
Marcos appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Daniels misses with a wild body shot.
Daniels throws a head kick that half lands.
Daniels lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Daniels keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Daniels! But no joy.
Marcos moves forwards but Daniels connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Daniels lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Marcos throws a hook but Daniels blocks it.
Daniels throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Marcos stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Daniels scoring well with a low kick there.
Daniels misses with a hook.
Marcos uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Daniels.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Nice defenses there by Daniels.
Daniels lands a head shot.
Nice shot lands for Daniels.
Marcos looks to land a left hand but Daniels moved out of range nicely.
Daniels misses with an uppercut. Marcos saw that one coming.
Daniels scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Daniels scores with a nice body kick.
A jab lands there for Daniels.
Daniels lands with a thumping leg kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Good standup being displayed there by Daniels as he connects with a hook.
Jack Daniels is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Daniels misses with an attempted mid kick.
Marcos swung with a counter punch to the body but it didn't connect.
Daniels bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Marcos's head backwards.
Marcos changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Daniels tries to avoid it but Marcos manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Daniels to the ground. Daniels escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Daniels tests Marcos's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Daniels tries to bum rush Marcos with a series of wild strikes but Marcos uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Daniels lands a glancing blow to the side of Marcos's head.
Marcos takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Marcos misses with a straight left.
Marcos uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Daniels.
Daniels lands a head shot.
Daniels takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Daniels throws a shot to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Daniels connects with a nice looking jab.
Daniels throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Marcos steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Daniels.
Marcos ducks under a wild hook from Daniels.
Marcos appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
This is turning into a torrid day at the office for Marcos. He's trying desperately to land a takedown but he's failing miserably and getting slapped silly on the feet to compound his misery.
Daniels lands a really nice looking cross but Marcos seems unphased.
A swing and a miss from Marcos.
Daniels throws a nice head kick!
Daniels stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Daniels wants it to stay on the feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Damiao Marcos. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Marcos needs to keep his hands up - Daniels had a free shot at his head there.
Daniels lands a glancing blow to the side of Marcos's head.
Daniels connects with a single shot there.
Daniels scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jack Daniels showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Marcos missing with a left hand there. Daniels was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Daniels connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Daniels swings away with a body shot that misses
and Marcos connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Marcos walks into a straight right hand from Daniels.
Marcos thows a left - swing and a miss!
Marcos staying out of range there.
Daniels throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
An attempted straight right counter from Marcos misses the target.
Daniels scores with a jab to the jaw.
Marcos uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Daniels.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Daniels throws an off balance right hand
and Marcos counters with a nice low kick that buckles Daniels's knee momentarily.
Daniels turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Daniels avoids the body shot from Marcos.
Daniels lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Daniels dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Marcos moves out of range of the strikes.
Daniels keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Daniels moves into range and connects with a jab.
Daniels rushes in with a sloppy looking punch

and Marcos counters with a nice double leg into guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Daniels wants to stand but Marcos is controlling the position.
Marcos slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Marcos postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Daniels is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Marcos asserts his dominance and retains side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Check out the look on Marcos's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
A lull in the action here.
Daniels controls the position for a moment.
Daniels tries to get back to half guard but can't.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marcos working away.
Marcos cracks Daniels with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Marcos tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Daniels wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
An elbow from Marcos crashes against the mat.
Daniels manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Jack Daniels is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Marcos drops an elbow to the side of Daniels's head.

Marcos is trying to work for a kimura but Daniels is defending well.

Marcos looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Daniels wants to get back to his feet.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Damiao Marcos.
I think Daniels 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 Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 27:29
Judge Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 27:29
Judge Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 27:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jack Daniels!
An out of breath Jack Daniels thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.