PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Jembe Kobra (ranked 4617 p4p, 447 weight class) and Circie Marcelo (ranked 4387 p4p, 0 weight class). Jembe Kobra has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Kobra
vs
Marcelo

189 cm
24
145 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

178 cm
24
145 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Jembe Kobra!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Circie Marcelo!
The judges for this bout are Chris Edwards, Phil Schofield and Donald Grub.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Marcelo drives through and clinches with Kobra against the cage.

Kobra has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Marcelo uses from the top position.
Marcelo wants to control from the top but Kobra keeps moving.
Kobra trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Marcelo is stalling in the full guard.

Marcelo avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Marcelo wants to control from the top but Kobra keeps moving.
Kobra has a closed guard, preventing Marcelo from standing up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Marcelo throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Kobra works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Marcelo preventing the sweep.
Kobra is controlling Marcelo's posture.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Marcelo defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Kobra.
Kobra really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

Marcelo scores with a takedown into Kobra's guard.
Marcelo wants to control from the top but Kobra keeps moving.
Kobra wants to stand but Marcelo is controlling the position.
Marcelo slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Marcelo trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Kobra looking for a sweep. Not yet Kobra, not yet.
Marcelo is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Kobra keeping moving, preventing Marcelo from controlling successfully.
Marcelo controls from within his opponent's guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marcelo is looking to clinch.
Kobra feinted with a counter takedown.
Marcelo has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Kobra finds it's way round the side to connect with Marcelo's head.
Kobra swats away the attempt to clinch by Marcelo.
Kobra walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Marcelo checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.

Marcelo fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Kobra to the ground. Marcelo is now in Kobra's guard.
Marcelo working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Kobra pulls Marcelo in close to prevent any damage.
Marcelo throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Marcelo slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

Kobra is looking for a triangle but Marcelo pushes his legs off easily.
Kobra avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Kobra tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Marcelo controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Marcelo scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Marcelo's corner is telling him to maintain position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Circie Marcelo dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Marcelo closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Kobra's guard.
Marcelo wants to stand but Kobra is controlling his posture from full guard.
Kobra looking to control.
Kobra throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Marcelo trying to control the position from guard on top but Kobra is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kobra controls Marcelo momentarily but Marcelo frees himself.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kobra wants to sweep here but Marcelo controlling him for the moment.
Marcelo slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.

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

Marcelo closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Kobra did well to prevent Marcelo getting side control.
Kobra tries to get to full guard but Marcelo has control of the leg.
Marcelo has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Marcelo looking to control and managing it successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Marcelo trying to control but Kobra is having none of it.
Circie Marcelo has got the better of the ground game so far.
Marcelo in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marcelo working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Kobra is wriggling around trying to escape.
Marcelo tries to control but Kobra wriggling away.
Kobra working to try and regain half guard.
Kobra is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.
Marcelo unloading with bombs!
Kobra working to try and regain half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kobra taking shots to the head.
Marcelo trying to control but Kobra is having none of it.
Marcelo prevents Kobra from getting the reversal.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Marcelo controlling the position easily from mount.
Kobra is working to get back to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Circie Marcelo 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. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Marcelo pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Kobra darts in looking for a takedown but Marcelo gets double underhooks and turns Kobra into the cage.

Marcelo closes the distance and clinches.
Marcelo prevents a takedown attempt there.
Marcelo tries to pull guard but Kobra won't allow it.

Marcelo pulls guard effortlessly.
Marcelo is adopting a defensive guard.
Marcelo has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Kobra trying to control the position from guard on top but Marcelo is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Marcelo is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Kobra working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Marcelo's head.
Kobra throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Marcelo works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Marcelo looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Kobra stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Marcelo swivels though and keeps the full guard.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Marcelo with a hook.
Kobra fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Marcelo is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jembe Kobra. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kobra doesn't manage to clinch there - Marcelo circles away.
Nice takedown defense from Kobra. No joy for Marcelo on that attempt.
Kobra keeps the fight on the outside.
Kobra misses with a head kick.

Kobra looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Marcelo!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Marcelo is looking to regain half guard here but Kobra keeps moving and retains side control.
Kobra working the ground and pound but Marcelo is defending the strikes.
Marcelo is looking to reverse the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marcelo holds on tight, trying to prevent any damage.
Kobra landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Kobra is looking to take a break and control but Marcelo is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Kobra just content to control the position.

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.
Sloppy strikes there by Kobra.
A lull in the action here.
Marcelo tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Kobra wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Kobra throws a head kick that misses.
Marcelo fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Kobra avoids it really well and circles away.

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 Jembe Kobra.
I think Marcelo 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 Chris Edwards scores the fight for Circie Marcelo!
Judge Phil Schofield scores the fight for Circie Marcelo!
Judge Donald Grub scores the fight for Circie Marcelo!

Circie Marcelo wins by unanimous decision!
A very excited looking Circie Marcelo made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.