PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Dragomir Savic (ranked 195 p4p, 423 weight class) and Mark Merel (ranked 27 p4p, 63 weight class). Savic kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Good Day. Both fighters look pumped up here. Let's hope this is a good fight!

Savic
vs
Merel

186 cm
25
185
11 - 5 - 0

191 cm
34
190
15 - 5 - 1

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Olympic wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Shadow Warrior Nutrition
Ma Balls Is Hot Clothing

Urban Fighter

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 11 - 5 - 0, fighting out of London, Dragomir Savic!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 5 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Mark Merel!
The judges for this bout are Donald Grub, Sam Margolis and James Atkins.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Merel fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Savic to the ground. Merel is now in Savic's guard.
Savic wants to sweep but no luck.
Savic controlling Merel's posture.
Savic has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
Savic wants to control the position but Merel says "no thanks buddy" and passes to half guard.

Merel is working for a kimura but Savic is defending it quite comfortably.
Merel missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Savic tries to get to full guard but Merel has control of the leg.
Merel looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Merel is trying to control the action in half guard but Savic is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Merel is taking a breather. Savic 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.
Savic tries to get to full guard but Merel has control of the leg.
Savic preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.
Savic keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Merel performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Merel trying to pass the guard but Savic defending well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Savic is pressing down on Merel's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Savic pulls Merel in close to prevent any damage.
Savic 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.
Merel is fighting to break Savic's control of his arms but Savic is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Savic lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Savic stays in close to Merel's body and controls the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Merel is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Savic defends well.
Merel looking to hit a scissor sweep but Savic is one step ahead there.
Savic content to stall in guard here.
Merel not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Savic controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

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.
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.
Merel swings for the body but Savic moves out of range.
Savic tries to close the distance and clinch but Merel swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Savic throws a front kick aimed at Merel's knee but Merel avoids it well.
Merel is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Merel slips a straight right by Savic.
Dragomir Savic is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Savic pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Savic misses with a hook
and Merel counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Savic slips a jab from Merel.
Merel swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Savic throws a leg kick but Merel checks it.
Merel jabs Savic to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Savic throws a jab when Merel was well out of range.
It seemed like Merel was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Savic throws a body shot but no joy.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Merel just misses with a punch to the body.
Merel waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Savic.
Savic scores with a punch to the head.
Merel fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mark Merel dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Nice defenses there by Merel.
Merel takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Savic takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Nice defenses there by Savic.
Merel misses with a right hand
and Savic counters with a good low kick that Merel was not able to check.
Merel throws a predictable looking body shot
and Savic counters with a stiff right hand.
Merel misses with a right hand
and Merel takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Merel takes a swing at Savic's ribcage but misses.
Savic jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Savic throws a body shot but no joy.
Merel moves out of range as Savic strikes.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A slow jab from Merel misses its intended target.
Savic just misses with a punch to the body.
Merel keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Merel feints the counter takedown.
Savic misses with an uppercut. Merel saw that one coming.
Savic uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Merel.
Savic takes a jab right on the kisser.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Merel tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Savic was well out of range. Poor timing from Merel.
Merel looks to land a left hand but Savic moved out of range nicely.
Merel scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Savic doesn't seem bothered though.
Merel looks to score with a jab to the body but Savic is just out of range.
No joy there for Merel, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Savic thuds a left hand into Merel's body.
Merel just misses with a punch to the body.
Merel takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Merel throws a shot to the body.
Savic throws a push kick but Merel slaps the foot to one side.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Merel! But no joy.
Merel lands with a nice body punch.
Merel waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Savic.
Savic tried to counter with a leg kick but Merel avoided it.
Merel swings widly with a right hand
and Savic counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Savic tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
A lazy body kick from Savic

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Savic tries to bench press Merel off him but Merel keeps the position.
An elbow from Merel crashes against the mat.
Mark Merel has got the better of the ground game so far.
You can see the frustration on Savic's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Merel lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Savic down.
Savic is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Savic trying to control but Merel flips him over like a cheap hooker and has his back!
Merel controlling the position well here. Savic rolled but Merel kept the hooks locked in and stayed in the dominant position.
Savic trying to control the hands but Merel won't let him.
A lull in the action here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Merel missing with strikes from the back.

Merel working for a choke but Savic reverses nicely into Merel 's guard.
Merel wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Savic is now in half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Savic is keen to just control but Merel is a slippery customer.
Savic moves nicely into side control.
Merel sneaks back into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Savic controlling the pace.
Merel is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Savic tries to pass to full mount but Merel defends it.
Savic looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Mark Merel will probably get the nod - 10:9.
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. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Merel throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Merel takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Savic swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Savic misses with an uppercut. Merel saw that one coming.
A little jabbing left from Merel on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Savic throws a looping overhand right but Merel ducks down to avoid it.
Merel misses with a looping right.
Savic is looking to score with low kicks.
A jab from Merel misses.
Savic tries to land a leg kick but Merel saw it coming and moves away.
Merel misses with a looping left.
Merel moves out of range as Savic strikes.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Savic is looking to slow Merel down with leg kicks.
Savic cracks a nice hook into Merel's ribs.
Merel scores with the left hand. Savic knows he should have avoided that one.
Merel blocks the body kick.
Nice body punch from Savic.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Merel staying out of range there.
Merel connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Merel misses with a takedown attempt - Savic sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Merel digs a good hook to Savic's body.
Savic uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Merel.
A nice leg kick from Savic, right into the meat of the thigh.
Merel with a poor takedown
and Savic counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Savic is looking to clinch.
Savic takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Merel feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Savics jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Merel throws the left hand but Savic avoids the punch easily.
Savic misses with a straight right.
Merel changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Mark Merel seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Merel connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Dragomir Savic has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Merel blocks the body kick.
Savic is looking to slow Merel down with leg kicks.
Merel lands with a nice body punch.
Savic keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Merel.
Merel looks to score with a jab to the body but Savic is just out of range.
Merel uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Savic.
Savic staying out of range there.
Savic uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Merel.
Merel throws a looping overhand right but Savic ducks down to avoid it.
Merel's jab looks to have found its range, popping Savic under the eye.
Merel uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Merel throws a hook to the side of Savic's head but Savic sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Merel bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Savic's head backwards.
Savic throws the kick towards the body but Merel avoids it.
Savic lands a nice hook to Merel's body. Merel takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Savic throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Merel with the counter takedown but Savic avoids it easily.
Merel lands with an uppercut that bounces Savic off the cage and back into range.
Merel lunges at Savic with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Savic's hand.
Savic throws a wild body kick that Merel sees coming a mile off.
Savic misses with a low kick.
Merel's jab looks to have found its range, popping Savic under the eye.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Merel.
Merel has a takedown stuffed.
Dragomir Savic has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mark Merel.
Nice body punch from Savic.
Merel swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Savic throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Merel sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Merel changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Merel is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Savic.
Savic appeared to be looking to counter that last move with a leg kick.
Merel jabbing away but nothing is landing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Savic ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Savic misses with a hook. Merel ducked under it nicely.
Merel throws out a counter right but Savic avoids it with no problem.
Some bone on bone action there as Merel checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Savic takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Savic throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Merel avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
A looping hook to the body misses from Merel. Savic does a little dance to reset his feet.
Savic is looking to land body kicks.
Savic lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Savic swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Merel counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Decent striking displayed by Savic there.

Merel feints and as Savic raises his hands in defense, Merel changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.

Savic pushes Merel off and scrambles back to his feet.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Savic fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Merel looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.

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 Dragomir Savic.
Well Merel 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 Donald Grub scores the fight 27:30
Judge Sam Margolis scores the fight 27:30
Judge James Atkins scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Mark Merel!
A very excited looking Mark Merel 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.