PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight kickboxing rules bout between Marco Salamanca (ranked 21334 p4p, 2458 weight class) and Ubaldo Cortez (ranked 599 p4p, 313 weight class). Salamanca comes to the ring accompanied by Superstar Cypress Hill. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Salamanca
vs
Cortez

176 cm
36
163
28 - 11 - 3

186 cm
32
180
18 - 16 - 0

World class boxer
Granite chin

World class MT
Granite chin

Ma Balls Is Hot Clothing
The Pharmacy Phuket

Conviction
Conquer

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 28 - 11 - 3, fighting out of Sydney, Marco Salamanca!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 18 - 16 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Ubaldo Cortez!
The judges for this bout are Luis Engracia, Matheus Silva and Edson Gomes.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A slapping leg kick lands for Salamanca.
Nice body kick from Salamanca.
Salamanca misses with a left hand
and Cortez counters with a stiff right hand.
Cortez defending well as Salamanca loads up on a big left hand.
Salamanca backing away here, and Cortez unleashes a leg kick that just misses.
Salamanca connects with a looping right hand.
Cortez moves out of range of the strikes.
Salamanca pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Cortez looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Cortez has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Salamanca finds it's way round the side to connect with Cortez's head.
Salamanca throws a shot from downtown. Cortez moves away and avoids it.
Cortez takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Salamanca lands a nice shot to the body.
Salamanca is looking to slow Cortez down with leg kicks.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Salamanca connects with a body shot.
Salamanca lands a nice looking body shot.
Marco Salamanca seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Some wild striking there from Salamanca.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cortez avoids the body shot from Salamanca.
Cortez buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Cortez has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Salamanca.
Salamanca's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Cortez connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Salamanca scrambles back to his feet.
Salamanca lands a right hook to the body.
Salamanca has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.
Nice uppercut there from Salamanca.
Cortez shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Salamanca buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
We've been informed that Cortez has been sparring a lot of Muay Thai in the buildup to this fight so let's see if that has an impact on the result.
Cortez catches Salamanca with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Cortez uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Salamanca darts in and out, connecting with a jab.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Salamanca misses with a leg kick
and Cortez cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Salamanca fails to land with a series of punches.
Cortez flicks out a counter leg kick but Salamanca steps away.
Cortez bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Salamanca looks to land a left hand but Cortez moved out of range nicely.
Cortez swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Cortez takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Cortez with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Salamanca to score with a decent uppercut.
Salamanca throws a hook but Cortez avoids it easily.

Cortez clinches with his opponent.
Cortez scores with a shot to the side of Salamanca's head.
Salamanca blocks a punch to the side of the head.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Salamanca is trying to break the clinch but Cortez is controlling him.
Cortez lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Salamanca tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Salamanca lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Cortez blocks an uppercut.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Marco Salamanca dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Salamanca takes a swing at Cortez's ribcage but misses.
Salamanca scores with a jab. Cortez acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Salamanca buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Cortez slips a jab from Salamanca.
Salamanca is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Cortez.
Salamanca does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Salamanca lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Cortez at a distance.
Cortez on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Salamanca connects with a right hand. Cortez shakes it off.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Salamanca throws a lazy body kick
and Cortez counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Salamanca misses with a straight right.
Salamanca is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Cortez can do to turn this around?
Cortez is looking to clinch but Salamanca is avoiding it.
Cortez scores with a nice head shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cortez takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Cortez 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.
It really doesn't seem like the step up in weight is hurting Salamanca here at all. He's more than holding his own against the bigger man.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Cortez checks a leg kick.
Cortez appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
A big left from Salamanca misses.
Salamanca throws a leg kick
and Salamanca takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Cortez tries to clinch but Salamanca moves out of range.
Cortez connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Salamanca momentarily.
Salamanca connects with a solid leg kick.
Cortez tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Cortez gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Salamanca bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
A slapping leg kick lands for Salamanca.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Salamanca throws a nice outside leg kick.
Cortez clobbers Salamanca with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Salamanca jabs at Cortez's body.
Salamanca throws a leg kick
and Cortez connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Salamanca lands a nice shot that snaps Cortez's head back.
Salamanca throws a sloppy body shot
and Cortez counters with a body kick.
Salamanca stuns Cortez with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Salamanca swings for the body but Cortez moves out of range.
Salamanca throws a poor cross that misses
and Cortez cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Salamanca connects with a solid leg kick.
Marco Salamanca is winning the standup battle so far.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Salamanca throws a shot from downtown. Cortez moves away and avoids it.
Cortez has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Salamanca misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Cortez counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Marco Salamanca dominated that second round.
That's time! Salamanca's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Salamanca looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Marco Salamanca is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Cortez bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Salamanca tries to land a front kick but Cortez steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
A left lands for Salamanca.
Salamanca throws a leg kick which misses Cortez's front leg but catches the back leg as Cortez tries to avoid it.
Cortez's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Salamanca on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Salamanca throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Cortez sees it coming and avoids it easily.
A nice leg kick lands there from Salamanca.
Salamanca fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Salamanca connects with a right hand. Cortez shakes it off.
Salamanca throws a jab but it's blocked by Cortez.
A nice leg kick from Salamanca, right into the meat of the thigh.
Cortez blocks a leg kick.
A little jabbing left from Cortez on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cortez walks into a stiff left hand from Salamanca.
Jab by Salamanca.
Salamanca throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Cortez! But no joy.
Cortez connects with a jab.
Cortez with the inside leg kick.
Salamanca swings for the body but Cortez moves out of range.
Salamanca ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Cortez moves away.
Cortez tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Cortez ducks under a wild hook from Salamanca.
Salamanca lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Salamanca avoids a kick to the body.
Cortez has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Salamanca.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Salamanca stuns Cortez with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Ubaldo Cortez has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Salamanca swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Cortez.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Salamanca swings for the body but Cortez moves out of range.
Salamanca misses with an uppercut. Cortez saw that one coming.
Salamanca misses with an attempted mid kick.
Cortez follows through with a counter body kick but it doesn't land.
Cortez swings for the body but Salamanca moves out of range.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Salamanca lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Cortez has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Cortez and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.
Salamanca lands with a cross.
Salamanca keeps the fight on the outside.
A little feinted left hand from Salamanca on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Cortez needs to keep his hands up - Salamanca had a free shot at his head there.
Salamanca lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Salamanca lands with a shot to the body.

And that's the end of the fight!
Marco Salamanca showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Salamanca, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Luis Engracia scores the fight 30:27
Judge Matheus Silva scores the fight 30:27
Judge Edson Gomes scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Marco Salamanca!
Marco Salamanca decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.