PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Ken Lee (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Wanderson Marua (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). This should be a great matchup!

Lee
vs
Marua

185 cm
20
179 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

183 cm
22
170 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Solid chin

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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 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Ken Lee!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Wanderson Marua!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Cesar, Felipe Paraventi and Luis Engracia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Lee moves in looking to clinch but Marua pushes him off.
Lee tries to close the distance and clinch but Marua swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Ken Lee seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Lee wants to clinch up but Marua keeps it at a distance.

Lee has closed the distance and engaged Marua in a clinch.
Marua blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.

Marua ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Marua no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Lee stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Marua swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Lee with a flurry of punches that miss.
Lee throws a big right hand that misses.
Lee postures up in Marua's guard and throws a big left but Marua blocks it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lee preventing the sweep.

Marua working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Lee doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Lee manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Lee is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lee throwing strikes from guard but Marua blocks nicely.
Lee wants to control from the top but Marua keeps moving.
Lee lands a couple of elbows.
Lee in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Lee throws a strike but Marua rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Lee is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

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.

Lee working for a triangle but Marua defends it easily.

Marua is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Marua stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Lee swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marua trying to control but Lee is working from the bottom.
Lee is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Lee tries to close the distance and clinch up but Marua swats him away and circles back towards the center.
The fight stays on the outside here - Lee looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Lee tries to clinch there but Marua circles away.
Marua will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Marua swats away the attempt to clinch by Lee.
Lee doesn't manage to clinch there - Marua circles away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Lee is looking to clinch.
Lee fails in his attempt to clinch.
Lee tries to clinch but Marua moves out of range.
Ken Lee is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Lee wants to clinch.
Lee doesn't manage to clinch there - Marua circles away.
Lee tries to clinch but Marua is having none of it.
Lee tries to close the distance and clinch but Marua swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Lee is looking to clinch but Marua is avoiding it.
Lee tries to close the distance and clinch but Marua swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Lee tries to clinch but Marua moves out of range.
Lee doesn't manage to clinch there - Marua circles away.
Lee fails with an attempt to clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Ken Lee will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Lee fails in his attempt to clinch.
Marua looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Lee tries to clinch up.
Lee doesn't manage to clinch there - Marua circles away.
Marua fails with an attempt to clinch.
Lee wants to clinch

and Marua counters with a nice double leg into side control. Lee won't be happy with that.
Lee knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Marua on the ground.
Marua trying to control the action but Lee is working from the bottom.
Lee is looking for a sweep.

Marua goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Lee has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Marua but great work by Lee.
The ground and pound from Lee seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Marua manages to work his way to half guard, despite Lee's best efforts.
Marua trying to hold on to Lee's head to control him but Lee postures up.
Marua tries to roll over but Lee keeps him under control.
Lee is nestled in close to Marua, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Lee prevents Marua from improving his position.
Lee is keen to just control but Marua is a slippery customer.
Lee missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

That's two 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.
Lee misses with a head shot. Marua uses the momentum to regain guard.
Marua utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Marua is trying to control the position but Lee postures up.
Marua is pulling down on Lee's head. It's preventing any offense from Lee, at least for the moment.
Lee throws a strike but Marua rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Lee wants to sweep but no luck.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marua trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Marua trying to control but Lee is working from the bottom.

Lee isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Marua stacks Lee on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Marua!
Marua gets to mount! Lee was on the offensive and wasn't defending properly.
Lee is looking to get to 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.
Lee is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Lee sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Lee is in trouble now - Marua has advanced to mount!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Lee is squirming around, avoiding Marua's attempts to control the action.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Lee is trying to escape the mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Wanderson Marua showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Marua shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Lee's guard.
Lee bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Marua's guard.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Lee accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Lee loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Lee is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Lee has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Lee throwing strikes from guard but Marua blocks nicely.
Lee trying to control but Marua is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lee throws and elbow that misses. Marua uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Lee's guard. Nice move by Marua!
Marua looking to pass the guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Lee tries to clinch up
and Marua counters with a low kick, right behind Lee 's knee.
Marua tries to clinch up

and Lee holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Marua blocks an elbow strike from Lee.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Lee trying to land knees to the body.
Marua takes an elbow to the forehead.
Lee tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Marua avoids it.
Lee tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Lee tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Marua just misses with a elbow thrown towards Lee's brow.
Marua tries to pull guard but Lee won't allow it.
Marua jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Lee walks away with a smile on his face. Marua gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Lee swats away the attempt to clinch by Marua.
Lee tries to clinch but Marua moves away

and Marua counters by clinching up.
Marua throws a knee to the head but misses.
Lee pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Marua tries for a takedown. No joy.
Ken Lee has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Wanderson Marua.
Lee scores a nice knee to the body.
Lee is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Marua is defending well for now.
Marua drops down looking for an ankle pick but Lee pulls his leg out and moves away.

Lee darts in and clinches Marua up against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marua blocks the elbow strike.
Lee throws a knee to the head but misses.
Lee is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Marua is defending well for now.
Lee tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Marua avoids it.
Marua avoiding damage as Lee throws knees to the body.
Lee utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Lee with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Marua tries to pull guard but Lee holds him up against the cage and eventually Marua drops back down to his feet.
Marua drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Lee gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Marua content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Lee putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Marua in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Lee misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Marua.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lee scores with a knee to the head.
Lee looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Lee tries to land knees in the clinch but Marua avoids the damage to the body.
Marua blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Lee pushes Marua back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Lee working Marua over with knees to the body.

Marua has Lee pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Marua pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Lee tumbling to the mat - Marua dives into Lee's guard.
Lee working a defensive guard here.
Marua is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Marua stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Lee swivels though and keeps the full guard.

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 Ken Lee.
I think Lee has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Daniel Cesar scores the fight 29:28
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 28:29
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Wanderson Marua!