PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between JiTae Jiu (ranked 4175 p4p, 4190 weight class) and Ashton Martin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Jiu
vs
Martin

190 cm
18
186
0 - 0 - 0

190 cm
25
193
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Heavy handed

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, JiTae Jiu!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Ashton Martin!
The judges for this bout are Cecil Peabody, Wesley Smith and Frank Dennis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Martin throws a sloppy head kick and Jiu moves out of range easily.
Martin looks for a takedown but Jiu sprawls well.
Jiu keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Jiu fails with a takedown attempt.
Martin is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.

Martin clinches up with Jiu and pushes him back against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Martin fails to pull the fight into his guard.
JiTae Jiu has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ashton Martin.
Jiu wants to stall.
Martin stops a takedown attempt from Jiu.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Martin is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Jiu is defending well.
Martin tries to pull guard but Jiu forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Jiu goes for a takedown in the clinch but Martin prevents it.
Martin is working for takedown but Jiu is calmly controlling the position for now.

Martin manages to break the clinch.
Jiu tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Martin swivels and escapes.
Jiu shoots in for a double leg but Martin sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Jiu tries to close the distance and clinch but Martin swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Martin instigates a clinch.
Martin lands a left hand that snaps the head of Jiu backwards.

Martin decides to pull guard.
Jiu cracks Martin with a solid left hand.
Jiu has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Martin is trying to keep Jiu in close.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Jiu trying to control the position from guard on top but Martin is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Martin can do anything to dispel that myth.
Jiu tries to free his leg and advance position but Martin is retaining full guard.
Martin not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Jiu passes into half guard.
Martin is looking to control Jiu's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Martin avoid being mounted?

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Jiu seems to be working for a kimura but Martin defends the submission attempt.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Martin is trying to control but can't.

Jiu postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Martin to stand up.
Martin throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Jiu's waist but Jiu gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Martin off to one side.

Martin moves into range and clinches up with Jiu.
Martin has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Jiu after a bit of a struggle.

Martin jumps guard.
Jiu scoring with some ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Jiu wants to stand but Martin is controlling his posture from full guard.
Martin is looking to stand up but Jiu isn't so interested in that idea.
Jiu controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Jiu stopping the sweep attempt from Martin.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Martin not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Ashton Martin will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Martin slips a jab and a cross from Jiu.
Martin shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Jiu defends it nicely.

Martin closes the distance and clinches.

Martin escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Jiu shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Martin as he avoids it easily.
Jiu throws a lazy head kick
and Martin counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Jiu throws a body shot but no joy.
Jiu shoots in looking for a takedown. Martin tries to sprawl out of it but Jiu keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Martin manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Martin changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Jiu tries to avoid it but Martin manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Jiu to the ground. Jiu escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Martin defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Jiu.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for JiTae Jiu. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Jiu is looking to score with low kicks.
Martin lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.

Martin gets a clinch.
Martin is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Jiu to keep the fight standing.
Jiu gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Martin.

Martin breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Martin closes the distance and clinches.
Jiu tries to score a body lock takedown but Martin shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Martin tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Jiu just stands there and leans against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Martin lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.

Martin escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Martin on the wrong end of a nice jab.

It looks like Ashton Martin has been cut.

Martin pushes Jiu up against the cage in a clinch.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Martin tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Jiu just stands there and leans against the cage.
Jiu is trying to push Martin away but Martin has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.

Martin escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Jiu has a takedown stuffed.
Jiu swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Martin avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Martin throws a big counter head kick but Jiu avoids it with no problem.

Jiu tries to keep at a distance but Martin has taken the fight into the clinch.
Jiu tries to score a body lock takedown but Martin shows good agility there to stay on his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Martin with an attempt at a knee that misses.

Martin breaks from the clinch.
Ashton Martin seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Jiu fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Martin avoids it really well and circles away.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Jiu stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Jiu wants it to stay on the feet.
Jiu shoots for a takedown but Martin saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

Martin drives through and clinches with Jiu against the cage.

Jiu pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Martin shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Jiu as he avoids it easily.
Martin has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Jiu throws a low kick but it's checked well by Martin.
Martin shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Jiu defends it nicely.
Jiu appears to be looking for a counter takedown.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Martin throws a nice inside leg kick.
Jiu shoots in looking for a takedown but Martin manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Jiu's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Jab by Martin.
Jiu tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Martin swivels and escapes.
Martin shoots in and drives through. Jiu sprawls well.

Martin pushes Jiu up against the cage in a clinch.
Jiu stalling in the clinch but Martin improves position.
Martin is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Jiu pulls him back up using the underhooks.

Martin breaks from the clinch.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Ashton Martin showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Ashton Martin's cut.
That's time! Jiu's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

A telegraphed takedown attempt from Jiu is defended easily by Martin.
Jiu looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Martin lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Jiu circles away quickly and effectively.
JiTae Jiu seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Martin tries to score a power double leg takedown but Jiu sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Martin somewhat.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Jiu doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Martin counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Martin.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for JiTae Jiu. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Martin's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Jiu tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Martin counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Martin tries to score a power double leg takedown but Jiu sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Martin somewhat.
Jiu looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Martin throws a nice head kick!

Martin moves into the clinch.
The referee calls for Martin to work.
Ashton Martin seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Martin stalling against the cage.
Martin changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Jiu fights it off and pushes away nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Jiu fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Jiu shoots for a takedown but Martin saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
A combination from Jiu does no damage.
Martin shoots in for a takedown but Jiu shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Jiu appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Martin shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Jiu but Jiu pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Jiu changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Martin tries to avoid it but Jiu manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Martin to the ground. Martin escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.

Martin clinches up with Jiu and pushes him back against the cage.

Martin's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Jiu misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Martin is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Jiu misses with a takedown attempt
and Martin cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Martin lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Martin tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Jiu defends well and Martin ends up having to push Jiu into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Martin looks for a takedown but Jiu sprawls well.
Martin with a jab.
Jiu shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Martin defends it nicely.
Martin lands a two punch combo.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Martin misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Jiu takes a kick to the side of the head.
Martin's corner calls for a 1-2. Martin obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Jiu dives in and grabs Martin's left leg, looking for a takedown. Martin pushes down on Jiu's head and hops out.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Jiu shoots and misses
and Martin counters with a one-two to the body.
Jiu defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Martin.
Martin fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.

Martin scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Martin trying to control from half guard but Jiu is working away.
JiTae Jiu has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Ashton Martin is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Jiu misses with some strikes from the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ashton Martin comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Martin winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Cecil Peabody scores the fight 27:30
Judge Wesley Smith scores the fight 27:30
Judge Frank Dennis scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ashton Martin!