PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Ricardo Marin (ranked 3774 p4p, 2950 weight class) and Azim Kaarduu (ranked 334 p4p, 277 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Marin
vs
Kaarduu

180 cm
20
157
2 - 1 - 0

173 cm
26
163
6 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Very quick

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Good gas tank

BANZAI NUTRITION

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Ricardo Marin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Azim Kaarduu!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, Frank Antenori and Percy O'Donnell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Marin keeps the fight on the outside.
Marin throws a big counter combination but Kaarduu scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.
Kaarduu has done a lot of speed work in the buildup to this fight.
Marin throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Kaarduu tries to close the distance and clinch up but Marin swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Marin misses with an uppercut.
Marin swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Kaarduu darts in trying to clinch
and Marin counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Kaarduu moves to clinch but Marin breaks away
and Marin counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kaarduu walks into a stiff left hand from Marin.
Kaarduu moves away from the strike by Marin.
Kaarduu tries to clinch there but Marin circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kaarduu throws an off balance right hand
and Marin counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Kaarduu thinking.
Kaarduu wants to clinch
enabling Marin to counter with a crisp jab.
Kaarduu takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
A jab from Marin misses.
Kaarduu changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Kaarduu fails with an attempt to clinch.

Kaarduu shoots in and bounces Marin off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Kaarduu in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Kaarduu throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Marin works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Kaarduu with a flurry of punches that miss.
Kaarduu lands a couple of elbows.
Kaarduu postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kaarduu trying to control but Marin is working from the bottom.
Kaarduu is working Marin over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Kaarduu throws an elbow that misses. Marin uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Kaarduu's guard. Nice move by Marin!

The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Kaarduu wants to sweep here but Marin controlling him for the moment.
Kaarduu throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Kaarduu holds on and takes a little breather.
Kaarduu 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.
Kaarduu has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kaarduu is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Kaarduu tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Kaarduu is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Marin definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Kaarduu lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Kaarduu looking to sit in guard and control but Marin gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Kaarduu controls Marin momentarily but Marin frees himself.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Kaarduu can do anything to dispel that myth.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kaarduu 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.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Kaarduu looking to control but Marin passes into half guard.
Kaarduu gets full guard.
Kaarduu trying to control the position.
Marin wants to stand but Kaarduu is controlling his posture from full guard.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Ricardo Marin dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Kaarduu closes the distance and clinches up with Marin, looking for a takedown. Kaarduu pushes Marin against the cage but Marin circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Kaarduu misses with a right hand
and Marin counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Kaarduu closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Jab, jab by Kaarduu - just one landing.
Kaarduu tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Marin counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Kaarduu changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Marin tries to avoid it but Kaarduu manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Marin to the ground. Marin escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Marin loads up on a big right hand but Kaarduu slips the punch.
Marin misses with the combination.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kaarduu misses with a takedown attempt
and Marin counters with a nice uppercut.
Ricardo Marin has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Azim Kaarduu.
Kaarduu misses with an uppercut. Marin saw that one coming.
Kaarduu closes the distance looking to clinch
and Marin counters with a nice uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kaarduu tries to clinch but Marin moves out of range.
Kaarduu tries to clinch

and Marin counters with a crisp one two that drops Kaarduu! Marin thinks about following him to the mat for a moment but instead steps back and waves Kaarduu to his feet! Kaarduu is in big trouble!

Kaarduu is rocked!
No luck with that takedown attempt from Kaarduu.
Kaarduu is still on wobbly legs! Can Marin finish him?
Ricardo Marin is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Kaarduu tries to clinch up.
Kaarduu tries to clinch but Marin moves away
and Marin scores with a counter punch that sends Kaarduu to the canvas! Marin smells blood - he's punishing Kaarduu with more strikes and the ref has stopped it! Kaarduu has no idea where he is - he's tackled the ref... oh dear, poor guy, the crowd is in hysterics!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:33 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Ricardo Marin!
A victorious Ricardo Marin thanked his army of followers in his post fight interview, telling people to make sure they follow him on Twitter.