PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Borna Horvat (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mark Firestone (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Mark Firestone will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Horvat
vs
Firestone

183 cm
19
220 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

197 cm
22
253 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Basic striking
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Borna Horvat!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Mark Firestone!
The judges for this bout are Hirohito Nitta, Shigeki Sano and Yuuki Gou.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Firestone changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Horvat tries to avoid it but Firestone manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Horvat to the ground. Horvat escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.

Horvat shoots in and bounces Firestone off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Horvat throws a big right hand that misses.
Firestone tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Firestone keeping full guard, as Horvat tries to pass.
Firestone seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Horvat throws and elbow that misses. Firestone uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Horvat's guard. Nice move by Firestone!

Horvat is looking for a triangle here but Firestone uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
Horvat is looking to reverse the position.
Firestone tries to move into full mount but can't pass Horvat's legs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Horvat tries to buck Firestone off but Firestone is having none of it.

Firestone is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Horvat is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Horvat is looking for a sweep.
Horvat tries to slip a leg under to move to half guard but Firestone presses down on the leg and jumps into full mount!
Horvat throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
Firestone prevents Horvat from getting the reversal.
Firestone lands a big elbow.
Horvat throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
Horvat manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Horvat wants to sweep but Firestone has passed to side control!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Firestone in side control, just content to control the action for now.
Horvat is trying to work for a sweep but Firestone has mounted him!
Horvat is breathing heavily.
Firestone lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Horvat is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Firestone lands a nice shot to the head.
Horvat might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Horvat is wriggling around trying to escape.
Firestone lands a heavy elbow.
Firestone trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Horvat is desperately trying to improve his position but Firestone has a good base and remains in mount.
Firestone lands a big elbow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Firestone looking to control but Horvat is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Horvat is in all sorts of trouble here.
Firestone is in the full mount, landing strikes.

Firestone has hold of Horvat's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Horvat manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Horvat swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.
Firestone trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Firestone landing strikes, looking to finish!
Horvat throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
Firestone looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Firestone trying to control but Horvat is having none of it.
Firestone has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Horvat's face.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Horvat tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Horvat bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Firestone bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Horvat's guard.
Firestone trying to control the position from guard on top but Horvat is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Horvat looks to be working for a triangle here. Oh, it looks like he might have it! Firestone has picked Horvat up and slammed him! Horvat can't keep hold of the triangle and Firestone manages to pass to side control!
Horvat striking from the bottom but nothing landed.
Firestone is working Horvat over with some ground and pound from side control.
Horvat tries to improve position but can't.
Horvat looks to move to half guard but instead Firestone has passed into mount! Damn!
Horvat tries to get back to half guard but can't.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mark Firestone dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Firestone shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Horvat's guard.
Firestone preventing the sweep.
Horvat keeping moving, preventing Firestone from controlling successfully.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Firestone working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Horvat keeping moving, preventing Firestone from controlling successfully.
Firestone throws a big right hand that misses.

Horvat working for submissions but it's allowed Firestone to get to half guard.
Firestone content to control rather than advance.
Firestone seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Horvat does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Firestone prevents Horvat from improving his position.
Horvat wants to get back to full guard but Firestone has passed into side control.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Firestone takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Horvat working to try and regain half guard.
Firestone controlling from the full mount.
Horvat is looking to get to half guard.
Firestone looking to control but Horvat is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Horvat is wriggling around trying to escape.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Firestone putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Firestone trying to control but Horvat is having none of it.
Horvat keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Firestone tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Horvat is looking to get to half guard.
Horvat is working hard here to advance position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Poor strikes thrown by Firestone there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!
Horvat tries to reverse the position but Firestone maintains control.
Horvat is in a horrible position here. Firestone smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Horvat on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Horvat tries to get out of the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Firestone looking to control but Horvat is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Firestone is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Horvat is trying desperately to improve position.
Firestone can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Horvat is looking to escape.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Firestone lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Horvat knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Firestone on the ground.
Firestone trying to control but he's not successful this time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mark Firestone showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Firestone doesn't manage to clinch there - Horvat circles away.
Mark Firestone seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Firestone throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Horvat shoots in looking for a takedown. Firestone tries to sprawl out of it but Horvat keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Firestone manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

Horvat drives through with a takedown into guard.
Firestone manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Horvat manages to get himself to full guard.
Firestone wants to control from the top but Horvat keeps moving.
Horvat looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Firestone landing with the ground and pound.

Horvat isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Firestone stacks Horvat 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 Firestone!
Firestone works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Horvat taking punishment in the form of punches.
Firestone is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.
Firestone working the head with strikes.
Firestone happy to just control the position for now.
Horvat tries to slip a leg under to move to half guard but Firestone presses down on the leg and jumps into full mount!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Firestone cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Horvat tries to reverse the position but Firestone maintains control.
Horvat flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.
Horvat tries to reverse the position but Firestone maintains control.

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.
Firestone with the ground and pound from mount.
Horvat is squirming around, avoiding Firestone's attempts to control the action.
Horvat really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Horvat throwing hammer fists to the chest of Firestone. What's that going to do exactly?
Horvat tries to reverse the position but Firestone maintains control.
Firestone scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Horvat?

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Firestone looking to ground and pound but Horvat is blocking nicely.

Horvat defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Firestone.
Firestone has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Horvat's face.

Firestone goes for an armbar but he's not got it… Horvat turns into him and now he's in Firestone's guard.
Firestone working a defensive guard here.
Horvat advances position into side control!
Firestone sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Horvat trying to pass the guard but Firestone defending well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Horvat working to pass to mount. He's got his hand pressing down on Firestone's thigh. Firestone counters though and makes it back to full guard.
Firestone is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Horvat regains full guard. Nicely done.

Horvat looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Firestone slips nicely into half guard, despite the strikes coming from Horvat.
Horvat moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Horvat looking to hit a scissor sweep but Firestone is one step ahead there.
Borna Horvat has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Horvat throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mark Firestone comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Firestone 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 Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 27:30
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight 27:30
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mark Firestone!