PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Mike Jimenez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Russell Martinez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Martinez comes into a darkened arena with his song building. I Refuse to Lose kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Russell Martinez has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Jimenez
vs
Martinez

195 cm
22
185 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

185 cm
20
185 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Solid chin

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 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Mike Jimenez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Russell Martinez!
The judges for this bout are David Schapiro, Columbo Gatti and Russell Pearce.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Martinez shoots in looking for a takedown. Jimenez tries to sprawl out of it but Martinez keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Jimenez manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

Jimenez drives through and clinches with Martinez against the cage.
Jimenez leaning against his opponent.
Martinez throws an elbow but it misses.
Jimenez tries a knee to the head but Martinez blocks it.

Jimenez jumps guard and drags Martinez to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Jimenez is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Martinez is controlling him.
Martinez looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Jimenez wants to sweep but no luck.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Martinez looking to sit in guard and control but Jimenez gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Martinez working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Jimenez doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Jimenez manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Martinez is looking to stand up but Jimenez isn't so interested in that idea.
Martinez not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Martinez bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Jimenez's guard.
Jimenez controls Martinez momentarily but Martinez frees himself.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Martinez trying to control but Jimenez is working from the bottom.

Jimenez working for a triangle but Martinez defends it easily.
Martinez throws a strike but Jimenez rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Martinez wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Jimenez is now in half guard.

Jimenez is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Martinez is just riding it out for now. Jimenez eventually gives up the hold.
Jimenez trying to control from half guard but Martinez is working away.

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.
Martinez wants to control but Jimenez is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Jimenez working over Martinez with some ground and pound. Martinez looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Martinez is trying to maintain the position but Jimenez is very close to passing his half guard.

Jimenez decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mike Jimenez dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Jimenez moves into range and clinches up with Martinez.

Jimenez pulls Martinez into guard.
Jimenez being controlled here, momentarily.

Jimenez wriggles free and stands up.
Jimenez fails with the takedown.
Jimenez really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

Jimenez drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.

Jimenez stands up and beckons Martinez to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Martinez drives through and clinches with Jimenez against the cage.
Martinez managing to block the knees to the body from Jimenez.
Jimenez lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Martinez backwards.
Jimenez tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Martinez misses with the head strike.
Martinez lands with a light punch inside.
Jimenez wants to get back to striking at distance but Martinez won't allow it.
Martinez manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Jimenez tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Martinez just stands there and leans against the cage.

Jimenez manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Martinez passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Martinez is looking to take a break and control but Jimenez is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Martinez misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Jimenez can't do much from the bottom here.

Martinez swings around for an armbar but Jimenez sees it coming a mile off and turns beautifully into Martinez's guard.
Jimenez sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Martinez is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Jimenez decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Martinez, up you get!
Jimenez looks to clinch
and Martinez counters with a low kick, right behind Jimenez 's knee.
Martinez stuffs the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mike Jimenez. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Jimenez throws a head kick that misses.
Martinez tries to clinch

and Jimenez holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Jimenez wants to stall.
Martinez using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Jimenez has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Jimenez wants a takedown but no success here.
Martinez tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Martinez has had enough of the clinch but Jimenez keeps him there for the moment.
Martinez dodges an elbow strike from Jimenez.
Martinez misses with some punches.
Martinez drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Jimenez lands a damaging elbow.
Jimenez working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Jimenez is pressed up against the cage. Martinez has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Jimenez down to the mat. Jimenez avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Jimenez throws a knee to the head but misses.
Jimenez tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

Jimenez pulls guard successfully.
Martinez seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Jimenez is looking to stand back up but Martinez counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Jimenez.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mike Jimenez dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Jimenez looking for a takedown here - he's got it.

Jimenez gets to his feet - Martinez follows without any prompting.
Jimenez lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Mike Jimenez is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Jimenez tries to clinch there but Martinez circles away.
Jimenez lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Mike Jimenez seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Martinez tries for a takedown but Jimenez sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Martinez misses with the combination.
Jimenez fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Martinez misses with a combination

and Jimenez counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Martinez manages to get to full guard.
Martinez working a defensive guard here.
Martinez is striking off his back. Jimenez thinks nothing of it though and passes easily into half guard.
Jimenez throwing shots but Martinez is blocking nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.

Martinez actively working from the bottom here.
Jimenez slows the pace down in half guard.
Jimenez has decided to stand back up but his arm is trapped. Whilst he's worrying about his arm, Martinez works to full guard.
Martinez trying to control the position.
Martinez looking for a sweep. Not yet Martinez, not yet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Jimenez tries to clinch

and Martinez counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Jimenez!
The referee warns Jimenez that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Martinez unloads with some shots from mount but Jimenez bucks and avoids them well.
Martinez pushing the pace here, looking to move to his opponents back and work for a finish.
Jimenez is squirming around, avoiding Martinez's attempts to control the action.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Jimenez prevents Martinez from taking his back.
Martinez wants to control the pace but Jimenez is squirming around nicely.
Jimenez is trying to stand but he's just given Martinez his back.
Russell Martinez has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Jimenez tries to escape the position.

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 Mike Jimenez.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Jimenez, 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 David Schapiro scores the fight 30:27
Judge Columbo Gatti scores the fight 30:27
Judge Russell Pearce scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mike Jimenez!