PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Ronnie McDonald (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Marco Polo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). McDonald comes into the arena with Get Busy Living blaring out of the sound system. Polo has chosen On The Floor as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

McDonald
vs
Polo

165 cm
20
155 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

178 cm
24
153 lbs
5 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter fighter
Cardio machine

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter fighter
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Ronnie McDonald!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Marco Polo!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, Don Winkell and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
McDonald looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Polo is fending him off so far but McDonald persists. Nope, Polo circles away and we're back to standing.
Polo fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Polo shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has McDonald pinned against the cage. McDonald gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

McDonald changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Polo looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
McDonald cracks Polo with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Polo has found himself in a tricky position here. He's been working his transitions in training so let's see if he can work his way out of it.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.
We've been hearing that McDonald has been drilling a lot of ground and pound in training, so let's see if he get the finish.
McDonald is looking to take a break and control but Polo is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Sloppy strikes there by McDonald.
Polo regains half guard, as McDonald was trying to land strikes.
McDonald prevents Polo from improving his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
McDonald is controlling the pace.
Polo is looking to control McDonald's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Polo avoid being mounted?
McDonald is taking a breather. Polo says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Polo is looking for a sweep. McDonald is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
McDonald is trying to get back to his feet now but his leg is trapped.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Ronnie McDonald wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Polo dives in and grabs McDonald's left leg, looking for a takedown. McDonald pushes down on Polo's head and hops out.
Ronnie McDonald has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Marco Polo.
McDonald tries to close the distance and clinch up but Polo swats him away and circles back towards the center.

McDonald instigates a clinch.
Polo displaying some good clinch control by pressing McDonald up against the cage.
McDonald wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Polo has him pressed against the cage.

McDonald wants the takedown. Polo is fighting it off but McDonald persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Polo's guard against the cage.
McDonald preventing the sweep.
McDonald is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Polo striking off his back but it's not causing McDonald any problems.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
McDonald landing some decent shots from guard.
McDonald trying to control but Polo is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
McDonald controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Polo keeping full guard, as McDonald tries to pass.
Polo lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.
Polo pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. McDonald is keeping the position for now.
Polo is fighting to break McDonald's control of his arms but McDonald is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Polo wants to pass the guard but McDonald is keeping the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Polo is looking to work some ground and pound but McDonald has wrist control.
Polo trying to control but McDonald is working from the bottom.
Polo is fighting to break McDonald's control of his arms but McDonald is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Ronnie McDonald.
Polo misses with a takedown attempt

and McDonald holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

McDonald breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Sloppy strikes from McDonald. Those never looked like landing.

McDonald feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
McDonald won't allow Polo to get back to his feet.
McDonald controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ronnie McDonald 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.

McDonald stuffs the takedown attempt from Polo. Polo gets slowly back to his feet.
McDonald lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
McDonald lands a two punch combo.

Polo closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. McDonald did well to prevent Polo getting side control.
McDonald is trying to get back to full guard.
Polo seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but McDonald does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
McDonald is looking to control Polo's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can McDonald avoid being mounted?

That's one minute gone in the round.
McDonald gets full guard.
Polo stopping the sweep attempt from McDonald.
McDonald working a defensive guard here.
Polo looking to sit in guard and control but McDonald gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Polo can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as McDonald controls the pace.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

McDonald gets to his feet. Polo looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Polo fails to land the takedown.
McDonald tries to clinch up but Polo circles away and keeps his distance.
McDonald shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Polo defends it nicely.
McDonald looks for the body kick but Polo saw that one coming.
Polo tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but McDonald defends well and Polo ends up having to push McDonald into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Ronnie McDonald has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Marco Polo.
Polo drops to a knee looking for a takedown but McDonald gets the underhooks and prevents it.
McDonald tries to land knees in the clinch but Polo avoids the damage to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Polo leaning his opponent against the cage.

Polo lands a takedown into guard.
Polo trying to control but McDonald is working from the bottom.
McDonald is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
McDonald is pulling down on Polo's head to control his posture.
McDonald controls Polo momentarily but Polo frees himself.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
McDonald is looking to stand back up but Polo counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by McDonald.
McDonald wants to control but Polo is keeping busy.
McDonald is refusing to be controlled, as Polo sits in half guard.
McDonald is positioning himself well to prevent Polo advancing to mount.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Ronnie McDonald.
Polo throws a right and a left that both miss.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
McDonald fails with the takedown.

McDonald gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Ronnie McDonald will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. And we move into the final round!

Polo shoots in but McDonald avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Polo is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
McDonald throws a lazy body kick

and Polo counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
McDonald looking for a sweep. Not yet McDonald, not yet.
Polo looking to pass the guard.
McDonald keeping moving, preventing Polo from controlling successfully.

McDonald is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Polo is aware though and is defending well.
McDonald looking to hit a scissor sweep but Polo is one step ahead there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Polo showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
McDonald manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Polo can't escape the position.
McDonald trying to control but he's not successful this time.
McDonald controlling from the full mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
McDonald scores with a couple of good head shots there.
McDonald lands a big elbow.
Polo is trying to escape the mount.
Polo wants to control but McDonald is having none of it.
McDonald controlling the position easily from mount.
McDonald landing strikes from the mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Polo tries to hold on but McDonald postures up.
McDonald controlling the pace for now.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Polo regains half guard.
Polo is staying active underneath McDonald, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Polo is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
McDonald controlling the action here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Ronnie McDonald has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
No luck for McDonald with that takedown attempt.
Polo misses with a takedown attempt
and McDonald counters with a solid body kick.

McDonald takes the fight into the clinch.
Ronnie McDonald is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

McDonald drags the fight down to the ground.
Marco Polo has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Polo stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. McDonald swivels though and keeps the full guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
McDonald is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Polo throwing strikes from guard but McDonald blocks nicely.

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 Ronnie McDonald.
Well McDonald has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 29:28
Judge Don Winkell scores the fight 30:27
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ronnie McDonald!
Ronnie McDonald decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.