PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Paul Waters (ranked 4312 p4p, 4540 weight class) and Tokashi Murakami (ranked 0 p4p, 407 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.

Waters
vs
Murakami

178 cm
25
155
0 - 0 - 0

175 cm
22
145
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Self confident

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Granite chin

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Paul Waters!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Tokashi Murakami!
The judges for this bout are Anthony Taglia, Eddie Farnsworth and Dean Styles.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A punch combination from Waters misses.

Murakami clinches with his opponent.

Waters breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Waters swinging wildly here.
Murakami fails with a takedown attempt.
Waters misses with a jab, cross combination.
Murakami is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Waters.
Waters pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
A combination from Waters does no damage.
Murakami wants to counter the offense by Waters and move into the clinch position.
Waters rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Murakami moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Waters misses with the combination.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Waters misses with a series of wild punches.
Murakami throws out a counter right but Waters avoids it with no problem.
Murakami connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Waters's hands.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Waters, as that shot connected.
Waters fails in his attempt to clinch.
Waters rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Murakami moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

Murakami closes the distance and clinches.

Waters breaks from the clinch.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Murakami.
You can see the frustration on Waters's face as Murakami controls the position.
Murakami tries to score with some ground and pound. Waters controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Murakami has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Murakami wants to lay and pray for a moment but Waters keeps working.
Waters tries to escape but Murakami is in control.
Murakami advances to mount.
Waters on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Waters tries to get out of the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
BOOM! Murakami connects with a massive shot to the dome!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Waters squirming around on the bottom, looking to escape.
Waters is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Murakami misses with a head shot.

Murakami moves into side control, trying to work for a kimura. That looks painful! Will he finish!!?? No, Waters has worked his arm free - good work by Waters!
Waters is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Murakami asserts his dominance and retains side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Murakami tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Waters is not content to let Murakami control the position.
Murakami remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.

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.
Murakami misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Murakami controlling from side mount.
Murakami is looking to take a break and control but Waters is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Murakami in side control, throwing shots but Waters defends.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Paul Waters will probably get the nod.
That's time! Waters's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Waters throws a right and a left that both miss.
Waters misses with a double jab
and Murakami counters with a one-two to the body.
Waters misses with a double jab.
Murakami wants to counter the offense by Waters and move into the clinch position.

Murakami pushes Waters up against the cage in a clinch.
Murakami drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Waters gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Waters lands a hook that snaps the head of Murakami backwards.
Still in the clinch, Waters scores with a nice short uppercut.
Waters softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Murakami is trying to pull guard but Waters turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Waters crunches a lovely knee into Murakami's ribcage.
Waters with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Murakami is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Waters pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Paul Waters has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Tokashi Murakami.

Murakami pulls guard effortlessly.
Waters has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Murakami has his foot on Waters's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Waters works his way back into a safe position though.
Waters with a flurry of punches that miss.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Murakami preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Waters postures up in Murakami's guard and throws a big left but Murakami blocks it.
Waters throws an elbow that misses. Murakami uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Waters's guard. Nice move by Murakami!

Murakami trying to control but Waters is working from the bottom.
Waters preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Murakami is looking to stand up but Waters won't let him.
Murakami trying to control but Waters is working from the bottom.
Murakami controlling from the top position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Murakami throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Waters wants to stand up but Murakami is controlling him.
Waters is looking to stand back up... there's a bit of a scramble and Murakami dives into side control.

Murakami decides to stand back up. Murakami steps back and let's Waters get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Waters scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Murakami walks into a stiff left hand from Waters.
Paul Waters is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Murakami scores with a punch to the head.
Waters lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Murakami backs up against the cage.
Murakami is trying hard to land a takedown here. Waters sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Murakami is breathing heavily.
Waters lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Murakami circles away quickly and effectively.
Murakami shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Paul Waters is winning the standup battle so far.
Waters swats away the attempt to clinch by Murakami.
Waters lands a jab-cross combination.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Waters misses with a wild combination.
Murakami shoots in but no luck this time.
Murakami tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Paul Waters is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Waters throws a series of punches but Murakami avoids them all with ease.
Waters throws a series of punches but Murakami avoids them all with ease.
Murakami is looking for the big counter here.
Murakami misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Murakami slips a jab and a cross from Waters.
Murakami looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
A combination from Waters does no damage.
Murakami darts in looking for a takedown but Waters gets double underhooks and turns Murakami into the cage.
Murakami gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Waters.
Waters lands with a nice combination. Murakami backs away looking to recover.
Sloppy strikes from Waters. Those never looked like landing.
Murakami takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Waters misses with a few strikes there.
Murakami tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Waters misses with a series of wild punches.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Paul Waters dominated that second 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. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Waters throws a right and a left that Murakami avoids nicely.
Waters will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Waters tries to bum rush Murakami with a series of wild strikes but Murakami uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Waters looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Murakami fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Murakami tries to bum rush Waters with a series of wild strikes but Waters uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Waters looks to land a combination but Murakami avoids it well.
Sloppy strikes from Waters. Those never looked like landing.

Murakami dives in and scores a takedown into Waters's guard.
Murakami trying to control but Waters is working from the bottom.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Murakami tries to free his leg and advance position but Waters is retaining full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Waters working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Murakami.
Murakami trying to control but Waters is working from the bottom.
Waters is looking to stand up but Murakami isn't so interested in that idea.
Murakami trying to control but Waters is working from the bottom.
Waters wants to stand but Murakami is controlling the position.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Waters lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Murakami circles away quickly and effectively.
Murakami tries to close the distance and clinch but Waters swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Murakami closes the distance and pushes Waters back into the cage.

Waters breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
No joy there for Waters, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Waters checks the leg kick nicely there.
Murakami tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Waters paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Waters is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Murakami can do to turn this around?
Waters misses the jab.
Waters keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Murakami swats away the attempt to clinch by Waters.
Waters throws a right and a left that Murakami avoids nicely.

Murakami shoots in and bounces Waters off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Waters wants to get back to his feet but Murakami is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Murakami trying to control the position from guard on top but Waters is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Murakami is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Waters wants to stand but Murakami is controlling the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.

Murakami stands up and waves to Waters to follow him.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Murakami is trying hard to land a takedown here. Waters sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Paul Waters has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Tokashi Murakami.
Waters will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

And that's the end of the fight!
Paul Waters showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Waters, 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 Anthony Taglia scores the fight 30:27
Judge Eddie Farnsworth scores the fight 30:27
Judge Dean Styles scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Paul Waters!