PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Shane Murphy (ranked 3349 p4p, 2867 weight class) and Gennady Mikhasevich (ranked 456 p4p, 410 weight class). This should be a great matchup!

Murphy
vs
Mikhasevich

185 cm
41
190
16 - 26 - 0

180 cm
38
187
34 - 27 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Dangerous knees
Very strong

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

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 16 - 26 - 0, fighting out of London, Shane Murphy!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 34 - 27 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Gennady Mikhasevich!
The judges for this bout are Eliza Hachem, Skip Squint and Hugh Johnson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A nice inside leg kick there by Mikhasevich. That's going to slow Murphy down.
Mikhasevich avoids the head kick by Murphy.
Mikhasevich blocks a head kick by Murphy.
Murphy pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Mikhasevich throws out a counter right but Murphy avoids it with no problem.
A nice leg kick from Mikhasevich, right into the meat of the thigh.
Murphy shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Mikhasevich dips down and scores with a jab to the body.

Mikhasevich tries to keep at a distance but Murphy has taken the fight into the clinch.

Murphy breaks the clinch.
Murphy throws a sloppy head kick and Mikhasevich moves out of range easily.
Murphy fails with an attempt to clinch.
Murphy throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Mikhasevich counters with a nice body shot.
Murphy misses with a body punch
and Mikhasevich counters with a nice uppercut.

It looks like Shane Murphy has been cut.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Mikhasevich thuds a left hand into Murphy's body.

Murphy clinches up with Mikhasevich and pushes him back against the cage.
Mikhasevich lands with a short shot to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Murphy is trying to break free.
Murphy tries to break the clinch but Mikhasevich is controlling the position.

Murphy pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Mikhasevich lets loose with a powerful body kick. Murphy will feel that in the morning.
Murphy throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Murphy scores with a leg kick.
A left and a right from Murphy both land. Nice combination.
Mikhasevich comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Murphy lands a jab to the nose.
Mikhasevich avoids the head kick by Murphy.
Murphy walks into a jab.
Murphy throws a low kick, looking for Mikhasevich's leg but Mikhasevich calmly moves out of range.
Mikhasevich counters with a body kick.
Murphy closes the distance but Mikhasevich moves to the side
and Murphy takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Mikhasevich throws a head kick that lands with a deafening thwack! The crowd roars as Murphy stumbles backwards and falls to the mat. Mikhasevich follows into mount!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mikhasevich landing strikes from the mount and Murphy is in trouble!

Murphy is rocked!
Murphy tries to hold on but Mikhasevich postures up.
Mikhasevich working Murphy over with strikes here.
Murphy is wriggling around trying to escape.
Mikhasevich controlling from mount.
Murphy tries to hold on but Mikhasevich pushes him away.

Mikhasevich is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Murphy can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Murphy slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mikhasevich is controlling the pace.

Mikhasevich is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.

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.
Murphy has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Mikhasevich is working away from the top position though.
Mikhasevich content to control rather than advance.
Murphy is in a tricky position. We've heard reports from his gym mates at CrossFit Sydney that he's been drilling escapes, so let's see if he can get back to his feet.
Mikhasevich thows a huge punch but Murphy dodges it nicely.
Murphy tries to get to full guard but Mikhasevich has control of the leg.
Mikhasevich looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Gennady Mikhasevich dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Shane Murphy's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Murphy misses with a head kick.
Mikhasevich with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Mikhasevich ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Mikhasevich feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Murphys jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
A head kick misses from Murphy.
Murphy tries a head kick but it misses.
Mikhasevich changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Murphy finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Mikhasevich looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Mikhasevich cracks Murphy with a right hand to the side of the head.
Mikhasevich avoids the head kick by Murphy.
Mikhasevich blocks a head kick by Murphy.
Mikhasevich appeared to try and counter that last move with a leg kick.
Murphy throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Mikhasevich connects with a solid leg kick.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Murphy on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.

Shane Murphy's cut is getting worse.
A head kick misses from Murphy.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Mikhasevich throws a left that rocks Murphy and follows with a right that sends him tumbling to the canvas! Mikhasevich dives into side control, looking to finish! Can Murphy regain composure!
Oh Murphy is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Mikhasevich lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Mikhasevich is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.
Mikhasevich's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Murphy seems to have got his legs back now.
Mikhasevich creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Murphy sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.

Mikhasevich wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Murphy, who protects the arm well.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Mikhasevich is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Murphy knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Murphy can't do much from the bottom here.
Mikhasevich has control of an arm but Murphy manages to advance to Mikhasevich's back!
Mikhasevich turns into Murphy and is now in his guard.
Murphy manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Mikhasevich manages to get himself to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Murphy in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Mikhasevich is adopting a defensive guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Murphy postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Mikhasevich is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Murphy, into his guard.

Murphy is trying to keep Mikhasevich in close.
Mikhasevich has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Murphy keeping full guard, as Mikhasevich tries to pass.

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.
Murphy is trying to control the position but Mikhasevich postures up.
Mikhasevich slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Murphy is on top in guard.

Murphy wants to stand up, so he's looking to wriggle free of Mikhasevich's closed guard. He's half up but Mikhasevich has locked on to an arm! Uh oh! Mikhasevich pivots and extends the arm, Murphy falls face first to the mat and taps??... does he?? YES! He's tapping! Excellent counter grappling there by Mikhasevich! Well done that man!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:55 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Gennady Mikhasevich!
During a confident post fight interview, Gennady Mikhasevich thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.