PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Christian Howard (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jussi Murikka (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Murikka is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Rock'n'Rolla. Both fighters will be looking to make this an exciting fight for the fans, I'm sure!

Howard
vs
Murikka

174 cm
26
166 lbs
12 - 2 - 0

170 cm
22
164 lbs
10 - 3 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter striker
Very quick

Good wrestler
Great elbows
Powerful

Next Level Nutrition (158q for $50!!!!)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Christian Howard!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Jussi Murikka!
The judges for this bout are Sergei Dronov, Illya Tyunina and Aleksei Zolotukhin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Howard tries to close the distance and clinch up but Murikka swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Murikka misses with a body shot.

Murikka clinches.
Murikka throws an elbow that misses.
Murikka gets through Howard's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Murikka pressing his opponent against the cage.

Murikka manages to break the clinch.
Murikka tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Howard counters with a nice kick to the body.
Murikka throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Howard throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Murikka throws a head kick that misses

and Howard counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Howard postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Howard has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Murikka looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Howard passes into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Murikka is trying to control but can't.
Murikka might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Howard kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Howard not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Howard controlling the pace.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Howard missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Murikka is refusing to be controlled, as Howard sits in half guard.
Murikka tries to roll over but Howard keeps him under control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Howard is keen to just control but Murikka is a slippery customer.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Murikka gets off balance looking for a body kick
and Howard finishes the little exchange by landing a big kick to the body.
Murikka scores with a head kick.
Murikka cracks Howard with an open hand slap.
Murikka shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Howard throws a lazy body kick
and Murikka counters with a body kick that brings a smile to the face of both fighters.
Murikka misses the body punch

and Howard counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Murikka!
Murikka is working to get back to half guard.
Howard tries to control but Murikka wriggling away.
Howard in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Howard is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Murikka has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Murikka!
Howard has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Murikka has passed into side control.
Howard is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Murikka off and has taken his back!
A lull in the action here.
Murikka trying to control the action but Howard just sinks the hooks in.
Murikka can't escape the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Murikka grimaces as he takes a shot to the body.
Murikka is really stuck here.
Murikka is trying to escape under a series of strikes and manages to escape from Howard 's hooks.
Howard lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Murikka is trying to escape the mount.
Murikka wants to hold on but Howard pushes him away.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Murikka holds on to Howard as tight as he can, avoiding damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Christian Howard dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Murikka throws a lazy right hand but Howard sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Murikka feints and then cracks Howard's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Howard down.
Murikka just misses with a punch to the body.

Howard shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Howard wants to lay and pray for a moment but Murikka keeps working.
Murikka is holding on to half guard well.
Murikka gets full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Murikka is controlling Howard's posture.
Howard trying to control but Murikka is working from the bottom.
Howard controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Howard is looking to work some ground and pound but Murikka has wrist control.
Howard looking to sit in guard and control but Murikka gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Howard is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Howard keeping moving, preventing Murikka from controlling successfully.
Murikka controls from within his opponent's guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Howard throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Howard bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Murikka's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Howard looking to pass the guard.
Christian Howard overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Murikka controls Howard momentarily but Howard frees himself.
Howard stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Murikka swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Howard stops Murikka from standing up.
Murikka has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Murikka is trying to control the position but Howard postures up.

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.
Murikka wants to sweep but no luck.
Howard looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Murikka lands a nice shot to the body.
Jussi Murikka seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Murikka pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Howard tries to clinch there but Murikka circles away.
Murikka connects with a good right hand that stumbles Howard. Howard circles away out of range and recomposes himself.

Murikka lands a big head kick that sends Howard tumbling to the mat! Murikka takes a step backwards and waves Howard back to his feet - he wants the finish!

Howard is rocked!
Murikka throws out a loose jab but Howard uses good head movement to avoid it.
Oh Howard is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Howard tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Murikka paws at him with a jab and circles away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jussi Murikka showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Murikka throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Howard seems to have got his legs back now.
A head kick misses from Murikka.
Murikka takes a swing at Howard's ribcage but misses.
Murikka takes one on the button.
Murikka misses with a shot to the body

and Howard counters by clinching up.
Murikka misses with some punches.
Howard blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Murikka.
Murikka throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Howards head.
Murikka working aggressively here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Murikka lands a good knee to the midsection. Howard won't want to take too many of those.
Howard managing to block the knees to the body from Murikka.
Murikka stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.

Murikka breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A head kick misses from Murikka.
Murikka throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Murikka throws a series of punches but Howard moves out of range.
Murikka takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Murikka throws a sloppy head kick
enabling Howard to counter with a crisp jab.
Jussi Murikka seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Murikka misses with a leg kick.
Howard on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Murikka. Murikka obviously looking to wear him down.
Murikka takes a swing at Howard's ribcage but misses.
Murikka misses with a head kick.
Murikka looks to score with a jab to the body but Howard is just out of range.
Murikka circles away from the clinch attempt.
Murikka misses the shot to the body.
A punch combination from Howard misses.
Murikka tries to clinch up but Howard circles away and keeps his distance.
Murikka digs a good body shot into Howard's ribs.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Murikka pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Howard tries to clinch up.
Murikka throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Howard fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
A bone on bone clash there as Howard blocks the leg kick.
Murikka misses with a combination

and Howard counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
A short uppercut from Murikka.
Murikka misses with a hook from the clinch.
Howard drops down looking for an ankle pick but Murikka pulls his leg out and moves away.
Howard walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Murikka throws a head kick that half lands.
Murikka swats away the attempt to clinch by Howard.
Murikka throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Howard rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Murikka moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Howard uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Murikka.
Christian Howard is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Murikka misses with a body shot

and Howard decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Murikka's guard.
Murikka looking to hit a scissor sweep but Howard is one step ahead there.
Howard looking to pass the guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Murikka pulls Howard in to control the position.
Murikka keeping moving, preventing Howard from controlling successfully.
Murikka is trying to control the position but Howard postures up.
Howard wants to pass the guard but Murikka is keeping the position.

Murikka is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Howard is aware though and is defending well.
Howard missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Murikka works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jussi Murikka comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Murikka has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Sergei Dronov scores the fight 28:29
Judge Illya Tyunina scores the fight 28:29
Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jussi Murikka!