PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Joe Vrbanek (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tyler Murphy (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Vrbanek
vs
Murphy

185 cm
24
151 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

180 cm
18
145 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ White Belt
Counter striker
Enjoys gardening

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 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Joe Vrbanek!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Tyler Murphy!
The judges for this bout are Yves DeLean, Alec Ball and Ian Loll.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Vrbanek darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Murphy is trying to stand back up but Vrbanek is controlling him

Vrbanek escapes and gets back to his feet.
Murphy tries to clinch up but Vrbanek circles away and keeps his distance.
Murphy chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Vrbanek misses with a double jab.
Vrbanek shoots in but Murphy avoids the takedown attempt easily.

Murphy clinches up with Vrbanek and pushes him back against the cage.
Murphy displaying some good clinch control by pressing Vrbanek up against the cage.
Vrbanek wants a takedown.
Vrbanek drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Joe Vrbanek. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Murphy is pushing Vrbanek up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Murphy lands an elbow just above Vrbanek 's eye.
Vrbanek jumps guard but Murphy stands there with Vrbanek around his waist. Vrbanek gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Vrbanek is trying to stall.

Vrbanek gets control of Murphy's arms and successfully pulls guard. Vrbanek will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.

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.
Murphy showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Vrbanek keeping moving, preventing Murphy from controlling successfully.
Murphy loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Vrbanek preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

Vrbanek escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Murphy gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Murphy showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Vrbanek looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Murphy trying to control the position from guard on top but Vrbanek is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Vrbanek really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

Vrbanek has his foot on Murphy's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Murphy works his way back into a safe position though.

That's four 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.
Murphy 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.
Murphy pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Vrbanek is keeping the position for now.
Vrbanek keeping moving, preventing Murphy from controlling successfully.

Vrbanek had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Murphy defends it easily.
Murphy controlling from the top position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Joe Vrbanek 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.

Vrbanek misses with a body shot.
Vrbanek closes the distance and clinches up with Murphy, looking for a takedown. Vrbanek pushes Murphy against the cage but Murphy circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

Murphy moves into the clinch.
Vrbanek being controlled against the cage.
Vrbanek tries to pull guard but Murphy won't allow it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Murphy fails to pull guard.
Vrbanek tries for a takedown. No joy.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Joe Vrbanek. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Vrbanek tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Murphy smiles and moves away.
Murphy shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Vrbanek eats them both and turns towards Murphy to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Murphy throws a one two combo.
Murphy tries to close the distance and clinch but Vrbanek swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Murphy tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Vrbanek paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Vrbanek shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Murphy but Murphy pushes him off and we're back to square one.

Murphy rushes Vrbanek and presses him up against the cage.
Murphy throws a punch but it's blocked by Vrbanek.

Murphy decides to pull guard.

Murphy pushes Vrbanek off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.

Murphy shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Vrbanek's guard.
Murphy really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Vrbanek. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Murphy tries to free his leg and advance position but Vrbanek is retaining full guard.
Murphy must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Vrbanek had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Murphy defends it easily.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Murphy trying to control but Vrbanek is working from the bottom.

Vrbanek is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Murphy defends well.
Murphy trying to control the position from guard on top but Vrbanek is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Vrbanek working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Murphy doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Murphy manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Murphy has gone for a leg lock! Vrbanek slips out almost immediately though and dives into Murphy's guard.
Vrbanek trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's four 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.
Murphy is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Murphy wants to get back to his feet but he's too absorbed in his own little project and Vrbanek manages to pass to side control.

Murphy kicks off Vrbanek and gets to his feet.
Vrbanek darts in trying to clinch

and Murphy counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Vrbanek!
Vrbanek wants to hold on but Murphy pushes him away.
Vrbanek sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tyler Murphy showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Murphy throws a nice outside leg kick.
Vrbanek doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Murphy counters with a nice low kick that buckles Vrbanek's knee momentarily.
Vrbanek with a poor takedown

and Murphy counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Vrbanek takes a shot to the head.
Murphy leaning against his opponent.
Vrbanek tries to score a body lock takedown but Murphy shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Joe Vrbanek. That's going to take a lot out of him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Murphy pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Murphy moves into range and clinches up with Vrbanek.
Murphy has Vrbanek pressed against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on Murphy's back here. They're not happy about his lack of aggression in the clinch.
Murphy tries for a takedown but Vrbanek manages to get underhooks.
Vrbanek tries to pull guard but Murphy holds him up against the cage and eventually Vrbanek drops back down to his feet.
Murphy will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Vrbanek up against the cage.
Vrbanek is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Vrbanek drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Murphy gets the underhooks and prevents it.

That's two 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 lands a nice elbow.
Stalling in the clinch from Murphy.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Tyler Murphy.

Murphy closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Murphy lands in his opponent's guard.
Murphy looking to sit in guard and control but Vrbanek gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Murphy wants to get back to his feet but Vrbanek is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Vrbanek trying to control the position from guard on top but Murphy is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Murphy is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Vrbanek with a nice head shot there.
Vrbanek pushing down on Murphy's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.

Vrbanek wants to work for an arm triangle but Murphy is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.

Vrbanek is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Murphy defends it well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Vrbanek wants to pass to mount but Murphy is defending the position.
Vrbanek prevents Murphy from standing back up.
Murphy pushes Vrbanek off but Vrbanek dives into side control.
Murphy is trying to buck Vrbanek off.
Murphy tries to wriggle free to get back to his feet but he's given up his back! Oops.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Tyler Murphy.
I think Murphy 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 Yves DeLean scores the fight 29:29
Judge Alec Ball scores the fight 28:29
Judge Ian Loll scores the fight 29:29

The fight is ruled a majority draw!