PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Brandon Murphy (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Carlo Gambino (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). I can't wait for this one - let's get the fighter introductions out of the way and get this one started!

Murphy
vs
Gambino

188 cm
22
199 lbs
4 - 6 - 0

180 cm
26
210 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Brandon Murphy!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Carlo Gambino!
The judges for this bout are Chris Downing, Tiny Johnson and Cecil Peabody.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gambino rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Murphy moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Gambino fails in his attempt to clinch.
Gambino checks a leg kick.
Murphy lands a high kick!
Murphy throws a nice outside leg kick.

Murphy tries to keep at a distance but Gambino has taken the fight into the clinch.
Murphy wants to break the clinch but can't.
Murphy can't break the clinch.
Murphy is trying to break free.

Murphy escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Murphy scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Murphy misses with a straight right.
Gambino tries to clinch up.
Gambino swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Gambino misses with a body kick.
Murphy throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Gambino tries to clinch up.
Gambino fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Murphy has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Murphy throws a head kick that misses.
Gambino tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Murphy counters with a body kick that brings a smile to the face of both fighters.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Gambino scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.

Gambino decides to stand and escape the position.

Gambino feints and as Murphy raises his hands in defense, Gambino changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Gambino is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

Gambino gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gambino throws a series of punches but Murphy avoids them all with ease.
Gambino connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Murphy's hands.
Murphy avoids the head kick by Gambino.
A head kick misses from Murphy.

Gambino darts in and clinches Murphy up against the cage.

Murphy manages to break the clinch.
Murphy lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Gambino looks for the body kick but Murphy saw that one coming.
Murphy displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Gambino.
Murphy throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Murphy misses with a wild combination.
Murphy missing with a left hand there. Gambino was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Murphy throws a combination that misses

and Gambino decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Murphy's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gambino trying to control the position from guard on top but Murphy is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Gambino looking to pass the guard.
Gambino looking to sit in guard and control but Murphy gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Gambino avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Gambino is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Murphy postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Murphy throws and elbow that misses. Gambino uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Murphy's guard. Nice move by Gambino!
Gambino 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.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Carlo Gambino dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Murphy misses with a double jab
and Gambino counters with a three punch combo that has Murphy backing up. Murphy nods at Gambino to acknowledge the strikes.
Gambino throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Murphy scores with a head kick. Gambino tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.
Gambino walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Murphy checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Gambino shoots in for a takedown but Murphy shows good takedown defense.
A head kick misses from Murphy.
Murphy throws a right hand that misses
and Gambino counters with a one-two to the body.
Brandon Murphy seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Gambino lands a jab followed by a vicious hook that sends Murphy sprawling to the canvas. Gambino follows him down, looking for the kill. Can Murphy hang on?

Murphy is rocked!

It looks like Brandon Murphy has been cut.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Gambino trying to control from half guard but Murphy is working away.

Murphy kicks Gambino off and gets back to his feet.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gambino looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Murphy misses with a double jab

and Gambino counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Murphy being controlled here, momentarily.
Gambino's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Murphy working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Gambino.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Carlo Gambino wasn't active enough on the ground.
Gambino throws a head kick that misses.
Gambino slips a jab from Murphy.

Gambino closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Gambino pulls guard.

Gambino kicks Murphy off and gets to his feet.
Gambino looks to clinch
and Murphy counters with a nice kick to the body.
Gambino falls off balance throwing a combination
and Murphy counters with a nice body kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Murphy checks a leg kick.
Murphy throws a left and a right that both miss

and Gambino counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Gambino is trying to control the action in half guard but Murphy is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Gambino passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Murphy!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Gambino goes for an armbar but Murphy turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from Murphy.
Carlo Gambino has got the better of the ground game so far.
Murphy with a flurry of punches that miss.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gambino manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Gambino controlling from the full mount.
Gambino is landing with some decent strikes but Murphy is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Carlo Gambino showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Brandon Murphy's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Gambino looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
An inside leg kick lands from Murphy.
Murphy avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Gambino fails with a takedown attempt.
Murphy scoring well with a low kick there.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Murphy's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Gambino shoots in but no luck this time.
Gambino swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Murphy defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Gambino.
Brandon Murphy has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Carlo Gambino.
Murphy scores with a spinning back kick!
Murphy keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Gambino takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Murphy throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Gambino moves out of range of the body kick from Murphy.

Gambino drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
A lull in the action here as Gambino stalls from top position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Murphy is looking to get back to his feet here but Gambino is keeping cool and he's managed to take Murphy's back.
Gambino struggling to land strikes to the head as Murphy covers up.

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.
So, who will make the next big move? In this position it could be crucial.

Gambino is persistently looking for the submission but Murphy is defending it well.
Carlo Gambino is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Murphy defends a rear naked choke attempt by controlling one of Gambino's arms.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Murphy is very frustrated here, being controlled quite effectively by Gambino.
Murphy is trying to stand back up.
Gambino is controlling his opponent, waiting for an opportunity to finish.

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.
Brandon Murphy has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Let's hope that Gambino has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.

And that's the end of the fight!
Carlo Gambino comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Gambino has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Chris Downing scores the fight 27:30
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 27:30
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Carlo Gambino!