PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Steeve Murray (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Chris Jericho (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Steeve Murray has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Murray
vs
Jericho

178 cm
22
190 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

179 cm
20
186 lbs
2 - 1 - 1

Decent wrestler
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Tends to cut

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 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Steeve Murray!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Chris Jericho!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, Stewart Dunkirk and George Francis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Murray fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Murray shoots in but no luck this time.
Murray tries to clinch up but Jericho circles away and keeps his distance.
Murray shoots for a double leg takedown but Jericho sprawls well. He's pushed Murray's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Steeve Murray. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Murray shoots in looking for a takedown. Jericho tries to sprawl out of it but Murray keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Jericho manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Murray shoots in and drives through. Jericho sprawls well.

Jericho gets a clinch.
Jericho is trying to maintain a safe position but Murray gets an underhook and turns Jericho into the cage.
Jericho manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Jericho throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Murray blocks it with crossed arms.
Jericho using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Murray is breathing heavily.
Jericho unloads a knee to the mid-section. Murray lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Jericho with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Jericho lands a nice elbow from the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Murray drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Jericho gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Jericho landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Jericho stalling against the cage.
Jericho misses with a knee to the head.
Jericho connects with a knee to the head.
Jericho just leaning against Murray, taking a breather.
A nice right hand lands inside from Jericho.
Jericho landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Jericho throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Jericho is trying to stall.
Jericho is pressed up against the cage. Murray has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Jericho down to the mat. Jericho avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Jericho tries to close the distance and clinch but Murray swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Murray rushes Jericho and presses him up against the cage.
Jericho lands an elbow inside.
Jericho throws a knee to the head but misses.
Murray is trying to break the clinch but Jericho has him pressed against the cage.
A short body shot lands from Jericho as the two fighters clinch.
Jericho with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Murray wants to break the clinch but can't.
Jericho trying to stall but Murray improves his position.
Jericho lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Murray drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Jericho gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Jericho leaning his opponent against the cage.
Jericho with an attempt at a knee that misses.

Murray successfully pulls guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jericho is looking to advance position but Murray has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!
Jericho is working to get back to half guard.
Murray with good strikes from the mount here!
Jericho takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Murray controlling the pace for now.
Murray in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Murray with good strikes from the mount here!
A nice elbow there by Murray.
Murray dominating with strikes here.
Murray working Jericho over with strikes here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Murray controlling the pace for now.
Murray putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Murray landing strikes, looking to finish!

Murray looking for a guillotine from mount but Jericho is having none of it.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Murray lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Murray has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Jericho is working to get back to half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Jericho gets back to half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Jericho moves into full guard.
Murray won't allow Jericho to get back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Chris Jericho dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Jericho listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Chris Jericho seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Murray shoots in for a double leg but Jericho sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Murray tries to clinch
and Jericho counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Jericho looks to clinch

and Murray counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Jericho gets back to full guard.
Murray stands up over Jericho, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Jericho is trying to keep Murray in close.
Jericho controlling Murray's posture.
Murray trying to control the position from guard on top but Jericho is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Jericho wants to stand but Murray is controlling the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Murray wants to get up but he can't break Jericho's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jericho working a defensive guard here.
Jericho lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Murray!
Murray can't escape the position.
Jericho avoids the attempt from Murray to control.
Murray is working to get back to half guard.
Jericho sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Murray is working to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Murray wants to control but Jericho is having none of it.
Jericho tries to control but Murray wriggling away.
Murray is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Jericho looking to control but Murray is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Murray really trying hard to get back to half guard here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Murray tries to hold on but Jericho postures up.
Murray regains half guard.
Murray is looking for a sweep. Jericho is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

Murray actively working from the bottom here.
Murray is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Jericho looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Jericho prevents Murray from improving his position.

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.
Murray is pressing down on Jericho's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.

Murray had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Jericho is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Murray Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Jericho's back instead.
Jericho rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.
Murray works his way into side control.

Murray stands up and beckons Jericho to his feet.
Jericho is looking to clinch.
Jericho closes the distance looking to clinch

and Murray counters by clinching up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Steeve Murray 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. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Murray closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Jericho makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Jericho.
Murray postures up.

Jericho throws his legs up looking for a submission but Murray uses it to pass to side control.
Murray trying to control the action but Jericho is working from the bottom.
Jericho is pushing Murray's head away, looking to escape. Murray manages to hold on to the position though.
Jericho tries to buck Murray off but Murray is having none of it.
Steeve Murray overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Jericho sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Jericho takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Jericho is trying to get back to full guard.
Murray lands strikes from half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Murray is working for a kimura but Jericho is defending it quite comfortably.
Jericho is trying to maintain the position but Murray is very close to passing his half guard.
Jericho moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Murray loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Murray is in close to Jericho's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Murray loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

Murray stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Murray shoots in but no luck this time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Jericho clinches with his opponent.
Murray looking for a takedown.
Murray looking to stall.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Murray tries to score a body lock takedown but Jericho shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Steeve Murray. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Murray drops down looking for an ankle pick but Jericho pulls his leg out and moves away.
Murray is looking to clinch but Jericho is avoiding it.
Murray misses with a takedown attempt

and Jericho counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Jericho.

Murray manages to break the clinch.
Murray shoots for a double leg takedown but Jericho sprawls well. He's pushed Murray's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Murray shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Murray will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

Jericho instigates a clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Murray has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Jericho regains guard immediately.
Murray advances position into side control!
Murray working the ground and pound from side control.
Jericho is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Murray off and has taken his back!
Jericho trying to control momentarily.
What can Murray do to escape this position? He's going to have to figure it out pretty quick if he wants to stay in the fight!
A lull in the action here.
Murray is really stuck here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Jericho trying to control.
Murray trying to control but not successfully.
Jericho tries to get the hooks in deep but Murray pushed the leg off.
Even with his hooks in, Jericho manages to miss with strikes from the back.
Jericho gets his hands free as Murray looks to control.
Murray is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Jericho is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Jericho is looking to control Murray but Murray is wriggling around and keeping busy.
Jericho keeps control of the position easily here as Murray tries to buck him off.

Despite being in the dominant position, Chris Jericho just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Murray wants to clinch but Jericho slips to the side

and Jericho counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Jericho.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Steeve Murray.
I think Murray has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Daniel Franklin scores the fight 29:28
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 29:28
Judge George Francis scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Steeve Murray!