PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Mario Betoli (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ilya Murometz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Betoli's entrance music is Mario theme. A fine choice. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Betoli
vs
Murometz

195 cm
34
282 lbs
37 - 16 - 0

195 cm
23
280 lbs
9 - 5 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Solid boxing
Very strong

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 37 - 16 - 0, fighting out of New York, Mario Betoli!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 5 - 0, fighting out of New York, Ilya Murometz!
The judges for this bout are Bruno Lombardi, Anthony Taglia and John Roberts.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Betoli misses the body punch

and Murometz counters by moving into the clinch.
Betoli can't find room to land a body shot as Murometz controls the action.

Murometz breaks from the clinch.
Betoli swings widly with a right hand
and Murometz counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Murometz with a nice cross.
Murometz throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Murometz tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Betoli paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Nice defenses there by Betoli.
Murometz wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Murometz moves in looking to clinch but Betoli pushes him off.
A shot to the body from Betoli misses
and Murometz counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Murometz throws a big shot that misses.
Betoli throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Murometz takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Betoli closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Murometz quickly recovers to half guard.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Murometz is controlling Betoli's trapped leg to prevent Betoli from advancing to side control.
Betoli is looking to stall here but Murometz recovers full guard.
Betoli trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Betoli won't allow Murometz to sweep him here.
Betoli is looking to work some ground and pound but Murometz has wrist control.
Murometz trying to keep a closed guard but Betoli is proving a slippery customer.
Betoli postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Betoli trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Betoli throwing strikes but missing.

Betoli postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Murometz is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Betoli, into his guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Betoli escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Murometz gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Betoli looking for a sweep. Not yet Betoli, not yet.
Murometz stays in close to Betoli's body and controls the position.
Betoli has his hands on Murometz's head, controlling the position.
Murometz is stalling in the full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Betoli has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Murometz can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Betoli is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

Ilya Murometz has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Betoli throws a poor cross that misses

and Murometz counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Betoli drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Murometz misses with a body punch.
Murometz taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Ilya Murometz will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Murometz tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Betoli paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Murometz ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Betoli moves away.
Murometz wants to clinch up but Betoli keeps it at a distance.
Nice body punch from Murometz.
Murometz moves away from the strike by Betoli.
Betoli bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Murometz's head backwards.
Murometz throws a sloppy head kick and Betoli moves out of range easily.
Murometz takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Betoli misses with a hook
and Murometz counters with a stiff right hand.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Betoli misses with a left hand
and Murometz counters with a series of strikes. Betoli will be more careful next time no doubt.
Murometz ducks under a wild hook from Betoli.
Murometz tries to clinch there but Betoli circles away.
Murometz keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Murometz steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Betoli.
Betoli takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Murometz just misses with a punch to the body.
Betoli dives in and grabs Murometz's left leg, looking for a takedown. Murometz pushes down on Betoli's head and hops out.
Betoli thows a left - swing and a miss!
Murometz cracks Betoli with a right hand to the side of the head.
Ilya Murometz seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Betoli scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
The fight stays on the outside here - Murometz looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Murometz is looking to clinch.
Betoli misses with a body shot.
Murometz tries to clinch up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Betoli moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
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!
Murometz wants to clinch.
Murometz dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
A looping hook to the body misses from Betoli. Murometz does a little dance to reset his feet.
Betoli is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Murometz.
Betoli swats away the attempt to clinch by Murometz.
Ilya Murometz is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Murometz tries to clinch but Betoli moves out of range.
Betoli misses with a lunging right hand

and Murometz counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Murometz works on Betoli's body with a couple of short punches.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Murometz tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Betoli's elbow.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Betoli.
Murometz scores a nice knee to the body.
A short body shot lands from Murometz as the two fighters clinch.
Murometz scores with a hook to the body.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Murometz digs a right hand into Betoli's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Betoli's gas tank.
Murometz using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Murometz lands a nice knee to the body.
Murometz gets through Betoli's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Murometz lands a nice elbow.
A short right from Murometz on the inside.
Murometz landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Murometz pushes Betoli back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Murometz connects with a knee to the head.
A right hand to the body from Murometz.
A bit of stalling here from Murometz.
Murometz lands a body punch in the clinch.
Murometz lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Murometz is pushing Betoli up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Murometz blocks an uppercut.

Murometz breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Betoli takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.

Murometz forces Betoli back against the cage and clinches.
Murometz has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Betoli lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Murometz is working Betoli over against the cage.
Murometz lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Murometz lands a body punch in the clinch.
Murometz manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.

Murometz pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Betoli misses with a body shot.
Murometz tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ilya Murometz showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Murometz fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Betoli checks a leg kick.
Betoli swats away the attempt to clinch by Murometz.
Betoli shoots in and drives through. Murometz sprawls well.
Murometz moves out of range as Betoli strikes.
Betoli throws a body punch but Murometz moves out of range.

Murometz closes the distance and pushes Betoli back into the cage.
Betoli takes an elbow to the temple.

It looks like Mario Betoli has been cut.
Betoli changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Murometz fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Betoli dodges the punch combination from Murometz.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Betoli just misses with a punch to the body.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
The fight stays on the outside here - Murometz looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Murometz is looking to clinch but Betoli is avoiding it.

Murometz closes the distance and clinches.
Murometz tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Murometz is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Murometz is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Betoli has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Murometz is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mario Betoli. That's going to take a lot out of him.
The referee calls for Murometz to work.
Murometz misses with a hook to the ribs.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Betoli swings away with an uppercut that misses.

Murometz breaks the clinch.
Betoli swings and misses with a hook to the body.
The fighters circle momentarily. Murometz darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Murometz tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Murometz fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Betoli manages to avoid it.
Betoli misses with a hook to the body
and Murometz counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Ilya Murometz is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Betoli avoids the head kick by Murometz.
Murometz lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Murometz tries to clinch there but Betoli circles away.
Betoli misses with a hook to the body
and Murometz counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Betoli walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Murometz is looking to clinch.
Betoli chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Murometz can pounce on him.
Betoli misses with a body shot
and Murometz counters with a nice leg kick.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Mario Betoli has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Murometz lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Betoli or not.
Betoli tries to work over Murometz's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Murometz has Betoli pushed against the cage.
Murometz lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Murometz lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Betoli backwards.
A right hook to the body lands for Betoli.
Betoli can't find room to land a body shot as Murometz controls the action.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Betoli misses with the head strike.
Murometz struggles to land a body shot inside as Betoli controls his hands.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Murometz's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Good shot there by Betoli.
Betoli misses the body punch
and Murometz counters with a three punch combo that has Betoli backing up. Betoli nods at Murometz to acknowledge the strikes.
A big right from Betoli misses.
Betoli throws a hook but Murometz blocks it.
Murometz slips under a jab.
Murometz tries to clinch but Betoli moves out of range.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Murometz fails in his attempt to clinch.
Betoli circles away from the clinch attempt.
Murometz tries to clinch but Betoli moves out of range.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ilya Murometz comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Murometz winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Bruno Lombardi scores the fight 27:30
Judge Anthony Taglia scores the fight 27:30
Judge John Roberts scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ilya Murometz!
Ilya Murometz seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.