PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Matthew Murt (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Norifumi Yamamoto (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Murt comes to the cage accompanied by I like to move it. Rumors backstage are that the fighters have been paid to keep it standing but we know that would never happen in MMA!

Murt
vs
Yamamoto

173 cm
23
144 lbs
4 - 4 - 1

160 cm
22
134 lbs
6 - 5 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Cardio machine

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 4 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Matthew Murt!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Norifumi Yamamoto!
The judges for this bout are Hirohito Nitta, Sosuke Kotani and Shigeki Sano.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Murt wants to clinch.

Murt closes the distance and pushes Yamamoto back into the cage.
Murt lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!

Murt pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Murt moves into the clinch.
Murt unloads a knee to the mid-section.

Murt works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Murt distracts Yamamoto with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Yamamoto has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Murt has passed into side control.
Yamamoto avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Murt.
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!
Yamamoto is trying to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Murt trying to control the position but Yamamoto is working away.
Yamamoto can't do much from the bottom here.
Yamamoto tries to improve position but can't.
Murt throws an elbow but Yamamoto slips to the side and avoids it well.
Murt lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Yamamoto down.

Murt wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Yamamoto, who protects the arm well.
Yamamoto pushes Murt away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Murt gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Murt decides to take the fight back to the feet.

Murt shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.

Murt working for a submission but Yamamoto is keeping him at bay.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Murt dominating with strikes here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Murt wants to control the pace but Yamamoto is squirming around nicely.
Yamamoto's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.
Yamamoto is using up a lot of energy trying to get back to his feet. Perhaps he should improve his position first.
Murt misses with a head shot.
Murt in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yamamoto is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Murt controlling the position easily from mount.
Murt lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Murt raining down hammerfists from mount.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Murt looking to control but Yamamoto is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Murt raining down hammerfists from mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matthew Murt dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Yamamoto throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

Murt instigates a clinch.
Yamamoto is trying to break the clinch but Murt has him pressed against the cage.
Yamamoto wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Yamamoto has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Murt misses with a knee to the head.

Murt escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
A head kick misses from Murt.
Yamamoto rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Murt moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

Murt shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Murt throws a big right hand that misses.
Yamamoto utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Murt wants to control from the top but Yamamoto keeps moving.
Murt postures up in Yamamoto's guard and throws a big left but Yamamoto blocks it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Murt trying to control the position from guard on top but Yamamoto is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Murt loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

Murt stands up from Yamamoto's guard - Murt perhaps looking for a knockout.
Murt is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Yamamoto throws a body kick despite being completely out of range
and Murt counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Yamamoto is lucky that one didn't land flush.

Murt gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Murt tries a knee to the head but Yamamoto blocks it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Murt tries a knee to the head but Yamamoto blocks it.
Murt tries a knee to the head but Yamamoto blocks it.
Murt taking a breather.
Murt pressing his opponent against the cage.
Murt throws a knee to the head but misses.
Murt tries to pull guard but Yamamoto won't allow it.
Murt connects with a knee to the head.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Yamamoto tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Murt lands a knee to the head.
Murt putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Yamamoto in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.

Murt escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Yamamoto throws a series of strikes that have Murt backpedaling.

Murt has Yamamoto up against the cage in a clinch.
Murt wants to stall.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Murt lands a knee to the head.
Yamamoto looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Murt landing knees to the head.
Yamamoto tries a body shot but Murt blocks it.
Murt prevents Yamamoto from breaking the clinch.
Yamamoto wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Murt lands a knee to the head.
Yamamoto is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Murt looking to throw knees to the head but Yamamoto is blocking nicely.
Murt throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Yamamoto blocks it with crossed arms.
Murt with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Yamamoto tries to break free but Murt pushes him back against the cage.
Yamamoto is trying to force a seperation but Murt has the dominant position.
Murt tries to land a knee to the head but misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Murt stalling in the clinch.
Murt tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Matthew Murt has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Murt misses with an elbow over the top.
Yamamoto wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Murt has him pressed against the cage.
Murt throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Yamamoto blocks it with crossed arms.
Yamamoto is trying to force a seperation but Murt has the dominant position.
Murt tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Murt with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Murt with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Murt with an attempt at a knee that misses.

Yamamoto breaks the clinch.
Murt moves in looking to clinch but Yamamoto pushes him off.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Yamamoto misses with a wild combination.
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!
Murt lands a nice looking kick to the body. Yamamoto takes a step back to recover.
Yamamoto looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matthew Murt dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Murt is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Murt misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Murt plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Yamamoto throws a series of punches but Murt moves out of range.
Murt throws a head kick but Yamamoto moves out of range.
Some wild striking there from Yamamoto.
Murt wants to clinch.
Murt lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Murt fails with an attempt to clinch.
Yamamoto misses with the combination.

Murt moves into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Murt keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Yamamoto's efforts to push away.

Murt breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Murt is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Yamamoto can do to turn this around?
Yamamoto misses with a few strikes there.
Murt keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Yamamoto misses with an attempted mid kick.
Matthew Murt is winning the standup battle so far.
Murt tries to clinch
and Yamamoto counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Yamamoto misses with a looping right.
Yamamoto takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Yamamoto swats away the attempt to clinch by Murt.
Murt slips a jab and a cross from Yamamoto.

Murt has taken the fight to the clinch.
A nice right hand lands inside from Murt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Murt with a knee to the head.
Yamamoto tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Murt misses with a knee to the head.
Murt connects with a knee to the head.
Murt is trying to stall.

Murt escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Yamamoto throws a head kick that misses.
Murt scores with a head kick. Yamamoto tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.
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!
Murt is looking to clinch.
Yamamoto misses with a looping left.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Yamamoto.
Yamamoto tries to bum rush Murt with a series of wild strikes but Murt uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Yamamoto looks to land a right hand but Murt moved out of range.
Murt misses with a takedown attempt - Yamamoto sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Murt tries to clinch there but Yamamoto circles away.
A head kick misses from Murt.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Yamamoto rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Murt moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Yamamoto throws a head kick that misses.
Murt wants to clinch up but Yamamoto keeps it at a distance.
Yamamoto takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
Matthew Murt is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Murt clinches up with Yamamoto and pushes him back against the cage.
Yamamoto wants to break the clinch but can't.
Murt keeps control of Yamamoto as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Murt tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Murt throws a knee to the head but misses.
Murt using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Murt gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Murt.
Murt tries to land a knee to the head but Yamamoto blocks with his arms.
Murt scores a nice knee to the body.
Murt jumps guard but Yamamoto stands there with Murt around his waist. Murt gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Yamamoto misses with a body punch.
Yamamoto fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Murt unloads a knee to the mid-section. Yamamoto lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Murt looking to throw knees to the head but Yamamoto is blocking nicely.
Murt stalls.
Norifumi Yamamoto has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Yamamoto struggles to land a body shot inside as Murt controls his hands.

And that's the end of the fight!
Matthew Murt showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Murt has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 30:27
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 30:27
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Matthew Murt!
Matthew Murt thanked the fans post fight for their support.