PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Jihbo Muhozi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mike Taison (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Muhozi
vs
Taison

190 cm
20
214 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

195 cm
22
217 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Improved boxing
Self confident

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Granite chin

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Jihbo Muhozi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Mike Taison!
The judges for this bout are Gwen Towbar, Alan Glass and Wesley Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nice shot by Muhozi.
Muhozi wants to clinch.
Taison looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Muhozi is fending him off so far but Taison persists. Nope, Muhozi circles away and we're back to standing.
Taison slips a straight right by Muhozi.
The fight stays on the outside here - Muhozi looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Mike Taison seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Muhozi throws a nice looking combination but Taison bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Muhozi tries to close the distance and clinch up but Taison swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Taison throws a leg kick but Muhozi sees it coming and checks it nicely.

Muhozi scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Taison is trying to control but can't.
Taison works his way to full guard. Good work.
Muhozi stays in close to Taison's body and controls the position.
Taison is looking to stand up but Muhozi isn't so interested in that idea.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Muhozi wants to control from the top but Taison keeps moving.

Taison escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Muhozi gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Muhozi working some strikes from top position.
Taison is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Taison bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Muhozi's guard.
Muhozi trying to keep a closed guard but Taison is proving a slippery customer.
Taison trying to control the position from guard on top but Muhozi is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Muhozi trying to control the position.
Muhozi wants to stand and escape but Taison is having none of it.
Muhozi 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.
Taison wants to pass the guard but Muhozi is keeping the position.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Taison is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.

Muhozi has Taison up against the cage in a clinch.
Muhozi prevents Taison from breaking the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Muhozi is looking to break free of the clinch but Taison has double underhooks.
Muhozi keeps control of Taison as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Taison has had enough of the clinch but Muhozi keeps him there for the moment.
Taison tries to pull guard but Muhozi won't allow it.
Taison keeps control of Muhozi as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Taison wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Muhozi has him pressed against the cage.
Taison tries to score a body lock takedown but Muhozi shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Jihbo Muhozi has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mike Taison.
Taison looks gassed!
Taison wants to get back to striking at distance but Muhozi won't allow it.
Muhozi has Taison pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Taison manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Muhozi goes for a takedown in the clinch but Taison prevents it.
Taison tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Muhozi just stands there and leans against the cage.
Taison wants to break free but Muhozi has control.

Taison breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Muhozi tries to close the distance and clinch up but Taison swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Muhozi tries to close the distance and clinch but Taison swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Muhozi tries to clinch up but Taison circles away and keeps his distance.
Taison scores with a three punch combo!

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Taison gets caught flat footed, as Muhozi shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Muhozi working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Muhozi trying to control but Taison is working from the bottom.
Taison manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Muhozi manages to get himself to full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Muhozi will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Muhozi wants to sweep but no luck.
Taison trying to control but Muhozi is working from the bottom.
Taison preventing the sweep.
Taison stops Muhozi from standing up.
Muhozi is trying to control the position from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jihbo Muhozi dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Muhozi tries to clinch there but Taison circles away.
Taison avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Muhozi is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Muhozi tries to clinch but Taison is having none of it.
Muhozi takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Taison uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Muhozi.
Taison lands a front kick.

Muhozi tries to keep at a distance but Taison has taken the fight into the clinch.
Taison is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Taison breaks from the clinch.
Taison swinging wilding here.
Taison doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Muhozi counters by clinching up.
Taison is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Muhozi is trying to stall.
Taison wants to break free but Muhozi has control.
Taison wants to break the clinch but can't.
Taison is trying to break free.
Muhozi can't break the clinch.
Muhozi can't break the clinch.
Taison wants to break free but Muhozi has control.
Taison wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Muhozi has him pressed against the cage.

Muhozi gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
Muhozi wants to control from the top but Taison keeps moving.
Taison working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Muhozi.
Muhozi with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Taison trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Taison looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Taison working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Muhozi.
Muhozi wants to control from the top but Taison keeps moving.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Left hook, right uppercut from Taison.
Taison circles away from the clinch attempt.
Taison fails with the takedown

and Muhozi counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Taison slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Muhozi wants to control from the top but Taison keeps moving.
Muhozi knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Taison on the ground.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Muhozi thows a big elbow that misses.
Muhozi trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Muhozi trying to control the position from guard on top but Taison is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Taison looking to control.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Muhozi rushes Taison and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Muhozi stalling.
Muhozi prevents Taison from breaking the clinch.
Taison wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

Taison escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Muhozi wants to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.

Muhozi drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Muhozi slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Muhozi stands up over Taison, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Taison is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Muhozi is controlling him.
Muhozi working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Muhozi slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Muhozi throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Taison works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jihbo Muhozi dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Muhozi scores with a takedown into Taison's guard.
Muhozi throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Muhozi throwing strikes but missing.
Jihbo Muhozi overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Taison looking to control.
Taison keeping moving, preventing Muhozi from controlling successfully.
Muhozi has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Muhozi loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Taison preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Muhozi working some strikes from top position.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Muhozi wants to clinch up but Taison keeps it at a distance.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Muhozi tries to close the distance and clinch but Taison swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Muhozi closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Taison manages to get to full guard.

Taison looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Muhozi's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Taison doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Taison keeping moving, preventing Muhozi from controlling successfully.
Taison trying to keep a closed guard but Muhozi is proving a slippery customer.
Muhozi trying to control the position from guard on top but Taison is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Muhozi working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Taison's head.
Muhozi wants to pass the guard but Taison is keeping the position.
Taison utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Taison dodges the punch combination from Muhozi.
Taison misses with a two punch combination.
Muhozi lands a nice shot to the body.

Muhozi darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Taison trying to hold on to Muhozi's head to control him but Muhozi postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Taison actively working from the bottom here.

Taison looking for submissions off his back.
Muhozi scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Taison is trying to maintain the position but Muhozi is very close to passing his half guard.
Muhozi trying to control from half guard but Taison is working away.
Nice strikes from Muhozi there.

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.
Muhozi missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Muhozi wants to clinch.
Muhozi doesn't manage to clinch there - Taison circles away.
Taison gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Muhozi holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Taison has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Muhozi avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Muhozi digs a right hand into Taison's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Taison's gas tank.
Muhozi is looking to control Taison's arms but Taison gets an underhook and turns him. Now Muhozi has his back to the cage.
Taison is looking to break free of the clinch but Muhozi has double underhooks.
Taison misses with a punch on the inside.
A right hand to the body from Muhozi.

Muhozi gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
Mike Taison has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Taison is looking for a triangle but Muhozi pushes his legs off easily.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jihbo Muhozi showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Muhozi, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Gwen Towbar scores the fight 30:27
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 30:27
Judge Wesley Smith scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jihbo Muhozi!