PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Mufasa Taylor (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jared Listen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Taylor might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to My Intention is War. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Taylor
vs
Listen

190 cm
25
193 lbs
10 - 6 - 0

178 cm
25
195 lbs
11 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
Dangerous knees
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

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 10 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Mufasa Taylor!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Jared Listen!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Blasius, Radbod Blank and Paulsen Ambrosius.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Taylor takes the fight into the clinch.
Taylor has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Listen after a bit of a struggle.
Listen wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Taylor with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Listen looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Taylor looking to throw knees to the head but Listen is blocking nicely.
Taylor tries to land knees in the clinch but Listen avoids the damage to the body.
Listen blocks an elbow strike.
Taylor misses with a knee to the head.
Listen wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

Listen's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
That kick from Taylor tenderised Listen's leg. Listen is trying to keep his angry face on.
Listen misses with a wild body shot.
Listen swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Taylor counters by moving into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Taylor keeps control of Listen as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Taylor tries to pull guard but Listen holds him up against the cage and eventually Taylor drops back down to his feet.
Taylor throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Taylor creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Listen's defenses.

It looks like Jared Listen has been cut.
Taylor throws an elbow but it misses.

Listen breaks the clinch.
Taylor shoots in for a takedown but Listen shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mufasa Taylor. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Taylor walks into a straight right hand from Listen.
Listen looks to score with a jab to the body but Taylor is just out of range.
Taylor attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
We've been hearing reports that Taylor has been drilling takedowns in recent sessions so let's see if that has an impact on the result of this fight.
Taylor blocks a jab.
Jared Listen is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Taylor keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Taylor lands with a nice body kick.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Taylor, right into the meat.
Listen misses with a wild combination.
Taylor fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Taylor fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
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!
Listen takes a kick to the side of the head.
Taylor pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Taylor throws a leg kick
and Listen cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taylor lands a high kick!
Listen's corner calls for a 1-2. Listen obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Taylor tries a head kick but it misses.
Taylor slips under a jab.
Taylor moves out of range of the strikes.
Listen with a jab.
Taylor turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Taylor goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Taylor misses with a low kick.
Listen throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Taylor looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Taylor tries to close the distance and clinch up but Listen swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Taylor tries to land a front kick but Listen steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Taylor connects with an inside leg kick.
Mufasa Taylor seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Listen connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Taylor's hands.
Taylor wants to slow Listen down by chopping away at his legs.
Good work by Listen as he checks the leg kick.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Listen blocks a low kick nicely.
Listen throws a shot from downtown. Taylor moves away and avoids it.
Good leg kick by Taylor there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mufasa Taylor dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Jared Listen's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Taylor doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Listen blocks a leg kick.
Taylor with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Taylor explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.
Listen missing with a left hand there. Taylor was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Taylor takes a shot to the body in his stride.

Taylor has taken the fight to the clinch.
Listen blocks the elbow strike.

Listen breaks the clinch.
A head kick misses from Taylor.
A slapping body kick lands there for Taylor.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Listen blocks a head kick by Taylor.
Taylor misses with a low kick.
Listen throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Taylor stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Listen checks a low kick from Taylor.
Mufasa Taylor is winning the standup battle so far.
Taylor ducks under a wild hook from Listen.
Taylor misses with an attempted mid kick.
Taylor throws a chopping leg kick but Listen manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Taylor tries to clinch but Listen moves out of range.
Listen misses the jab.
Taylor looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Taylor attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Listen tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
A low kick from Taylor is predictable there
and Listen makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Taylor throws a leg kick but Listen sees it coming and moves out of range.
Listen throws a lazy right hand but Taylor sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Taylor gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Listen.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Listen just misses with a punch to the body.
Listen throws a looping overhand right but Taylor ducks down to avoid it.
A big left from Listen misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Listen lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Taylor circles away quickly and effectively.
Listen's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Taylor slips under a jab from Listen.
Listen lands with a good body shot.
Listen lunges at Taylor with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Taylor's hand.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Listen checks a leg kick.
Taylor tries to clinch but Listen moves out of range.
Taylor moves out of range as Listen strikes.
Taylor motions for Listen to come forward. Taylor throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Taylor throws a leg kick but Listen sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Listen misses with a looping right.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Taylor misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Taylor throws a leg kick
letting Listen counter with a right hand.
Taylor throws a sloppy head kick and Listen moves out of range easily.
Decent striking displayed by Listen there.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
A low kick from Taylor is predictable there
enabling Listen to counter with a crisp jab.
Taylor misses with a head kick.
Taylor lands a nice looking kick to the body. Listen takes a step back to recover.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Listen misses the shot to the body.
Taylor does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Jared Listen will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Jared Listen's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Taylor feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Listen's calf.
A good leg kick by Taylor.

Listen drops Taylor with a beautiful combination! Taylor stares up at his opponent, who ushers him back to his feet - Listen is looking for the KO!

Taylor is rocked!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Taylor is looking to chop away at Listen's legs.

Listen gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Taylor throws a strike but Listen rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Taylor wants to sweep but no luck.
Listen passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Listen wants to control but Taylor is keeping him busy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Listen might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Taylor haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Taylor tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Listen wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Listen is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.

Listen has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
Listen rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Taylor moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Listen checks the leg kick nicely there.
Listen thows a body shot but no joy.
Listen tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Taylor throws a low kick but Listen avoids it.
Taylor lands a high kick!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Listen fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Taylor manages to avoid it.
Listen stuffs the takedown.
Listen getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Some bone on bone action there as Listen checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Good leg kick by Taylor there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Listen lands a nice hook to Taylor's body. Taylor takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Listen avoids a kick to the body.
Taylor throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Listen misses with an uppercut.
Listen misses with a looping left.
Listen checks a leg kick.
Listen walks forward, straight into a front kick from Taylor.
Listen throws a good cross that connects.
Taylor scores with a head kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Nice defenses there by Taylor.
Taylor fails in his attempt to clinch.
Taylor finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Listen misses with a hook. Taylor ducked under it nicely.
Taylor tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Listen paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Listen checks the leg kick.
A nice inside leg kick there by Taylor. That's going to slow Listen down.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
A low kick from Taylor misses
and Listen makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Taylor thows a leg kick but Listen checks it
and Listen counters with a stiff right hand.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Jared Listen.
I think Listen has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Blasius scores the fight 28:29
Judge Radbod Blank scores the fight 28:29
Judge Paulsen Ambrosius scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jared Listen!
Jared Listen spent the whole post fight interview bigging himself up. It didn't go down that well with the fans after a while as they thought it was a bit arrogant.