PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Manolito Damhuis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sean Murphy (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Sean Murphy struggled to make weight for this fight. He only made it down to 186.5lbs at the first attempt and had to take the additional two hours to make the official bout weight. Let's see how much it's taken out of him. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Damhuis
vs
Murphy

184 cm
18
182 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

190 cm
24
200 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter fighter
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Very confident

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Manolito Damhuis!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Sean Murphy!
The judges for this bout are Lou da Vinci, Dean Styles and Anthony Taglia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Murphy tries to close the distance and clinch up but Damhuis swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Damhuis checks a low kick from Murphy.
Damhuis misses with a wild body shot.
Murphy tries a low kick but Damhuis avoids it.
Murphy shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Damhuis as he avoids it easily.

Damhuis changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Murphy looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Damhuis throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Murphy wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Damhuis throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Damhuis is working Murphy over with some ground and pound from side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Damhuis decides to stand back up.
Sean Murphy seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Murphy uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Damhuis.
Murphy tries to clinch up but Damhuis circles away and keeps his distance.

Murphy fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Damhuis, pushing him back against the cage.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Damhuis tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Murphy just stands there and leans against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Damhuis has Murphy pressed against the cage.
Murphy working hard to break the clinch.
Murphy wants to break free but Damhuis has control.
Murphy fails to pull guard.
Murphy wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Murphy drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Manolito Damhuis has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Sean Murphy.

Damhuis breaks the clinch.
Damhuis throws a hook to the side of Murphy's head but Murphy sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Murphy wants to clinch up but Damhuis keeps it at a distance.
Murphy gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

so Damhuis counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Murphy keeping moving, preventing Damhuis from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Damhuis slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Damhuis 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.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Damhuis's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Damhuis distracts Murphy with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Damhuis wants to control from the top but Murphy keeps moving.
Damhuis showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Damhuis scoring with punches to the head and body.
Murphy has been taking part in the yoga sessions down at Cozad MMA New York. Presumably he's going to look for a slick submission... Or maybe he's looking to avoid one.
Murphy wants to stand but Damhuis is controlling the position.
Damhuis seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Manolito Damhuis has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Murphy moves out of range of the leg kick from Damhuis.
Damhuis throws a low kick but it's checked well by Murphy.
A big left from Damhuis misses.
A leg kick checked by Murphy.
Murphy connects with an inside leg kick.
Murphy slips under a jab.
Murphy shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Damhuis counters with a takedown into side control.
Murphy taking punishment in the form of punches.
Damhuis landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Damhuis working the ground and pound.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Murphy wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Damhuis moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.

The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Damhuis decides to stand back up.
Murphy closes the distance and clinches up with Damhuis, looking for a takedown. Murphy pushes Damhuis against the cage but Damhuis circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Damhuis throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Murphy tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Damhuis counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Damhuis distracts Murphy with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Damhuis is looking to work some ground and pound but Murphy has wrist control.

Damhuis gets to his feet. Murphy looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Murphy misses with a takedown

and Damhuis counters with a single leg into guard. Murphy didn't expect that.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Manolito Damhuis dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Murphy steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Damhuis.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Murphy enables Damhuis to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Murphy manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Damhuis won't allow Murphy to get back to his feet.
Damhuis connects with a couple of short punches.
Damhuis lands a couple of digs.
Damhuis postures up in Murphy's guard and throws a big left but Murphy blocks it.
Damhuis loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

Damhuis gets to his feet. Murphy looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
A head kick misses from Murphy.

Damhuis dives in and scores a takedown into Murphy's guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Damhuis pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Murphy is keeping the position for now.
Damhuis is pushing down on Murphy's leg trying to pass to half guard. Murphy is fighting to maintain full guard but Damhuis has managed to sneak the leg through.
Damhuis landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Damhuis is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Murphy can do to turn this around?
Damhuis throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Damhuis connects with a nice short shot to Murphy's temple.
Damhuis perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Damhuis passes to full mount!
Damhuis with the ground and pound from mount.
Murphy is breathing heavily.
Damhuis is landing with some decent strikes but Murphy is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.

Murphy is rocked!
Damhuis postures up and connects with a big shot that has rocked Murphy badly. He's trying desperately to grab hold of Damhuis around the waist but Damhuis pushes him off and unloads with more strikes, forcing the referee to jump in and save him! Damhuis is the winner by TKO! Damhuis jumps onto the cage and shouts into the camera. "We did it momma!"

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:47 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Manolito Damhuis!