PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Mike King (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Korin Murphy Jr (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.

King
vs
Murphy Jr

180 cm
21
180 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

189 cm
25
182 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Self confident

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Experienced

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Mike King!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Korin Murphy Jr!
The judges for this bout are David Schapiro, Lou da Vinci and Steve Montenegro.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Murphy Jr shoots in looking for a takedown. King tries to sprawl out of it but Murphy Jr keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. King manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
King goes for a double leg but Murphy Jr avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Murphy Jr continues to drive forward.
King is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Murphy Jr is defending well for now.
King tries to score a body lock takedown but Murphy Jr shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Murphy Jr managing to block the knees to the body from King.

King jumps into guard, dragging Murphy Jr to the mat.
Murphy Jr's corner is telling him to maintain position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Murphy Jr is looking to work some ground and pound but King has wrist control.
King utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
King is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Murphy Jr is trying to stand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Murphy Jr keeps control of the position for the meantime.
King not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
King wants to lay and pray for a moment but Murphy Jr keeps working.
Murphy Jr is looking to escape.
Murphy Jr tries to roll over but King keeps him under control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Murphy Jr is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Murphy Jr can do anything to dispel that myth.
King wants to pass to mount but Murphy Jr is defending the position.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
King takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
King throws a sloppy head kick
and Murphy Jr counters with an outside leg kick.
Mike King seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
King has a takedown stuffed.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mike King. That's going to take a lot out of him.
King stuffs the takedown.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

King clinches.
Murphy Jr swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Murphy Jr goes for a takedown in the clinch but King prevents it.
Murphy Jr wants to take the fight to the mat but King manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Murphy Jr changes levels and goes for a takedown here. King fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Murphy Jr displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from King.
Murphy Jr fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
King is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
King fails with the takedown.
King tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Murphy Jr manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
King wants to clinch up but Murphy Jr keeps it at a distance.
King fails to land the takedown.
King throws a sloppy head kick and Murphy Jr moves out of range easily.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Murphy Jr misses with a takedown attempt - King sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mike King dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Murphy Jr fails to land the takedown.
King closes the distance and clinches up with Murphy Jr, looking for a takedown. King pushes Murphy Jr against the cage but Murphy Jr circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
King keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Good leg kick by Murphy Jr there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
King misses with a shot to the body
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Mike King is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Murphy Jr shoots in but no luck this time.
Mike King has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Korin Murphy Jr.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Murphy Jr.
King is looking to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
That kick from Murphy Jr tenderised King's leg. King is trying to keep his angry face on.
King fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Murphy Jr stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Murphy Jr wants it to stay on the feet.
Murphy Jr shoots for a double leg takedown but King sprawls well. He's pushed Murphy Jr's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

King moves into the clinch successfully.
King has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Murphy Jr avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Murphy Jr tries a body shot but King blocks it.
Murphy Jr drops to a knee looking for a takedown but King gets the underhooks and prevents it.
King has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Murphy Jr avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
King tries to score a body lock takedown but Murphy Jr shows good agility there to stay on his feet.

King breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Murphy Jr shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
King misses with a takedown attempt - Murphy Jr sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Murphy Jr fails with a takedown attempt.
Murphy Jr scores with a slapping inside leg kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
No luck for King with that takedown attempt.
Murphy Jr tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but King defends well and Murphy Jr ends up having to push King into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
King prevents a body shot from Murphy Jr.
Murphy Jr has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. King is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
King goes for a takedown in the clinch but Murphy Jr prevents it.

King jumps into guard, dragging Murphy Jr to the mat.
Murphy Jr engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Murphy Jr really doesn't want to stay on the ground with King. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Murphy Jr's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Korin Murphy Jr will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Murphy Jr scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
King pushes Murphy Jr away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Murphy Jr gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Murphy Jr working away.
Murphy Jr is trying to ground and pound but King uses the momentary lack of control by Murphy Jr to regain half guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Murphy Jr controlling the pace.

That's one minute gone in the round.
King is trying to maintain the position but Murphy Jr is very close to passing his half guard.
Murphy Jr performing his best blanket impression for a moment.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
King fails with a takedown attempt.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Murphy Jr.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
King takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
King tries to clinch but Murphy Jr is having none of it.
Murphy Jr looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
King darts in trying to clinch
and Murphy Jr counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.

Murphy Jr shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Murphy Jr controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Murphy Jr has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
King is trying to keep Murphy Jr in close.

King has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Murphy Jr off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
King fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Murphy Jr throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around King's waist but King gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Murphy Jr off to one side.
Murphy Jr turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Murphy Jr closes this distance looking for a takedown but King circles away.
Mike King has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Korin Murphy Jr.

King closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
King is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
King blocks a body shot from Murphy Jr.
King is pressed up against the cage. Murphy Jr has hold of a leg and is looking to drag King down to the mat. King avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Murphy Jr shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as King sprawls well. King wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Murphy Jr gets slowly back to his feet.
Murphy Jr takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Some wild striking there from Murphy Jr.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
King misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

And that's the end of the fight!
Korin Murphy Jr comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Murphy Jr 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 David Schapiro scores the fight 28:29
Judge Lou da Vinci scores the fight 29:28
Judge Steve Montenegro scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Korin Murphy Jr!