PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Kukulcan Tonga (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Brendan Murphy (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Tonga
vs
Murphy

181 cm
23
171 lbs
8 - 4 - 0

189 cm
23
182 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Great elbows
Good gas tank

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 8 - 4 - 0, fighting out of New York, Kukulcan Tonga!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Brendan Murphy!
The judges for this bout are Trevor Gratis, Gregory Folan and Ian Loll.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Tonga attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Kukulcan Tonga seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Murphy tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Murphy takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Tonga.
Some bone on bone action there as Murphy checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Tonga misses with a body shot
and Murphy counters with a nice body shot.
Murphy stuns Tonga with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Murphy swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Murphy throws a jab when Tonga was well out of range.
Tonga misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Murphy takes a body punch but keeps moving.
A looping hook to the body misses from Tonga. Murphy does a little dance to reset his feet.
Murphy throws out a counter right but Tonga avoids it with no problem.
Murphy drops his hands momentarily and Tonga takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Murphy swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Murphy tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Murphy connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Tonga misses with an attempted mid kick.
Nice body kick there by Tonga.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Murphy moves out of range of the body kick from Tonga.
Kukulcan Tonga is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Tonga throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Murphy lands a nice leg kick that just misses Tonga's sensitive parts.
Tonga chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Murphy falls off balance throwing a combination
and Tonga counters with a slapping leg kick.
Murphy misses with a hook. Tonga ducked under it nicely.
Tonga pivots, looking for a leg kick but Murphy is out of range and Tonga settles back down.
Murphy misses with a hook to the body
and Tonga counters with a good low kick that Murphy was not able to check.
Tonga moves out of range of the body kick from Murphy.
Murphy misses with a hook.
Murphy misses with an uppercut.
Murphy on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.

Murphy closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Tonga quickly recovers to half guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Murphy is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Murphy working his ground and pound in the gym. He isn't landing a great percentage of his ground strikes so far though.
Tonga is doing well to control the position and prevent Murphy from advancing to side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Murphy throws a strike but Tonga avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Murphy throws a big right hand that misses.
Murphy postures up.

Tonga looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Murphy trying to control but Tonga is working from the bottom.

Tonga has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Murphy can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Murphy is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tonga keeping moving, preventing Murphy from controlling successfully.
Murphy postures up and lands a big shot to Tonga's brow.
Murphy trying to control but Tonga is working from the bottom.
Murphy throwing strikes from guard but Tonga blocks nicely.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Murphy trying to control but Tonga is working from the bottom.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Murphy moves out of range of the body kick.
Murphy uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Tonga.
Murphy moves out of range of the leg kick from Tonga.
Tonga pivots, looking for a leg kick but Murphy is out of range and Tonga settles back down.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Murphy! But no joy.
Tonga misses the shot to the body.
Tonga feints and then cracks Murphy's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Murphy down.
Tonga 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.
Murphy thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Tonga if he has to take too many more of those.
Tonga throws a lazy body kick

so Murphy counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Murphy working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Tonga's head.
Murphy is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Tonga keeping moving, preventing Murphy from controlling successfully.
Murphy with a nice head shot there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Brendan Murphy will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Tonga throws the kick towards the body but Murphy avoids it.
Tonga fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Murphy.
Murphy tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Tonga was well out of range. Poor timing from Murphy.
Murphy takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Murphy looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Tonga half committed to a counter leg kick.
Tonga scores with a one two! Murphy had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
A leg kick checked by Murphy.
Murphy throws a big shot that misses.
Tonga is looking to wear down Murphy with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Murphy ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Tonga moves away.
A low kick from Tonga is predictable there
and Tonga takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Murphy misses the body punch
and Tonga counters with a nice leg kick.
Tonga tries to land a front kick but Murphy steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Murphy tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Murphy throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Tonga.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Murphy on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Tonga connects with an inside leg kick.
Tonga feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Murphys jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Murphy on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Murphy scores with a nice strike.
Murphy on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Tonga. Tonga obviously looking to wear him down.
Tonga keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Kukulcan Tonga is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Murphy turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Murphy takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Murphy thows a left - swing and a miss!
Murphy looks to score with a jab to the body but Tonga is just out of range.
Murphy fails in his attempt to clinch.
Murphy cracks a nice hook into Tonga's ribs.
Tonga has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Tonga there as he acknowledges the shot.
Tonga lands a leg kick that knocks Murphy off balance momentarily.
Murphy moves out of range of the body kick from Tonga.
Murphy throws a jab when Tonga was well out of range.
Murphy lands a glancing blow to the side of Tonga's head.
Tonga looks to land a combination. Murphy sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Murphy tries to clinch but Tonga moves out of range.
Murphy moves out of range of the leg kick from Tonga.
Murphy throws a solid leg kick but Tonga takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Murphy.
Tonga scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
A jab from Murphy misses.
And Tonga counters with a quick kick to the body but Murphy blocks it.
Murphy throws a big shot that misses.
Murphy misses with a double jab.
Good leg kick by Tonga there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Murphy looks to throw the jab but Tonga is out of range.
Good leg kick by Tonga there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Nice takedown defense from Tonga. No joy for Murphy on that attempt.
Tonga appeared to be looking to counter that last move with a leg kick.
Tonga keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Murphy.
Tonga ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Murphy takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Murphy throws a body punch but Tonga moves out of range.
Murphy on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Tonga. Tonga obviously looking to wear him down.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tonga pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Kukulcan Tonga is winning the standup battle so far.
Tonga scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Tonga scores with a three punch combo!
Tonga turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Murphy connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Tonga's hands.
Murphy throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Tonga.
Tonga will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Murphy throws out a powerful jab.
Tonga misses with a double jab
and Murphy counters with a straight right hand.
Murphy chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Tonga can pounce on him.
Tonga misses with a low kick as Murphy jumps back.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Murphy tries to land a front kick but Tonga steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Tonga lands with a thumping leg kick.
Murphy pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Murphy thows a leg kick but Tonga checks it
and Tonga cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

Murphy is rocked!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tonga throws an uppercut from hell that sends Murphy clean off his feet! He's out cold! Tonga stands back and admires his work as he thinks about that KO of the night award that is surely being wrapped up for him back stage.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:09 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Kukulcan Tonga!
An out of breath Kukulcan Tonga thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.