PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Curtis Murphy (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Devonte Taylor (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.

Murphy
vs
Taylor

198 cm
24
215 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
25
215 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Determined

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, Curtis Murphy!
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, Devonte Taylor!
The judges for this bout are Stewart Dunkirk, George Francis and Daniel Franklin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Taylor tries to close the distance and clinch up but Murphy swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Murphy feinted with a counter takedown.
Taylor tries a low kick but Murphy avoids it.
Taylor doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Murphy counters with a single leg into guard. Taylor didn't expect that.
Murphy connects with a couple of short punches.
Murphy is working Taylor over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Murphy stands up over Taylor, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Murphy postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Murphy will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Murphy with a nice head shot there.
Taylor wants to hit a switch here but Murphy passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for Taylor there!
Murphy raining down shots from the mount!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Murphy is landing with some decent strikes but Taylor is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Murphy looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Taylor takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Murphy lands with some strikes.
Taylor is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Murphy scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Murphy scoring with strikes but Taylor is staying in there.
Taylor is trying to get back to his feet but can't.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Murphy lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Taylor should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Murphy lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Taylor in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Murphy putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!

Taylor is rocked!
Murphy prevents Taylor from getting the reversal.
Murphy lands a heavy elbow.
Taylor is still in real trouble! Can Murphy finish him?

Murphy working for a guillotine from mount but Taylor is in no mood to give up.
Taylor seems to have recovered his senses.
Murphy working Taylor over with strikes here.
Taylor working to try and regain half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Murphy with shots to the head and body - Taylor looks very uncomfortable down there.
Murphy cracks Taylor with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Taylor is trying to stand up.
Murphy is landing with some decent strikes but Taylor is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Taylor tries to reverse the position but Murphy maintains control.
Taylor is still trying to improve position.
Murphy looking to finish Taylor with some ground and pound. This is bad for Taylor!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Taylor in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Taylor tries to hold on but Murphy postures up.
Taylor is looking to improve his position but Murphy isn't that keen on the idea.
Murphy landing strikes, looking to finish!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Taylor is flailing around like a fish out of water, trying to land strikes.
Murphy in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Murphy is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Taylor can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Taylor working to try and regain half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Curtis Murphy dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Taylor looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Taylor moves in looking to clinch but Murphy pushes him off.
A looping hook to the body misses from Taylor. Murphy does a little dance to reset his feet.
As Taylor looks to move away, Murphy throws a big counter combo but Taylor just gets out of the way.
Taylor moves in looking to clinch but Murphy pushes him off.
Murphy went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
Taylor tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Murphy manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Murphy is looking for a counter combo.
Devonte Taylor seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Taylor tries to close the distance and clinch but Murphy swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Murphy half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Taylor shoots for a double leg takedown but Murphy sprawls well. He's pushed Taylor's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Taylor connects with a body shot.

Murphy darts in and clinches Taylor up against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Murphy jumps guard and drags Taylor to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.

Murphy had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Taylor defends it easily.
Murphy is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

Murphy pushes Taylor off and scrambles back to his feet.

Taylor has closed the distance and engaged Murphy in a clinch.
Taylor wants to break free but Murphy has control.
Murphy tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Taylor smiles and moves away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nice takedown defense from Murphy. No joy for Taylor on that attempt.
Curtis Murphy has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Devonte Taylor.
Taylor tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Taylor goes for a double leg but Murphy avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Murphy continues to drive forward.
Murphy is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Taylor can do to turn this around?
Taylor shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Murphy but Murphy pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Taylor tries a head kick but it misses.
As Taylor looks to move away, Murphy throws a big counter combo but Taylor just gets out of the way.
Taylor wants to clinch up but Murphy keeps it at a distance.
Taylor fails with the takedown.
Murphy throws a big counter combination but Taylor scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taylor shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Murphy as he jumps to the side.
Murphy attempts a counter takedown but Taylor avoids it well and moves away.
Taylor is breathing heavily.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Taylor.
Murphy half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Taylor closes this distance looking for a takedown but Murphy circles away.
Murphy seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.
Taylor dives in for a single leg takedown but Murphy sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Nice defenses there by Taylor.
Taylor tries to land a leg kick but Murphy saw it coming and moves away.

Taylor gets caught napping as Murphy dives in and scores a takedown. Taylor manages to retain guard.
Taylor is looking to stand back up but Murphy counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Taylor.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Taylor is looking to control Murphy's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Taylor avoid being mounted?
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Murphy takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Murphy scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Murphy seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Murphy slips a nice elbow through Taylor's hands, connecting with Taylor's forehead.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Curtis Murphy dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Taylor tries to sprawl but Murphy drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Murphy looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Taylor with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Murphy lands strikes from half guard.
Murphy slips a nice elbow through Taylor's hands, connecting with Taylor's forehead.
Well, if Murphy is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Murphy seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Murphy looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Murphy trying to control the pace.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Taylor is looking to get back to full guard here but Murphy has managed to pass to side control instead.
Murphy connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Taylor some visible discomfort.
Murphy grinds an elbow into Taylor's temple.
Murphy controlling the position.
Taylor wants to control but Murphy postures up.
Murphy working the head and body with strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Murphy lands an elbow.
Taylor takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
A lull in the action here.
Murphy looks up at the clock and then as Taylor takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Murphy smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!

Murphy is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Taylor is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Murphy cracks Taylor with an elbow. That is naaassty.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Murphy landing strikes.
Murphy works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Murphy slows the pace down.
Taylor looking for a sweep but Murphy has passed into full mount! Oh no!
Murphy is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Murphy working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Murphy working away from the top, dropping strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Murphy dominating with strikes here.
Taylor wants to control but Murphy is having none of it.
Murphy has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Taylor's face.
Murphy connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Taylor is trying desperately to improve position.
Taylor takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Murphy lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Taylor hang on?

And that's the end of the fight!
Curtis Murphy showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Murphy has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 30:25
Judge George Francis scores the fight 30:25
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 30:25

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Curtis Murphy!