PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Pedro Diaz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Shin Murakami (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Diaz comes to the cage accompanied by Serenade. Shin Murakami will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Diaz
vs
Murakami

180 cm
21
173 lbs
3 - 9 - 0

170 cm
27
170 lbs
4 - 7 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Solid chin

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 3 - 9 - 0, fighting out of London, Pedro Diaz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Shin Murakami!
The judges for this bout are Kenichi Hosakawa, Shigeki Fujiwara and Yukihiro Yamamoto.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Murakami!

It looks like Pedro Diaz has been cut.

Diaz closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Diaz keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Murakami is trying to control but can't.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Diaz looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Murakami is looking to control Diaz's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Murakami avoid being mounted?

That's one minute gone in the round.
Diaz thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Diaz drops an elbow to the side of Murakami's head.
Diaz with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Murakami avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Diaz.
Diaz with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.

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

Diaz scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Diaz taking a breather here.
Diaz's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Diaz scoring with punches and elbows.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Murakami takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Diaz creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Murakami sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
Diaz taking a breather here.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Diaz scoring with punches and elbows.
Diaz works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Murakami takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Murakami stops Diaz from passing to mount.
Diaz cracks Murakami with a big elbow.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Diaz scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Murakami to see if he's OK.
Diaz wants to lay and pray for a moment but Murakami keeps working.
Diaz tries to advance to mount but Murakami denies him.
Murakami managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Diaz.
Diaz throwing strikes but Murakami manages to buck up and roll into a nice reversal - now he's on top in side control!
Diaz manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.

Diaz manages to create a bit of space in order to work his way back to his feet. Murakami keeps hold of his opponent and drives him back against the cage.
Murakami looks winded!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Diaz stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Diaz manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
The crowd are getting pretty annoyed with Diaz for his constant stalling in the clinch and are voicing their displeasure.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pedro Diaz dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Pedro Diaz's cut.
That's time! Diaz's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Murakami misses with a double jab

and Diaz counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Diaz thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Murakami's head.
Still in half guard, Diaz seems content to control.
Murakami trying to control but Diaz postures up.
Diaz is stalling here. Murakami is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Diaz seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Murakami has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
Murakami trying to control the action but Diaz is working from the bottom.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Murakami working the ground and pound but Diaz is defending the strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Murakami working away.
Murakami wants to control but Diaz is keeping him busy.
Murakami working away.
Diaz has one of Murakami's arms on lockdown, trying to prevent him from doing any damage.
Diaz defending against the ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Murakami sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Diaz is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Diaz is looking to reverse the position.
Murakami with the ground and pound but Diaz regains half guard under the barage of strikes.
Diaz keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.
Diaz is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

Murakami gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Diaz to score an easy takedown into full guard.

Murakami uses the cage to get back to his feet.
Diaz is trying hard to land a takedown here. Murakami sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Diaz tries to score a power double leg takedown but Murakami sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Diaz somewhat.
Murakami wants to counter the offense by Diaz and move into the clinch position.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Diaz avoids a punch combination nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Diaz has managed to clinch.
Diaz changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Murakami fights it off and pushes away nicely.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Pedro Diaz. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Murakami goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
We've been told by Diaz's head coaches at Tycoon Gym that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.
Diaz fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Murakami avoids it really well and circles away.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Diaz drives through with a takedown into Murakami's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Diaz wants to control from the top but Murakami keeps moving.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Shin Murakami showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Pedro Diaz's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Murakami looks to land a combination but Diaz avoids it well.

Diaz clinches up with Murakami and pushes him back against the cage.
Diaz drops down looking for an ankle pick but Murakami pulls his leg out and moves away.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Diaz.
Diaz shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Murakami but Murakami pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Murakami is looking for the big counter here.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Pedro Diaz. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Diaz shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Diaz is just content to waste time from the top position. Murakami takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.
Murakami preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Diaz is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Diaz looking to sit in guard and control but Murakami gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Diaz has a closed guard, preventing Murakami from standing up.
Murakami wants to control from the top but Diaz keeps moving.

Diaz has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Murakami off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nice sprawl there from Murakami as Diaz shoots in.

Diaz clinches.
Diaz taking a breather.

Murakami breaks the clinch.
Murakami has been working on his striking defense in training and it's paying off as Diaz is landing a low percentage of strikes.
Diaz shoots in but no luck this time.

Murakami closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Diaz tries to pull guard but Murakami forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Diaz has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Murakami is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Murakami blocks a body shot from Diaz.
Murakami wants to take the fight to the mat but Diaz manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Murakami stalls.
Diaz misses with a hook to the ribs.
Diaz is trying to pull guard but Murakami turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Diaz has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Murakami is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Diaz drops down looking for an ankle pick but Murakami pulls his leg out and moves away.
Murakami lands a high kick!

Diaz gets tackled into the cage by Murakami. Murakami maintains the clinch.
Murakami lands a knee to the body.
Diaz tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

Murakami's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Murakami closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Diaz to the mat! Diaz manages to get full guard.
Diaz pulls Murakami in close to prevent any damage.
Murakami trying to control but Diaz is working from the bottom.

Murakami decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Diaz, up you get!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Murakami misses with a head kick.
Diaz tries to clinch but Murakami is having none of it.
Diaz shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Murakami sprawls well. Murakami wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Diaz gets slowly back to his feet.
Murakami throws a counter combo.

And that's the end of the fight!
Shin Murakami comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Murakami 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 Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 28:29
Judge Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 28:29
Judge Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Shin Murakami!