PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Mike Murhaa (ranked 801 p4p, 44 weight class) and Hercules Fortier (ranked 983 p4p, 56 weight class). Hercules Fortier has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Murhaa
vs
Fortier

199 cm
24
292 lbs
8 - 3 - 0

195 cm
24
265 lbs
11 - 4 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Olympic wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Conviction

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Mike Murhaa!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Hercules Fortier!
The judges for this bout are , Frank Antenori and Don Winkell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Murhaa connects with a nice looking jab.
Murhaa doesn't manage to clinch there - Fortier circles away.
Murhaa scores with a nice right hand.
Murhaa tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Fortier paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Murhaa misses with a hook.

Murhaa moves into the clinch.
Murhaa blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Murhaa tries to work over Fortier's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Fortier blocking some punches.
Murhaa blocks a punch to the side of the head.

Fortier has clasped his hands together around Murhaa's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
Murhaa bucks up and tries to throw Fortier off but instead Fortier has got his back!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Murhaa tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Fortier misses with a head shot.
Murhaa keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Murhaa tries to hold on but Fortier pushes him away.
Fortier throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Murhaa because Fortier loaded up on that one.
Fortier looking to ground and pound but Murhaa is blocking nicely.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Murhaa tries to hold on but Fortier postures up.
Murhaa avoids a series of strikes thrown by Fortier.
Murhaa is working to get back to half guard.
Murhaa is in a horrible position here. Fortier smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Murhaa is desperately trying to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Fortier has hold of Murhaa's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Murhaa manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Fortier working his ground and pound in the gym. He isn't landing a great percentage of his ground strikes so far though.
Fortier raining down shots from the mount!
Fortier working the ground and pound effectively.
Fortier raining down hammerfists from mount.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Fortier working the ground and pound effectively.
Murhaa slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Fortier scores with a couple of good hammerfists.

Murhaa is rocked!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fortier is trying to control. Murhaa wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Murhaa moves into full guard.
Fortier lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Fortier trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Murhaa has his hands on Fortier's head, controlling the position.
Fortier postures up.
Murhaa wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Fortier trying to control the position from guard on top but Murhaa is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Murhaa pulls Fortier in to control the position.
Fortier trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Murhaa pulls Fortier in close to his closed guard and prevents Fortier from doing any damage or advancing position.
Fortier slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Murhaa is looking to reverse the position.
Fortier working the head and body with strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hercules Fortier dominated that round.
That's time! Murhaa's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Murhaa ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Fortier moves away.
Fortier has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

Murhaa clinches up against the cage.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Murhaa.
Murhaa lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Murhaa has a couple of punches blocked by Fortier.
Fortier looking to stall.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Fortier.
Fortier scores with an uppercut up the middle.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Fortier.
Murhaa throws a punch but it's blocked by Fortier.
Murhaa gets through Fortier's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.

It looks like Hercules Fortier has been cut.
Fortier lands a right hand that snaps the head of Murhaa backwards.
Nice body punch from Murhaa.
Fortier pushes Murhaa back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Fortier tries to throw a body punch but Murhaa avoids it by throwing Fortier back against the cage.
Murhaa lands a right hand that snaps the head of Fortier backwards.
This has been an exciting period of action!
A head punch on the inside from Murhaa fails to land.
Fortier tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Murhaa's elbow.
Murhaa goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Mike Murhaa has scored more points in the clinch so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fortier misses with some punches.
Murhaa misses with some punches.
Murhaa misses with a punch on the inside.
Murhaa doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Murhaa tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

Fortier is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. Murhaa can't fight it off and eventually Fortier manages to take the fight to the floor. Murhaa looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Fortier connects with a couple of short punches.
Murhaa has control of Fortier's left arm, preventing Fortier from doing any damage.
Fortier trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Murhaa managing to control the position.
Hercules Fortier has got the better of the ground game so far.
Fortier stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Murhaa swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fortier is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Murhaa looking for a sweep. Not yet Murhaa, not yet.
Fortier working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Fortier lands a couple of digs.
Murhaa managing to control the position.
Fortier throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Murhaa works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Fortier trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fortier stopping the sweep attempt from Murhaa.
Fortier chips away with some ground and pound.
Murhaa keeping moving, preventing Fortier from controlling successfully.
Murhaa is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Murhaa is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Fortier has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Fortier lands a couple of elbows.
Murhaa working a defensive guard here.
Fortier is fighting to break Murhaa's control of his arms but Murhaa is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.

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.
Fortier trying to control but Murhaa is working from the bottom.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Mike Murhaa seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Fortier throws a push kick but Murhaa slaps the foot to one side.
Murhaa misses with an uppercut.
Fortier throws a wild body kick that Murhaa sees coming a mile off.
Murhaa cracks Fortier with a good jab.
Murhaa throws a jab when Fortier was well out of range.
Fortier counters with a body kick.
Murhaa cracks a nice hook into Fortier's ribs.
Murhaa misses with a straight right.
Murhaa moves out of range as Fortier throws a body kick.
Murhaa seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Fortier throws a hook but Murhaa blocks it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Hercules Fortier will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Hercules Fortier's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Fortier takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Murhaa tests Fortier's chin there with a solid looking shot.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Fortier.
Murhaa tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Fortier was well out of range. Poor timing from Murhaa.
Fortier throws a chopping leg kick but Murhaa manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Murhaa stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Fortier.
Murhaa thuds a left hand into Fortier's body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Fortier looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Murhaa is fending him off so far but Fortier persists. Nope, Murhaa circles away and we're back to standing.
Fortier tries to land a front kick but Murhaa steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Murhaa connects with a good right hand that stumbles Fortier. Fortier circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Murhaa stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Murhaa throws a body punch but Fortier moves out of range.
Murhaa cracks Fortier with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Fortier.
Murhaa throws a lazy uppercut
and Fortier counters with a good, hard body kick but Murhaa shrugs it off.
Fortier scores with a spinning back kick!
Murhaa fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Fortier on the side of the head.

Murhaa fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Fortier, pushing him back against the cage.
Murhaa tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Murhaa throws a head punch that misses.
Fortier scores with a nice hook to the head.
A right hand to the body from Fortier.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Murhaa is looking to take this one to the mat.
Fortier lands on the inside with an uppercut.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Fortier lands a body punch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Fortier breaks the clinch.

Murhaa darts in and clinches Fortier up against the cage.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Fortier.
Murhaa can't find room to land a body shot as Fortier controls the action.

Fortier is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. Murhaa can't fight it off and eventually Fortier manages to take the fight to the floor. Murhaa looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Fortier is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Murhaa working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Fortier.
Fortier postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Murhaa managing to control the position.
Fortier pushing down on Murhaa's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fortier is pressing down on Murhaa's thigh, looking to free his foot. Murhaa is holding on for now.
Murhaa is looking for a sweep. Fortier is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Murhaa has his hands clasped together around Fortier's back. He's all about the action.
Fortier prevents Murhaa from improving his position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Murhaa is trying to control but can't.
Fortier takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Fortier winds up and cracks Murhaa with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Murhaa controlling the position for now.
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. Fortier connects with a nice short shot to Murhaa's temple.
Oh Murhaa is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Fortier seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Murhaa does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Fortier is sitting in half guard. He's postured up and lands a nice elbow. Oh, Murhaa is hurt! He's hurt bad - Fortier fires away with more strikes and the referee jumps in to save Murhaa from any more punishment! Congratulations to Fortier! Great finish!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:43 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Hercules Fortier!
A victorious Hercules Fortier thanked his army of followers in his post fight interview, telling people to make sure they follow him on Twitter.