PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Mario Curran (ranked 420 p4p, 50 weight class) and Jimmy Doyle (ranked 1627 p4p, 161 weight class). Curran comes to the cage accompanied by Shoshone Flag Song. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Curran
vs
Doyle

169 cm
34
154 lbs
15 - 7 - 1

171 cm
39
150 lbs
24 - 12 - 1

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Granite chin

Urban Fighter

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 15 - 7 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Mario Curran!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 24 - 12 - 1, fighting out of Amsterdam, Jimmy Doyle!
The judges for this bout are Sam Margolis, William Gold and Donald Grub.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Doyle jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Curran tries to work over Doyle's front leg with a kick but Doyle checks it.
Curran keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Some bone on bone action there as Doyle checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Good leg kick by Doyle there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Curran misses with a body kick.
Doyle connects with an inside leg kick.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Doyle keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Doyle comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Doyle throws a one two combo.
Curran lands with a shot to the body.
A leg kick checked by Doyle.

Doyle takes the fight into the clinch.
Curran throws a punch but it's blocked by Doyle.
Curran blocks a body shot from Doyle.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Doyle's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Curran misses with a body punch.
Doyle swings wildly with an uppercut but Curran uses good head movement to avoid it.
Curran misses with a short punch on the inside.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Curran lands a shot to the body.
Curran wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Doyle has him pressed against the cage.
Doyle misses with a hook to the ribs.
Doyle gets through Curran's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Curran pushes Doyle back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Doyle swings wildly with an uppercut but Curran uses good head movement to avoid it.
Doyle misses with a body punch.
Doyle stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Curran scores with a shot to the side of Doyle's head.
Doyle working aggressively here.
A short uppercut from Doyle.
Curran goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Doyle swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Doyle lands a shoulder strike.
Curran misses with a punch on the inside.
Doyle misses with some punches.
A hook to the body from Doyle.
Doyle lands a right hand that snaps the head of Curran backwards.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Curran tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Doyle's elbow.
Doyle tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Nice body punch from Doyle.
Doyle misses with a short punch on the inside.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Curran.
A right handed body shot lands from Doyle.
Curran misses with some punches.
Doyle misses with a short punch on the inside.
Doyle blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Doyle struggles to land a body shot inside as Curran controls his hands.
Curran misses with some punches.
Doyle softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
A body shot lands from Doyle.
Doyle blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Doyle misses with a punch on the inside.
Doyle misses with a body punch.

Curran's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Doyle works the jab nicely.
Doyle ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Curran throws a leg kick that misses.
Curran changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Jimmy Doyle is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Curran missing with a left hand there. Doyle was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Doyle swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Curran.
Curran throws a looping overhand right but Doyle ducks down to avoid it.
Doyle checks a leg kick nicely.
A countering left hand to the body from Doyle misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Curran uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Doyle.
Doyle moves out of range of the body kick.
Curran will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Doyle lands a jab.
Doyle fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Curran on the side of the head.
Curran fails with an attempt to clinch.
Decent striking displayed by Doyle there.
Doyle attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Doyle misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Curran.
Curran misses with a looping right.
Curran slips a straight right by Doyle.
Doyle throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Curran scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Doyle with a jab.
Doyle thuds his right hand into Curran's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Doyle lands a nice shot to the body.
Doyle lands a jab to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Doyle closes the distance and pushes Curran back into the cage.
Curran is working Doyle over against the cage.
Doyle fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Doyle blocking some punches.
A right hand to the body from Doyle.
Curran fails to pull guard.
I was talking to Curran's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Doyle misses with a hook to the ribs.
Curran jumps guard but Doyle turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mario Curran. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Doyle is working Curran over against the cage.
Doyle blocks a body shot from Curran.
Curran lands a left hand that snaps the head of Doyle backwards.
Curran blocks an uppercut.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Doyle.
Curran blocks a body shot from Doyle.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Doyle.
Doyle blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Curran blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Doyle misses with the head strike.
Doyle lands a nice shot to the body.
Doyle lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
A hook to the body from Doyle.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jimmy Doyle 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.

Curran throws a leg kick but Doyle checks it.
Doyle throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Doyle lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Curran wants to clinch.

Curran moves into the clinch.
Doyle goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Doyle.
Doyle blocks a body shot from Curran.
Doyle tries a body shot but Curran blocks it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Doyle tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Curran's elbow.
Curran tries to pull guard but Doyle holds him up against the cage and eventually Curran drops back down to his feet.
Curran blocking some punches.
Curran is leaning against Doyle and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Curran swings wildly with an uppercut but Doyle uses good head movement to avoid it.
Doyle misses with a punch to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Doyle working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Curran tries a body shot but Doyle blocks it.
Curran blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Jimmy Doyle seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Curran lands a right hand.
Doyle throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Currans head.
A head punch on the inside from Doyle fails to land.
Doyle throws a punch but it's blocked by Curran.
Curran misses with a punch to the body.
A short body shot lands from Curran as the two fighters clinch.
Curran tries to work over Doyle's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
A short uppercut from Doyle.
Doyle throws a head punch that misses.
Doyle wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Curran has him pressed against the cage.
Curran scores with a shoulder strike.
Doyle lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Doyle swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Curran fails to pull guard.
Doyle blocks a body shot from Curran.
Curran blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Doyle tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Doyle pushes Curran back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Curran lands with a short head shot on the inside.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Doyle.
A right hand to the body from Doyle.
Doyle lands with a light punch inside.
Curran misses with a hook from the clinch.
Curran misses with a body punch.
Doyle tries a body shot but Curran blocks it.
A head punch on the inside from Doyle fails to land.
Doyle lands a left hand.
Doyle gets through Curran's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.

Curran is rocked!
Curran fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Oh Curran is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!

Curran pulls guard effortlessly.
Curran seems to have got his legs back now.
Doyle preventing the sweep.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Curran is on top in guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Doyle not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

Curran avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Curran slips nicely into half guard.
Doyle is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Well, if Curran 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.
Doyle trying to control here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Curran trying to control the action but Doyle is working from the bottom.
Doyle moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Curran stopping the sweep attempt from Doyle.
Curran passes Doyle's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Jimmy Doyle will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Curran moves away from the strike by Doyle.

Doyle rushes Curran and presses him up against the cage.
Doyle tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Doyle creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Curran scores with a shot to the side of Doyle's head.
A short uppercut from Curran.
Curran fails to pull guard.
Doyle softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Curran digs a right hand underneath Doyle's ribcage. Doyle let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Doyle tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Curran's elbow.
Curran is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Doyle to keep the fight standing.

Curran manages to pull guard.
Curran 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.
Doyle must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Curran is working hard here to advance position.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Curran is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

Curran throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Doyle trying to control but Curran is working from the bottom.

Doyle avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Curran keeping full guard, as Doyle tries to pass.

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.
Doyle trying to control the position from guard on top but Curran is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Doyle postures up.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Doyle moves into the clinch successfully.
Curran can't find room to land a body shot as Doyle controls the action.
A body shot lands from Doyle.

Curran pulls guard successfully.
Doyle won't allow Curran to sweep him here.

Curran has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Doyle can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Curran looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Curran tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Doyle controls from within his opponent's guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Curran looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.

Curran is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Doyle is aware though and is defending well.
Doyle stands up over Curran, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.

Curran working for a triangle but Doyle defends it easily.
Doyle slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Mario Curran has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

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

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Mario Curran.
I think Doyle 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 Sam Margolis scores the fight 28:29
Judge William Gold scores the fight 28:29
Judge Donald Grub scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jimmy Doyle!
Jimmy Doyle was full of energy after the big win and talked about how he thinks he can do big things in this sport. The crowd were appreciative of his determination to succeed.