PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Shoraku Murata (ranked 4354 p4p, 4021 weight class) and Connor Royale (ranked 519 p4p, 485 weight class). Connor Royale has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Murata
vs
Royale

179 cm
20
170
1 - 2 - 0

175 cm
22
170
3 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Good kicks
Insanely flexible

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Heavy handed

Kore Fight Nutrition

Hot Spunk

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 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, Shoraku Murata!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Connor Royale!
The judges for this bout are George Francis, Wesley Smith and Daniel Franklin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Murata shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Royale as he jumps to the side.

Royale gets tackled into the cage by Murata. Murata maintains the clinch.
Royale wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Murata keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Royale's efforts to push away.
Royale wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Royale lands a right hand.
Murata keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Royale's efforts to push away.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Murata keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Royale's efforts to push away.

Royale breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Murata uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Royale.
Royale lands a head shot.
Murata looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Royale is fending him off so far but Murata persists. Nope, Royale circles away and we're back to standing.
Murata slips a jab and a cross from Royale.
Murata takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Murata throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Royale.
Murata is looking to clinch but Royale is avoiding it.
Royale misses with a series of wild punches.
Royale looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Murata shoots in for a takedown but Royale shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Shoraku Murata. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Royale misses with a double jab.
Murata drops his hands momentarily and Royale takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Murata tries for a takedown but Royale sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Royale is looking for the big counter here.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Murata misses with a head kick.
The fight stays on the outside here - Murata looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sloppy strikes from Murata. Those never looked like landing.
Murata uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Royale.
Royale tries to bum rush Murata with a series of wild strikes but Murata uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Royale throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Murata.
Murata shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Royale sprawls well. Royale wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Murata gets slowly back to his feet.
Connor Royale seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Murata avoids the head kick by Royale.
Murata shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Royale defends it nicely.
Royale fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Royale lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Murata circles away quickly and effectively.
Royale changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Royale tries to close the distance and clinch but Murata swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Royale throws a body punch but Murata moves out of range.

Murata closes the distance and pushes Royale back into the cage.

Murata breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Royale misses with a wild combination.

Murata instigates a clinch.
Royale blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.

Royale's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Royale takes a head kick and keeps coming.

It looks like Connor Royale has been cut.
Murata shoots in for a double leg but Royale sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
A nice side step and Royale releases a counter shot to the body, but it doesn't find it's home.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Murata breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Royale lands with a nice combination. Murata backs away looking to recover.
Murata tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Royale swivels and escapes.
Connor Royale is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Royale swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Murata avoids a punch combination nicely.
Royale sizes up Murata with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Murata takes a jab right on the kisser.
Royale tries to bum rush Murata with a series of wild strikes but Murata uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Murata is looking to clinch but Royale is avoiding it.
Murata shoots for a takedown but Royale saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Murata tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Royale was well out of range. Poor timing from Murata.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Connor Royale dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Connor Royale's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Murata throws a left and a right that both miss
and Royale counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Royale scores with a shot to the body.
Royale just misses with a punch to the body.
Royale throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Murata sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Royale swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Murata counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Murata fails in his attempt to clinch.
Murata blocks a head kick by Royale.
Murata moves out of range as Royale throws a body kick.
Murata misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Royale throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Murata fails with a takedown attempt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Murata doesn't manage to clinch there - Royale circles away.
Royale throws a fast counter high kick but Murata manages to duck under it in time.
Royale throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Royale misses with a looping left.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Royale just misses with a punch to the body.
Royale has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Royale looks to score with a jab to the body but Murata is just out of range.

Murata gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Murata breaks from the clinch.
Royale fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Murata manages to avoid it.
Murata shoots in for a double leg but Royale sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Royale throws a series of punches but Murata avoids them all with ease.
Royale looks to score with a jab to the body but Murata is just out of range.
Murata drops down looking for a counter takedown but Royale sprawls and moves away.
Royale misses with a few strikes there.
Murata scores with a nice body kick.
Murata tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
A little jabbing left from Royale on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Murata throws a nice looking combination but Royale bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
A countering left hand to the body from Royale misses.
Royale circles away from the clinch attempt.
Royale throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Murata.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Murata cracks Royale with a good jab.
Royale swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Shoraku Murata is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Murata tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Royale defends well and Murata ends up having to push Royale into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Royale is looking for the big counter here.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Shoraku Murata. That's going to take a lot out of him.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Royale misses with a body shot.
As Royale looks to move away, Murata throws a big counter combo but Royale just gets out of the way.
Murata misses with a combination
and Royale counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Royale jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Murata changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
The fight stays on the outside here - Murata looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Murata shoots in for a double leg but Royale sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Royale throws a body kick that misses.
Royale swings for the body but Murata moves out of range.
Murata throws a right and a left that both miss.
Murata dodges the punch combination from Royale.
Royale has done a lot of speed work in the buildup to this fight.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Royale lands with a cross.
Royale swinging wildly here.
Royale misses with a two punch combination.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Murata is defended easily by Royale.
The fight stays on the outside here - Murata looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Murata shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Royale as he jumps to the side.
Murata throws a head kick that misses.
Royale tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Murata manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Murata seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Some wild striking there from Royale.
Royale misses with a few strikes there.
Royale throws a shot to the body.
Murata shoots for a double leg takedown but Royale sprawls well. He's pushed Murata's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Murata showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Royale.
Murata throws a quick counter kick to the body but Royale avoids it.
Murata closes this distance looking for a takedown but Royale circles away.
Murata goes for a double leg but Royale avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Royale continues to drive forward.
Royale looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Royale misses with a looping right.
As Royale looks to move away, Murata throws a big counter combo but Royale just gets out of the way.
Murata goes for a double leg but Royale avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Royale continues to drive forward.
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!
Royale works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Murata tries to close the distance and clinch but Royale swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Sloppy strikes from Royale. Those never looked like landing.
Royale changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Connor Royale showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Connor Royale's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Royale will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Royale misses with an uppercut.
Some wild striking there from Royale.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Murata.
Royale looks to land a body kick but Murata moved away.
Murata is looking to clinch but Royale is avoiding it.
Royale let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.
A lazy left from Royale finds it's target.
Royale is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Murata rather than just go for the knockout.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A combination from Royale does no damage.
Royale misses with a series of wild punches.
Royale misses with a two punch combination.
Royale wants to clinch up but Murata keeps it at a distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Royale circles away from the clinch attempt.
Connor Royale seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Royale jabs at Murata's body.
Royale tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Murata was well out of range. Poor timing from Royale.
Murata throws a right and a left that both miss.
Murata's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Royale connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Murata scrambles back to his feet.
Royale keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Murata slips a jab and a cross from Royale.
No joy there for Royale, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Murata appears to be looking for a big counter.
Royale scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Royale scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.

Murata is rocked!
Murata backs away from a small jab... but Royale lunges forward with a huge superman punch! Murata crumples to the ground as his mouth piece is sent flying! Royale with a spectacular finish!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:54 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Superman Punch). Connor Royale!