PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Papa Legba (ranked 770 p4p, 343 weight class) and Paul Muhapuro (ranked 101 p4p, 52 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Legba
vs
Muhapuro

178 cm
23
185
9 - 3 - 0

177 cm
23
202
10 - 3 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Conviction
Concrete Clothing (Laundry Re Stock Coming Soon)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, for the middleweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Papa Legba!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 3 - 0, fighting out of London, Paul Muhapuro!
The judges for this bout are Alan Glass, Frank Dennis and Robert Twigg.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Legba cracks Muhapuro with a right hand to the side of the head.
Legba cracks Muhapuro with a good jab.
Legba fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Muhapuro only half commits to the counter leg kick.
Muhapuro moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Muhapuro throws a body kick, spinning off balance
letting Legba counter with a right hand.
Muhapuro misses with a wild body shot.
Muhapuro slips under a jab from Legba.
Papa Legba seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Legba is looking to clinch.
Muhapuro is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Legba with a body shot.
A punch lands to the side of Muhapuro 's head but he takes it in his stride.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Legba fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Muhapuro flicks out a counter leg kick but Legba steps away.
Legba shoots for a double leg takedown but Muhapuro sprawls well. He's pushed Legba's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Muhapuro is looking for the big counter here.
Legba on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Muhapuro. Muhapuro obviously looking to wear him down.
A decent looking cross lands there for Legba.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Legba tries to move into range but Muhapuro moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Legba moves into the clinch successfully.
Muhapuro is struggling to control the position.
A short body shot lands from Legba as the two fighters clinch.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Legba tries to work over Muhapuro's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Legba lands a body shot.
Muhapuro has had enough of the clinch but Legba keeps him there for the moment.
Legba tries to work over Muhapuro's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Muhapuro misses with a hook to the ribs.
Muhapuro lands a left hand.
Legba jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Muhapuro walks away with a smile on his face. Legba gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Papa Legba. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Muhapuro misses with a shot to the body
enabling Legba to counter with a crisp jab.
Muhapuro takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
The fight stays on the outside here - Legba looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Muhapuro has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.
Legba scores with a punch to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Legba connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Legba connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Paul Muhapuro is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Muhapuro ducks right into an uppercut from Legba.
Legba has a takedown stuffed.

Legba feints and as Muhapuro raises his hands in defense, Legba changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
We've been hearing good reports from Legba's training camp. Apparently he has been rolling around with some good quality BJJ practitioners and has been sharpening his skills. Let's see if that has an impact on the fight today.
Legba is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Legba trying to control but Muhapuro is working from the bottom.
Muhapuro wants to stand and escape but Legba is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Legba stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Muhapuro swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Legba trying to control but Muhapuro is working from the bottom.
Muhapuro pulls Legba in close to prevent any damage.
Legba is looking to advance position but Muhapuro has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!

Legba tries to reverse the position but Muhapuro maintains control.
Legba is working hard here to advance position.
Legba regains half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Muhapuro prevents Legba from improving his position.
Muhapuro controlling the pace.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Muhapuro gets to his feet - back to striking we go!
Legba takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Muhapuro walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Nice cross by Legba.
Muhapuro tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Papa Legba dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Legba tries to close the distance and clinch but Muhapuro swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Muhapuro walks into a straight right hand from Legba.
Legba tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Muhapuro manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Legba throws a hook but Muhapuro blocks it.

Legba moves into the clinch.
Legba stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.

Muhapuro breaks from the clinch.
Nice takedown defense from Muhapuro. No joy for Legba on that attempt.
A little jabbing left from Muhapuro on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.

Muhapuro gets caught flat footed, as Legba shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Muhapuro wants to get back to his feet but he's too absorbed in his own little project and Legba manages to pass to side control.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Legba trying to control from Muhapuro's half guard. Muhapuro has other ideas though and has regained full guard.

Legba drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Legba jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Muhapuro looking to hit a scissor sweep but Legba is one step ahead there.
Muhapuro keeping full guard, as Legba tries to pass.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Muhapuro controlling Legba's posture.
Legba trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Muhapuro manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!

Muhapuro must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Muhapuro showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

That's two 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.
Muhapuro stopping the sweep attempt from Legba.
Muhapuro is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Legba throws his legs up looking for a submission but Muhapuro uses it to pass to side control.
Legba is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Muhapuro can do to turn this around?
Legba is being controlled here.
Legba tries to buck Muhapuro off but Muhapuro is having none of it.
Muhapuro content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
Legba is looking for a sweep.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
You can see the frustration on Legba's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Muhapuro trying to control the action but Legba is working from the bottom.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.
Legba misses with a takedown
and Muhapuro counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Muhapuro has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Muhapuro there as he acknowledges the shot.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Legba.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Papa Legba. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Muhapuro throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Muhapuro walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
A solid leg kick lands there for Muhapuro.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Paul Muhapuro will probably get the nod - 10:9.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Legba takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Muhapuro walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Legba avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
A big right from Muhapuro misses.

Legba has closed the distance and engaged Muhapuro in a clinch.
Muhapuro scores with a hook to the body.
Legba doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Legba can't get the takedown.
Legba misses with a body punch.

Muhapuro breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Legba doesn't manage to clinch there - Muhapuro circles away.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Legba tries to clinch but Muhapuro is having none of it.
Muhapuro throws a fast counter high kick but Legba manages to duck under it in time.
A swing and a miss from Legba.
Legba throws out a powerful jab.
Legba pushing out the jab but it's not landing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Muhapuro misses with a low kick.
Legba tries to clinch up.
Muhapuro drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Muhapuro misses the jab.
Legba misses the jab.
Muhapuro bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Legba is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Legba.
Muhapuro appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
Legba walks into a left hand.

Legba decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Paul Muhapuro has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Legba is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Muhapuro sees it coming and defends easily.
Muhapuro is doing well to control the position and prevent Legba from advancing to side control.
Muhapuro trying to control from the bottom.
Muhapuro is looking to improve his position.
Legba tries to pass to full mount but Muhapuro defends it.
Muhapuro trying to hold on to Legba's head to control him but Legba postures up.
Legba controlling the action here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Muhapuro tries to roll over but Legba keeps him under control.
Muhapuro is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters, thinking about a standup.
Muhapuro is not content to let Legba control the position.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Legba lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Muhapuro with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Legba to score with a decent uppercut.
Muhapuro tried to score with a low kick but Legba checks it.

Legba clinches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Muhapuro taking a breather.

Muhapuro manages to break the clinch.
Muhapuro slips a jab from Legba.
Muhapuro tries a quick counter leg kick but Legba is wise to it.
Muhapuro has a pretty nasty looking mouse under his right eye.
Muhapuro scores with a body shot.
Legba connects with a nice looking jab.
A jab from Muhapuro misses.
Legba keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Legba waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Muhapuro.
Legba tests Muhapuro's chin there with a solid looking shot.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Legba shoots in for a takedown but Muhapuro shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Papa Legba. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Jab by Legba.
Legba takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Muhapuro throws a body kick, spinning off balance

and Legba counters with a shoot takedown. Muhapuro fights it but they end up in guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Papa Legba showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Legba 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 Alan Glass scores the fight 29:28
Judge Frank Dennis scores the fight 29:28
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Papa Legba!
Papa Legba is the new middleweight champion!
An out of breath Papa Legba thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.