PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Hajime Morikawa (ranked 4524 p4p, 4238 weight class) and Gilbert Quirk (ranked 392 p4p, 0 weight class). Both these guys have solid standup skills and neither is particularly fantastic on the ground, so let's hope for a nice standup war!

Morikawa
vs
Quirk

171 cm
18
153
0 - 0 - 0

181 cm
24
150
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Hajime Morikawa!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Gilbert Quirk!
The judges for this bout are Bart Greer, Daniel Franklin and Peter Branson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Quirk misses the shot to the body.
Quirk lands a nice hook to Morikawa's body. Morikawa takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Quirk's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Quirk duly obliges.
Morikawa misses with a wild body shot.

Quirk closes the distance and clinches.
Quirk lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Morikawa backwards.

Quirk manages to break the clinch.
Morikawa throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Quirk counters with a three punch combo that has Morikawa backing up. Morikawa nods at Quirk to acknowledge the strikes.

Quirk closes the distance and pushes Morikawa back into the cage.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Quirk escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Morikawa throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Quirk keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Morikawa.
Quirk uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Morikawa.
Morikawa fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
A swing and a miss from Morikawa.
Quirk bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Hajime Morikawa seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Quirk pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Quirk cracks a nice hook into Morikawa's ribs.
Quirk throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Morikawa doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Quirk slips a straight right by Morikawa.
Quirk stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Morikawa swings for the body but Quirk moves out of range.
Quirk lands with a nice combination. Morikawa backs away looking to recover.
A shot to the body from Morikawa misses
and Quirk counters with a series of strikes. Morikawa will be more careful next time no doubt.

It looks like Hajime Morikawa has been cut.
Morikawa throws a body punch but Quirk moves out of range.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Quirk rushes Morikawa and presses him up against the cage.
A bit of stalling here from Quirk.
Morikawa is trying to break free.
Morikawa wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Quirk has him pressed against the cage.
Morikawa is trying to break the clinch but Quirk has him pressed against the cage.

Quirk's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Morikawa throws a body punch but Quirk moves out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Quirk just misses with a punch to the body.
Nice defenses there by Quirk.

Quirk clinches up with Morikawa and pushes him back against the cage.

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

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Quirk's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
A head kick from Quirk lands but Morikawa takes it in his stride.

Quirk closes the distance and clinches.
Morikawa avoids the elbow strike from Quirk, against the cage.

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

Quirk clinches.
Morikawa wants to break the clinch but can't.
A short uppercut from Quirk.
A right handed body shot lands from Quirk.
Morikawa letting Quirk take a breather here.
Quirk leaning his opponent against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Morikawa letting Quirk take a breather here.
The crowd are getting on Quirk's back here. They're not happy about his lack of aggression in the clinch.

Quirk's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Morikawa misses with a wild body shot.
Morikawa takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.

Quirk pushes Morikawa up against the cage in a clinch.

Quirk breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Quirk goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
A big right from Morikawa misses.
Morikawa throws a body punch but Quirk moves out of range.
Morikawa walks forward, straight into a front kick from Quirk.
Morikawa is really struggling to find his range with his punches. Quirk's reach advantage is clearly causing him problems.
Quirk uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Morikawa.
Morikawa misses with a looping left.
Quirk slips a jab from Morikawa.
Quirk is looking for the big counter here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
No joy there for Quirk, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Quirk scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Morikawa swings widly with a right hand
and Quirk counters with a left to the body.
The fighters circling - Morikawa throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Quirk looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Morikawa misses with a double jab.

Quirk drives through and clinches with Morikawa against the cage.

Quirk pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Quirk moves into the clinch successfully.
Morikawa wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

Quirk breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Quirk throws a leg kick which misses Morikawa's front leg but catches the back leg as Morikawa tries to avoid it.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Morikawa tries to bum rush Quirk with a series of wild strikes but Quirk uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

Quirk takes the fight into the clinch.

Quirk breaks from the clinch.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Gilbert Quirk dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Hajime Morikawa's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Quirk throws a series of punches but Morikawa avoids them all with ease.
Morikawa misses with a jab to the body
and Quirk counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Morikawa thinking.
Quirk scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Morikawa misses with a body shot.
Quirk has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Morikawa swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Hajime Morikawa is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Morikawa misses with a left hand

and Quirk holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

Quirk breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Morikawa just misses with a punch to the body.
A jab from Quirk does it's job there.
Quirk dodges the punch combination from Morikawa.
Quirk moves away from the strike by Morikawa.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A punch combination from Morikawa misses.
Quirk swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Morikawa.
A shot to the body from Morikawa misses
and Quirk counters with a nice uppercut.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Quirk gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Morikawa.
Quirk uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Morikawa.
Quirk is looking for the big counter here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Quirk fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Morikawa, pushing him back against the cage.
Morikawa is looking to break free of the clinch but Quirk has double underhooks.
Quirk manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.

Quirk pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Quirk clinches up with Morikawa and pushes him back against the cage.
A nice left hand lands by Quirk.

Quirk's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Gilbert Quirk seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Morikawa tests Quirk's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Morikawa fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Quirk keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Morikawa misses with a jab to the body
and Quirk counters with a two punch combo.
Morikawa throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Quirk counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Quirk throws a head kick that Morikawa semi-blocks.
We are yet to see a takedown attempt from Quirk in the fight. On paper you would think he is the more dominant ground fighter so let's see if these unusual tactics pay off.
Morikawa throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Quirk counters with a two punch combo.
A jab from Morikawa misses.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Quirk walks into a jab.
Quirk is working the combinations to good effect here.
Morikawa misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Quirk counters with a two punch combo.
Morikawa jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Quirk throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Quirk lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.

Morikawa is rocked!
Morikawa misses with a straight right.
Quirk throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Morikawa.
Oh Morikawa is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!

Quirk clinches up against the cage.
Quirk throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Morikawas head.
Morikawa tries to break the clinch but Quirk is controlling the position.
A bit of stalling here from Quirk.
Morikawa's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Quirk creates a bit of space for himself and rocks Morikawa with a big uppercut! Morikawa tries to clinch up but Quirk pushes him back against the cage and lands another monster strike that crumples Morikawa to the mat! Morikawa covers up and Quirk unloads with more strikes until the referee steps in to end the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:44 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Punches). Gilbert Quirk!