PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Paddy Murphy (ranked 2777 p4p, 2587 weight class) and Ade Yusuf (ranked 76 p4p, 66 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!

Murphy
vs
Yusuf

195 cm
20
244
4 - 3 - 0

190 cm
22
250
2 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Cardio machine

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

HELLBENT

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 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Paddy Murphy!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Ade Yusuf!
The judges for this bout are Jorge Garcia, Steve Montenegro and John Roberts.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Yusuf takes a swing at Murphy's ribcage but misses.
Yusuf misses with an uppercut.
Murphy was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Murphy has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Yusuf finds it's way round the side to connect with Murphy's head.

It looks like Paddy Murphy has been cut.
Yusuf swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Yusuf is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Murphy.
A looping hook to the body misses from Yusuf. Murphy does a little dance to reset his feet.
Yusuf swings away with a body shot that misses
and Murphy counters with a nice uppercut.
Murphy gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Yusuf.
Yusuf misses with a straight right.
Murphy looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Ade Yusuf seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Murphy clinches up against the cage.
Murphy lands with a left to the head.
Murphy scores with a shot to the side of Yusuf's head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yusuf blocking some punches.
Murphy has Yusuf pressed against the cage, preventing Yusuf from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Murphy softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Murphy keeps control of Yusuf as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Murphy misses with the head strike.
Yusuf tries to stall but Murphy uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Yusuf looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Yusuf.

Yusuf's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Yusuf misses with a right hand
and Murphy counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Yusuf throws an off balance right hand
and Murphy counters with a nice uppercut.
Yusuf throws a jab but it's blocked by Murphy.
The fight stays on the outside here - Murphy looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Murphy closes the distance and pushes Yusuf back into the cage.
Murphy gets through Yusuf's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Murphy has a couple of punches blocked by Yusuf.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Murphy breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Murphy feints and as Yusuf raises his hands in defense, Murphy changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
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!
Yusuf trying to keep a closed guard but Murphy is proving a slippery customer.
Yusuf preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Murphy in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Murphy being controlled here momentarily.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Yusuf wants to sweep but no luck.
Murphy has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Yusuf is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Murphy scoring with punches to the head and body.
Murphy is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Murphy missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Murphy accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Yusuf looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Murphy loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yusuf wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Murphy has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Yusuf is proving hard to escape from.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Yusuf has momentary wrist control but Murphy slips an elbow through the middle.
Yusuf is trying to control the position but Murphy postures up.
Yusuf pulls Murphy in to control the position.
Yusuf controls Murphy momentarily but Murphy frees himself.

Murphy gets to his feet. Yusuf looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
A looping hook to the body misses from Yusuf. Murphy does a little dance to reset his feet.
A jab lands there for Yusuf.
The fighters circling - Yusuf throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Yusuf looks to score with a jab to the body but Murphy is just out of range.
Murphy looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Yusuf swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Yusuf throws the left hand but Murphy avoids the punch easily.
No luck for Murphy with that takedown attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yusuf misses with an uppercut
and Murphy counters with a nice uppercut.
Yusuf jabs Murphy right on the nose. Murphy blinks but takes it well.
Yusuf dips to his left and cracks Murphy with an uppercut!
Yusuf throws a looping overhand right but Murphy ducks down to avoid it.
Yusuf misses with a looping left.
Yusuf misses the body punch
and Murphy counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Yusuf connects with a looping right hand.
Yusuf misses with a jab to the body
and Murphy cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Yusuf misses with a left hand
and Murphy counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

Murphy shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Murphy was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Yusuf can't do much from the bottom here.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

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

Yusuf moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
A big left from Yusuf misses.
Murphy was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Yusuf misses the body punch
and Murphy cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Murphy moves away from the strike by Yusuf.
It looked like Murphy wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Yusuf misses with a looping left.
Yusuf thuds a left hand into Murphy's body.
A big left from Yusuf misses.
Murphy was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
A jab from Yusuf does it's job there.
Murphy tries to clinch up.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Murphy tries to clinch up but Yusuf circles away and keeps his distance.
Murphy tries to clinch up but Yusuf circles away and keeps his distance.
Yusuf swings and misses with a hook to the body.
An attempted straight right counter from Murphy misses the target.
Yusuf misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Murphy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yusuf throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Yusuf misses with a lunging right hand
and Murphy counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Yusuf scores with a nice right hand.
Yusuf throws an off balance right hand
and Murphy counters with a nice uppercut.
Yusuf swings for the body but Murphy moves out of range.
Yusuf is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Murphy.
Yusuf rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Murphy counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Murphy defending well as Yusuf loads up on a big left hand.
Murphy tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Yusuf paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Murphy has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Murphy there as he acknowledges the shot.
Yusuf misses with an uppercut
and Murphy counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Yusuf scores with a hook to the body. Murphy takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Yusuf throws a looping overhand right but Murphy ducks down to avoid it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yusuf throws an off balance right hand
and Murphy counters with a nice uppercut.
Ade Yusuf seems to be getting the better of the standup.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Murphy takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Yusuf feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Murphys jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Yusuf misses with a body shot.
Yusuf throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Yusuf stuns Murphy with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Yusuf misses with an uppercut. Murphy saw that one coming.
It looked like Murphy wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Ade Yusuf is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Yusuf throws an off balance right hand
and Yusuf takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Yusuf stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Yusuf dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Yusuf swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Murphy.
Murphy uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Yusuf.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Murphy keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Murphy is looking to counter punch.
Yusuf misses with a hook.
Murphy was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.

Yusuf gets tackled into the cage by Murphy. Murphy maintains the clinch.
Yusuf stalling.
Yusuf blocks an uppercut.
Yusuf wants to get back to striking at distance but Murphy won't allow it.
Murphy swings wildly with an uppercut but Yusuf uses good head movement to avoid it.
Yusuf wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Murphy working aggressively here.
Murphy is leaning against Yusuf and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Murphy lands with a short shot to the head.
Murphy tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Murphy lands a hook to the side of the head.
Murphy tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Yusuf.
Yusuf blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Yusuf blocking some punches.
Murphy has Yusuf pressed against the cage, preventing Yusuf from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Murphy softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Murphy lands a nice uppercut.
Murphy misses with a short punch on the inside.
Yusuf wants to break the clinch but can't.
Murphy misses with some punches.
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!
Yusuf tries to break the clinch but Murphy is controlling the position.
Murphy pushes Yusuf back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
A shot in the inside from Murphy.
Murphy working aggressively here.
Yusuf wants to stall.
Yusuf has had enough of the clinch but Murphy keeps him there for the moment.
Yusuf looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Yusuf blocks an uppercut.
Murphy misses with a short punch on the inside.
Yusuf has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Murphy as Yusuf tries to tie him up.
Murphy lands a hook that snaps the head of Yusuf backwards.
Murphy throws a head punch that misses.
Yusuf taking a breather.
A nice right hand lands inside from Murphy.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Paddy Murphy will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Paddy Murphy's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Yusuf throws a lazy uppercut
and Murphy counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Murphy takes one to the side of the head.
Yusuf throws a body punch but Murphy moves out of range.
It looked like Murphy wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Yusuf connects with a right hand. Murphy shakes it off.
A big right from Yusuf misses.
Yusuf throws a jab when Murphy was well out of range.
Murphy slips under a jab from Yusuf.
Murphy uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Yusuf.
Yusuf misses with an uppercut. Murphy saw that one coming.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Yusuf missing with a left hand there. Murphy was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Murphy keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Yusuf.
Murphy tries to clinch up.
Murphy is looking to clinch but Yusuf is avoiding it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yusuf misses with an uppercut
enabling Murphy to counter with a crisp jab.
A swing and a miss from Yusuf.
Murphy is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.

Murphy shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Murphy thows a huge punch but Yusuf dodges it nicely.
Murphy throwing shots but Yusuf is blocking nicely.
Yusuf is trying to control but can't.
Paddy Murphy overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Yusuf avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Murphy.
Murphy thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Yusuf's head.
Murphy scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Yusuf trying to control but Murphy postures up.
Murphy missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Murphy throwing shots but Yusuf is blocking nicely.
Murphy thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Yusuf's head.
Murphy slips a nice elbow through Yusuf's hands, connecting with Yusuf's forehead.
Both fighters have adopted an aggressive gameplan on the ground!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yusuf is looking to improve his position.
Yusuf controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.
Yusuf really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Murphy. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Murphy working the head and body with strikes.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Murphy is nestled in close to Yusuf, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.

Yusuf is rocked!
Murphy throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Murphy slips a nice elbow through Yusuf's hands, connecting with Yusuf's forehead.
Yusuf is still in real trouble! Can Murphy finish him?
Murphy lands a big elbow from half guard. That looks like it's hurt Yusuf quite badly. Yusuf pulls Murphy in close trying to recover. Murphy postures up and lands two really hard shots that put Yusuf on queer street! The ref takes a look and decides to call an end to the fight! Possibly an early stoppage but Yusuf doesn't seem to be complaining too much.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:47 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Paddy Murphy!
Our winner, Paddy Murphy, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.