PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between michael murta (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and niklas metho (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). niklas metho acknowledges the crowd's support as he enters the cage.

murta
vs
metho

150 cm
20
155 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

179 cm
18
161 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Intelligent

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, michael murta!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, niklas metho!
The judges for this bout are Wesley Smith, Daniel Franklin and Robert Twigg.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
murta leaves metho with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.

metho clinches.
murta digs a right hand underneath metho's ribcage. metho let out a lung full of air as it connected.
murta trying to land knees to the body.
metho tries to pull guard but murta holds him up against the cage and eventually metho drops back down to his feet.
murta tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
murta throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
metho creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through murta's defenses.
metho drops to a knee looking for a takedown but murta gets the underhooks and prevents it.
michael murta has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of niklas metho.

metho is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. murta can't fight it off and eventually metho manages to take the fight to the floor. murta looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.

murta looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
murta trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
metho trying to control the position from guard on top but murta is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
murta has a closed guard, preventing metho from standing up.
murta is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
murta could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
metho wants to pass the guard but murta is keeping the position.

murta looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

murta had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. metho is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. murta Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take metho's back instead.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
murta is trying to stick to metho's back but metho is turning into murta. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in murta's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by metho.
metho wants to control from the top but murta keeps moving.
murta is trying to keep metho in close.
metho has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of murta is proving hard to escape from.

murta throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
metho prevents murta from getting back to his feet.
murta is breathing heavily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
metho is looking to work some ground and pound but murta has wrist control.
metho not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
metho's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.

metho stands up and waves to murta to follow him.
murta lands a head kick. metho smiles back at him and beckons him forward.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
murta wants to clinch up but metho keeps it at a distance.
metho shoots in for a takedown but murta shows good takedown defense.
murta throws a right hand that metho ducks under and follows up with a left that metho also avoids with ease.
metho tries to clinch up.
murta darts in trying to clinch
and metho counters with a nice body kick.
murta wants to clinch but metho slips to the side

and metho counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
murta throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.

murta looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

metho stalks murta and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into murta's face. murta staggers backwards, shaken.
murta tries to clinch up
and metho counters with a lovely straight right hand!
murta clinches but metho breaks the clinch

and metho counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by metho.

murta escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
metho fails to land the takedown.
murta shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has metho pinned against the cage. metho gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
murta tries to clinch up
and metho counters with a good, hard body kick but murta shrugs it off.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
metho misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
murta doesn't succeed with the takedown
and metho counters with a nice low kick that buckles murta's knee momentarily.
metho shoots in and drives through. murta sprawls well.
michael murta has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of niklas metho.
metho shoots in for a takedown but murta shows good takedown defense.
metho doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
metho tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
metho misses with a jab, cross combination.
metho is a very stocky fighter. Infact he's such a weird shape that he's almost like some sort of comedy character - it's hard to believe he's real.
murta misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
metho misses with a takedown attempt

and murta decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in metho's guard.
murta throwing strikes but missing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
murta wants to control from the top but metho keeps moving.
murta would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
metho managing to control the position.
murta looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
metho trying to control the position.
murta trying to control but metho is working from the bottom.

murta stands up from metho's guard - murta perhaps looking for a knockout.

metho has closed the distance and engaged murta in a clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
metho trying to land knees to the body.
murta tries to land knees in the clinch but metho avoids the damage to the body.

metho escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
metho swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Nice sprawl there from murta as metho shoots in.

metho tries to keep at a distance but murta has taken the fight into the clinch.

murta breaks from the clinch.
murta throws a low kick but it's checked well by metho.

murta shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in metho's guard.
murta missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
murta wants to control from the top but metho keeps moving.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

michael murta dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

metho wants to clinch up but murta keeps it at a distance.
metho tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but murta paws at him with a jab and circles away.
murta darts in trying to clinch

and metho counters by moving into the clinch.
murta managing to block the knees to the body from metho.
metho is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.

murta pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

metho fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with murta, pushing him back against the cage.
murta with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
murta stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
metho lands a hook to the side of the head.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
metho gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and murta counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by murta.
murta landing with the ground and pound.
murta wants to control from the top but metho keeps moving.
murta preventing the sweep.

murta drops back looking for a leg! metho is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and metho manages to kick murta off! murta jumps back into metho's guard.
metho is trying to control the position from the bottom.
murta might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
metho preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as murta accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
metho is pulling down on murta's head. It's preventing any offense from murta, at least for the moment.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
murta wants to clinch.

murta clinches up against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
metho managing to block the knees to the body from murta.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by metho as murta tries to tie him up.

metho has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics murta uses from the top position.
murta being controlled here momentarily.
michael murta overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
metho working a defensive guard here.
murta trying to control the position from guard on top but metho is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's four 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.
metho wants to stand and escape but murta is having none of it.
metho is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
murta keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

metho decides to stand up.
murta moves in looking to clinch but metho pushes him off.

And that's the end of the fight!
michael murta showed his dominance in that final round.
I think murta has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Wesley Smith scores the fight 29:28
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 29:28
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... michael murta!