PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Takeshi Kusimuki (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Cameron Murray (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Kusimuki's entrance music is National Anthem Of Japan. A fine choice. Murray has chosen Big Strong Bosss by SWANS as his entrance music. Well, I have no idea who's going to take this one!

Kusimuki
vs
Murray

180 cm
26
190 lbs
20 - 5 - 0

180 cm
28
193 lbs
19 - 9 - 1

Good wrestling
World class MT
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 20 - 5 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Takeshi Kusimuki!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 19 - 9 - 1, fighting out of St Petersburg, Cameron Murray!
The judges for this bout are Aleksandr Martynov, Konstantin Menshow and Aleksei Zolotukhin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kusimuki checks a leg kick nicely.
Kusimuki misses with a wild body shot.
Danga de danga de dang - Murray scores with a four punch combination!
Nice uppercut lands for Murray. That snapped Kusimuki's head back.
Kusimuki avoids the body shot from Murray.
Murray misses with a two punch combination.

Murray moves into the clinch.
Murray wants to break free but Kusimuki has control.
Kusimuki misses with a punch to the body.
Kusimuki can't find room to land a body shot as Murray controls the action.
Kusimuki misses with a hook from the clinch.
Kusimuki tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Kusimuki lands a nice uppercut.

Murray breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Kusimuki throws a head kick but Murray moves out of range.
Murray misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Murray throws a good cross that connects.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Murray lands with an uppercut that bounces Kusimuki off the cage and back into range.
Murray pushing out the jab but it's not landing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Murray cracks Kusimuki with a right hand to the side of the head.
Murray digs a good hook to Kusimuki's body.
Murray ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Murray misses with an attempted mid kick.
Murray thows a body shot but no joy.
Kusimuki uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Murray throws a right hand that Kusimuki ducks under and follows up with a left that Kusimuki also avoids with ease.
Murray swats away the attempt to clinch by Kusimuki.
Murray misses with a low kick as Kusimuki jumps back.
A left lands for Murray.
Murray misses with a series of wild punches.
Murray lands with a nice body punch.
Kusimuki slips under a jab from Murray.
Kusimuki scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Murray doesn't seem bothered though.
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!
Kusimuki misses with a wild combination.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kusimuki throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Left hook, right uppercut from Murray.
Kusimuki throws a head kick but Murray moves out of range.
Murray gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Nice defenses there by Kusimuki.
Sloppy strikes from Kusimuki. Those never looked like landing.
Kusimuki throws a head kick that half lands.
Murray scores with a jab to the body.
Murray throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Kusimuki on the side of the head.
Murray uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Kusimuki.
Nice uppercut lands for Murray. That snapped Kusimuki's head back.
Murray throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Kusimuki counters with a straight right hand.
Kusimuki will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Murray throws out a loose jab but Kusimuki uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Murray thuds a left hand into Kusimuki's body.
Kusimuki avoids the body shot from Murray.
Murray lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Kusimuki circles away quickly and effectively.

Murray moves into the clinch.
A bit of stalling here from Kusimuki.
Kusimuki throws a punch but it's blocked by Murray.
Kusimuki scores with a shoulder strike.
Kusimuki is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Murray is defending well for now.
Murray being controlled against the cage.
Kusimuki misses with the head strike.

Murray breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Cameron Murray seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Kusimuki throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Murray misses with a double jab.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Murray gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Kusimuki misses with a double jab
and Murray makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Murray swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Kusimuki throws a lazy right hand but Murray sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
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!
Kusimuki uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Murray.
Murray scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Murray connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Kusimuki momentarily.
Good standup being displayed there by Murray as he connects with a hook.
Murray misses with a head kick.
A lazy left from Murray finds it's target.
Murray fails to land with a series of punches.
Murray is landing a lot of head punches in this opening round! Kusimuki had better start moving his head a bit unless he wants his face to turn into pâté.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Murray throws a big shot that misses.
Murray scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Kusimuki doesn't seem bothered though.
Kusimuki keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
A shot to the liver by Murray. Beautiful body shot.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Cameron Murray dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Murray lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Murray scores with a nice head shot.
Kusimuki takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Kusimuki looks to score with a jab to the body but Murray is just out of range.
Kusimuki takes one to the side of the head.
Nice defenses there by Murray.
Kusimuki waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Murray.

Murray closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Kusimuki with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Kusimuki slows down the pace here.
Murray goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Murray is trying to break the clinch but Kusimuki is controlling him.
Kusimuki misses with some punches.
Kusimuki tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kusimuki throws a knee to the head but misses.
Good body shot from Kusimuki.
Kusimuki scores with a nice hook to the head.

Murray breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Murray throws a series of strikes that have Kusimuki backpedaling.
Kusimuki has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.

Murray clinches up against the cage.
Kusimuki throws a head punch that misses.
Kusimuki lands a good knee to the midsection. Murray won't want to take too many of those.
Kusimuki blocks an uppercut.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Murray as Kusimuki tries to tie him up.
Kusimuki avoids a wild elbow strike from Murray.
Murray lands with a short shot to the head.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Murray.
Kusimuki throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Murrays head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Murray lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Kusimuki backwards.
Murray tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Still in the clinch, Kusimuki scores with a nice short uppercut.
Kusimuki swings wildly with an uppercut but Murray uses good head movement to avoid it.
Kusimuki scores with a hook to the body.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Kusimuki.
Kusimuki has Murray pushed against the cage.

Murray breaks the clinch.
Murray clobbers Kusimuki with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Murray uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Kusimuki.
Kusimuki staying out of range there.
The fight stays on the outside here - Kusimuki looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Kusimuki misses with a jab, cross combination.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Murray just misses with a punch to the body.
Murray dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Kusimuki misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Murray lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Kusimuki at a distance.
Kusimuki lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Murray misses the shot to the body.
Kusimuki is looking to clinch.
Kusimuki defending well as Murray loads up on a big left hand.
Murray rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Kusimuki moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
A right-left combo lands from Kusimuki.
A lazy left from Murray finds it's target.
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!
Kusimuki throws a body punch but Murray moves out of range.
Murray looks to land a combination but Kusimuki avoids it well.
Kusimuki rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Murray counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Kusimuki is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Murray.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Murray just misses with a punch to the body.
Kusimuki uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Murray.
Murray walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Jab, jab by Murray - just one landing.
A slow jab from Kusimuki misses its intended target.
Murray takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Cameron Murray seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Kusimuki swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Murray lands with a nice body punch.
Kusimuki throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Murray stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Kusimuki tries to clinch up but Murray circles away and keeps his distance.
Murray ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Kusimuki moves away.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Kusimuki takes one to the side of the head.
No joy there for Murray, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Kusimuki takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.

Kusimuki fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Murray, pushing him back against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Cameron Murray 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!

Murray tries to bum rush Kusimuki with a series of wild strikes but Kusimuki uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Murray avoids the head kick by Kusimuki.
Murray misses with the combination.
Kusimuki doesn't manage to clinch there - Murray circles away.
Kusimuki dodges the punch combination from Murray.
Kusimuki avoids a punch combination nicely.
A big left from Murray misses.
Kusimuki tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Murray manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Murray instigates a clinch.
Murray blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Kusimuki lands a knee to the body.
A short left from Kusimuki.
A hook to the body from Kusimuki.
Murray takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Murray breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Kusimuki throws a right and a left that Murray avoids nicely.
Nice cross by Kusimuki.
Murray cracks Kusimuki with an open hand slap.
Kusimuki looks to land a combination. Murray sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Murray closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Murray circles away from the clinch attempt.
Kusimuki misses with a lunging right hand
enabling Murray to counter with a crisp jab.
Murray misses the shot to the body.
A combination from Murray does no damage.
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!
Kusimuki tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Murray lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Murray throws a series of punches but Kusimuki moves out of range.

Kusimuki moves into the clinch.
Kusimuki throws an elbow but it misses.
Takeshi Kusimuki has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kusimuki working Murray over with knees to the body.
Kusimuki looking to slow down the pace here.
A nice left hand lands by Kusimuki.
Kusimuki throws a head punch that misses.
Murray throws a head punch that misses.
Murray swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Kusimuki misses with a short punch on the inside.
Kusimuki misses with some punches.
Kusimuki throws a head punch that misses.
Kusimuki doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Kusimuki pressing his opponent against the cage.
Kusimuki looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Kusimuki works on Murray's body with a couple of short punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kusimuki working aggressively here.
Kusimuki is struggling to control the position.
Kusimuki gets a warning from the ref for wasting time.
Kusimuki lands a right hand.
A short right from Murray on the inside.
Kusimuki has Murray pressed against the cage, preventing Murray from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Murray blocking some punches.
Murray presses Kusimuki against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.

Murray escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Takeshi Kusimuki is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Kusimuki takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Murray pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Kusimuki back to the cage. Murray follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.
Murray misses with a body shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Murray clinches up against the cage.
Kusimuki lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Kusimuki tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Kusimuki working aggressively here.
Kusimuki struggles to land a body shot inside as Murray controls his hands.
Kusimuki manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Kusimuki working aggressively here.
Murray blocking some punches.
Kusimuki lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Murray wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Kusimuki pushes Murray back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Cameron Murray is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Kusimuki manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Kusimuki lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.

And that's the end of the fight!
Takeshi Kusimuki showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Murray has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight 28:29
Judge Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 28:29
Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Cameron Murray!