PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between The Hulk (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Matthew Murt (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Hulk's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Hulkamania!. Murt has chosen I like to move it as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Hulk
vs
Murt

170 cm
26
145 lbs
6 - 7 - 0

173 cm
22
144 lbs
3 - 4 - 0

Good takedowns
Basic striking
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, The Hulk!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Matthew Murt!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Sano, Yukihiro Yamamoto and Yasuomi Hirokawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hulk ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
The Hulk seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Hulk just misses with a punch to the body.
Murt lands a leg kick that knocks Hulk off balance momentarily.
Murt keeps Hulk at a distance using the push kick.
Murt is looking to clinch.
Murt tries to close the distance and clinch but Hulk swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Hulk misses with a few strikes there.
Murt needs to keep his hands up - Hulk had a free shot at his head there.
Murt wants to slow Hulk down by chopping away at his legs.
Murt ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Hulk waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Murt.
Hulk looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Hulk's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Hulk duly obliges.
Hulk throws a series of punches but Murt avoids them all with ease.
Hulk lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Murt at a distance.
Hulk avoids the head kick by Murt.
Hulk misses with a double jab
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Murt throws a chopping leg kick but Hulk manages to avoid taking any serious damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hulk misses with a right hand
and Murt counters with a big head kick but Hulk shrugs it off.
A solid leg kick lands there for Murt.
Hulk lands with a nice combination. Murt backs away looking to recover.
Murt misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Hulk tries to bum rush Murt with a series of wild strikes but Murt uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Murt wants to land a leg kick but Hulk is out of range.
Hulk fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Murt manages to avoid it.
Hulk throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Murt sees it coming and avoids it easily.

Murt rushes Hulk and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Murt breaks from the clinch.
The fighters circling - Hulk throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Murt tries a head kick but it misses.
Hulk throws a jab when Murt was well out of range.
Murt moves out of range of the leg kick from Hulk.
Murt throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Hulk misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Murt.
Murt lands a high kick!

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Murt looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Hulk is trying to get back to full guard.

Murt decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.
The fighters circling - Hulk throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Murt lands a head kick. Hulk smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Murt slips a jab from Hulk.
Hulk avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Murt tries to clinch but Hulk moves out of range.
Hulk throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Hulk lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Hulk.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Murt slips a jab and a cross from Hulk.
Hulk throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Murt plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Hulk avoids the head kick by Murt.
Hulk shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Murt but Murt pushes him off and we're back to square one.

Murt shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Murt seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.
Murt is figuring out what he wants to do next.

Hulk looking for submissions off his back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hulk is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Murt's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Murt's back!
Hulk is punishing Murt with some ground and pound.
Hulk has the hooks in. Murt is trying to push off one leg but he has to do so cautiously to avoid being submitted.
Murt really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Hulk. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Hulk is looking for a choke. Murt gets to his feet with his opponent on his back and slams him to the mat. Murt manages to squirm out of the attempted choke and turns into his opponent's guard.

Hulk is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Murt defends well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Matthew Murt will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Murt misses with a low kick.
A leg kick checked by Hulk.
Hulk lands with a nice combination. Murt backs away looking to recover.
Hulk swinging wildly here.
Hulk misses with a double jab.
Hulk swats away the attempt to clinch by Murt.
Hulk throws a right and a left that both miss.

Murt clinches.
Murt lands an elbow that stopped Hulk in his tracks for a moment.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Murt as Hulk tries to tie him up.
Murt landing knees to the head.
The referee calls for Hulk to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Murt breaks the clinch.
Hulk avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Murt dives in and grabs Hulk's left leg, looking for a takedown. Hulk pushes down on Murt's head and hops out.
Murt on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Hulk. Hulk obviously looking to wear him down.
Murt throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Murt fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Hulk tests Murt's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Hulk's corner calls for a 1-2. Hulk obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Nice defenses there by Murt.
The Hulk is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Hulk misses with a takedown attempt - Murt sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
That kick from Murt tenderised Hulk's leg. Hulk is trying to keep his angry face on.
Murt slips a jab and a cross from Hulk.
Murt shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Hulk but Hulk pushes him off and we're back to square one.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Murt misses with a head kick.
Hulk jabs away that one connects to the head of his opponent.
Hulk ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Murt moves away.
Murt uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Hulk.

Hulk gets a takedown into half guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Murt tries to roll over but Hulk keeps him under control.

Hulk is looking for a kimura here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hulk controlling the action here.
Hulk looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.

Hulk is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Murt doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Hulk.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hulk tries to pass to full mount but Murt defends it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

The Hulk dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Hulk avoids the head kick by Murt.
Hulk tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Murt doesn't manage to clinch there - Hulk circles away.
Hulk lands a two punch combo.
Murt doesn't manage to clinch there - Hulk circles away.
Murt throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Murt closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Murt getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Hulk throws a right and a left that Murt avoids nicely.
A shot to the liver by Hulk. Beautiful body shot.
A jab from Hulk does it's job there.
Murt keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Hulk.

Murt moves into the clinch.
Murt gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.

It looks like The Hulk has been cut.
Hulk misses with a body punch.

Murt escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Murt lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Hulk throws a leg kick
and Murt makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Hulk leaves Murt with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.

Murt gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Hulk is struggling to control the position.
Hulk managing to block the knees to the body from Murt.
Hulk trying to stall but Murt improves his position.
Murt fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Murt lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Murt creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Hulk's defenses.
Hulk wants to get back to striking at distance but Murt won't allow it.
Hulk trying to control the position but instead, Murt has worked for underhooks and has pushed Hulk into the cage.
Murt's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Murt breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Hulk ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Murt moves away.
Murt tries a head kick but it misses.
Hulk misses with a low kick.
Hulk shoots in but no luck this time.
A combination from Hulk does no damage.
Murt throws a head kick that misses.
Hulk takes a swing at Murt's ribcage but misses.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Murt tries for a takedown but Hulk sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
The Hulk has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Matthew Murt.
Hulk misses with a body punch

and Murt counters by moving into the clinch.
Hulk's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Murt missing with knees to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hulk is looking to control Murt's arms but Murt gets an underhook and turns him. Now Hulk has his back to the cage.
Murt using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Hulk has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Murt avoiding damage.
Hulk looking to stall.
Murt pressing his opponent against the cage.
Hulk lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Murt.
Murt misses with a knee strike.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Murt with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hulk wants to stall.
Murt using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Hulk has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Murt as Hulk tries to tie him up.
Murt with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Murt tries to land a knee to the head but Hulk blocks with his arms.
Murt throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Hulk stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Murt pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Murt is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Matthew Murt.
I think Murt 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 Shigeki Sano scores the fight 29:29
Judge Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 28:29
Judge Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 29:28

The fight is ruled a draw!