PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Mike Durham (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Viktor Herzog (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Durham kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Mercy. Fingers crossed for an exciting fight - I'm sure both fighters are looking for a nice under the table bonus!

Durham
vs
Herzog

170 cm
27
144 lbs
17 - 6 - 1

177 cm
29
134 lbs
22 - 8 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Powerful takedowns
Decent boxing
Powerful

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 17 - 6 - 1, fighting out of Hilo, Mike Durham!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 22 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Viktor Herzog!
The judges for this bout are Micheangelo Fripello, Jeff Smith and Ryoma Takatsuka.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Durham throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Herzog doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Durham counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Horrible takedown by Herzog or perhaps it was just good defense by Durham which made him look bad.
Durham jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Herzog ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Durham with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Durham throws out a loose jab but Herzog uses good head movement to avoid it.
Herzog is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Durham lands a right hook to the body.
Herzog gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Durham counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Mike Durham has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Viktor Herzog.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Herzog.
Durham avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Herzog slips under a jab from Durham.
Herzog fails with a takedown attempt.
Herzog moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Jab by Durham.

Herzog closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Durham to the mat! Durham manages to get full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Herzog throws a big right hand that misses.

Herzog avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Herzog is fighting to break Durham's control of his arms but Durham is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Durham not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Herzog stopping the sweep attempt from Durham.
Durham looking to control.
Herzog postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.

Durham is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Herzog is aware though and is defending well.
Herzog postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Durham keeping moving, preventing Herzog from controlling successfully.
Durham avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Herzog throwing strikes from guard but Durham blocks nicely.
Durham looking for a sweep. Not yet Durham, not yet.
Durham is looking to sweep but instead, Herzog has passed into half guard.
Durham taking some punishment here, with Herzog in his half guard.
Durham gets back to full guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Durham being controlled here, momentarily.
Durham controlling Herzog's posture.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Herzog accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Durham manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Herzog manages to get himself to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Durham landing with the ground and pound.
Durham trying to control but Herzog is working from the bottom.

Herzog is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Durham defends well.
Herzog keeping moving, preventing Durham from controlling successfully.
Durham postures up in Herzog's guard and throws a big left but Herzog blocks it.
Durham is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

We're going to have a standup here because Mike Durham wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Durham lands a nice shot to the body.
Durham connects with the punch.
Mike Durham is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Herzog avoids the body shot from Durham.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Durham scores with the left hand. Herzog knows he should have avoided that one.
Durham goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Herzog walks into a left hand.
Durham throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Herzog shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Durham as he jumps to the side.
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!
Durham scores with a punch to the head.
Durham misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Herzog changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Durham tries to avoid it but Herzog manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Durham to the ground. Durham escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Herzog shoots for a takedown but Durham saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Durham cracks Herzog with a right hand to the side of the head.
Herzog takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Durham is really peppering his opponent's head with punches.
Durham scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Herzog takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Durham thuds his right hand into Herzog's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Herzog shoots in looking for a takedown but Durham manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Herzog's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Herzog throws a jab when Durham was well out of range.
Herzog shoots and misses
and Durham counters with a straight right hand.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mike Durham dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Herzog is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Durham.
Mike Durham is winning the standup battle so far.
Herzog throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Durham's waist but Durham gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Herzog off to one side.
Herzog takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Durham misses with a straight right.
Herzog slips under a jab.
A telegraphed right hand from Durham misses the target.
Durham scores with a hook to the body. Herzog takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Herzog takes one to the chin there.
Durham tests Herzog's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Herzog avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Durham keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Herzog looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Durham is fending him off so far but Herzog persists. Nope, Durham circles away and we're back to standing.
Mike Durham has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Viktor Herzog.
Herzog dives in and grabs Durham's left leg, looking for a takedown. Durham pushes down on Herzog's head and hops out.
Durham scores with a body shot.
Herzog takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Durham scores with a body shot.
Herzog looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Durham comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Durham misses with a straight left.
Durham smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Herzog keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Durham.
Herzog ducks right into an uppercut from Durham.
Herzog shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Durham defends it nicely.
Herzog shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Durham as he jumps to the side.
Durham swings for the body but Herzog moves out of range.
Durham lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Durham feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Herzogs jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Durham swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Donk. Durham catches Herzog right on the button with a cross.

Herzog scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Durham wants to control but Herzog postures up.
Viktor Herzog has got the better of the ground game so far.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Durham is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Herzog off and has taken his back!
Herzog tries to roll but Durham sticks to his back.
Durham keeps control of the position easily here as Herzog tries to buck him off.
Herzog turns into Durham and is now in his guard.
Durham looking to control.

Herzog thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Durham tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Durham lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Herzog!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Durham controlling the position easily from mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Herzog tries to reverse the position but Durham maintains control.
Durham raining down hammerfists from mount.
Herzog is in a horrible position here. Durham smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Durham lands a big elbow.

Herzog is rocked!
Herzog is desperately trying to improve his position but Durham has a good base and remains in mount.
Durham can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Herzog is looking to escape.
Durham takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Durham lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Durham pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Herzog is still in real trouble! Can Durham finish him?

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Durham looking to control but Herzog is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Durham scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Herzog?
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Durham wants to control the pace but Herzog is squirming around nicely.
Herzog tries to lock up and control but Durham gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Herzog throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
Herzog seems to have recovered his senses.
Herzog in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Durham with shots to the head and body - Herzog looks very uncomfortable down there.
Herzog is trying to escape the mount.
Durham has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Herzog's face.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Durham postures up and throws a couple of big shots that have Herzog in real trouble here! The ref calls for Herzog to improve his position which he doesn't do, so the referee has no choice but to end the fight due to the strikes!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:58 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Mike Durham!
A very excited looking Mike Durham made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.