PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Sanitha Muralitharan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Zell Dintch (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Muralitharan comes to the cage accompanied by The Sri Lankan National Anthem. Zell Dintch has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Sanitha Muralitharan's chin.

Muralitharan
vs
Dintch

186 cm
23
205 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

180 cm
22
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Prefers ground

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Sanitha Muralitharan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Zell Dintch!
The judges for this bout are Ian Loll, Trevor Gratis and Steve Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Muralitharan misses with a few strikes there.

Dintch gets caught flat footed, as Muralitharan shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Dintch throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Muralitharan lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Muralitharan would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Dintch really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Muralitharan. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Dintch avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Muralitharan stops Dintch from standing up.
Dintch wants to sweep but no luck.
Dintch is trying to keep Muralitharan in close.
Dintch wants to stand and escape but Muralitharan is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Muralitharan misses with a series of wild punches.
A nice combination there by Muralitharan.
Muralitharan is breathing heavily.
Muralitharan swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Muralitharan throws a nice looking combination but Dintch bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Sanitha Muralitharan seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Dintch misses with an uppercut. Muralitharan saw that one coming.
Muralitharan moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Muralitharan shoots in but Dintch avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Muralitharan misses with a double jab.
Dintch explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.
Dintch misses with a takedown attempt

and Muralitharan counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Dintch!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Muralitharan wants to get back to his feet but Dintch is holding on tight.
Muralitharan tries to control but Dintch wriggling away.

Muralitharan is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Dintch can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Dintch is looking to improve his position but Muralitharan isn't that keen on the idea.

Muralitharan is standing up out of mount! Strange tactic there - he must really want this one on the feet!
Dintch takes one on the button.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Muralitharan thuds a left hand into Dintch's body.
Dintch fails with an attempt to clinch.
Dintch swinging wilding here.
Muralitharan connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Muralitharan lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Dintch backs up against the cage.
Muralitharan shoots in looking for a takedown. Dintch tries to sprawl out of it but Muralitharan keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Dintch manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

Dintch moves into the clinch.
A head punch on the inside from Dintch fails to land.
Muralitharan jumps guard but Dintch stands there with Muralitharan around his waist. Muralitharan gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Sanitha Muralitharan. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Muralitharan wants a takedown but no success here.

Dintch pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Muralitharan misses with a two punch combination.
Dintch walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.

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

Dintch has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Muralitharan can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

Muralitharan drops back looking for a leg! Dintch is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Dintch manages to kick Muralitharan off! Muralitharan jumps back into Dintch's guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Muralitharan is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sanitha Muralitharan dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Dintch shoots in looking for a takedown. Muralitharan tries to sprawl out of it but Dintch keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Muralitharan manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Dintch shoots in but no luck this time.
No joy there for Muralitharan, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Jab, jab by Muralitharan - just one landing.
Dintch looks to land a right hand but Muralitharan moved out of range.
Muralitharan looks to land a combination. Dintch sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Muralitharan misses with a combination
and Dintch counters with a head kick.
Some wild striking there from Muralitharan.
Dintch showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Muralitharan.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Muralitharan throws a combination. Dintch tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
No luck for Muralitharan with that takedown attempt.
Dintch avoids a punch combination nicely.
Dintch looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Sanitha Muralitharan has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Zell Dintch.
Muralitharan works over Dintch's head and body with a nice combination.
Dintch dodges the punch combination from Muralitharan.
Dintch tries a head kick but it misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Muralitharan fails with the takedown.

Dintch feints and as Muralitharan raises his hands in defense, Dintch changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Muralitharan has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Muralitharan wants to sweep here but Dintch controlling him for the moment.

Muralitharan looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Muralitharan has momentary wrist control but Dintch slips an elbow through the middle.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Muralitharan is on top in guard.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Muralitharan's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

Muralitharan gets to his feet - Dintch follows without any prompting.

Dintch drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Muralitharan is trying to control Dintch's posture but Dintch avoids it.
Muralitharan is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Dintch has just dragged him back down to the mat.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Dintch cracks Muralitharan with a big right hand but Muralitharan just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Muralitharan trying to control but Dintch flips him over like a cheap hooker and has his back!
Muralitharan breaks Dintch's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
Muralitharan throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Dintch wants to sweep here but Muralitharan controlling him for the moment.
Muralitharan postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Dintch controls Muralitharan momentarily but Muralitharan frees himself.
Muralitharan stands and throws Dintch's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Muralitharan is working Dintch over with some ground and pound from side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sanitha Muralitharan dominated that second 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. This is the final round!

Dintch looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Muralitharan is fending him off so far but Dintch persists. Nope, Muralitharan circles away and we're back to standing.

Muralitharan closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Muralitharan lands in his opponent's guard.
Muralitharan stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Dintch swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Muralitharan working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Muralitharan passes into half guard under a barage of strikes.
Muralitharan controlling the action here.
Dintch lands one or two decent shots to the body here. Although from his own half guard, he's not going to be causing too much damage.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Muralitharan moves nicely into side control.

Muralitharan is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Dintch knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

Muralitharan decides to stand up, so the ref orders Dintch to his feet.
Muralitharan scores with a jab. Dintch acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Muralitharan is looking to clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Muralitharan.
Muralitharan creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Dintch sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.

Muralitharan is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Dintch knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Dintch wants to control but Muralitharan postures up.

Muralitharan working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.

Muralitharan is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Dintch knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Muralitharan wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Dintch, who protects the arm well.

Muralitharan tries for a kimura but Dintch is defending well.
Dintch is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Muralitharan off and has taken his back!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

Dintch is working for the rear naked choke. He has one arm under the chin but Muralitharan has hold of the other arm. A bit of a stalemate here.
Muralitharan trying to control the action but Dintch just sinks the hooks in.
Muralitharan is trying to get back to his feet but he's not managed it yet.
Muralitharan tries to roll but Dintch sticks to his back.
Dintch doesn't have the hooks in and Muralitharan manages to turn into his guard.
Zell Dintch has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Sanitha Muralitharan is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Muralitharan works a leg free and moves into half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Sanitha Muralitharan showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Muralitharan, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Ian Loll scores the fight 30:27
Judge Trevor Gratis scores the fight 30:27
Judge Steve Smith scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Sanitha Muralitharan!