PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Melko Murkula (ranked 7869 p4p, 724 weight class) and Gokhan Saki (ranked 6500 p4p, 675 weight class). Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Murkula
vs
Saki

200 cm
21
204 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

183 cm
25
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Good knees
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Granite chin

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 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Melko Murkula!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Gokhan Saki!
The judges for this bout are Robert Twigg, Stewart Dunkirk and Alan Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Saki clinches up with Murkula and pushes him back against the cage.

Murkula pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Saki closes the distance and pushes Murkula back into the cage.
A shot in the inside from Saki.
Murkula definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Saki unloads a knee to the mid-section.
A right hand to the body from Saki.
Saki landing knees to the head.
Murkula takes an elbow to the temple.
A short right from Saki on the inside.
Murkula looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Murkula is trying to break the clinch but Saki is controlling him.

Saki breaks the clinch.

Saki moves into the clinch.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Knees to the body from Saki.
Murkula is breathing heavily.
Saki lands a left hand that snaps the head of Murkula backwards.

Saki manages to break the clinch.

Saki clinches up with Murkula and pushes him back against the cage.
Saki landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Saki lands a body shot in the clinch.

Saki pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Saki moves into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Murkula tries to break the clinch but Saki is controlling the position.
Saki cracks Murkula with a nice body shot.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Saki.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Saki.

Saki escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Saki will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

Saki moves into the clinch.
Saki lands a hook that snaps the head of Murkula backwards.
Saki throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.

Saki breaks the clinch.

Saki moves into the clinch.

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

Saki gets a clinch.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Saki.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Saki stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Saki scores with a hook to the body.

Saki breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Saki gets a clinch.
Saki lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Saki lands an elbow just above Murkula 's eye.

It looks like Melko Murkula has been cut.
A short body shot lands from Saki as the two fighters clinch.
Saki putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Murkula in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.

Saki pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Saki throws a nice outside leg kick.

Saki has closed the distance and engaged Murkula in a clinch.
A short left from Saki.

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

Saki closes the distance and clinches.

Saki manages to break the clinch.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Murkula tries a head kick but it misses.
Saki scores with a jab to the body.

Saki moves into the clinch.
Saki lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Saki lands a right hand.
A right hand to the body from Saki.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Saki keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Murkula's efforts to push away.

Saki's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Murkula misses with an attempted mid kick.
Murkula backing away here, and Saki unleashes a leg kick that just misses.

Murkula tries to keep at a distance but Saki has taken the fight into the clinch.
A hook to the body from Saki.
Murkula can't break the clinch.

Saki breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Saki, right into the meat.
Saki blocks a head kick by Murkula.
Saki lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.

Saki darts in and clinches Murkula up against the cage.

Saki breaks the clinch.
Murkula misses with a body kick.

Saki has Murkula up against the cage in a clinch.
Murkula looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
A left hand lands to the body for Saki.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Saki manages to break the clinch.
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!
Saki throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.

Saki moves into the clinch.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Saki.
Saki softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.

Saki breaks from the clinch.

Saki moves into the clinch.

Saki breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Murkula plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!

Saki darts in and clinches Murkula up against the cage.
Murkula wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

Murkula breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Saki drives through and clinches with Murkula against the cage.

Saki breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Saki has managed to clinch.
Murkula takes a shot to the head.
Saki lands a right hand that snaps the head of Murkula backwards.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Murkula tries to break the clinch but Saki is controlling the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gokhan Saki dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Melko Murkula's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Saki clinches up with Murkula and pushes him back against the cage.
Murkula tries to circle away but Saki has him pinned against the cage.

Saki breaks from the clinch.
Saki bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.
Saki checks a leg kick.
Gokhan Saki seems to be getting the better of the standup.

Saki drives through and clinches with Murkula against the cage.
Gokhan Saki seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.

Saki breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Saki throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Saki clinches with his opponent.
Saki lands with a short head shot on the inside.

Saki escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Murkula goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Murkula tries to work over Saki's front leg with a kick but Saki checks it.

Saki rushes Murkula and presses him up against the cage.
Murkula takes an elbow to the temple.
Murkula has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Saki has Murkula pressed against the cage, preventing Murkula from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Saki has Murkula pressed against the cage, preventing Murkula from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Murkula is trying to break the clinch but Saki is controlling him.
Saki lands an elbow inside.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Saki has Murkula pressed against the cage, preventing Murkula from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

Saki breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Saki tries to close the distance and clinch but Murkula swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Murkula throws a push kick but Saki slaps the foot to one side.

Saki darts in and clinches Murkula up against the cage.
Saki lands a knee to the head.
Saki lands a nice shot to the body.
Saki lands an elbow inside.

Saki manages to break the clinch.

Saki instigates a clinch.
Murkula can't break the clinch.
Saki works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Saki lands with a short shot to the head.

Saki pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Saki lands a front kick.

Saki moves into range and clinches up with Murkula.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Saki pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Saki moves into the clinch successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A nice right hand lands inside from Saki.
Saki has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
A right handed body shot lands from Saki.

Saki breaks the clinch.

Saki rushes Murkula and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Saki lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Nice body punch from Saki.
Saki lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Saki lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Murkula backwards.
Murkula takes an elbow to the temple.
A nice right hand lands inside from Saki.
Still in the clinch, Saki scores with a nice short uppercut.

Murkula is rocked!
Saki is working Murkula over against the cage.
Oh Murkula is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Nice body punch from Saki - that landed with a thud.
Saki jerks Murkula's head down, straight into the path of a devastating knee! Murkula drops to the floor in a crumpled heap! Saki goes to throw a finishing haymaker but pulls out - good sportsmanship from Saki because Murkula was completely out of it. That was a nice finish - just the right level of brutality to send everyone home happy.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:52 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Knee). Gokhan Saki!