PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Jared Listen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mark Murphy (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Listen
vs
Murphy

178 cm
20
195 lbs
6 - 1 - 0

185 cm
23
191 lbs
9 - 4 - 0

Good wrestling
Great low kicks
Cardio machine

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Powerful

Hell's Kitchen Lab Corp (159.49 $75)

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 6 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Jared Listen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Mark Murphy!
The judges for this bout are Anni Minnemäki, Matti Vanhoillinen and Tarja Halkonen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Listen checks the leg kick nicely there.
Murphy comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Murphy misses with a right hand
and Listen counters with a stiff right hand.
Murphy scores with a jab to the head.
A big left from Listen misses.
Murphy doesn't manage to clinch there - Listen circles away.
Listen uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Murphy.
An inside leg kick from Murphy misses.
Listen avoids a punch combination nicely.
Listen slips under a jab.
Listen throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Listen misses with a body shot.
Murphy throws a looping overhand right but Listen ducks down to avoid it.
Listen checks a leg kick nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A big left from Murphy misses.
Listen works Murphy's body with a nice hook.
Murphy tries to clinch but Listen moves out of range.
Murphy lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Murphy pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Murphy throws the kick towards the body but Listen avoids it.
Murphy is looking to clinch.
Listen swings for the body but Murphy moves out of range.
Murphy avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Listen misses with an uppercut.
Listen comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Listen uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Murphy.
Murphy throws out a loose jab but Listen uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Listen blocks a jab.
Murphy throws a nice head kick!
Listen ducks under a wild hook from Murphy.
Listen walks forward, straight into a front kick from Murphy.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Murphy misses with a kick to the body.

Murphy has closed the distance and engaged Listen in a clinch.
Listen blocks an elbow strike from Murphy.
Murphy misses with a knee to the head.
Murphy throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Murphy tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
With the fighters up against the cage, Murphy throws an elbow but misses.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Murphy creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.

Listen breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Listen throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Murphy throws a leg kick that misses.
Listen misses with a shot to the body
and Murphy counters with a low kick, right behind Listen 's knee.
Murphy throws a big shot that misses.
Murphy falls off balance throwing a combination
enabling Listen to counter with a crisp jab.
Listen throws a jab when Murphy was well out of range.
Murphy tried to score with a low kick but Listen checks it.
Murphy tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Listen throws out a loose jab but Murphy uses good head movement to avoid it.
Listen takes a swing at Murphy's ribcage but misses.
Murphy scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Murphy wants to clinch.
Listen scores with a nice right hand.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Murphy misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Listen.
Jab, jab by Murphy - just one landing.
Mark Murphy seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Listen tries to bum rush Murphy with a series of wild strikes but Murphy uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Murphy fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Listen has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Listen loads up on a big right hand but Murphy slips the punch.
Murphy scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Murphy tries to clinch but Listen is having none of it.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Murphy uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Listen.
Murphy lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Murphy connects with a right hand. Listen shakes it off.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mark Murphy dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Murphy tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Murphy tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Listen counters with a crisp one two that drops Murphy! Listen thinks about following him to the mat for a moment but instead steps back and waves Murphy to his feet! Murphy is in big trouble!

Murphy is rocked!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Murphy loads up on a big right hand but Listen slips the punch.
Murphy is still on wobbly legs! Can Listen finish him?
Murphy swings widly with a right hand
and Murphy takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Murphy thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Listen if he has to take too many more of those.
Murphy takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Jab, jab by Murphy - just one landing.
Murphy seems to have recovered his senses.
Murphy misses the jab.
Murphy throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Murphy lands a front kick.
Listen takes one on the button.
Murphy tries to close the distance and clinch but Listen swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Listen blocks a leg kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Listen works Murphy's body with a nice hook.
A slapping body kick lands there for Murphy.
Murphy takes a jab right on the kisser.
Murphy is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Listen.
Murphy throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Murphy throws a nice looking combination but Listen bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Murphy looks for the body kick but Listen saw that one coming.
Murphy throws a push kick but Listen slaps the foot to one side.
Listen tests Murphy's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Listen 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.
Murphy misses with a head kick.
Murphy chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Murphy misses with a series of wild punches.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Murphy doesn't manage to clinch there - Listen circles away.
Murphy scores with a jab.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Murphy closes the distance looking to clinch
and Listen counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Murphy tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Listen paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Listen swats away the attempt to clinch by Murphy.
Murphy takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Murphy misses the jab.
Listen throws out a loose jab but Murphy uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Murphy throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Listen lands a head shot.
Murphy missing with a left hand there. Listen was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Listen lands a jab-cross combination.
The fighters circling - Murphy throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Murphy ducks under a wild hook from Listen.
Listen missing with a left hand there. Murphy was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Good standup being displayed there by Murphy as he connects with a hook.
Murphy slips a jab and a cross from Listen.
Listen slips under a jab from Murphy.
Listen ducks under a wild hook from Murphy.
Murphy looks to throw the jab but Listen is out of range.
A head kick misses from Murphy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Murphy lands a leg kick that knocks Listen off balance momentarily.
Murphy misses with a body kick.
Listen throws the left hand but Murphy avoids the punch easily.
Murphy steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Listen.
Listen ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Listen bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Listen throws a looping overhand right but Murphy ducks down to avoid it.
Murphy connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Listen momentarily.
Murphy throws a body kick that misses.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Listen throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Murphy sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Murphy misses with a hook.
Listen throws a big shot that misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jared Listen dominated that second 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. This is the final round!

Listen blocks the body kick.
Murphy moves in looking to clinch but Listen pushes him off.
Murphy lands with a hook. Listen tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Murphy is looking to clinch.
A low kick from Murphy misses
and Listen counters with a straight right hand.
A swing and a miss from Murphy.
Murphy moves out of range as Listen strikes.
Murphy wants to clinch up but Listen keeps it at a distance.
Murphy looks to land a left hand but Listen moved out of range nicely.
Murphy tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Listen paws at him with a jab and circles away.
A telegraphed right hand from Listen misses the target.
Murphy connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Listen avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Murphy doesn't manage to clinch there - Listen circles away.
Murphy scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Murphy lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
The crowd cheers as Murphy lands an impressive looking overhand right. Listen doesn't seem phased though.
Murphy closes the distance but Listen moves to the side
and Murphy takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Mark Murphy seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Murphy throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Murphy scoring well with a low kick there.
Murphy dips to his left and cracks Listen with an uppercut!
Listen lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Murphy looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Listen is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Murphy throws a leg kick but Listen moved away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
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!
Listen slips a jab from Murphy.
Listen throws a series of punches but Murphy avoids them all with ease.
Murphy lands a nice leg kick that just misses Listen's sensitive parts.
Murphy moves in looking to clinch but Listen pushes him off.
Listen keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Some bone on bone action there as Listen checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Listen throws a combination that misses
and Murphy connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Listen misses with a looping left.
Murphy ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Listen ducks under a wild hook from Murphy.
Murphy takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Listen is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Murphy scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Murphy keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Listen moves out of range of the strikes.
Murphy scores with a jab to the body.
A punch combination from Listen misses.
Murphy throws a nice inside leg kick.
Listen takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Murphy thows a body shot but no joy.
Murphy scores with a hook.
Listen slips under a jab from Murphy.
Listen swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Listen throws a hook to the side of Murphy's head but Murphy sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Murphy throws a hook but Listen avoids it easily.
Murphy lands a nice looking body kick.
Listen moves out of range as Murphy strikes.
Listen misses with a body shot.
Murphy lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Murphy is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Listen ducks under a wild hook from Murphy.
Murphy throws a leg kick
and Murphy takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Murphy throws a low kick but Listen avoids it.
Murphy cracks Listen with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Listen lands with a nice body punch.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mark Murphy comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Murphy has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 28:29
Judge Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 28:29
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mark Murphy!