PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Labed Murazel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jartsa Raatis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). This should be fireworks!

Murazel
vs
Raatis

170 cm
18
155 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

165 cm
18
155 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter fighter
KO power

BJJ Brown Belt
Brawler
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 2 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Labed Murazel!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Jartsa Raatis!
The judges for this bout are William Gold, Richard Clark and Phil Schofield.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Murazel swats away the attempt to clinch by Raatis.
Murazel tries to clinch up against the ropes, rushing in to close the distance. Raatis manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Raatis drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Murazel looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Raatis slips nicely into half guard.
Murazel tries to get to full guard but Raatis has control of the leg.

Murazel is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Raatis pulls his head out easily.
Raatis is thwarting Murazel's attempts to control the position.
Raatis passes into side control, despite Murazel's attempt to control the position.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Raatis is looking to take a break and control but Murazel is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
We've been hearing good reports from Murazel's training camp. Apparently he has been rolling around with some good quality BJJ practitioners and has been sharpening his skills. Let's see if that has an impact on the fight today.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Raatis misses with the ground and pound.
Murazel is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Murazel is trying to get back to full guard.
Raatis wants to lay and pray for a moment but Murazel keeps working.
Murazel is looking to improve his position.
Murazel trying to hold on to Raatis's head to control him but Raatis postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Raatis thows a huge punch but Murazel dodges it nicely.
Murazel is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Murazel is trying to maintain the position but Raatis is very close to passing his half guard.
Raatis trying to mount his opponent but Murazel defends it.
Murazel is trying to control but can't.

We're going to have a standup here because Labed Murazel wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.

Raatis has closed the distance and engaged Murazel in a clinch.
Murazel is trying to maintain a safe position but Raatis gets an underhook and turns Murazel into the ropes.

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Some wild striking there from Murazel.
Raatis fails with the takedown
enabling Murazel to counter with a crisp jab.
A low kick from Murazel is predictable there

and Raatis counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Raatis.
Raatis tries to stall but Murazel uses the opportunity to gain a better position.

Raatis breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Murazel avoids a lazy jab quite easily.

Murazel scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Raatis missing with punches from the bottom.
Raatis moves into full guard.
Raatis trying to keep a closed guard but Murazel is proving a slippery customer.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Raatis is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Raatis wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Murazel is now in half guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Murazel is thwarting Raatis's attempts to control the position.

Murazel is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Raatis defends it well.
Murazel missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

That's five minutes gone in the round.

Murazel seems to be working for a kimura but Raatis defends the submission attempt.
Murazel is looking to pass Raatis's guard but actually Raatis recovers to full guard.
Raatis wants to sweep here but Murazel controlling him for the moment.
Raatis manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Murazel manages to get himself to full guard.
Raatis lands a couple of elbows.

That's six minutes gone in the round.
Raatis slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Raatis takes a little break here. Murazel wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.
Murazel tries to improve position but can't.
Raatis working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Raatis tries to get to his feet but he's trapped momentarily.
Murazel looks to move to half guard but instead Raatis has passed into mount! Damn!
Raatis with a couple of short strikes.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.
Raatis is landing with some decent strikes but Murazel is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Raatis tries to control but Murazel wriggling away.
Murazel is in a horrible position here. Raatis smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Murazel is trying to reverse the position but instead Raatis has taken his back - oops!
Raatis struggling to keep hold of the position.
Raatis gets his hooks in and is throwing strikes.
Raatis just keeping the dominant position. He can't wait too long though, otherwise the referee will stand them back up.

Murazel preventing the rear naked choke attempt from Raatis.

That's eight 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!
Raatis is not going to allow Murazel to sit and survive in this position.
Murazel has his hands over his head blocking the strikes from Raatis.
Murazel tries to roll but Raatis sticks to his back.
Murazel covering up well under a barage of strikes.
Raatis not allowing Murazel to control his hands.

That's nine minutes gone in the round.
Murazel is defending well here and trying to improve his position.
Raatis trying desperately to keep hold of the dominant position.
Raatis avoiding Murazel 's attempts to control his hands.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Murazel turns into Raatis and is now in his guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Murazel wants to control from the top but Raatis keeps moving.
Raatis is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jartsa Raatis dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Raatis tries to clinch but Murazel is having none of it.
Murazel tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Raatis walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Raatis shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Murazel as he avoids it easily.
Raatis doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Murazel counters with a straight right hand.
Murazel circles away from the clinch attempt
and Murazel counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Murazel throws out a powerful jab.
Raatis darts in looking for a takedown but Murazel gets double underhooks and turns Raatis into the ropes.
Labed Murazel has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jartsa Raatis.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Raatis can't break the clinch.

Murazel has picked Raatis up - he's going for a ride! Murazel dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Murazel is keen to just control but Raatis is a slippery customer.
Raatis avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Murazel.

Murazel is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Raatis sees it coming and defends easily.
Raatis misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Still in half guard, Murazel seems content to control.
Raatis wants to control but Murazel is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Raatis blocking the ground and pound attempt from Murazel.
Raatis is not content to let Murazel control the position.
Raatis is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Murazel's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Murazel's back!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Raatis wants to control but Murazel is keeping busy.
Raatis is punishing Murazel with strikes - can he finish him?!

Raatis has his opponent's back and is working for the choke.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Murazel rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.
Murazel is trying to get back to full guard.
Raatis throwing shots but Murazel is blocking nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Murazel trying to control here.
Jartsa Raatis has got the better of the ground game so far.
Raatis tries to pass the half guard into mount. Murazel knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

Raatis seems to be looking for submissions.
Raatis is trying to control. Murazel wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Raatis is looking to advance position but Murazel won't allow it.
Murazel trying to control from the bottom.
Raatis wants to control but Murazel is keeping him busy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Murazel is looking to improve his position.

Jartsa Raatis has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Raatis darts in looking for a takedown but Murazel gets double underhooks and turns Raatis into the ropes.
Raatis has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Murazel is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Murazel drops down looking for an ankle pick but Raatis pulls his leg out and moves away.

Raatis instigates a clinch.

Raatis pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Raatis shoots in for a takedown but Murazel shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Raatis is looking to clinch.

That's five minutes gone in the round.
Murazel punishes Raatis's body with a nice straight punch.
Murazel wants to clinch.
Raatis fails with the takedown
and Murazel counters with a stiff right hand.
Raatis is breathing heavily.
Murazel fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Murazel doesn't manage to clinch there - Raatis circles away.
Murazel is looking to clinch.
Murazel tries to clinch up against the ropes, rushing in to close the distance. Raatis manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Raatis fails with the takedown
and Murazel counters with a stiff right hand.
Jab, jab by Murazel - just one landing.
Labed Murazel is winning the standup battle so far.

That's six minutes gone in the round.
Raatis misses with a head kick.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Raatis scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Murazel looking for a sweep but Raatis has passed into full mount! Oh no!
Murazel looking to escape from mount but he's given up his back!
Murazel rolls, trying to escape but Raatis keeps control of the position.
Murazel is trying to get back to his feet but Raatis has full control of the position and if anything, Murazel has just worked his way into a worse spot.
Murazel tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Raatis wants to control the pace but Murazel is squirming around nicely.
Raatis prevents Murazel from getting the reversal.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.
Murazel is working hard here to advance position.
Raatis lands with some strikes.
Murazel is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Raatis is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Raatis fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Raatis looking to control but Murazel is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Raatis is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
Raatis has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Murazel taking shots to the head.

That's eight minutes gone in the round.
Raatis with good strikes from the mount here!
Raatis with the ground and pound from mount.
Murazel slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Murazel is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Murazel wants to control but Raatis passes into side.
Raatis working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Murazel tries to buck Raatis off but Raatis is having none of it.
Murazel is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Raatis off and has taken his back!
Raatis trying to control the action but Murazel just sinks the hooks in.

That's nine minutes gone in the round.

Murazel is working really hard to secure the rear naked choke. Raatis defends successfully for a significant amount of time. Both fighters are looking very determined.

Murazel is working hard for the rear naked choke here.
Murazel is trying to stick to Raatis's back but Raatis is turning into Murazel. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Murazel's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Raatis.
Raatis forces his way into half guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Raatis not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Murazel tries to get to full guard but Raatis has control of the leg.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Labed Murazel.
I have no idea who won that fight. Let's wait and see whether the judges are as confused as me! Time for a split decision perhaps?!. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.

Judge William Gold scores the fight for Jartsa Raatis!
Judge Richard Clark scores the fight for Jartsa Raatis!
Judge Phil Schofield scores the fight for Jartsa Raatis!

Jartsa Raatis wins by unanimous decision!