PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Sergey Makarov (ranked 1108 p4p, 1123 weight class) and Mike Murhaa (ranked 124 p4p, 126 weight class). Mike Murhaa is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Makarov
vs
Murhaa

200 cm
25
250
6 - 3 - 0

199 cm
32
292
19 - 17 - 0

Great wrestler
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Olympic wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

SynCity Fightwear
Core Combat

Hardcore Alchemy
HARDCORE

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Sergey Makarov!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 19 - 17 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Mike Murhaa!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Sano, Shigeki Fujiwara and Hirohito Nitta.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Murhaa lands with a good body shot.

Murhaa gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Murhaa lands a shoulder strike.
Murhaa working aggressively here.
Murhaa prevents the takedown attempt.
A short right from Murhaa on the inside.
Makarov pushes Murhaa back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Murhaa misses with a hook from the clinch.

Makarov lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Murhaa has his hands clasped together around Makarov's back. He's all about the action.
Murhaa has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Makarov is working away from the top position though.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Makarov is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Murhaa defends it well.
Makarov wants to take a breather but Murhaa is having none of it.
Makarov thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Murhaa's head.
Makarov thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Murhaa wants to get back to full guard.
Murhaa works his way to full guard. Good work.
Murhaa tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Murhaa is controlling Makarov's posture.
Murhaa's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Murhaa keeping moving, preventing Makarov from controlling successfully.
Murhaa seems keen to control Makarov's posture.
Let's hope that Murhaa has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Murhaa looking to hit a scissor sweep but Makarov is one step ahead there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Murhaa is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Murhaa looking to hit a scissor sweep but Makarov is one step ahead there.
Makarov works over Murhaa with some ground and pound from guard.
Murhaa preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Makarov is fighting to break Murhaa's control of his arms but Murhaa is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Makarov with a nice head shot there.
Makarov lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Murhaa avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Makarov throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Murhaa looking for a sweep. Not yet Murhaa, not yet.
Makarov throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Murhaa works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Makarov trying to control but Murhaa is working from the bottom.
Murhaa is controlling Makarov's posture.
Makarov scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Murhaa manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Makarov manages to get himself to full guard.

Murhaa with a flurry of punches that miss.
Murhaa preventing the sweep.
Murhaa postures up and lands a big shot to Makarov's brow.
Murhaa scoring with some ground and pound.

Makarov throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Murhaa landing with the ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Makarov pulls Murhaa in to control the position.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Murhaa's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

Makarov escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Murhaa gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Makarov looking for a sweep. Not yet Makarov, not yet.
Murhaa landing with the ground and pound.

Makarov looking for a guillotine here but Murhaa defends easily.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Murhaa working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Sergey Makarov will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Murhaa lands with a nice body punch.

Murhaa has taken the fight to the clinch.

Makarov escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Makarov getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Makarov shoots in for a takedown but Murhaa shows good takedown defense.
Murhaa digs a good hook to Makarov's body.
Makarov takes a shot right to the bread basket.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Murhaa.
Murhaa throws a body punch but Makarov moves out of range.
A jab from Makarov misses.
Murhaa lands a jab to the nose.
Murhaa punishes Makarov's body with a nice straight punch.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Murhaa fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Murhaa looks to score with a jab to the body but Makarov is just out of range.
Makarov keeps the fight on the outside.
Nice defenses there by Murhaa.
Murhaa digs a good body shot into Makarov's ribs.
Murhaa misses with a straight right.
Makarov ducks under a wild hook from Murhaa.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Murhaa stuffs the takedown.
Makarov circles away from the clinch attempt.
Murhaa throws a big shot that misses.
Makarov avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Murhaa throws a shot to the body.
Murhaa is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Murhaa has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Murhaa uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Makarov has time to react.
Murhaa takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Makarov is defended easily by Murhaa.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Sergey Makarov. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Makarov connects with a leg kick.
Murhaa throws out a loose jab but Makarov uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Murhaa has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Makarov.

Murhaa gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Murhaa throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Makarovs head.
Murhaa misses with the head strike.
Murhaa throws a punch but it's blocked by Makarov.
I was talking to Makarov's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Makarov blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Murhaa lands a hook that snaps the head of Makarov backwards.
Makarov looking for a takedown.
A shot in the inside from Murhaa.
Murhaa lands a left hand.
Makarov can't find room to land a body shot as Murhaa controls the action.
Murhaa doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Murhaa working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Murhaa misses with a hook from the clinch.
Makarov misses with a body punch.
Makarov blocking some punches.
Murhaa throws a punch but it's blocked by Makarov.
Murhaa lands a body punch.
Makarov goes for a takedown in the clinch but Murhaa prevents it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Makarov blocking some punches.
Murhaa has a couple of punches blocked by Makarov.
Murhaa digs a right hand underneath Makarov's ribcage. Makarov let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Murhaa lands a hook to the side of the head.
A short right from Murhaa on the inside.
Murhaa tries to work over Makarov's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Still in the clinch, Murhaa scores with a nice short uppercut.
Murhaa cracks Makarov with a nice body shot.
A short uppercut from Murhaa.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Murhaa creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Murhaa lands with a left to the head.
Makarov drops down looking for an ankle pick but Murhaa pulls his leg out and moves away.

Makarov gets caught napping as Murhaa dives in and scores a takedown. Makarov manages to retain guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Murhaa stands and throws Makarov's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Murhaa in side control lands a decent elbow.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Makarov on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Murhaa lands a nice forearm strike.
A control attempt from Makarov but he's now mounted!
Makarov in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Murhaa breaks from Makarov's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Murhaa avoids the attempt from Makarov to control.
Murhaa pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Makarov is bucking up trying to escape but Murhaa cracks him with another couple of good strikes.

Makarov is rocked!
Murhaa has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Makarov taking shots to the head.
Oh Makarov is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Murhaa lands a big elbow - Makarov is in trouble! More strikes from the mount and Makarov is forced to tap out!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:59 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Strikes). Mike Murhaa!