PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Phil Myler (ranked 2181 p4p, 3004 weight class) and Haruki Muramaki (ranked 278 p4p, 366 weight class). Haruki Muramaki will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Myler
vs
Muramaki

170 cm
18
155
5 - 0 - 0

170 cm
26
163
4 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Decent elbows
Very strong

Decent wrestler
Solid Muay Thai
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Phil Myler!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Haruki Muramaki!
The judges for this bout are Bart Greer, Michael Johnstone and Santiago Holmes.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Myler tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Muramaki connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Myler tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Muramaki paws at him with a jab and circles away.
A little jabbing left from Muramaki on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Muramaki keeps the fight on the outside.
Muramaki swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Myler staying out of range there.
Muramaki keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Muramaki has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.

Myler moves into the clinch successfully.
Myler pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Muramaki goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Muramaki lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Muramaki tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Myler pushes off an throws an elbow but Muramaki leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Myler throws an elbow but it misses.
Muramaki misses with a hook from the clinch.

Muramaki breaks from the clinch.
Myler tries to clinch there but Muramaki circles away.
Despite the aggression on Muramaki's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Myler instigates a clinch.

Muramaki pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Muramaki looks to land a combination. Myler sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Myler closes the distance but Muramaki moves to the side
and Muramaki counters with a stiff right hand.
Myler takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Myler tries to clinch
and Muramaki counters with a nice body shot.
Myler moves to clinch but Muramaki breaks away
and Muramaki counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

Myler rushes Muramaki and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Muramaki's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Jab, jab by Muramaki - just one landing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Muramaki misses with an uppercut.
Myler is looking to clinch.
Myler tries to clinch
and Muramaki counters with a nice uppercut.
Myler takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Myler slips a straight right by Muramaki.
Myler seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Myler fails in his attempt to clinch.
Myler moves to clinch but Muramaki breaks away
and Muramaki connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Myler fails with an attempt to clinch.
Muramaki looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Muramaki avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
It seemed like Muramaki was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Muramaki might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Myler wants to clinch up but Muramaki keeps it at a distance.
Myler is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
It seemed like Muramaki was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Muramaki bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Myler slips under a jab from Muramaki.
Phil Myler seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Myler tries to close the distance and clinch but Muramaki swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Myler tries to clinch there but Muramaki circles away.
Muramaki throws out a counter right but Myler avoids it with no problem.
Muramaki is landing a lot of head punches in this opening round! Myler had better start moving his head a bit unless he wants his face to turn into mush.

Myler instigates a clinch.
Nice elbow from Myler.
Muramaki dodges an elbow strike from Myler.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Muramaki pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
We've been told by Myler's head coaches at Elite Island Training that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.
Muramaki keeps the fight on the outside.
Muramaki looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Myler is looking to clinch but Muramaki is avoiding it.
A little jabbing left from Muramaki on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Myler moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
The fight stays on the outside here - Myler looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Muramaki tries to bum rush Myler with a series of wild strikes but Myler uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Muramaki avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Muramaki throws a counter combo.
Myler looks to clinch
and Muramaki counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Myler moves in looking to clinch but Muramaki pushes him off.
Myler tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Muramaki manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Haruki Muramaki dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Myler doesn't manage to clinch there - Muramaki circles away.

Myler fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Muramaki, pushing him back against the cage.
Myler pushes off an throws an elbow but Muramaki leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Muramaki blocks an elbow strike.

Muramaki's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Myler wants to clinch
and Muramaki connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Muramaki scores with a decent looking hook.
Myler tries to close the distance and clinch up but Muramaki swats him away and circles back towards the center.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Myler tries to clinch there but Muramaki circles away.
Myler tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Muramaki connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Myler tries to clinch
and Muramaki counters with a nice uppercut.

Myler has Muramaki up against the cage in a clinch.
Muramaki avoids the elbow strike from Myler, against the cage.
Muramaki tries to work over Myler's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Muramaki avoids the elbow strike from Myler, against the cage.
Myler lands an elbow just above Muramaki 's eye.

Muramaki breaks from the clinch.
Myler tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Muramaki manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Myler has managed to clinch.
Muramaki tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Muramaki lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Muramaki lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Myler misses with an elbow over the top.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Muramaki blocks the elbow strike.
Muramaki blocks the elbow strike.
Muramaki misses with a hook to the ribs.
Muramaki throws a punch but it's blocked by Myler.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Muramaki dodges an elbow strike from Myler.

Muramaki breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Myler is looking to clinch but Muramaki is avoiding it.
Myler fails with an attempt to clinch.
Myler closes the distance looking to clinch
and Muramaki counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Muramaki has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Myler wants to clinch.
A little jabbing left from Muramaki on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Muramaki circles away from the clinch attempt
and Muramaki counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Myler wants to clinch.
Myler tries to close the distance and clinch but Muramaki swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Muramaki throws a right and a left that both miss.
Myler has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.

Myler is rocked!
Myler tries to clinch but Muramaki is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Myler tries to close the distance and clinch but Muramaki swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Myler tries to close the distance and clinch but Muramaki swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Haruki Muramaki is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Myler is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Muramaki! But no joy.
Myler tries to clinch up.
Muramaki keeps the fight on the outside.
Muramaki throws out a counter right but Myler avoids it with no problem.
Myler tries to clinch
and Myler takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Myler wants to clinch up but Muramaki keeps it at a distance.
It seemed like Muramaki was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Muramaki circles away from the clinch attempt
and Muramaki counters with a lovely straight right hand!
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Haruki Muramaki showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Myler tries to clinch up.
As Myler backs off Muramaki throws a huge counter combo but Myler manages to avoid it all.
Myler staying out of range there.
Muramaki works over Myler's head and body with a nice combination.
Muramaki scores with a jab to the jaw.
Muramaki cracks Myler with a right hand to the side of the head.
Oh Myler is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Myler fails with an attempt to clinch.
Myler seems to have got his legs back now.
Myler tries to clinch there but Muramaki circles away.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Muramaki lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Muramaki circles away from the clinch attempt

and Muramaki counters with a crisp right hand that drops Myler! Muramaki lets Myler back up to his feet, looking for a finish!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Myler tries to clinch but Muramaki moves away
and Muramaki counters with a straight right hand.
Muramaki lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.

Myler has taken the fight to the clinch.
Muramaki throws a head punch that misses.
Phil Myler has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Myler creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Muramaki avoids a wild elbow strike from Myler.
Muramaki fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Muramaki has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Myler is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Muramaki tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Myler throws an elbow but it misses.
Myler keeps control of Muramaki as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Myler looks to throw an elbow but misses.

Muramaki escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Myler wants to clinch up but Muramaki keeps it at a distance.
Muramaki throws a counter combo.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Myler tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Muramaki makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Myler tries to close the distance and clinch up but Muramaki swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Muramaki throws a counter combo.
Haruki Muramaki seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Muramaki scores with a shot to the body.
Myler ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Myler wants to clinch.
Muramaki connects with a looping right hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Myler fails in his attempt to clinch.

Muramaki gets tackled into the cage by Myler. Myler maintains the clinch.
Muramaki tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Myler just misses with a elbow thrown towards Muramaki's brow.
Myler throws an elbow that misses.
Myler throws an elbow that misses.
With the fighters up against the cage, Myler throws an elbow but misses.
Muramaki misses with the head strike.
Myler misses with an elbow over the top.
Myler throws an elbow that misses.

Muramaki's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Myler tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Myler tries to clinch there but Muramaki circles away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Myler darts in trying to clinch
letting Muramaki counter with a right hand.

Myler clinches.
Muramaki works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Muramaki is trying to maintain a safe position but Myler gets an underhook and turns Muramaki into the cage.
Myler looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Muramaki is trying to break the clinch but Myler has him pressed against the cage.
Myler creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Muramaki tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Myler prevents a body shot from Muramaki.
Muramaki can't break the clinch.
Muramaki looking to stall.
A head punch on the inside from Muramaki fails to land.

And that's the end of the fight!
Haruki Muramaki comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Muramaki winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Bart Greer scores the fight 27:30
Judge Michael Johnstone scores the fight 27:30
Judge Santiago Holmes scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Haruki Muramaki!