PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Giampaolo Pietravallo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Brian Murphy (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Murphy has chosen Róisín Murphy - Primitive as his entrance music. 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.

Pietravallo
vs
Murphy

195 cm
35
210 lbs
15 - 6 - 0

188 cm
35
213 lbs
32 - 17 - 1

Great wrestler
World class MT
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Granite chin

KAISER
GREEN!160

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 15 - 6 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Giampaolo Pietravallo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 32 - 17 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Brian Murphy!
The judges for this bout are Tarja Halkonen, Matti Vanhoillinen and Roosa Järviläinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pietravallo misses with a right hand
and Murphy counters with a nice uppercut.
Murphy has done a lot of speed work in the buildup to this fight.
Pietravallo fails with the takedown
and Murphy counters with a straight right hand.
A jab from Murphy misses.
Pietravallo half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
A low kick from Pietravallo misses
and Pietravallo takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Murphy misses with a straight right.
Pietravallo has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.
Pietravallo attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Murphy lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Murphy works over Pietravallo's head and body with a nice combination.
Pietravallo digs a good body shot into Murphy's ribs.
Murphy checks a leg kick nicely.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Pietravallo throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Nice cross by Pietravallo.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A jab lands there for Murphy.
The fighters circling - Murphy throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Pietravallo swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Murphy on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Brian Murphy is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Murphy walks into a straight right hand from Pietravallo.
Murphy bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Pietravallo throws a leg kick
and Murphy counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Pietravallo moves into range and connects with a jab.
Murphy checks the leg kick nicely there.
Murphy misses with a wild body shot.
Murphy checks a low kick from Pietravallo.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Murphy pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Pietravallo tries to land a leg kick but Murphy saw it coming and moves away.
Murphy misses with a wild body shot.
Murphy thuds a left hand into Pietravallo's body.
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!
Murphy scores with a hook.
Murphy throws a body punch but Pietravallo moves out of range.
Pietravallo just misses with a punch to the body.
A nice side step and Murphy releases a counter shot to the body, but it doesn't find it's home.
Pietravallo scores with a shot to the body.
Murphy throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Murphy scores with a three punch combo!
Murphy tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Murphy misses with an uppercut. Pietravallo saw that one coming.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Murphy throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Pietravallo misses the shot to the body.
Murphy swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Murphy throws a head kick that misses.
Murphy pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Pietravallo attempts a counter takedown but Murphy avoids it well and moves away.
Pietravallo jabs at Murphy's body.
Pietravallo looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Pietravallo misses with a body shot.
Pietravallo looks to land a right hand but Murphy moved out of range.
Pietravallo lands with a hook. Murphy tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Murphy takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Murphy lands a slapping body shot.
Pietravallo misses with a leg kick.
Pietravallo throws a low kick but Murphy avoids it.
Pietravallo swings for the body but Murphy moves out of range.
Murphy throws a head kick but Pietravallo moves out of range.
Pietravallo fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
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!
Pietravallo misses with an uppercut
and Murphy counters with a nice uppercut.
Murphy looks to land a combination. Pietravallo sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Murphy is landing a lot of head punches in this opening round! Pietravallo had better start moving his head a bit unless he wants his face to turn into pâté.
Pietravallo takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Pietravallo fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Murphy manages to avoid it.
Pietravallo uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Murphy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Brian Murphy dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Pietravallo throws a low kick but Murphy moves out of range easily.
Murphy listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Murphy avoids the head kick by Pietravallo.
Pietravallo fails with a takedown attempt.
Pietravallo lands with a cross.
Murphy misses with a body shot.
This entire fight has taken place on the feet so far and you wonder whether Pietravallo might be better served trying to take this one to the ground because he's losing the standup battle so far.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A head kick misses from Murphy.
Pietravallo loads up on a big right hand but Murphy slips the punch.
Brian Murphy seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Murphy moves out of range of the body kick.
Pietravallo buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Murphy takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Pietravallo blocks a head kick by Murphy.
Pietravallo swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Murphy! But no joy.
Murphy scores with a hook.
Murphy lands a nice shot to the body.
Pietravallo loads up on a big right hand but Murphy slips the punch.
Murphy misses with a combination

and Pietravallo counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Murphy has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Pietravallo wants to control from the top but Murphy keeps moving.
Pietravallo loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pietravallo trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Pietravallo trying to control the position from guard on top but Murphy is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Murphy avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Pietravallo looking to pass the guard.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Pietravallo throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Murphy feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Pietravallos jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Sloppy strikes from Murphy. Those never looked like landing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Murphy works Pietravallo's body with a nice hook.
Murphy closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Nice defenses there by Pietravallo.
Pietravallo half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Murphy misses with a body shot.
Murphy missing with a left hand there. Pietravallo was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
A jab from Pietravallo misses.
Murphy closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Murphy throws a looping overhand right but Pietravallo ducks down to avoid it.
Murphy throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Murphy blocks a head kick by Pietravallo.
Murphy misses with an uppercut. Pietravallo saw that one coming.
Pietravallo appears to be looking for a counter takedown.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Murphy jabs Pietravallo right on the nose. Pietravallo blinks but takes it well.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Pietravallo swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Murphy uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Pietravallo has time to react.
Murphy drops his hands momentarily and Pietravallo takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Pietravallo lands a front kick.
Pietravallo scores with a nice right hand.
Pietravallo misses with a leg kick
and Murphy counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Pietravallo slips a jab from Murphy.
Pietravallo drops down looking for a counter takedown but Murphy sprawls and moves away.
Pietravallo misses the jab.
Good leg kick by Pietravallo there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Horrible takedown attempt by Pietravallo or perhaps it was just good defense by Murphy, which made it look bad.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Brian Murphy will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Murphy scores with a jab to the jaw.
Pietravallo bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Murphy throws a jab when Pietravallo was well out of range.
A jab lands there for Murphy.
Murphy fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Pietravallo scores with a jab to the body.
Murphy avoids a kick to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Pietravallo connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Murphy with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Murphy lands an overhand right.
Murphy misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Pietravallo.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jab from Pietravallo.
Murphy lands a nice looking body shot.
Pietravallo connects with a nice looking jab.
Pietravallo avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Pietravallo ducks right into an uppercut from Murphy.
Pietravallo keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Murphy.
Pietravallo looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Murphy takes a jab right on the kisser.
Murphy fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Pietravallo manages to avoid it.
Pietravallo attempts a counter takedown but Murphy avoids it well and moves away.
Pietravallo misses with a hook. Murphy ducked under it nicely.
A nice combination there by Murphy.
Giampaolo Pietravallo has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A swing and a miss from Pietravallo.
Murphy appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
Murphy closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Pietravallo avoids the body shot from Murphy.
Pietravallo scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Nice jab there from Pietravallo.
Pietravallo looks to throw the jab but Murphy is out of range.
Murphy fails to land with a series of punches.
Pietravallo throws a body shot but no joy.
Pietravallo misses with a left hand
and Murphy counters with a left to the body.
Pietravallo comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Murphy throws a right hand that Pietravallo ducks under and follows up with a left that Pietravallo also avoids with ease.
Brian Murphy is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Murphy lands a jab to the head.
An inside leg kick from Pietravallo misses.
Pietravallo scores with a body shot.
A jab from Pietravallo misses.
Murphy swings for the body but Pietravallo moves out of range.
A big right from Pietravallo misses.
Murphy scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Murphy slips under a jab from Pietravallo.
Murphy throws out a counter right but Pietravallo avoids it with no problem.
Pietravallo fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Murphy lands a jab.
Murphy checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Pietravallo tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Pietravallo drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Murphy fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Pietravallo looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
A big left from Pietravallo misses.
A head kick misses from Murphy.
Pietravallo changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Pietravallo is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Murphy.
Pietravallo takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Murphy misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

And that's the end of the fight!
Brian Murphy comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Murphy 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 Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 28:30
Judge Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 28:30
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Brian Murphy!
A relieved looking Brian Murphy thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.