PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Don Juan Matus (ranked 956 p4p, 1109 weight class) and Ma Moru (ranked 114 p4p, 132 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Matus might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Crow Spirit. Moru has chosen Stand Up as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Matus
vs
Moru

175 cm
43
151
40 - 20 - 4

163 cm
30
148
21 - 21 - 0

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Granite chin

Good wrestler
World class MT
Granite chin

Conviction
UnderGround Supplements

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 40 - 20 - 4, fighting out of New York, Don Juan Matus!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 21 - 21 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Ma Moru!
The judges for this bout are Robert Twigg, Chris Downing and Stewart Dunkirk.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A jab from Matus misses.
A swing and a miss from Matus.
Moru steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Matus.
Moru tries to counter with a clinch but Matus shakes him off and moves away.
Moru thumps Matus with a low kick.
Don Juan Matus seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Matus throws a lazy right hand but Moru sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Matus throws a hook but Moru avoids it easily.
Matus lands a nice leg kick that just misses Moru's sensitive parts.
Moru is looking to score with low kicks.
Matus cracks Moru with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.

Moru decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Moru thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Matus's head.
Matus tries to roll over but Moru keeps him under control.
My spies in The Coffee Shop inform me that Moru has been getting involved in the gym's BJJ sparring sessions. Let's see whether that pays dividends!
Moru is keen to just control but Matus is a slippery customer.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Moru prevents Matus from improving his position.
Moru works his way into full mount!
Matus tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Matus bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Matus is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Moru managing to control the position.
Moru can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Matus controls the pace.

Moru is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Matus stays in close to Moru's body and controls the position.

Moru has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Matus is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Moru.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Moru wants to control but Matus postures up.
Moru is looking to reverse the position.
Moru keeps trying to improve his position.
Moru being controlled for a moment.
Moru struggling a bit here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Moru being controlled for a moment.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Matus continues to stall.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Moru thows a left - swing and a miss!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Don Juan Matus dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Matus connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Moru's hands.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Moru.
Moru misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Moru taking a breather here.
Moru trying to control the position but Matus is working away.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Matus is trying to get back to half guard.
A lull in the action here as Moru stalls from top position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Moru's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Matus manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Matus wants to free his trapped foot but Moru is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Moru wants to get back to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Moru works his way to full guard. Good work.
Matus trying to control but Moru is working from the bottom.
Moru is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Moru thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Moru sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Ma Moru has got the better of the ground game so far.
Matus has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Moru is working away from the top position though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Matus is refusing to be controlled, as Moru sits in half guard.
Moru is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Moru throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Matus is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Moru avoids the attempt from Matus to control.
Moru controlling the position easily from mount.
Matus tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Moru avoids the attempt from Matus to control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ma Moru showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Moru buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Moru shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Moru moves out of range of the strikes.
Matus cracks Moru with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Matus is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Moru.
Moru jabs at Matus's body.
Moru ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Matus does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Matus avoids the body shot from Moru.
Matus misses with a right hand
and Moru counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Matus throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Matus cracks Moru with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Matus throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Matus lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Moru takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Good standup being displayed there by Matus as he connects with a hook.
Don Juan Matus is winning the standup battle so far.
Moru lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Moru fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Matus manages to avoid it.
Matus throwing a counter right hand but Moru manages to avoid it.
Moru bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Matus's head backwards.
Don Juan Matus is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Matus throws a lazy right hand but Moru sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Matus throws the left hand but Moru avoids the punch easily.
Moru bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Matus throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Moru keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A looping hook to the body misses from Moru. Matus does a little dance to reset his feet.
Matus looks to score with a jab to the body but Moru is just out of range.
Moru catches Matus with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Moru jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Matus throws a combination that misses
and Matus takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Moru moves out of range of the strikes.
Matus ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Nice jab there from Matus.
Moru tries to land a front kick but Matus steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Moru lands a head shot.
Matus with a nice calf kick.
Moru avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Moru scores with a slapping inside leg kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Moru dips to his left and cracks Matus with an uppercut!
Matus throws a lazy uppercut
and Moru counters with a stiff right hand.
Matus throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Moru on the side of the head.
Matus tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Moru defending well as Matus loads up on a big left hand.
Moru displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Matus throws out the jab.
Matus misses with a left hand

and Moru counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Moru.
Matus displaying some good clinch control by pressing Moru up against the cage.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Moru with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Moru stalling in the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Moru leaning against his opponent.
Moru continues to stall. The referee tells him to work or he's going to break them up.
Matus prevents the takedown attempt.
Moru stalling in the clinch but Matus improves position.
Matus misses with a hook to the ribs.
Moru prevents a body shot from Matus.
Moru lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.

Matus breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Moru uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Matus.
Moru blocks a jab.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Moru! But no joy.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Matus misses with an uppercut.
Matus fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Matus is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Matus misses with a hook.
Matus throws a lazy right hand but Moru sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.

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 Don Juan Matus.
I think Matus has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Robert Twigg scores the fight 29:28
Judge Chris Downing scores the fight 29:29
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Don Juan Matus!
Don Juan Matus decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.