PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Andrew Zepeda (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Evan Morgan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). 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.

Zepeda
vs
Morgan

187 cm
22
169 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

187 cm
22
180 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Enjoys gardening

SPARTAN FIGHTWARE

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Andrew Zepeda!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Evan Morgan!
The judges for this bout are Dean Styles, John Roberts and Bruno Lombardi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Zepeda shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Zepeda showed some decent athleticism there.
Morgan punching from the bottom.
Morgan wants to control but Zepeda is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Zepeda prevents Morgan from improving his position.
Zepeda controlling the action here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Zepeda blocks the strikes from Morgan.
Morgan is looking to improve his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zepeda performing his best blanket impression for a moment.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Morgan misses with a straight left.
Morgan tries to clinch up but Zepeda circles away and keeps his distance.
Zepeda looks for a takedown but Morgan sprawls well.
Morgan looks to throw the jab but Zepeda is out of range.
Morgan fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Zepeda manages to avoid it.
Zepeda shoots in looking for a takedown. Morgan tries to sprawl out of it but Zepeda keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Morgan manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Zepeda will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Andrew Zepeda. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's two 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.
Morgan lands a jab-cross combination.

It looks like Andrew Zepeda has been cut.
Morgan stuffs the takedown.
Morgan swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Zepeda fails with a takedown attempt.
Zepeda shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Morgan but Morgan pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Morgan looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Morgan misses with a takedown attempt

and Zepeda counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Zepeda.
Morgan wants to control but Zepeda passes easily into half guard.
Morgan trying to control from the bottom.
Morgan is trying to get back to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zepeda is trying to control the action in half guard but Morgan is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Morgan tries to get to full guard but Zepeda has control of the leg.
Morgan is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Morgan moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Morgan lands with a heel strike from the guard.
Morgan wants to sweep here but Zepeda controlling him for the moment.

That's four 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.
Zepeda working some strikes from top position.
Zepeda seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Morgan wants to control the position but Zepeda says "no thanks buddy" and passes to half guard.
Morgan missing with punches from the bottom.
Morgan trying to hold on to Zepeda's head to control him but Zepeda postures up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Evan Morgan will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Andrew Zepeda's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Zepeda gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Morgan counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Zepeda staying out of range there.
Zepeda moves out of range of the strikes.
Morgan misses with a combination

and Zepeda counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Morgan tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Morgan bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Zepeda's guard.
Morgan is looking to work some ground and pound but Zepeda has wrist control.
Morgan pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Zepeda is keeping the position for now.
Morgan working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Morgan is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Morgan trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Zepeda avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Zepeda working a defensive guard here.
Morgan with a nice head shot there.
Zepeda looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Zepeda shoots in for a double leg but Morgan sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Nice takedown defense from Morgan. No joy for Zepeda on that attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Andrew Zepeda. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Morgan throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Zepeda sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Morgan jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Evan Morgan seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Zepeda darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.

Morgan is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Zepeda pulls his head out easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zepeda seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Morgan does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Morgan punching from the bottom.
Zepeda trying to control from half guard but Morgan is working away.
Morgan tries to get to full guard but Zepeda has control of the leg.
Morgan is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Zepeda's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Zepeda's back!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zepeda rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Morgan gets to his feet - back to striking we go!
Zepeda fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Morgan tries to clinch but Zepeda is having none of it.
Morgan keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Morgan smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Zepeda fails with the takedown.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Morgan misses with a straight right.
Morgan keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Morgan tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Zepeda was well out of range. Poor timing from Morgan.

Morgan has closed the distance and engaged Zepeda in a clinch.

Morgan escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Morgan lands a glancing blow to the side of Zepeda's head.

Zepeda shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Morgan's guard.
Morgan is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Morgan will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Morgan throwing rabbit punches from the bottom - showing the judges that he's keeping busy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Evan Morgan will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Andrew Zepeda's cut.
That's time! Zepeda's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Morgan looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Zepeda!
Morgan breaks from Zepeda's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Morgan working the ground and pound effectively.
Morgan lands a big shot there that rocks Zepeda but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Morgan raining down shots from the mount!
Zepeda holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Morgan tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Morgan postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Zepeda looks a forlorn figure.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Morgan pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Morgan thowing shots but they're missing.
Morgan scoring with strikes but Zepeda is staying in there.

Morgan goes for an armbar but Zepeda turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from Zepeda.
Zepeda sitting in guard here, content to control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Morgan throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Morgan keeping moving, preventing Zepeda from controlling successfully.
Andrew Zepeda overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Morgan wants to sweep but no luck.
Morgan throwing strikes off his back to little effect.

Morgan looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Zepeda passes into side control.
Zepeda wants to lay and pray for a moment but Morgan keeps working.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zepeda tries to advance to mount but Morgan denies him.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
A jab from Morgan finds it's way through Zepeda's defenses.
Zepeda misses with a takedown
and Morgan counters with a nice uppercut.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Morgan.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zepeda uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Morgan.
Morgan scores with a jab to the body.
Morgan misses with a two punch combination.
Zepeda shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Morgan swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Zepeda.
Morgan connects with a single shot there.
Morgan thows a leg kick but Zepeda checks it

and Zepeda decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Morgan's guard.
Morgan wants to sweep but no luck.
Zepeda wants to pass the guard but Morgan is keeping the position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Morgan has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Zepeda has passed into side control.

And that's the end of the fight!
Evan Morgan comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Morgan 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 Dean Styles scores the fight for Evan Morgan!
Judge John Roberts scores the fight for Evan Morgan!
Judge Bruno Lombardi scores the fight for Evan Morgan!

Evan Morgan wins by unanimous decision!