PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Khabib Nurmagomedov (ranked 5483 p4p, 24991 weight class) and David Morrell Jr (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Morrell Jr's choice of entrance music: Orishas A lo Cubano. David Morrell Jr will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Nurmagomedov
vs
Morrell Jr

198 cm
18
218
2 - 0 - 0

190 cm
18
214
1 - 8 - 0

Decent wrestler
Brawler
Prefers standup

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Knockout power

Helsinki Xtreme Fightwear

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 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Khabib Nurmagomedov!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, David Morrell Jr!
The judges for this bout are Ben Zyskovitsi, Marco Blurström and Roosa Järviläinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nurmagomedov swats away the attempt to clinch by Morrell Jr.
Nurmagomedov throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Morrell Jr.
Nurmagomedov just misses with a punch to the body.
Morrell Jr with the counter takedown but Nurmagomedov avoids it easily.
Morrell Jr tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Nurmagomedov manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Nurmagomedov jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Morrell Jr tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Nurmagomedov manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Nurmagomedov drops his hands momentarily and Morrell Jr takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Nurmagomedov looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Khabib Nurmagomedov seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A looping hook to the body misses from Nurmagomedov. Morrell Jr does a little dance to reset his feet.
And Morrell Jr tries to counter it with a takedown but Nurmagomedov pushes his down on his head and steps out.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nurmagomedov misses with a few strikes there.
Nurmagomedov pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Morrell Jr avoids the head kick by Nurmagomedov.
Morrell Jr avoids the head kick by Nurmagomedov.
Morrell Jr scores with a nice right hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nurmagomedov throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Nurmagomedov throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Morrell Jr takes one to the side of the head.
Morrell Jr blocks a jab.
Morrell Jr changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Nurmagomedov avoids the head kick by Morrell Jr.
A big right from Nurmagomedov misses.
Morrell Jr with the counter takedown but Nurmagomedov avoids it easily.
Nurmagomedov dodges the punch combination from Morrell Jr.
Nurmagomedov looks to score with a jab to the body but Morrell Jr is just out of range.
Nurmagomedov lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Morrell Jr circles away quickly and effectively.
Morrell Jr tries to close the distance and clinch but Nurmagomedov swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Nice shot lands for Morrell Jr.
Nurmagomedov takes one on the chin but keeps coming.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Morrell Jr tries to clinch there but Nurmagomedov circles away.
Nurmagomedov swats away the attempt to clinch by Morrell Jr.
Nurmagomedov throws a head kick that misses.
Nurmagomedov swings for the body but Morrell Jr moves out of range.
Nurmagomedov misses with a looping left.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
A combination from Nurmagomedov does no damage.
Morrell Jr uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Nurmagomedov.
Nurmagomedov keeps the fight on the outside.
A nice leg kick from Morrell Jr, right into the meat of the thigh.
Morrell Jr connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Nurmagomedov's hands.
Nurmagomedov misses with a body shot.
Nurmagomedov misses with a wild body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A looping hook to the body misses from Nurmagomedov. Morrell Jr does a little dance to reset his feet.
A jab from Nurmagomedov misses.
Nurmagomedov throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Nurmagomedov is looking to wear down Morrell Jr with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Morrell Jr fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Morrell Jr fails with an attempt to clinch.
Morrell Jr avoids the head kick by Nurmagomedov.
Morrell Jr changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Nurmagomedov is breathing heavily.
A head kick misses from Morrell Jr.
Morrell Jr lands a jab-cross combination.
A big left from Nurmagomedov misses.
And Morrell Jr tries to counter it with a takedown but Nurmagomedov pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Nurmagomedov misses the shot to the body.
Morrell Jr tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
The fight stays on the outside here - Morrell Jr looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nurmagomedov takes a swing at Morrell Jr's ribcage but misses.
Morrell Jr throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Nurmagomedov pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Morrell Jr lands with a nice body punch.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Nurmagomedov misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Nurmagomedov misses with a wild body shot.
Morrell Jr tries to clinch up but Nurmagomedov circles away and keeps his distance.
Nurmagomedov misses with a head kick.
Nurmagomedov throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Morrell Jr sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Morrell Jr fails with an attempt to clinch.
Nurmagomedov takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Nurmagomedov tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Morrell Jr was well out of range. Poor timing from Nurmagomedov.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Khabib Nurmagomedov dominated that round.
The cut man is working on David Morrell Jr's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Nurmagomedov missing with a left hand there. Morrell Jr was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Jab from Morrell Jr.
A slow jab from Nurmagomedov misses its intended target.
Nurmagomedov throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Nurmagomedov throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Nurmagomedov takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Both these guys seem content to just stand up and trade with each other but Morrell Jr might want to think about changing up his gameplan a bit because over the course of the fight, Nurmagomedov has got the better of the exchanges.
Morrell Jr lands the left hand.
Nurmagomedov misses with a looping right.
Nurmagomedov will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Morrell Jr throws a leg kick which misses Nurmagomedov's front leg but catches the back leg as Nurmagomedov tries to avoid it.
Nurmagomedov swats away the attempt to clinch by Morrell Jr.
Morrell Jr has been working his punching technique in the buildup to the fight and it appears to be paying off.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Morrell Jr avoids the head kick by Nurmagomedov.
Morrell Jr tries to clinch but Nurmagomedov is having none of it.
Nurmagomedov looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Morrell Jr is looking to clinch but Nurmagomedov is avoiding it.
The fight stays on the outside here - Morrell Jr looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Morrell Jr dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Nurmagomedov throws a hook but Morrell Jr avoids it easily.
Nurmagomedov waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Morrell Jr.
Nurmagomedov throws a series of punches but Morrell Jr moves out of range.
Morrell Jr changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Morrell Jr showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Nurmagomedov.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Morrell Jr tries to close the distance and clinch up but Nurmagomedov swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Nurmagomedov keeps the fight on the outside.
Morrell Jr fails with an attempt to clinch.
Nurmagomedov is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Morrell Jr can do to turn this around?
Morrell Jr wants to clinch up but Nurmagomedov keeps it at a distance.
Morrell Jr displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Nurmagomedov throws out the jab.
Morrell Jr changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Nurmagomedov throws a body shot but no joy.
Nurmagomedov throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Morrell Jr sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Morrell Jr tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Morrell Jr lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Nurmagomedov backs up against the cage.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Nurmagomedov keeps the fight on the outside.
Morrell Jr lands a jab to the nose.
Morrell Jr misses with a head kick.
Nurmagomedov swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Morrell Jr tries to clinch up but Nurmagomedov circles away and keeps his distance.
Nurmagomedov takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
A swing and a miss from Nurmagomedov.
Morrell Jr slips under a jab from Nurmagomedov.
Morrell Jr tries to clinch but Nurmagomedov moves out of range.
Morrell Jr fails with an attempt to clinch.
Nurmagomedov misses with a body shot.
And Morrell Jr tries to counter it with a takedown but Nurmagomedov pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Morrell Jr ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
A head kick misses from Nurmagomedov.
Morrell Jr moves in looking to clinch but Nurmagomedov pushes him off.
Nurmagomedov is looking to counter punch.
Nurmagomedov blocks a head kick by Morrell Jr.
Nurmagomedov throws a head kick but Morrell Jr moves out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nurmagomedov pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Morrell Jr tries to clinch but Nurmagomedov is having none of it.
Nurmagomedov takes a swing at Morrell Jr's ribcage but misses.
Morrell Jr drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Nurmagomedov defends it well.
A big left from Nurmagomedov misses.
Morrell Jr misses with a head kick.
Morrell Jr is looking to clinch.
Morrell Jr dodges the punch combination from Nurmagomedov.
Khabib Nurmagomedov is winning the standup battle so far.
Morrell Jr defending well as Nurmagomedov loads up on a big left hand.
Morrell Jr lands a head kick!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
A head kick misses from Nurmagomedov.
Morrell Jr avoids the body shot from Nurmagomedov.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Khabib Nurmagomedov will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on David Morrell Jr's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Morrell Jr lands a nice looking body shot.
Morrell Jr lands a really nice looking cross but Nurmagomedov seems unphased.
Morrell Jr tries to close the distance and clinch but Nurmagomedov swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Nurmagomedov swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Nurmagomedov throws a big shot that misses.
The fighters circling - Nurmagomedov throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Morrell Jr tries a head kick but it misses.
Morrell Jr avoids the body shot from Nurmagomedov.
Nurmagomedov gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Morrell Jr.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Morrell Jr closes the distance looking to clinch
and Nurmagomedov counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Nurmagomedov avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nurmagomedov misses with the combination.
Morrell Jr changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Nurmagomedov misses with a body shot.
Morrell Jr drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Nurmagomedov defends it well.
Nurmagomedov tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Nurmagomedov tries a head kick but it misses.
Morrell Jr lands a high kick!
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Morrell Jr.
Morrell Jr uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Nurmagomedov.
Nurmagomedov throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Nurmagomedov loads up on a big right hand but Morrell Jr slips the punch.
Nurmagomedov on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Nurmagomedov misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Morrell Jr.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Morrell Jr tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Nurmagomedov manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Nurmagomedov throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Morrell Jr tries to clinch but Nurmagomedov moves out of range.
Nurmagomedov swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Morrell Jr tries to clinch up but Nurmagomedov circles away and keeps his distance.
Morrell Jr fails with an attempt to clinch.
Nurmagomedov looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Morrell Jr displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Nurmagomedov throws out the jab.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Some wild striking there from Nurmagomedov.
Nurmagomedov looks to score with a jab to the body but Morrell Jr is just out of range.
Morrell Jr feints the counter takedown.
Morrell Jr tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Nurmagomedov manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Morrell Jr ducks under a wild hook from Nurmagomedov.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Morrell Jr tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Nurmagomedov paws at him with a jab and circles away.
No joy there for Nurmagomedov, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Nurmagomedov throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Morrell Jr tries to clinch up but Nurmagomedov circles away and keeps his distance.
Morrell Jr throws a head kick that misses.
Nurmagomedov has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Morrell Jr.
Nurmagomedov keeps the fight on the outside.
Morrell Jr moves in looking to clinch but Nurmagomedov pushes him off.
Nurmagomedov throws a body shot but no joy.
Nurmagomedov looks to land a combination but Morrell Jr avoids it well.
Nurmagomedov ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Morrell Jr moves away.
Morrell Jr fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Morrell Jr doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
A head kick misses from Nurmagomedov.
Morrell Jr scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Nurmagomedov doesn't seem bothered though.
Khabib Nurmagomedov is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Nurmagomedov circles away from the clinch attempt.
Nurmagomedov went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
Nurmagomedov takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Morrell Jr tries to clinch but Nurmagomedov is having none of it.
A telegraphed right hand from Nurmagomedov misses the target.
Morrell Jr tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
David Morrell Jr has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Morrell Jr moves out of range as Nurmagomedov strikes.
Nurmagomedov throws a hook to the side of Morrell Jr's head but Morrell Jr sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Morrell Jr feints the counter takedown.
Morrell Jr slips a straight right by Nurmagomedov.
Nurmagomedov swats away the attempt to clinch by Morrell Jr.
Nurmagomedov seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.

And that's the end of the fight!
Khabib Nurmagomedov showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Nurmagomedov has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 30:27
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 30:27
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 29:28

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