PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Leon Bridges (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dexter Morgan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Morgan's choice of entrance music: Johnny Cash - Hurt. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Bridges
vs
Morgan

184 cm
22
196 lbs
8 - 3 - 0

185 cm
23
194 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Cardio machine

BJJ Blue Belt
Lethal high kicks
Powerful

Crippler's Corner
Dynamic Nutrition $35 159 Recovery

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 3 - 0, fighting out of New York, Leon Bridges!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Dexter Morgan!
The judges for this bout are Gregory Folan, Dillan Fox and Steve Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Bridges looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Morgan is fending him off so far but Bridges persists. Nope, Morgan circles away and we're back to standing.
Bridges shoots in looking for a takedown. Morgan tries to sprawl out of it but Bridges 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.

Bridges closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
What's Morgan going to do here then? He's in a bit of a pickle.

Bridges tries for a kimura but Morgan is defending well.
Morgan can't do much from the bottom here.
Morgan managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Bridges.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bridges wants to lay and pray for a moment but Morgan keeps working.
Bridges working the ground and pound but Morgan is defending the strikes.
Bridges creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Morgan is not content to let Bridges control the position.
Bridges has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
You can see the frustration on Morgan's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Bridges misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Bridges trying to control the action but Morgan is working from the bottom.
Bridges is working Morgan over with some ground and pound from side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bridges moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.
Morgan tries to improve position but can't.
Bridges fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Morgan is trying to control Bridges's posture but Bridges avoids it.
Bridges taking a breather here.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Morgan tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Bridges wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Morgan avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Bridges.
Morgan is trying to control Bridges's posture but Bridges avoids it.
Morgan wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Bridges is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.
Bridges in side control, throwing shots but Morgan defends.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bridges wants to lay and pray for a moment but Morgan keeps working.
Sloppy strikes there by Bridges.
Bridges creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Morgan sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
The strikes coming from Bridges are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Bridges staying calm.
Morgan is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Bridges off and has taken his back!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Morgan is looking cool and calm here, just waiting for a good opportunity to attack and finish the fight from this dominant position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Leon Bridges dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Morgan is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Morgan darts in and clinches Bridges up against the cage.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Morgan landing knees to the head.

It looks like Leon Bridges has been cut.
Morgan trying to stall but Bridges improves his position.
Morgan looking to throw knees to the head but Bridges is blocking nicely.
Morgan trying to stall but Bridges improves his position.
Morgan is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Bridges drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Morgan gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Morgan throws an elbow that misses.
Morgan effectively controlling the action here.
Morgan crunches a lovely knee into Bridges's ribcage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Morgan trying to land knees to the body.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Morgan misses with a knee strike.
Morgan using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Bridges has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Morgan missing with knees to the body.
Morgan misses with a knee to the head.
Morgan missing with knees to the body.

Bridges has clasped his hands together around Morgan's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
Morgan wants to control but Bridges postures up.
Bridges looking to control but instead Morgan has slipped a leg in, to regain half guard.
Bridges is keen to just control but Morgan is a slippery customer.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bridges thows a huge punch but Morgan dodges it nicely.
Morgan is trying to maintain the position but Bridges is very close to passing his half guard.
Bridges wants to lay and pray for a moment but Morgan keeps working.
Bridges wants to pass the guard but Morgan is defending well.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Morgan trying to control but Bridges postures up.
Bridges slows the pace down in half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Bridges 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.
Morgan cracks the inside of Bridges's front leg.
Morgan lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Morgan swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Nice sprawl there from Morgan as Bridges shoots in.
Bridges swings for the body but Morgan moves out of range.
Morgan tries to close the distance and clinch but Bridges swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Bridges just misses with a punch to the body.
Morgan throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Bridges fails to land the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Leon Bridges. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Morgan moves out of range as Bridges strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bridges lands a nice hook to Morgan's body. Morgan takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.

Bridges scores a takedown into full mount!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Morgan tries to reverse the position but Bridges maintains control.
Morgan tries to lock up and control but Bridges gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Bridges lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Morgan hang on?
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Morgan is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Bridges landing strikes, looking to finish!
Morgan is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dexter Morgan showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Leon Bridges's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, 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.

A slapping leg kick lands for Morgan.
Morgan looks to land a combination but Bridges avoids it well.
Bridges fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Morgan manages to avoid it.
Morgan tries to clinch up.
Morgan tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Bridges connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Morgan tries to close the distance and clinch but Bridges swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Morgan lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Bridges shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Morgan as he jumps to the side.
Morgan tries to close the distance and clinch up but Bridges swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Morgan fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Bridges misses the jab.
Bridges shoots in looking for a takedown but Morgan manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Bridges's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.

Morgan gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Morgan as Bridges tries to tie him up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Morgan looking to throw knees to the head but Bridges is blocking nicely.
Morgan connects with a nasty looking knee right to Bridges's face.
A frustrated look appears on Bridges's face as he tries to break the clinch.
A knee to the head by Morgan.
Morgan displaying some good clinch control by pressing Bridges up against the cage.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Bridges goes for a takedown in the clinch but Morgan prevents it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Leon Bridges. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Bridges wants a takedown but no success here.
Morgan tries to land a knee to the head but Bridges blocks with his arms.
Morgan unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Morgan missing with knees to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Morgan misses with a knee strike.

Bridges breaks the clinch.

Bridges scores a takedown into full mount!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Bridges postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Morgan looks a forlorn figure.
Bridges looking to control but Morgan is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Morgan is desperately trying to improve his position but Bridges has a good base and remains in mount.
Bridges landing strikes from the mount and Morgan is in trouble!
Bridges throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bridges tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Morgan tries to hold on but Bridges pushes him away.
Bridges is in the full mount, landing strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Morgan is bucking up trying to escape but Bridges cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Bridges has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Morgan's face.
Morgan is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Bridges has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Morgan's face.
Morgan tries to hold on but Bridges postures up.
Morgan is squirming around, avoiding Bridges's attempts to control the action.
Leon Bridges overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Morgan taking shots to the head.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Morgan is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Leon Bridges showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Bridges 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 Gregory Folan scores the fight 29:28
Judge Dillan Fox scores the fight 29:28
Judge Steve Smith scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Leon Bridges!
In his post fight interview, Leon Bridges started talking himself up. Luckily his charisma kept the crowd on side and gave him a good reception.