PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between James Morgan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nick Diaz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Diaz is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Edo. G - Like That . Nick Diaz has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Morgan
vs
Diaz

180 cm
22
200 lbs
12 - 5 - 0

185 cm
23
185 lbs
13 - 4 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Dangerous knees
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

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 12 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, James Morgan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 13 - 4 - 0, fighting out of London, Nick Diaz!
The judges for this bout are Sergei Dronov, Vladimir Khabensky and Fedor Mirinova.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Morgan ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Morgan throws a quick inside leg kick.
Diaz throws a body punch but Morgan moves out of range.
Morgan looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Morgan throws a push kick but Diaz slaps the foot to one side.
Morgan jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Some bone on bone action there as Diaz checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Morgan lands a nice looking kick to the body. Diaz takes a step back to recover.
Diaz takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Morgan slips a jab from Diaz.
Morgan jabs Diaz to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Morgan fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Morgan avoids the body shot from Diaz.
Morgan gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
James Morgan seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Morgan takes one to the side of the head.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Morgan moves out of range of the strikes.
Morgan moves out of range as Diaz strikes.
Diaz looks to throw the jab but Morgan is out of range.
The fight stays on the outside here - Morgan looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Diaz misses with an uppercut. Morgan saw that one coming.
Diaz misses with a body kick.
A telegraphed right hand from Diaz misses the target.
Morgan throws a body kick that misses.
Morgan lands a jab to the head.
Diaz tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Morgan was well out of range. Poor timing from Diaz.
Morgan steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Diaz.
Morgan throws a one two combo.

Diaz 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.
Diaz stays in close to Morgan's body and controls the position.
Diaz forces his way into half guard.

Diaz postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Morgan to stand up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Morgan fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Diaz has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Morgan bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.
Diaz will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Diaz walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Morgan.
Diaz's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Morgan connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Diaz scrambles back to his feet.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Diaz crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Morgan - the referee stops the clock and Diaz gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Morgan. Diaz manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
Morgan lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Morgan connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Diaz's hands.
Morgan thows a left - swing and a miss!
A lazy left from Morgan finds it's target.
Diaz throws a low kick, looking for Morgan's leg but Morgan calmly moves out of range.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Diaz.

Diaz fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Morgan sprawls well initially but Diaz persists and gets the takedown into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Diaz wants to work for an arm triangle but Morgan is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Diaz wants to pass the guard but Morgan is defending well.
Diaz is controlling the pace.

Diaz is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Morgan is holding on to half guard well.
Morgan wants to control but Diaz passes into side.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Diaz throws a strike aimed at the side of Morgan's head but Morgan avoids it well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Nick Diaz will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Diaz looks to throw the jab but Morgan is out of range.
Morgan throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
Diaz looks to score with a jab to the body but Morgan is just out of range.
Morgan is looking to score with low kicks.
Diaz cracks a nice hook into Morgan's ribs.

Diaz bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.

Diaz looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.

Diaz tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Diaz has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Diaz sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Morgan is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.

Diaz wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Morgan, who protects the arm well.

That's two 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.
Morgan trying to remain calm as Diaz controls from the top position.

Diaz is trying to get an arm triangle but Morgan is defending well.
A lull in the action here as Diaz stalls from top position.
Diaz tries to move to mount but Morgan blocks the move with his legs.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Diaz creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Morgan sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.

Diaz tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Morgan stops Diaz from passing to mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Diaz working the ground and pound but Morgan is defending the strikes.
Morgan is looking to reverse the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nick Diaz showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Diaz misses with a few strikes there.
Morgan digs a good hook to Diaz's body.
Morgan misses with a combination
and Diaz counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Diaz moves out of range of the body kick from Morgan.
The fighters circling - Diaz throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
James Morgan is winning the standup battle so far.
Morgan comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.

Diaz clinches.
Morgan tries to land knees in the clinch but Diaz avoids the damage to the body.
Diaz trying to control the position but instead, Morgan has worked for underhooks and has pushed Diaz into the cage.
Diaz is trying to break the clinch but Morgan has him pressed against the cage.
Morgan tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Diaz is trying to break free.
Morgan pushes off an throws an elbow but Diaz leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Morgan tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Morgan lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Diaz blocks an elbow strike.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Morgan crunches a lovely knee into Diaz's ribcage.
Morgan misses with a short punch on the inside.
Diaz wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Diaz tries to throw a body punch but Morgan avoids it by throwing Diaz back against the cage.
Diaz is looking for a takedown.

Morgan's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Diaz misses with a body shot.
Diaz with a nice cross.
A lazy left from Diaz finds it's target.
Diaz ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Morgan moves away.
Morgan connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Diaz momentarily.
Morgan jabs Diaz to the body, keeping him at a distance.
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!
A jab from Morgan misses.
Morgan throws a jab but it's blocked by Diaz.
Diaz gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Morgan throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Diaz looks to land a left hand but Morgan moved out of range nicely.
Diaz misses with a low kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nice cross by Diaz.
Morgan scores with a leg kick.
A looping hook to the body misses from Morgan. Diaz does a little dance to reset his feet.
Diaz misses with a double jab.
Diaz moves out of range of the leg kick from Morgan.
Morgan throws a wild body kick that Diaz sees coming a mile off.
Diaz looks to land a right hand but Morgan moved out of range.
Diaz fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Diaz misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Morgan.
Diaz fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Morgan manages to avoid it.
Diaz misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Morgan.
Diaz moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Morgan.
Morgan uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Diaz.
Diaz throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Diaz goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Morgan pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Nick Diaz 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.
Diaz misses with a low kick as Morgan jumps back.
Morgan misses with a low kick.
Diaz fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Morgan manages to avoid it.
James Morgan is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Diaz misses with a hook. Morgan ducked under it nicely.
Morgan thuds his shin into the meat of Diaz's side.
Diaz blocks a jab.
A swing and a miss from Diaz.
Diaz swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Diaz avoids a kick to the body.
Morgan lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Diaz swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Diaz pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Morgan uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Diaz.
Morgan with a nice cross.
Diaz ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Morgan moves away.
Morgan takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Diaz wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Diaz tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Morgan was well out of range. Poor timing from Diaz.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Morgan tries to land a front kick but Diaz steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Diaz clobbers Morgan with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Diaz jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Diaz lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Morgan circles away quickly and effectively.
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!
Diaz takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Diaz takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Morgan staying out of range there.
Morgan pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
A looping hook to the body misses from Morgan. Diaz does a little dance to reset his feet.
James Morgan has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
A big left from Diaz misses.
Morgan staying out of range there.
Morgan pushes Diaz away with a front kick.
A solid body kick from Morgan.
Diaz throws a hook to the side of Morgan's head but Morgan sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Morgan throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Diaz misses the jab.
Diaz has developed a nice purple lump on his ribcage, as a result of some heavy body kicks from Morgan.
Morgan looks to score with a jab to the body but Diaz is just out of range.
Morgan lands with a nice body punch.

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 James Morgan.
I think Diaz has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Sergei Dronov scores the fight 28:29
Judge Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 28:29
Judge Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Nick Diaz!
Nick Diaz took to the mic in his post fight interview and said 'I think smoking pot is good for mixed martial artists. It’s a new day and age, this is, uh, the year … Fuck year is it? I don’t know, because I’ve been training and smoking pot like I should, instead of paying attention to other bullshit, which I don’t do.'.