PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Henry Morgan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Carl Draiman (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Buckle up people - heeeeeeeeeere we go!

Morgan
vs
Draiman

181 cm
20
190 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

178 cm
25
193 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Self confident

Good takedowns
Basic striking
Intelligent

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Henry Morgan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Carl Draiman!
The judges for this bout are Gwen Towbar, Tiny Johnson and Chris Downing.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Morgan misses with a takedown attempt - Draiman sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Draiman wants to clinch.
Morgan fails with the takedown

and Draiman counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Draiman trying to control the position from guard on top but Morgan is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Morgan wants to improve his position but instead Draiman has moved into half guard.
Draiman wants to take a breather but Morgan is having none of it.
Draiman keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Let's hope that Draiman has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Draiman trying to control the action but Morgan is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Carl Draiman has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Morgan throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Draiman.
Morgan is trying hard to land a takedown here. Draiman sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Henry Morgan. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Draiman avoids a kick to the body.
Draiman tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Morgan paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Draiman circles away from the clinch attempt.
Draiman throws a right and a left that Morgan avoids nicely.
Morgan throws a leg kick but Draiman moved away.
Draiman just misses with a punch to the body.

Draiman fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Morgan to the ground. Draiman is now in Morgan's guard.
Draiman controls from within his opponent's guard.
It looks like Draiman might be adopting somewhat of a lay and pray gameplan here, which I'm sure won't go down too well with the paying fans in attendance... Or the ring announcers come to think of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Draiman looking to sit in guard and control but Morgan gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Draiman is on top in guard.
Draiman controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Draiman trying to control the position from guard on top but Morgan is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Carl Draiman hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Morgan shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Morgan shoots in looking for a takedown but Draiman manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Morgan's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Morgan tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Draiman looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Draiman stalling.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Morgan is looking for a sweep. Draiman is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Morgan is breathing heavily.
Morgan wants to control but Draiman is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Draiman not doing much here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Carl Draiman was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Draiman closes this distance looking for a takedown but Morgan circles away.
Morgan misses with a takedown attempt
and Draiman counters with a nice uppercut.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Morgan stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Morgan wants it to stay on the feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Carl Draiman dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Draiman changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Morgan tries to avoid it but Draiman manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Morgan to the ground. Morgan escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Morgan shoots in looking for a takedown. Draiman tries to sprawl out of it but Morgan keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Draiman manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Morgan tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Draiman manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Morgan wants to clinch up but Draiman keeps it at a distance.
Draiman thows a body shot but no joy.
Morgan checks a leg kick.

Morgan drives through and clinches with Draiman against the cage.

Morgan escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Morgan tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Draiman misses with a wild combination.
Morgan tries to clinch but Draiman moves out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A bone on bone clash there as Morgan blocks the leg kick.
Draiman slaps away a takedown attempt from Morgan, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Draiman circles away from the clinch attempt

and Draiman counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Morgan's guard now.
Morgan has Draiman pulled in close to control his posture.
Draiman's corner is telling him to maintain position.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Draiman accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Draiman is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Draiman passes Morgan's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Draiman is working for a kimura but Morgan is defending it quite comfortably.
Carl Draiman has got the better of the ground game so far.
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!
Draiman is figuring out what he wants to do next.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Draiman sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Morgan defending well though.
Draiman controlling the action here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Morgan is looking to control Draiman's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Morgan avoid being mounted?
Draiman has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Draiman wants to control the pace but Morgan is squirming around nicely.

Draiman has hold of Morgan's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Morgan manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Morgan wants to get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Morgan is looking to improve his position but Draiman isn't that keen on the idea.
Draiman tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Carl Draiman showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Draiman circles away from the clinch attempt

and Draiman counters by moving into the clinch.
Morgan tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

Morgan breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Draiman uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Morgan.

Draiman drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Morgan is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
A lull in the action here as Draiman stalls from top position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Morgan is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Morgan is trying to escape and get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Draiman controlling from side mount.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Carl Draiman was stalling too much, according to the referee.

Draiman fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Morgan to the ground. Draiman is now in Morgan's guard.
Morgan knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Draiman on the ground.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Draiman advances to half guard.
Morgan wants to control the action here but instead Draiman manages to pass to full mount!
Draiman lands a heavy elbow.
Morgan sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Draiman is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Draiman perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Draiman has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Draiman tries to stand but can't do so whilst Morgan controls his leg.
Carl Draiman is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Draiman performing his best blanket impression for a moment.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Carl Draiman.
Morgan shoots in for a double leg but Draiman sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Morgan tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Draiman counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Draiman scoring with some ground and pound.
Morgan can't keep his opponent in guard - Draiman advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Henry Morgan has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Draiman performing his best blanket impression for a moment.

And that's the end of the fight!
Carl Draiman comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Draiman 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 Gwen Towbar scores the fight 27:30
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 27:30
Judge Chris Downing scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Carl Draiman!
Carl Draiman thanked the fans post fight for their support.