PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Michael Taylor (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Marcos de Moraes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). This should be a great matchup!

Taylor
vs
de Moraes

175 cm
19
175 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

180 cm
19
181 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Self confident

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter striker
Intelligent

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 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Michael Taylor!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Marcos de Moraes!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Cesar, Leandro Rodrigues and Felipe Paraventi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Taylor looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Taylor sitting and controlling from the half guard.
de Moraes tries to get to full guard but Taylor has control of the leg.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Taylor is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Taylor's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.

de Moraes looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Taylor knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for de Moraes on the ground.
Taylor controlling the action here.
Taylor looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Taylor is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.

That's one minute gone in the round.
de Moraes moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

de Moraes escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Taylor gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

de Moraes had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Taylor is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. de Moraes Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Taylor's back instead.
Taylor wants to control his opponent's hands but de Moraes gets his hands free.
Taylor can't escape the position.

Taylor preventing the rear naked choke attempt from de Moraes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Taylor looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.
Taylor tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Taylor tries to hold on but de Moraes pushes him away.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Michael Taylor just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Taylor closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Taylor is breathing heavily.

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.
de Moraes is looking for a sweep.
de Moraes prevents Taylor from improving position.

Taylor thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
de Moraes is looking to regain half guard here but Taylor keeps moving and retains side control.
Taylor trying to control the position but de Moraes is working away.
Taylor tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
de Moraes is looking for a sweep.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
de Moraes with a lazy takedown attempt

and Taylor counters with a takedown into side control.
de Moraes tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Taylor wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Taylor controlling the position.
de Moraes tries to improve position but can't.
de Moraes is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Taylor controls the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
de Moraes regains half guard.
Taylor is figuring out what he wants to do next.
de Moraes is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Michael Taylor dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Taylor with a lazy takedown attempt

and de Moraes counters with a shoot takedown. Taylor fights it but they end up in guard.
Taylor seems keen to control de Moraes's posture.
de Moraes stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Taylor swivels though and keeps the full guard.

de Moraes drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and de Moraes jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Taylor seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Taylor wants to sweep but no luck.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
de Moraes looking to pass the guard.

Taylor is looking for a triangle but de Moraes pushes his legs off easily.
de Moraes tries to free his leg and advance position but Taylor is retaining full guard.
Taylor is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
de Moraes forces his way into half guard.
Taylor is looking to get full guard. It looks like he might be successful but at the last minute de Moraes jumps into side control!
Taylor manages to work his way to half guard, despite de Moraes's best efforts.
Taylor tries to get to full guard but de Moraes has control of the leg.
de Moraes wants to pass to mount but Taylor is defending the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Taylor wants to improve his position but de Moraes is controlling well.

de Moraes wants to work for an arm triangle but Taylor is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
de Moraes tries to pass to full mount but Taylor defends it.
Michael Taylor overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Taylor looking for submissions off his back.

de Moraes is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Taylor defends it well.
Taylor is trying to control but can't.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
de Moraes with a poor takedown

and Taylor counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Taylor.
de Moraes keeping moving, preventing Taylor from controlling successfully.

de Moraes looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Taylor passes into side control.
Taylor wants to control but de Moraes is keeping him busy.
de Moraes gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Taylor is figuring out what he wants to do next.
de Moraes is refusing to be controlled, as Taylor sits in half guard.
Taylor slows the pace down in half guard.
Taylor wants to pass the guard but de Moraes is defending well.
de Moraes is not content to let Taylor control the position.
Taylor is pressing down on de Moraes's thigh, looking to free his foot. de Moraes is holding on for now.
Taylor is keen to just control but de Moraes is a slippery customer.

de Moraes looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Marcos de Moraes will probably get the nod - 10:9.
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. And we move into the final round!

de Moraes doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Taylor counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Taylor.

de Moraes escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Taylor gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Taylor passes into half guard.
Taylor looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Taylor looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Taylor slows the pace down in half guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Michael Taylor just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.

Taylor feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.

de Moraes looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Taylor stays in close to de Moraes's body and controls the position.
Taylor preventing the sweep.
Taylor controlling from the top position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

de Moraes looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Taylor stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. de Moraes swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Taylor trying to control the position from guard on top but de Moraes is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Taylor sitting in guard, not really doing much.

de Moraes throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Taylor pushing down on de Moraes's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taylor with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Taylor trying to control from half guard but de Moraes is working away.
de Moraes tries to get to full guard but Taylor has control of the leg.

de Moraes looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Taylor seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Taylor seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down de Moraes for as long as he can get away with.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Michael Taylor just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
de Moraes with a poor takedown

and Taylor counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in de Moraes's guard now.
Taylor wants to pass the guard but de Moraes is keeping the position.
Taylor slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Taylor trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Taylor trying to control the position from guard on top but de Moraes is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Taylor avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Taylor passes easily into side control. Nice work.

And that's the end of the fight!
Michael Taylor showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Taylor 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 Daniel Cesar scores the fight 29:28
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 30:28
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 30:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Michael Taylor!