PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Burley Haines (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ceasar Morgan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Morgan has chosen Fat Lip as his entrance music. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Haines
vs
Morgan

177 cm
28
152 lbs
12 - 2 - 2

175 cm
29
145 lbs
10 - 5 - 1

Good takedowns
Counter fighter
Very quick

Good takedowns
Counter fighter
Good gas tank

GREEN!160

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 2 - 2, fighting out of Las Vegas, Burley Haines!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 5 - 1, fighting out of Los Angeles, Ceasar Morgan!
The judges for this bout are Columbo Gatti, David Schapiro and Chad Campbell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Haines gets a clinch.
Haines goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Haines struggles to land a body shot inside as Morgan controls his hands.
Morgan prevents a body shot from Haines.
Haines misses with a hook from the clinch.
Haines is pressed up against the cage. Morgan has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Haines down to the mat. Haines avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Morgan connects with a body shot.
Morgan has his takedown stuffed

and Haines counters by moving into the clinch.
Morgan jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Haines walks away with a smile on his face. Morgan gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Burley Haines has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ceasar Morgan.
Morgan gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Haines counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Haines connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
A big left from Haines misses.
Morgan moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Haines scores with a crisp jab that stopped Morgan in his tracks.
Haines swinging wildly here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Morgan doesn't manage to clinch there - Haines circles away.
Haines tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Morgan manages to circle out of the way.
Morgan tries to clinch up
and Haines counters with a right hand to the body.

Morgan looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Haines trying to control but Morgan postures up.
Haines blocking the ground and pound attempt from Morgan.
Morgan stalling away here and it's allowed Haines to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Morgan pushing down on Haines's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Haines is staying active underneath Morgan, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Haines wants to control but Morgan is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Haines wants to get back to full guard but Morgan has mounted him!
Morgan sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Morgan avoids the attempt from Haines to control.
We've been hearing good reports from Haines's training camp. Apparently he has been rolling around with some good quality BJJ practitioners and has been sharpening his skills. Let's see if that has an impact on the fight today.
Morgan wants to control the pace but Haines is squirming around nicely.
Morgan throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Haines because Morgan loaded up on that one.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Haines keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Haines tries to hold on but Morgan postures up.
Morgan looking to control but Haines is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Haines flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.
Morgan throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Haines because Morgan loaded up on that one.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Morgan takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Morgan 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 four minutes gone in the round.
Haines taking shots to the head.
Morgan throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Morgan controlling the position easily from mount.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Haines is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Morgan sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Haines wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Morgan.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Haines is in all sorts of trouble here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ceasar Morgan dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Morgan dodges the punch combination from Haines.
Haines throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

Morgan drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Morgan staying calm.
Haines can't do much from the bottom here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Haines manages to work his way to half guard, despite Morgan's best efforts.
Morgan keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Haines avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Morgan.
Haines wants to improve his position but Morgan is controlling well.
Morgan is trying to control. Haines wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Haines is trying to get back to full guard.
Morgan has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Haines is pressing down on Morgan's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Morgan wants to control from the top but Haines keeps moving.

That's two 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.
Morgan looking to sit in guard and control but Haines gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Haines trying to control the position from guard on top but Morgan is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Haines postures up.
Haines is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.

Morgan working for a triangle but Haines defends it easily.
Haines wants to control from the top but Morgan keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Morgan looking to hit a scissor sweep but Haines is one step ahead there.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Morgan throws a right and a left that both miss.
Morgan shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Haines but Haines pushes him off and we're back to square one.
It looked like Haines wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Haines doesn't manage to clinch there - Morgan circles away.
Morgan takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Haines loads up on a big right hand but Morgan slips the punch.

Haines gets caught napping as Morgan dives in and scores a takedown. Haines manages to retain guard.
Morgan trying to control the position from guard on top but Haines is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Haines looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Haines is trying to control the position but Morgan postures up.
Haines keeping moving, preventing Morgan from controlling successfully.
Ceasar Morgan has got the better of the ground game so far.
Morgan might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Haines haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Ceasar Morgan will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Morgan shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Haines but Haines pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Haines is looking to counter punch.
Morgan shoots in looking for a takedown. Haines tries to sprawl out of it but Morgan keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Haines manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Haines wants to clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Haines looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Morgan misses with a low kick.
Haines throws a leg kick that misses.
Haines lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Haines throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Morgan.
And Morgan responds with a good body kick, but Haines manages to step out the way in time.

Haines gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Haines tries a body shot but Morgan blocks it.

Haines gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Morgan tries to push off, looking to stand up, but Haines manages to move to mount!
Haines looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Morgan is desperately trying to improve his position but Haines has a good base and remains in mount.
Haines controlling from the full mount.
Morgan sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Morgan is pressing down on Haines's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Burley Haines has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Haines trying to control the position from guard on top but Morgan is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Morgan controls Haines momentarily but Haines frees himself.
Haines 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.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Morgan is trying to keep Haines in close.
Haines trying to control the position from guard on top but Morgan is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Morgan looking to hit a scissor sweep but Haines is one step ahead there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Haines in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Haines seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Haines works over Morgan with some ground and pound from guard.
Haines controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Haines stopping the sweep attempt from Morgan.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Haines shoots in looking for a takedown but Morgan manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Haines's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.

That's four 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.
Haines tries to clinch up but Morgan circles away and keeps his distance.
Morgan follows through with a counter body kick but it doesn't land.
Morgan misses with a takedown attempt - Haines sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Burley Haines has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ceasar Morgan.
Morgan avoids a punch combination nicely.
Morgan fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Haines is looking to counter with a shot to the body.

Morgan shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Morgan won't allow Haines to sweep him here.
Ceasar Morgan is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Morgan wants to control from the top but Haines keeps moving.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Morgan seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.

And that's the end of the fight!
Burley Haines showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Morgan 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 Columbo Gatti scores the fight 29:28
Judge David Schapiro scores the fight 28:29
Judge Chad Campbell scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Ceasar Morgan!
Our winner, Ceasar Morgan, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.