PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Chico Morales (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mike Sweat (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both these guys have solid standup skills and neither is particularly fantastic on the ground, so let's hope for a nice standup war!

Morales
vs
Sweat

178 cm
21
148 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

170 cm
18
145 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
KO power

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

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 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Chico Morales!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Mike Sweat!
The judges for this bout are Fedor Mirinova, Aleksandr Martynov and Igor Prikhodko.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Morales just misses with a punch to the body.
Sweat tries to counter by closing the distance.
Morales scores with a decent looking hook.
Nice takedown defense from Morales. No joy for Sweat on that attempt.
Sweat listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Morales throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

Sweat drives through and clinches with Morales against the cage.
A frustrated look appears on Morales's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Morales misses with an elbow over the top.
Morales tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Sweat avoids it.
Sweat blocks an elbow strike from Morales.
Morales misses with an elbow strike.
Sweat is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Morales pulls him back up using the underhooks.

Morales's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Jab from Sweat.

Sweat fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Morales, pushing him back against the cage.
Sweat is trying to break the clinch but Morales has him pressed against the cage.
Sweat blocks an elbow strike from Morales.
Morales keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Sweat's efforts to push away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Morales throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Sweat blocks it with crossed arms.

Sweat jumps into guard, dragging Morales to the mat.

Morales decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Morales lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Sweat fails with an attempt to clinch.
Sweat lands a slapping body shot.
Sweat punishes Morales's body with a nice straight punch.
A jab from Sweat finds it's way through Morales's defenses.
Jab from Sweat.
Morales takes a swing at Sweat's ribcage but misses.
A countering left hand to the body from Sweat misses.
Morales throws a hook to the side of Sweat's head but Sweat sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.

Sweat has taken the fight to the clinch.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Morales gets underhooks to prevent Sweat's takedown attempt.
Chico Morales has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mike Sweat.
Morales has Sweat pressed against the cage, preventing Sweat from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Morales trying to land knees to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A bit of stalling here from Sweat.
Sweat takes an elbow to the temple.
Sweat wants to get back to striking at distance but Morales won't allow it.
Sweat stalling against the cage.
Morales is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Sweat is defending well for now.
Sweat blocks an elbow strike.
Morales tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Sweat avoids it.
Sweat avoids a wild elbow strike from Morales.
Sweat drops down looking for an ankle pick but Morales pulls his leg out and moves away.
Morales misses with a straight right.
Morales throws a head kick but Sweat moves out of range.
Morales misses with a few strikes there.
Sweat dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Sweat shoots in and drives through. Morales sprawls well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sweat lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Morales at a distance.
Morales pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Morales is breathing heavily.

Sweat gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Morales tries a knee to the head but Sweat blocks it.
Morales is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Morales throws an elbow but it misses.
Morales throws an elbow but it misses.
Morales comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Sweat on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Sweat has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Morales avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Morales prevents a takedown attempt there.
Sweat tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Morales avoids it.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Morales just misses with a elbow thrown towards Sweat's brow.
Sweat can't break the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sweat blocks the elbow strike.
Morales tries to land knees in the clinch but Sweat avoids the damage to the body.
Sweat changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Morales fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Morales misses with a body shot
and Sweat counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Sweat lands with a good body shot.
Morales throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Sweat has done a lot of speed work in the buildup to this fight.
Sweat throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Sweat closes this distance looking for a takedown but Morales circles away.
Morales displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Sweat.
Morales changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Sweat cracks Morales with a right hand to the side of the head.
Morales with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.

Sweat gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Morales throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Sweat blocks it with crossed arms.
Morales lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Chico Morales will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Sweat jabs Morales to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Morales has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Morales takes a swing at Sweat's ribcage but misses.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Sweat.
A big left from Morales misses.
Morales loads up on a big right hand but Sweat slips the punch.
Sweat shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Morales as he jumps to the side.
Sweat blocks a jab.
Sweat tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Morales manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Morales swings for the body but Sweat moves out of range.
Morales throws a leg kick which misses Sweat's front leg but catches the back leg as Sweat tries to avoid it.
Sweat is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Morales rather than just go for the knockout.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sweat lands a nice hook to Morales's body. Morales takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Sweat shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Morales defends it nicely.
Chico Morales has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mike Sweat.
Sweat tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Morales manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Morales cracks a nice hook into Sweat's ribs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Morales throws a head kick that Sweat semi-blocks.
Morales lands with a nice combination. Sweat backs away looking to recover.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Morales lands a high kick!
Sweat wants to clinch.
Chico Morales is winning the standup battle so far.

Sweat forces Morales back against the cage and clinches.
Sweat tries to pull guard but Morales forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Sweat drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Morales looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Morales tries to circle away but Sweat has him pinned against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sweat managing to block the knees to the body from Morales.
Morales using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Sweat has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Sweat has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Morales avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Morales creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Morales is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Sweat is defending well for now.
Sweat wants a takedown but no success here.
Morales creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Sweat blocks an elbow strike from Morales.
Sweat prevents Morales from breaking the clinch.
Morales tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Sweat avoids it.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Morales lands a knee to the head.
Sweat drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Morales has Sweat pressed against the cage, preventing Sweat from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Morales working Sweat over with knees to the body.
Morales creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Morales tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Sweat avoids it.
Sweat tries to pull guard but Morales holds him up against the cage and eventually Sweat drops back down to his feet.

Morales breaks from the clinch.
Sweat throws a leg kick but Morales moved away.
Sweat dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Morales throws an off balance right hand
and Sweat counters with a straight right hand.
Sweat moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Sweat tries to clinch there but Morales circles away.
Sweat stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.

Morales is rocked!
Sweat throws a sloppy head kick and Morales moves out of range easily.
Oh Morales is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Sweat closes the distance and lands a brutal uppercut that knocks Morales out! We're looking at the replay now - he was out before he hit the floor!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:57 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Mike Sweat!
Chico Morales was interviewed post fight and said 'I'd like to apologize to all my fans for not putting on the fight they were hoping for. I promise to work hard and come back better than ever! Thanks for all of your support.'.