PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Blake Halder (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jason Morgan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). This should be fireworks!

Halder
vs
Morgan

192 cm
35
263 lbs
19 - 7 - 0

191 cm
39
247 lbs
21 - 16 - 1

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Granite chin

Good wrestler
World class MT
Granite chin

Conviction

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 19 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Blake Halder!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 21 - 16 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Jason Morgan!
The judges for this bout are Roosa Järviläinen, Ben Zyskovitsi and Johanna Lukiainen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Halder misses with a takedown attempt
and Morgan counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Halder misses with a body shot.
Morgan misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Halder pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Halder throws a low kick but Morgan moves out of range easily.
Morgan misses with a hook.
Halder looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Morgan throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Morgan bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Halder's head.
Morgan throws the kick towards the body but Halder avoids it.
Halder takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Jab, jab by Morgan - just one landing.
Halder throws a one two combo.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A big right from Halder misses.
Morgan tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Halder fails with the takedown
and Morgan counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Morgan misses with a looping left.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Halder throws a good cross that connects.
Halder scores with a nice right hand.

Halder closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.

Halder thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Morgan struggling a bit here.
Morgan is in a bad spot here and he knows it... just holding on for now.
Halder working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Morgan is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Halder off and has taken his back!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Halder can't escape the position.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Morgan has good solid back control here.
Let's hope that Morgan 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.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
You can see the frustration on Halder's face… He knows he is in trouble unless he improves his position sooner rather than later.
Morgan has the hooks sunk in and you can see the will to fight slowly draining out of Halder's body.
Halder is really stuck here.
Morgan has the hooks sunk in and you can see the will to fight slowly draining out of Halder's body.
Morgan's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Halder turns into Morgan and is now in his guard.
Morgan wants to sweep here but Halder controlling him for the moment.
Morgan trying to keep a closed guard but Halder is proving a slippery customer.
Halder throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Morgan works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Halder tries to free his leg and advance position but Morgan is retaining full guard.
Halder is looking to work some ground and pound but Morgan has wrist control.
Halder scoring with some ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Halder wants to control from the top but Morgan keeps moving.
Morgan is trying to keep Halder in close.
Halder trying to control but Morgan is working from the bottom.
Halder throwing strikes from guard but Morgan blocks nicely.
Morgan looking for a sweep. Not yet Morgan, not yet.
Halder working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Morgan avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Morgan wants to stand and escape but Halder is having none of it.
Halder passes Morgan's left leg - he's now in half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Morgan throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Halder tries to land a front kick but Morgan steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
A nice leg kick lands there from Morgan.
Halder thows a left - swing and a miss!
A solid leg kick lands there for Morgan.
Halder connects with a solid leg kick.
Halder checks the leg kick nicely there.
Halder tries to clinch up.
A looping hook to the body misses from Halder. Morgan does a little dance to reset his feet.
Halder misses with a wild body shot.
Halder throws an off balance right hand
and Morgan counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Halder gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Halder throws a push kick but Morgan slaps the foot to one side.
Morgan misses with a wild body shot.
Morgan dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Halder. That did some damage!
Morgan misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
As Morgan tries to get set, Halder tries to push him back and clinch up but Morgan manages to avoid the attempt.
Morgan scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A looping hook to the body misses from Halder. Morgan does a little dance to reset his feet.
Jason Morgan seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Morgan misses with a few strikes there.
A telegraphed right hand from Morgan misses the target.
Halder plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Halder throws a sloppy head kick and Morgan moves out of range easily.
Morgan throws a head kick that misses.
Halder fires out a quick counter leg kick but Morgan just manages to avoid it.
Morgan listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Morgan takes one to the side of the head.
Morgan throws a head kick that misses.
Halder on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Halder checks a leg kick nicely.
Morgan defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Halder.
Morgan takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Morgan misses with a hook
and Halder counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Halder cracks Morgan with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Morgan connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Halder keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Halder throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Morgan stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Halder bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Morgan's head.
Morgan scores with a punch to the head.

Halder closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Halder not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Halder throws a big elbow that misses, also allowing Morgan to regain full guard.
Halder throwing strikes from guard but Morgan blocks nicely.
Halder throwing strikes from guard but Morgan blocks nicely.
Morgan wants to sweep here but Halder controlling him for the moment.
Halder postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Halder works over Morgan with some ground and pound from guard.
Morgan avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Halder throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Halder wants to control from the top but Morgan keeps moving.
Halder keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Morgan's head.
Halder wants to control from the top but Morgan keeps moving.
Halder throwing strikes from guard but Morgan blocks nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Halder with a flurry of punches that miss.
Morgan trying to keep a closed guard but Halder is proving a slippery customer.

Halder drops back, looking for a kneebar! Morgan looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Morgan looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Morgan!

Halder is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Morgan off and has taken his back!
Morgan is trying to escape under a series of strikes and manages to escape from Halder 's hooks.
Halder lands a nice shot to the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Blake Halder will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

A leg kick checked by Halder.
Halder avoids a kick to the body.
Morgan connects with an inside leg kick.
Halder avoids the body shot from Morgan.
Morgan stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Halder on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Morgan. Morgan obviously looking to wear him down.
Halder tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Morgan swivels and escapes.
Morgan attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Morgan connects with a good right hand that stumbles Halder. Halder circles away out of range and recomposes himself.

Halder decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Halder not landing any meaningful shots this time.

Halder is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Morgan sees it coming and defends easily.
Morgan gets full guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Halder postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Morgan is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Halder, into his guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Halder working a defensive guard here.
Morgan not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Morgan wants to stand but Halder is controlling his posture from full guard.
Morgan slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

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.
Halder is trying to hold Morgan in close to prevent damage but Morgan has managed to pass into half guard.
Halder is not content to let Morgan control the position.
Morgan is looking to advance position but Halder won't allow it.

Halder is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Morgan pulls his head out easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Morgan wants to pass the guard but Halder is defending well.
Halder is looking to control Morgan's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Halder avoid being mounted?
Morgan perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Jason Morgan is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Morgan misses with a wild body shot.
Halder ducks under a wild hook from Morgan.
Halder misses with a hook.

Halder scores with a takedown into Morgan's guard.

Morgan uses the cage to get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Morgan delivers a nice body kick.
Halder digs a good body shot into Morgan's ribs.
Halder misses with a kick to the body.
Halder backing away here, and Morgan unleashes a leg kick that just misses.
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!
Halder throws a low kick but it's checked well by Morgan.
Morgan uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Halder.
Morgan fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Halder.
Halder throws a leg kick but Morgan sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Morgan throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Halder is looking to counter punch.
Halder misses with a looping left.
Halder is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Halder throws an overhand right that lands on Morgan's shoulder, as Morgan tries to avoid the shot.
Halder throws a poor cross that misses
and Morgan counters with a left to the body.
Morgan takes a swing at Halder's ribcage but misses.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jason Morgan comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
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 Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 28:30
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 29:29
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Jason Morgan!
Jason Morgan got down on his knees post fight and begged the management for a title shot. 'Please, I want that title shot so bad! Give it to me!'