PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Matthew Carroll (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kurt Moroney (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Matthew Carroll has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Carroll
vs
Moroney

217 cm
23
140 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

170 cm
25
140 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Matthew Carroll!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Kurt Moroney!
The judges for this bout are Elvis Blanc, Gregory Folan and Ian Loll.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Moroney clinches with his opponent.
Moroney is trying to maintain a safe position but Carroll gets an underhook and turns Moroney into the cage.
Carroll really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
A head punch on the inside from Moroney fails to land.
Carroll tries to score a body lock takedown but Moroney shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Carroll's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!

Carroll breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Carroll drives through and clinches with Moroney against the cage.

Carroll is trying to trip Moroney. He has hold of a leg but Moroney is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Carroll persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Moroney is looking to stand back up but Carroll counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Moroney.

Moroney is looking to improve his position.
Carroll will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Moroney wants to control but Carroll is keeping busy.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Carroll is working for a kimura but Moroney is defending it quite comfortably.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Moroney is looking for a sweep. Carroll is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

Carroll is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Carroll is keen to just control but Moroney is a slippery customer.
Moroney looks like he's trying to stand up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.

Carroll is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Moroney doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Carroll.
Moroney has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Carroll is working away from the top position though.

Carroll is working for a kimura but Moroney is defending it quite comfortably.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Moroney slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Moroney is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Carroll is controlling him.
Carroll trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.

Carroll moves into the clinch.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.

That's four 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.

Carroll works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Moroney seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Moroney wants to stand up but Carroll is controlling him.
Carroll throws a big elbow that misses.
Moroney wants to control but Carroll passes easily into half guard.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Carroll is working for a kimura but Moroney is defending it quite comfortably.
Moroney pushes Carroll off looking to stand but Carroll dives back in and keeps control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matthew Carroll dominated that round.
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.

Moroney drives through and clinches with Carroll against the cage.
Carroll is looking to take this one to the mat.

Carroll's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Moroney misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Kurt Moroney is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Moroney gets a clinch.
Moroney jumps guard but Carroll stands there with Moroney around his waist. Moroney gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.

Moroney jumps guard.

Moroney uses the cage to get back to his feet.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Moroney has managed to clinch.
Carroll is working for takedown but Moroney is calmly controlling the position for now.
Carroll goes for a takedown in the clinch but Moroney prevents it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Matthew Carroll. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Moroney prevents the takedown attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Carroll has clasped his hands together around Moroney's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
Moroney is trying to control Carroll's posture but Carroll avoids it.
Moroney is looking to regain half guard here but Carroll keeps moving and retains side control.
Moroney can't do much from the bottom here.
Moroney takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Moroney tries to wriggle free to get back to his feet but he's given up his back! Oops.
Matthew Carroll overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Carroll is not going to allow Moroney to sit and survive in this position.
Moroney is trying to get back to his feet but he's not managed it yet.
Moroney trying to control the hands but Carroll breaks the grip.

Moroney defending nicely against the rear naked choke attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Carroll controlling well, preventing Moroney from escaping the position.
Moroney trying to control the hands but Carroll won't let him.

Carroll is working really hard to secure the rear naked choke. Moroney defends successfully for a significant amount of time. Both fighters are looking very determined.
Carroll wants to control but Moroney is keeping busy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Carroll biding his time, looking for the opening.
Despite being in a bad position, Moroney is controlling the hands, preventing any submission attempts.

Moroney showing good submission defense here.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Moroney is really stuck here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Kurt Moroney will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Moroney looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Carroll is fending him off so far but Moroney persists. Nope, Carroll circles away and we're back to standing.
Carroll takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.

Carroll takes the fight into the clinch.

Carroll lands a takedown into guard.
Carroll makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Moroney working a defensive guard here.

Carroll drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Carroll jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Carroll is working Moroney over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Carroll throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Moroney works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Carroll lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Carroll is looking to stand up but Moroney won't let him.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Carroll closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Moroney's guard.
Carroll throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Moroney works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Moroney wants to stand but Carroll is controlling the position.
Moroney is using up a lot of energy trying to get back to his feet. Perhaps he should improve his position first.
Moroney is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Carroll preventing the sweep.
Carroll content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Moroney wants to sweep here but Carroll controlling him for the moment.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

Carroll moves into the clinch.
Moroney stops a takedown attempt from Carroll.
Moroney lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Moroney gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Carroll.
Carroll drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Matthew Carroll. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Moroney lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Carroll backwards.

Moroney pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Moroney closes this distance looking for a takedown but Carroll circles away.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Moroney.
It looked like Carroll was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Moroney.
Moroney takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Moroney swats away the attempt to clinch by Carroll.

Moroney clinches with his opponent.
Carroll tries for a takedown. No joy.
Moroney tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Carroll has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Moroney after a bit of a struggle.

Moroney manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Carroll postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Carroll loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Carroll's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Moroney working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Carroll.
Carroll stops Moroney from standing up.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Carroll with a flurry of punches that miss.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Moroney utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Matthew Carroll.
I think Carroll 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 Elvis Blanc scores the fight 30:28
Judge Gregory Folan scores the fight 30:27
Judge Ian Loll scores the fight 30:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Matthew Carroll!