PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Keith Morton (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Cherry Tomato (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Cherry Tomato has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Keith Morton's chin.

Morton
vs
Tomato

208 cm
18
177 lbs
3 - 3 - 0

180 cm
25
170 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Solid chin

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 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Keith Morton!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Cherry Tomato!
The judges for this bout are Marco Blurström, Ben Zyskovitsi and Roosa Järviläinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Morton on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Tomato. Tomato obviously looking to wear him down.

Tomato forces Morton back against the cage and clinches.
Tomato stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.

Tomato breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Morton shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Morton was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Tomato is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tomato struggling a bit here.
Tomato is looking for a sweep.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Morton scoring with punches and elbows.
Morton looking to control but instead Tomato has slipped a leg in, to regain half guard.
Morton missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Tomato keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.
Morton seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Morton is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Tomato is looking to escape.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tomato is looking for a sweep. Morton is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Morton working the head and body with strikes.
Morton working the head and body with strikes.
Morton is thwarting Tomato's attempts to control the position.
Tomato wants to get back to full guard.
Tomato blocking the ground and pound attempt from Morton.
Morton thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Tomato's head.
Tomato moves into full guard.
Morton will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Morton trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Tomato preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Morton defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Tomato.
Tomato will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Tomato tries to clinch up.
Morton misses with a takedown

and Tomato holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Morton manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Morton prevents the takedown attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Tomato lands a left hand that snaps the head of Morton backwards.
Morton drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Tomato decides to pull guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Morton throwing strikes from guard but Tomato blocks nicely.
Morton won't allow Tomato to sweep him here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Cherry Tomato will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Morton closes the distance and clinches up with Tomato, looking for a takedown. Morton pushes Tomato against the cage but Tomato circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Morton fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Morton closes this distance looking for a takedown but Tomato circles away.
Tomato shoots in and drives through. Morton sprawls well.
Tomato throws a series of punches but Morton moves out of range.
Tomato keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Morton showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Tomato.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Tomato instigates a clinch.
Morton gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Tomato.

Tomato breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tomato lands with a thumping leg kick.
Tomato moves in looking to clinch but Morton pushes him off.
Morton looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Keith Morton. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Tomato rushes Morton and presses him up against the cage.
Tomato is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Morton pulls him back up using the underhooks.

Tomato manages to break the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tomato fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Morton was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.

Tomato gets a clinch.
Tomato gets underhooks to prevent Morton's takedown attempt.
A hook to the body from Tomato.

Tomato breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Morton avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Morton drops down looking for a counter takedown but Tomato sprawls and moves away.

Tomato clinches up against the cage.

Tomato pulls guard effortlessly.
Tomato has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Morton throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Tomato works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Tomato keeping moving, preventing Morton from controlling successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tomato wants to sweep here but Morton controlling him for the moment.
Morton chips away with some ground and pound.
Morton wants to control from the top but Tomato keeps moving.
Tomato not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Morton lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Tomato is trying to control the position but Morton postures up.
Tomato will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Morton is trying hard to land a takedown here. Tomato sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.

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.
Morton doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Tomato counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

Tomato pulls guard successfully.
Tomato looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Morton throws an elbow that misses. Tomato uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Morton's guard. Nice move by Tomato!

Tomato wants to control from the top but Morton keeps moving.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Tomato looking to sit in guard and control but Morton gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Cherry Tomato showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

A lazy body kick from Tomato

and Morton decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Tomato's guard.
Morton is standing up over Tomato. Tomato looks to escape but Morton dives into side control.

Morton in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Morton creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Tomato is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.
Tomato misses with a strike from the bottom.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Morton lands a few punches from side control.
Tomato is looking to regain half guard here but Morton keeps moving and retains side control.
Morton misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Morton cracks Tomato with an elbow. That is naaassty.

Morton tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Morton tries to score with some ground and pound. Tomato controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Morton controlling the position.
Morton working away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Morton cracks Tomato with an elbow. That is naaassty.
The ground and pound from Morton seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Morton working the head with strikes.
Morton cracks Tomato with a big elbow.
Tomato is looking to slip a leg under and get half guard but Morton is one step ahead and moves to full mount!
Morton lands with some strikes.
Morton lands a big shot there that rocks Tomato but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Morton lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Tomato is wriggling around trying to escape.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Morton landing punches.
Tomato swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.
Tomato is working to get back to half guard.
Tomato takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Morton cracks Tomato with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Tomato wants to try and get back to his feet.
Morton with the ground and pound from mount.
Morton prevents Tomato from getting the reversal.
Tomato is hanging on here. He's in a desperate position.
Tomato takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Morton lands a couple of good shots and Tomato has given up his back, trying to escape the position!
Tomato wants to escape the position.
Morton really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

Morton tightening his grip on Tomato, looking for the choke.
Tomato is in bad spot here.
Keith Morton has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Cherry Tomato is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Morton scores with punches and elbows.

And that's the end of the fight!
Keith Morton showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Tomato 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 Marco Blurström scores the fight 28:29
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 28:29
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 29:27

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Cherry Tomato!