PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Keith Morton (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Igor Popolin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Morton
vs
Popolin

208 cm
18
177 lbs
3 - 4 - 0

183 cm
19
170 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Granite 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 - 4 - 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, Igor Popolin!
The judges for this bout are Matti Vanhoillinen, Anni Minnemäki and Marco Blurström.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Popolin wants to clinch.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Popolin.

Morton instigates a clinch.
Popolin tries a knee to the head but Morton blocks it.
Popolin stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Morton letting Popolin take a breather here.
Popolin continues to stall. The referee tells him to work or he's going to break them up.
Morton blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Popolin is working for takedown but Morton is calmly controlling the position for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Popolin misses with a knee to the head.
Popolin is working for takedown but Morton is calmly controlling the position for now.
Keith Morton has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Igor Popolin.
Popolin is struggling to control the position.
Popolin tries to pull guard but Morton won't allow it.
Morton blocks the elbow strike.
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.

Popolin escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Morton shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Morton showed some decent athleticism there.
Morton working over Popolin with some ground and pound. Popolin looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Morton content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Morton working over Popolin with some ground and pound. Popolin looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Popolin is looking to escape.
Morton will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Morton missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Morton has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Morton not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Well, if Morton is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Morton prevents Popolin from standing back up.
Morton not landing any meaningful shots this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Popolin tries to kick Morton off but Morton keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

Morton is working for a submission of some sort.
Morton is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Morton looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Morton looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Popolin on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Morton working over Popolin with some ground and pound. Popolin looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Morton throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Morton in particular looking to stall.
Morton lands with a punch from half guard.
Morton scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Morton thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Morton throwing shots but Popolin is blocking nicely.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Popolin is trying to stand.
Morton working over Popolin with some ground and pound. Popolin looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Morton lands strikes from half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Keith Morton 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.

Morton closes the distance and clinches up with Popolin, looking for a takedown. Morton pushes Popolin against the cage but Popolin circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Morton fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Popolin looking to land some kicks to the body here.

Popolin instigates a clinch.
Popolin can't find room to land a body shot as Morton controls the action.
Morton wants a takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Keith Morton. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Morton blocks an elbow strike from Popolin.
Morton is looking to take this one to the mat.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Popolin looking for a takedown.
Popolin using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Morton has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

Popolin breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Popolin moves in looking to clinch but Morton pushes him off.
Morton wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Morton swats away the attempt to clinch by Popolin.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Morton is defended easily by Popolin.

Popolin fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Morton, pushing him back against the cage.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Morton is pressed up against the cage. Popolin has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Morton down to the mat. Morton avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Popolin tries to clinch up but Morton circles away and keeps his distance.

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.
An inside leg kick from Popolin misses.
Popolin tries to clinch but Morton moves out of range.
Morton tries to bum rush Popolin with a series of wild strikes but Popolin uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

Popolin takes the fight into the clinch.
Popolin lands an elbow inside.

It looks like Keith Morton has been cut.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Popolin.
Popolin taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Morton blocks the elbow strike.
Morton stops a takedown attempt from Popolin.
Popolin misses with some punches.
Morton tries for a takedown. No joy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Popolin scores with a knee to the head.
Morton is trying to force a seperation but Popolin has the dominant position.
Popolin with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Popolin is breathing heavily.
Popolin tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Popolin lands a nice elbow.
Popolin wants a takedown.
Popolin tries to land knees in the clinch but Morton avoids the damage to the body.
Morton's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Morton tries for a takedown but Popolin manages to get underhooks.
Morton tries to circle away but Popolin has him pinned against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Morton avoiding damage as Popolin throws knees to the body.
Morton managing to block the knees to the body from Popolin.
Morton blocks an elbow strike.
Popolin wants to take the fight to the mat but Morton manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Popolin missing with knees to the body.
Popolin gets underhooks to prevent Morton's takedown attempt.
Popolin misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Morton.
Popolin is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Morton is defending well for now.
Morton pressing his opponent against the cage.
Igor Popolin seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Morton takes an elbow to the forehead.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Igor Popolin showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Keith Morton's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Morton shoots for a double leg takedown but Popolin sprawls well. He's pushed Morton's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
A countering left hand to the body from Popolin misses.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Popolin.
Morton misses with a takedown attempt
and Popolin counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Morton is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Morton throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Popolin displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Morton.
Popolin is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Keith Morton. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Popolin closes the distance and pushes Morton back into the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Popolin lands a hook to the side of the head.
Popolin wants to take the fight to the mat but Morton manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Morton is trying to maintain a safe position but Popolin gets an underhook and turns Morton into the cage.
Popolin throws a punch but it's blocked by Morton.
Popolin avoiding damage.
The referee is keeping an eye on Morton - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Popolin throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Popolin has Morton pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Morton manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Morton has had enough of the clinch but Popolin keeps him there for the moment.
Popolin drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Morton gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Popolin takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Popolin prevents a takedown attempt there.

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.
Popolin is looking for a takedown.
Popolin stops a takedown attempt from Morton.
Morton wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Popolin has him pressed against the cage.
Popolin lands an elbow inside that Morton shrugs off.
Morton has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Popolin avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Popolin drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Popolin misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Popolin is trying to maintain a safe position but Morton gets an underhook and turns Popolin into the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Popolin is looking to take this one to the mat.

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

Morton scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Popolin scrambles, trying to get to his feet, but Morton manages to mount him!

Morton jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Popolin manages to avoid the submission attempt.
Morton throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
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 four minutes gone in the round.
Morton works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Popolin seems a little lost for a moment, as Morton dominates the positioning.
Morton scoring with punches and elbows.
Morton working the ground and pound but Popolin is defending the strikes.
Popolin is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Popolin takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
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!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Popolin is trying to escape the position but Morton is controlling the position.
Popolin takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Morton in side control lands a decent elbow.

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 Keith Morton.
I think Morton 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 Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 29:28
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 29:29
Judge Marco Blurström scores the fight 28:29

The fight is ruled a draw!