PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Anderson Morgan (ranked 6600 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mariano Giusti (ranked 5370 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighter's entrance songs getting the crowd jumping here.

Morgan
vs
Giusti

210 cm
24
140 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

175 cm
25
144 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Good in bed

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
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 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Anderson Morgan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Mariano Giusti!
The judges for this bout are Sergei Dronov, Valeri Chadov and Aleksandr Martynov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Giusti doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Morgan counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Giusti is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Morgan gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.

Morgan manages to break the clinch.

Giusti gets a clinch.
Morgan gets underhooks to prevent Giusti's takedown attempt.
Anderson Morgan has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mariano Giusti.

Giusti manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Giusti wants to sweep here but Morgan controlling him for the moment.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Giusti throws his legs up looking for a submission but Morgan uses it to pass to side control.
Giusti is trying to control Morgan's posture but Morgan avoids it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Morgan is looking to take a break and control but Giusti is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Giusti can't do much from the bottom here.
Giusti tries to improve position but can't.
Giusti is not content to let Morgan control the position.
Morgan has control of an arm but Giusti manages to advance to Morgan's back!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Giusti has good solid back control here.

Morgan preventing the rear naked choke attempt from Giusti.
Morgan manages to scramble and ends up in full guard, under a barage of strikes . Great composure from Morgan.

Morgan working for a triangle but Giusti defends it easily.

Morgan looking for a guillotine here but Giusti defends easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Morgan tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Giusti decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Morgan, up you get!
Giusti shoots in looking for a takedown but Morgan manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Giusti's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Morgan looked to counter with a high kick but didn't commit.
Giusti moves in looking to clinch but Morgan pushes him off.
Morgan thinks about countering with a head kick.
Giusti shoots in looking for a takedown but Morgan manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Giusti's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Morgan fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Giusti shoots in and drives through. Morgan sprawls well.
As Giusti looks to move away, Morgan throws a big counter combo but Giusti just gets out of the way.
Giusti gets off balance looking for a body kick

and Morgan counters with a takedown into side control! That could mean trouble for Giusti!
Morgan wants to lay and pray for a moment but Giusti keeps working.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Morgan working away.
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 Anderson Morgan will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Giusti misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Morgan lifts his leg as if looking to counter with a high kick.
Giusti fails in his attempt to clinch.
Giusti takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Morgan tries for a takedown but Giusti sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Giusti walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Morgan checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Giusti bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Giusti avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Morgan moves into range and clinches up with Giusti.
Morgan tries to pull guard but Giusti won't allow it.
Stalling in the clinch from Giusti.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Giusti working hard to break the clinch.
Morgan fails to pull guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Anderson Morgan. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Morgan is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Giusti to keep the fight standing.
Morgan is trying to pull guard but Giusti has him pressed against the cage.
Morgan is trying to pull guard but Giusti turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Giusti fails to pull guard.

Giusti successfully pulls guard.
Giusti trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!

Morgan got a little sloppy there for a moment and Giusti has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Morgan has managed to get both his arms back between Giusti's legs - danger averted.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Giusti looking to control but Morgan passes into half guard.
Giusti wants to get back to full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Morgan will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Giusti trying to control from the bottom.
Morgan passes into side control, despite Giusti's attempt to control the position.
Giusti can't do much from the bottom here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Giusti tries to improve position but can't.
Morgan wants to lay and pray for a moment but Giusti keeps working.
A control attempt from Giusti but he's now mounted!
Giusti tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Giusti tries to hold on but Morgan pushes him away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Giusti is looking to get to half guard.
Morgan can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Giusti is looking to escape.
Giusti really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Morgan lands a big shot there that rocks Giusti but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
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 Anderson Morgan will probably get the nod.
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. This is the final round!

Giusti has his takedown stuffed
and Morgan counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Giusti is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Giusti tries to clinch but Morgan is having none of it.
As Giusti looks to move away, Morgan throws a big counter combo but Giusti just gets out of the way.
Morgan tries to clinch there but Giusti circles away.
Giusti is trying hard to land a takedown here. Morgan sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Morgan tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Giusti manages to circle out of the way.
Giusti tries to clinch but Morgan moves out of range.
Morgan moves out of range of the strikes.
Morgan lifts his leg as if looking to counter with a high kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Giusti shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Morgan as he avoids it easily.
Morgan appears to be looking for a big counter.
Anderson Morgan has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mariano Giusti.

Morgan decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Giusti trying to control from the bottom.
Giusti tries to get to full guard but Morgan has control of the leg.
Morgan throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Giusti is holding on to half guard well.
Giusti is not content to let Morgan control the position.
Giusti is looking to get back to is feet but Morgan passes into side control.
Giusti takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.

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.
Giusti is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Morgan off and has taken his back!
Giusti is trying to control but Morgan is trying to escape here - he's now mounted.
Anderson Morgan overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Giusti tries to control but Morgan wriggling away.
Giusti takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Giusti throws a sloppy strike and Morgan uses the opportunity to reverse the position! A bit of a scramble here and Morgan has ended up in Giusti's guard.
Giusti keeping moving, preventing Morgan from controlling successfully.

Giusti scrambles and gets back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Giusti shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Morgan sprawls well. Morgan wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Giusti gets slowly back to his feet.
Giusti misses with a takedown attempt - Morgan sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Morgan throws a quick counter head kick but Giusti was just out of range.
Giusti tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Morgan keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
It looked like Morgan was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Morgan throws a head kick but Giusti moves out of range.

That's four 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.
Morgan takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Anderson Morgan is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Giusti misses with a takedown attempt
and Morgan counters with a series of strikes. Giusti will be more careful next time no doubt.
Giusti throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Morgan's waist but Morgan gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Giusti off to one side.
Morgan misses with a head kick.
Morgan uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Giusti.
Morgan misses with a head kick.
Morgan really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Morgan moves out of range as Giusti throws a body kick.
Morgan plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Mariano Giusti has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Anderson Morgan is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Morgan keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

And that's the end of the fight!
Anderson Morgan showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Morgan has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Sergei Dronov scores the fight 30:27
Judge Valeri Chadov scores the fight 30:27
Judge Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Anderson Morgan!