PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Tim Slater (ranked 1999 p4p, 94 weight class) and Erran Morad (ranked 1748 p4p, 80 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Slater
vs
Morad

170 cm
23
137 lbs
8 - 2 - 0

178 cm
23
146 lbs
7 - 4 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Good low kicks
Good gas tank

Ma Balls Is Hot Clothing

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 8 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, Tim Slater!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Erran Morad!
The judges for this bout are Francis DeMontford, Darius Henderson and Ben Watson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Slater forces Morad back against the cage and clinches.

Slater drags the fight down to the ground.
Morad wants to pass the guard but Slater is keeping the position.
Slater being controlled here, momentarily.
Slater is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Slater is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Morad wants to improve his position but Slater is controlling well.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Slater is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Morad sees it coming and defends easily.
Morad felt the need to train up his defensive grappling in the buildup to the fight. Presumably he was expecting to be in a difficult position like this, so let's see if he can get out of it.
Slater is trying to control the action in half guard but Morad is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

Slater is looking for a kimura here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Slater wants to pass the guard but Morad is defending well.
Slater is working hard here to advance position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Morad is controlling Slater's trapped leg to prevent Slater from advancing to side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Slater is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Morad defends it well.
Slater wants to lay and pray for a moment but Morad keeps working.

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.
Morad wants to control but Slater is keeping busy and won't allow it.

Slater is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Morad defends it well.
Still in half guard, Slater seems content to control.
Morad won't allow Slater to pass to mount.
Morad keeping hold of Slater's head, controlling as best he can.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Slater is looking to pass Morad's guard but actually Morad recovers to full guard.
Slater works a leg free and moves into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Morad wants to improve his position but Slater is controlling well.
Slater wants to take a breather but Morad is having none of it.
Slater moves into full mount! Morad won't be happy about that!
Slater wants to control the pace but Morad is squirming around nicely.
Morad tries to reverse the position but Slater maintains control.
Slater with some aggressive grappling here, looking for the finish.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Morad has given up his back here. Will Slater look for the submission or keep pounding away?

Slater working for the choke.

Morad preventing the rear naked choke attempt from Slater.

Slater is looking for the choke from the back position but Morad is controlling his hands well.
Morad trying to control the hands but Slater won't let him.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Slater working for the choke.
Morad is in bad spot here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tim Slater dominated that round.
That's time! Slater's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Slater tries to close the distance and clinch up but Morad swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Slater takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Morad throws a quick inside leg kick.
Slater moves in looking to clinch but Morad pushes him off.
Slater is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Morad can do to turn this around?
Slater displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Morad throws out the jab.
Tim Slater seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Slater ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.

Slater has taken the fight to the clinch.

Morad's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Slater shoots for a double leg takedown but Morad sprawls well. He's pushed Slater's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Slater closes the distance but Morad moves to the side
and Morad counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Slater gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Morad.

Slater closes the distance and clinches.
Slater tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Morad just stands there and leans against the cage.
Slater jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Morad walks away with a smile on his face. Slater gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tim Slater. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Morad missing with a left hand there. Slater was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Slater is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Slater moves forwards but Morad connects with a nice, crisp jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Morad connects with a body shot that sends Slater's belly button to the back.
Slater is looking to clinch but Morad is avoiding it.
Slater is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Slater moves in looking to clinch but Morad pushes him off.
Erran Morad is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Morad misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Slater.
Morad throws a body punch but Slater moves out of range.
Slater looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Slater shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Slater tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Slater tries to clinch up.
Morad ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Slater tries to close the distance and clinch up but Morad swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Slater closes this distance looking for a takedown but Morad circles away.
Morad tries to counter with a clinch but Slater shakes him off and moves away.
Morad throws a shot to the body.
Slater doesn't manage to clinch there - Morad circles away.

Slater moves into the clinch successfully.

Morad breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Slater tries to close the distance and clinch up but Morad swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Morad has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Slater staying out of range there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Slater tries to clinch but Morad is having none of it.
Morad misses with a hook. Slater ducked under it nicely.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Slater with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Morad to score with a decent uppercut.
Slater drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Morad connects with a leg kick. Slater looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Slater takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Morad punishes Slater's body with a nice straight punch.
Slater tries to clinch up.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Morad, as that shot connected.
Donk. Morad catches Slater right on the button with a cross.
Left hook, right uppercut from Morad.
Slater tries to clinch there but Morad circles away.
Slater looks to clinch
and Slater takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Morad lands with a thumping leg kick.
Slater closes the distance but Morad moves to the side
enabling Morad to counter with a crisp jab.
The fighters circling - Morad throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Morad jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Slater closes the distance looking to clinch
and Morad counters with a nice uppercut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Morad feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Slater's calf.
Slater tries to clinch but Morad is having none of it.
Slater wants to clinch but Morad slips to the side
and Morad counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Slater tries to clinch but Morad moves out of range.
Morad only half commits to the counter leg kick.
Morad dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Slater walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Slater tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Morad counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Slater fails with an attempt to clinch.
Morad keeps the fight on the outside.
Slater fails in his attempt to clinch.
Morad swats away the attempt to clinch by Slater.
Morad is looking for the big counter here.
Slater on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.

Slater is rocked!
Morad throws an uppercut from hell that sends Slater clean off his feet! He's out cold! Morad stands back and admires his work as he thinks about that KO of the night award that is surely being wrapped up for him back stage.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:57 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Erran Morad!
Erran Morad thanked the fans post fight for their support.