PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between MX Morgantt (ranked 4492 p4p, 483 weight class) and Kedson Linhares (ranked 6127 p4p, 550 weight class). The key to victory for MX Morgantt has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Morgantt
vs
Linhares

190 cm
24
205 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

205 cm
25
205 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, MX Morgantt!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Kedson Linhares!
The judges for this bout are Konstantin Menshow, Viktor Lagutenko and Valeri Chadov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Linhares closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Linhares lands with a punch from half guard.
Morgantt moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Linhares is stalling in the full guard.
Morgantt keeping moving, preventing Linhares from controlling successfully.
Morgantt looking for a sweep. Not yet Morgantt, not yet.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Morgantt trying to keep a closed guard but Linhares is proving a slippery customer.
Linhares prevents Morgantt from getting back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Linhares stands and throws Morgantt's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Morgantt might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Linhares gets to mount! Morgantt was on the offensive and wasn't defending properly.
Linhares lands with some strikes.
Morgantt is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Morgantt is looking to improve his position but Linhares isn't that keen on the idea.
Linhares raining down shots from the mount!

Linhares gets to his feet and calls his opponent to stand. Here come the fireworks!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Morgantt slips a straight right by Linhares.

Morgantt has managed to clinch.
Morgantt wants a takedown.

Linhares tightens his grip and picks Morgantt up, before dumping him to the ground. Morgantt manages to land in guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Morgantt wriggles free and stands up.
Morgantt tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Linhares doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Morgantt holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Linhares tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
A frustrated look appears on Morgantt's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Morgantt managing to block the knees to the body from Linhares.

Linhares breaks from the clinch.

Morgantt moves into the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Linhares jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Morgantt walks away with a smile on his face. Linhares gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
MX Morgantt has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Kedson Linhares.
Linhares shoots in looking for a takedown. Morgantt tries to sprawl out of it but Linhares keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Morgantt manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

Morgantt gets caught napping as Linhares dives in and scores a takedown. Morgantt manages to retain guard.
Morgantt wants to get back to his feet but he's too absorbed in his own little project and Linhares manages to pass to side control.

The referee calls for the fighters to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Linhares wants to lay and pray for a moment but Morgantt keeps working.
Morgantt is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Linhares scores with a couple of nice shots.
Morgantt tries to kick Linhares off but Linhares keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

Linhares stands up out of the half guard.

Linhares closes the distance and clinches.
Linhares looking for a takedown.
Morgantt is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Linhares is defending well for now.

Linhares breaks from the clinch.

Linhares clinches up with Morgantt and pushes him back against the cage.
Linhares is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Morgantt is defending well for now.

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

Kedson Linhares dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Morgantt tries to clinch but Linhares is having none of it.
Morgantt swings for the body but Linhares moves out of range.

Linhares rushes Morgantt and presses him up against the cage.
Morgantt being controlled against the cage.
Linhares has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Linhares effectively controlling the action here.
Linhares blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Morgantt wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Linhares tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Linhares is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Morgantt wants a takedown.

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

Linhares darts in and clinches Morgantt up against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Morgantt is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Linhares gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Linhares is looking to take this one to the mat.
Linhares prevents Morgantt from breaking the clinch.
A hook to the body from Linhares.
Linhares crunches a lovely knee into Morgantt's ribcage.
Linhares tries to land knees in the clinch but Morgantt avoids the damage to the body.

Linhares jumps into guard, dragging Morgantt to the mat.
Linhares looking to control.
Morgantt preventing the sweep.
Linhares seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Linhares throws some sloppy strikes off his back.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Morgantt won't allow Linhares to sweep him here.
Linhares is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Linhares trying to keep a closed guard but Morgantt is proving a slippery customer.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Linhares wants to sweep here but Morgantt controlling him for the moment.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Morgantt shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Linhares but Linhares pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Linhares tries to counter with a clinch but Morgantt shakes him off and moves away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for MX Morgantt. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Linhares clinches up against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Linhares manages to break the clinch.

Morgantt gets tackled into the cage by Linhares. Linhares maintains the clinch.

Morgantt manages to pull guard.
Linhares wants to control from the top but Morgantt keeps moving.
Morgantt has momentary wrist control but Linhares slips an elbow through the middle.
Linhares looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Linhares wants to pass the guard but Morgantt is keeping the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Linhares would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

Morgantt wriggles free and stands up.

Linhares moves into the clinch successfully.

Linhares has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Morgantt uses from the top position.
Linhares bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Morgantt's guard.

We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Morgantt wants to get back to his feet but Linhares is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Linhares content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kedson Linhares showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Morgantt forces Linhares back against the cage and clinches.

Linhares successfully pulls guard.
Morgantt throws a big right hand that misses.

Linhares is looking for a triangle but Morgantt pushes his legs off easily.
Morgantt tries to free his leg and advance position but Linhares is retaining full guard.

Linhares pushes Morgantt off and scrambles back to his feet.
Linhares with a poor takedown
and Morgantt counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Morgantt fails in his attempt to clinch.
Linhares shoots in looking for a takedown but Morgantt manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Linhares's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
A little feinted left hand from Morgantt on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Linhares with a poor takedown
and Morgantt counters with a right hand to the body.
MX Morgantt has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Kedson Linhares.
Morgantt dives in and grabs Linhares's left leg, looking for a takedown. Linhares pushes down on Morgantt's head and hops out.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Morgantt misses with a takedown
and Linhares counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Linhares shoots in but no luck this time.
Linhares takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Linhares is trying hard to land a takedown here. Morgantt sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Morgantt shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Linhares sprawls well. Linhares wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Morgantt gets slowly back to his feet.
Linhares is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Morgantt fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Morgantt tries to clinch up but Linhares circles away and keeps his distance.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Morgantt enables Linhares to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Morgantt manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Linhares is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Morgantt trying to keep a closed guard but Linhares is proving a slippery customer.
Linhares looking to pass the guard.
Kedson Linhares has got the better of the ground game so far.
Linhares trying to control the position from guard on top but Morgantt is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Linhares with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Morgantt uses the cage to get back to his feet.

Morgantt rushes Linhares and presses him up against the cage.
Morgantt tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Linhares doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Morgantt wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Linhares has Morgantt pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Morgantt manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Linhares looking for a takedown.

Linhares jumps into guard, dragging Morgantt to the mat.

Linhares working for a triangle but Morgantt defends it easily.

Linhares throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Morgantt passes Linhares's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Linhares trying to control but Morgantt postures up.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Linhares is looking to escape.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Kedson Linhares.
Well Linhares has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 27:30
Judge Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight 28:29
Judge Valeri Chadov scores the fight 28:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kedson Linhares!