PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Todd Moreau (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Adam Baxter (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Todd Moreau has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Moreau
vs
Baxter

225 cm
18
145 lbs
0 - 3 - 0

180 cm
23
150 lbs
2 - 6 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Todd Moreau!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Adam Baxter!
The judges for this bout are Robert Twigg, Chris Downing and Wesley Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Moreau throws a nice looking combination but Baxter bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Moreau misses with a few strikes there.
Moreau misses with a few strikes there.
Baxter dodges the punch combination from Moreau.
Baxter scores with a leg kick.
A combination from Moreau does no damage.
Moreau fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Moreau is breathing heavily.
Baxter avoids a punch combination nicely.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Baxter.

Baxter shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Baxter trying to control but Moreau is working from the bottom.
Baxter lands a couple of digs.
Baxter pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Moreau is keeping the position for now.
Baxter not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Baxter slips nicely into half guard.
Baxter wants to lay and pray for a moment but Moreau keeps working.
Baxter with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Baxter takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Moreau is looking to escape.
Baxter working over Moreau with some ground and pound. Moreau looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Baxter is pressing down on Moreau's thigh, looking to free his foot. Moreau is holding on for now.

Baxter decides he's had enough of the ground and stands up.
Moreau looks to land a left hand but Baxter moved out of range nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Baxter moves into the clinch successfully.

Baxter jumps into guard, dragging Moreau to the mat.
Moreau throwing strikes but missing.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Baxter wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Baxter manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Moreau really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
A nice elbow there by Baxter.
Moreau tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Baxter tries to control but Moreau wriggling away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Moreau wants to get back to his feet.
Moreau on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Moreau tries to get out of the position.
Moreau is wriggling around trying to escape.
Moreau wants to try and get back to his feet.
Baxter has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Moreau is trying to escape the mount.
Moreau tries to lock up and control but Baxter gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Moreau is squirming around, avoiding Baxter's attempts to control the action.
Moreau is trying to stand up.
Moreau flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.
Moreau sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.

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.
Moreau tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Baxter not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Baxter prevents Moreau from standing back up.
Baxter wants to take a breather but Moreau is having none of it.
Baxter stops Moreau from getting back to his feet.

Moreau pushes Baxter off and gets back to his feet.

Baxter looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Moreau!
Moreau sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Moreau is not content to let Baxter control the position.
Baxter controlling the action here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Adam Baxter dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Moreau throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Baxter.
Baxter looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Moreau throws a head kick but Baxter moves out of range.
Baxter fails to land the takedown.
Baxter fails with an attempt to clinch.

Baxter has Moreau up against the cage in a clinch.
Baxter lands a nice shot to the body.

Baxter pulls guard effortlessly.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Baxter is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Moreau is controlling him.
Moreau passes Baxter's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Moreau decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Baxter blocks a head kick by Moreau.
Moreau jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Baxter is looking to clinch.
Moreau falls off balance throwing a combination

and Baxter counters with a nice double leg into guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Moreau working a defensive guard here.
Baxter trying to control but Moreau is working from the bottom.
Moreau is looking to stand up but Baxter isn't so interested in that idea.
Baxter stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Moreau swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Moreau wants to stand and escape but Baxter is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Moreau uses the cage to get back to his feet.
Todd Moreau seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Moreau shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Baxter counters with a head kick.
Moreau gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Baxter counters with a shoot takedown. Moreau fights it but they end up in guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Moreau trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.

Moreau has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Baxter off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Moreau fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Moreau thows a leg kick but Baxter checks it

and Baxter moves into the clinch.
Moreau wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

Moreau escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Moreau swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Baxter counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Baxter.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Moreau wants to stand and escape but Baxter is having none of it.

Moreau is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.
Baxter putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Moreau in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Baxter is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Moreau gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Moreau tries to pull guard but Baxter won't allow it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Todd Moreau. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Baxter gets underhooks to prevent Moreau's takedown attempt.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Moreau as Baxter tries to tie him up.
A frustrated look appears on Moreau's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Baxter drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Moreau gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Moreau has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Moreau is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Baxter's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Moreau tries to clinch up

and Baxter counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Moreau keeping moving, preventing Baxter from controlling successfully.
Baxter won't allow Moreau to get back to his feet.

Moreau uses the cage to get back to his feet.
Moreau throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Baxter counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
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!
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Baxter's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Baxter is fighting to break Moreau's control of his arms but Moreau is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.

Moreau uses the cage to get back to his feet.
Baxter fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Moreau avoids it really well and circles away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Adam Baxter showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Moreau's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Moreau tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Baxter was well out of range. Poor timing from Moreau.

Baxter feints and as Moreau raises his hands in defense, Baxter changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Moreau trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Moreau is looking to stand up but Baxter isn't so interested in that idea.
Baxter is in close to Moreau's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Moreau wants to stand up but Baxter is controlling him.
Baxter content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Baxter trying to control the position from guard on top but Moreau is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Moreau has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Baxter off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Moreau clinches up with Baxter and pushes him back against the cage.
Moreau wants to break the clinch but can't.

Baxter breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Moreau scores with a punch to the head.
Moreau lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Baxter backs up against the cage.
Horrible takedown by Baxter or perhaps it was just good defense by Moreau which made him look bad.
Baxter moves out of range of the strikes.
Moreau throws a head kick that misses.
Todd Moreau is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Moreau throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Moreau chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Baxter can pounce on him.
Moreau darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Baxter gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Moreau counters with a nice uppercut.
Moreau pulls out of a head kick attempt.

That's two 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.

Moreau takes the fight into the clinch.

Baxter is fighting off a takedown attempt but Moreau is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Baxter to the mat. Baxter regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.

Moreau stands up and waves to Baxter to follow him.
Moreau lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
A right-left combo lands from Moreau.

Baxter shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Baxter with the ground and pound from mount.
Moreau's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.
Adam Baxter has got the better of the ground game so far.
Moreau tries to buck Baxter off but Baxter takes his back!
Moreau looking to stop the rear naked choke attempt by controlling the hands.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Moreau trying to control the position but Baxter manages to sink in the hooks.
Moreau has the hand control, trying to stop the rear naked choke.
Baxter is looking cool and calm here, just waiting for a good opportunity to attack and finish the fight from this dominant position.

Moreau is displaying good submission defense - not really looking in danger of submitting to the rear naked choke at the moment. That could change in an instant of course if Baxter gets his way!
Baxter tries to keep control of the position but Moreau is staying busy.
Moreau is trying to get back to his feet but Baxter has full control of the position and if anything, Moreau has just worked his way into a worse spot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
A lull in the action here.

Baxter is looking for the choke from the back position but Moreau is controlling his hands well.
Moreau is trying to get back to his feet but he's not managed it yet.
The crowd hopeful of a finish here - Baxter's supporters are on their feet, screaming for him to go for the rear naked choke.
Moreau wants to get back to his feet.
Todd Moreau has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Adam Baxter is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Baxter struggling to keep hold of the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Adam Baxter.
I've got Baxter winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Robert Twigg scores the fight 28:30
Judge Chris Downing scores the fight 28:29
Judge Wesley Smith scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Adam Baxter!