PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Simon Moralez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Pacific Roval (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Pacific Roval has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Moralez
vs
Roval

178 cm
24
146 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

178 cm
18
147 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Good knees
Big heart

Good takedowns
Good kicks
Intelligent

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 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Simon Moralez!
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, Pacific Roval!
The judges for this bout are Aleksei Zolotukhin, Ivan Kurochkin and Aleksandr Martynov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Roval fails in his attempt to clinch.
Moralez looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!
Moralez fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Roval tries to clinch up but Moralez circles away and keeps his distance.
Moralez misses with a takedown attempt - Roval sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Moralez shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Roval defends it nicely.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Simon Moralez. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Moralez circles away from the clinch attempt.

Roval shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Moralez napping and manages to drive through into side control!

Roval stands up and we're back to a striking position.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Roval wants to stall.
A bit of stalling here from Roval.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Roval misses with a knee to the head.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Moralez as Roval tries to tie him up.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Pacific Roval.
Roval tries to clinch up.
Roval tries to clinch up.
Roval tries to clinch up but Moralez circles away and keeps his distance.
Roval tries to close the distance and clinch but Moralez swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Roval tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Moralez paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Roval is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Roval tries to clinch there but Moralez circles away.
Roval lands a head kick. Moralez smiles back at him and beckons him forward.

Moralez gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Roval trying to control but Moralez is working from the bottom.
Roval postures up in Moralez's guard and throws a big left but Moralez blocks it.
Moralez wants to stand but Roval is controlling the position.

Roval stands up from Moralez's guard - Roval perhaps looking for a knockout.
Moralez chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Roval can pounce on him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Moralez avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Roval rushes Moralez and presses him up against the cage.
Roval goes for a takedown in the clinch but Moralez prevents it.
Roval tries to break the clinch but Moralez is controlling the position.
Roval tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Moralez with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Moralez letting Roval take a breather here.
Roval looking to slow down the pace here.
Moralez lands a nice elbow.

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.

Roval's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Moralez avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Roval throws a nice head kick!
Simon Moralez seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Moralez misses with a takedown attempt

and Roval counters with a single leg into guard. Moralez didn't expect that.
Roval is looking to stand up but Moralez won't let him.
Moralez wants to stand up but Roval is controlling him.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pacific Roval dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Moralez gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Roval counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Roval.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Roval accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Roval trying to control but Moralez is working from the bottom.
Roval pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Moralez is keeping the position for now.
Roval prevents Moralez from getting back to his feet.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Roval thows a big elbow that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Roval trying to control but Moralez is working from the bottom.
Roval wants to get up but he can't break Moralez's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Moralez misses with a takedown attempt

and Roval counters with a nice double leg into half guard.

Roval looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Roval stops Moralez from getting back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Moralez manages to escape and get back to his feet!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Roval tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Moralez fails with the takedown

and Roval counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Simon Moralez. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Moralez pushes Roval off looking to stand but Roval dives back in and keeps control.
Pacific Roval has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Moralez is staying active underneath Roval, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Moralez looks like he's trying to stand up.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Moralez has his takedown stuffed

and Roval counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Roval must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Roval won't allow Moralez to get back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pacific Roval showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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!

Moralez fails with the takedown

and Roval counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Moralez's guard now.
Moralez has a closed guard, preventing Roval from standing up.
Moralez wants to stand but Roval is controlling the position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Roval trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Moralez wants to get back to his feet but Roval is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

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.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Roval clinches up with Moralez and pushes him back against the cage.
Roval misses with a knee strike.
Moralez gets underhooks to prevent Roval's takedown attempt.
Roval drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Roval throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Moralez blocks it with crossed arms.
Moralez looking to throw knees to the head but Roval is blocking nicely.
Moralez throws a knee to the head but misses.
Roval can't get the takedown.
Simon Moralez has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Pacific Roval.
Roval wants to stall.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Roval wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Moralez has him pressed against the cage.
Roval looking to stall.
Moralez landing knees to the head.
Moralez throws a knee to the head but misses.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Moralez lands a damaging elbow.
Roval throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Roval trying to stall but Moralez improves his position.

Roval pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Roval is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Roval closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Moralez is looking to get back to is feet but Roval passes into side control.
Roval creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Moralez sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
Simon Moralez has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Moralez wants to get back to his feet but Roval drags him back down.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Roval trying to control the position but Moralez is working away.
Pacific Roval is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Roval decides to stand back up. Roval steps back and let's Moralez get back to his feet.

And that's the end of the fight!
Pacific Roval comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Roval 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 Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 27:30
Judge Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 27:30
Judge Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Pacific Roval!