PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between William Morris (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Anthony Pettis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Pettis has chosen Kanye West - Stronger as his entrance music. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Morris
vs
Pettis

179 cm
23
145 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

177 cm
18
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Good elbows
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, William Morris!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Anthony Pettis!
The judges for this bout are Tarja Halkonen, Anni Minnemäki and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A big left from Pettis misses.
Morris ducks under a wild hook from Pettis.
Morris ducks under a wild hook from Pettis.
Pettis looks to land a left hand but Morris moved out of range nicely.
Morris fails with a takedown attempt.
Morris is looking to clinch but Pettis is avoiding it.
Morris tries to score a power double leg takedown but Pettis sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Morris somewhat.

Morris closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Pettis trying to control here.
Pettis taking some punishment here, with Morris in his half guard.
Morris wants to free his trapped foot but Pettis is holding on for dear life with his legs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Morris throws a strike but Pettis avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Pettis looking to hit a scissor sweep but Morris is one step ahead there.

Pettis is working an open guard so Morris takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Pettis fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Morris is out of range.
Pettis misses the jab.
Morris fails with the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for William Morris. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Morris closes the distance and lands a one-two.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pettis throws a leg kick but Morris checks it.
Anthony Pettis seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Morris keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Morris dives in and grabs Pettis's left leg, looking for a takedown. Pettis pushes down on Morris's head and hops out.
Pettis misses with an uppercut. Morris saw that one coming.
Morris blocks a low kick nicely.

Morris dives in and scores a takedown into Pettis's guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Pettis being controlled here, momentarily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Morris pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Pettis is keeping the position for now.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Pettis wants to control but Morris passes easily into half guard.
Morris keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Morris not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Morris keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

William Morris has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Pettis throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Pettis defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Morris.
Morris looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Anthony Pettis is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Pettis tried to score with a low kick but Morris checks it.
Morris shoots in and drives through. Pettis sprawls well.
Morris showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Pettis.
Pettis throws a looping overhand right but Morris ducks down to avoid it.
Pettis throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Morris is looking to score with low kicks.
A jab from Morris does it's job there.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Morris slips a jab and a cross from Pettis.
Nice defenses there by Morris.
Pettis throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Morris avoids the body shot from Pettis.
Morris tries to clinch up but Pettis circles away and keeps his distance.
Pettis misses with a looping left.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Pettis.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Pettis lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Morris has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Morris and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.
Pettis throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Morris.
Pettis misses with a body shot.
Pettis misses with a looping right.
Morris lands with a nice body punch.
Pettis throws a front kick aimed at Morris's knee but Morris avoids it well.
Morris ducks under a wild hook from Pettis.
Some wild striking there from Pettis.

Morris forces Pettis back against the cage and clinches.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Morris blocks the elbow strike.
Pettis is stalling here.
Morris is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Pettis is defending well.
Morris avoids the elbow strike from Pettis, against the cage.
Morris avoiding damage as Pettis throws knees to the body.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Pettis just misses with a elbow thrown towards Morris's brow.
Pettis lands a damaging elbow.
Morris goes for a takedown in the clinch but Pettis prevents it.
Morris blocks an elbow strike.
Pettis missing with knees to the body.
Morris tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for William Morris. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Morris managing to block the knees to the body from Pettis.
Pettis tries to land knees in the clinch but Morris avoids the damage to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pettis tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Morris avoids it.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Morris jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Pettis walks away with a smile on his face. Morris gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Morris checks a low kick from Pettis.
Pettis misses with a jab, cross combination.
Pettis misses with a double jab
and Pettis takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Pettis is breathing heavily.
Morris slips a jab and a cross from Pettis.
An inside leg kick from Pettis misses.
Pettis throws the left hand but Morris avoids the punch easily.
Horrible takedown by Morris or perhaps it was just good defense by Pettis which made him look bad.
Pettis takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Morris dives in and grabs Pettis's left leg, looking for a takedown. Pettis pushes down on Morris's head and hops out.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pettis misses with a jab, cross combination.
William Morris is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Morris shoots in for a takedown but Pettis shows good takedown defense.
Morris tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Pettis swivels and escapes.
Pettis throws a big shot that misses.
Pettis throws a low kick, looking for Morris's leg but Morris calmly moves out of range.
Pettis wants to land a leg kick but Morris is out of range.
Pettis avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
A nice inside leg kick there by Pettis. That's going to slow Morris down.
Morris blocks a leg kick.
Pettis ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Morris moves away.
Morris dives in and grabs Pettis's left leg, looking for a takedown. Pettis pushes down on Morris's head and hops out.
Some wild striking there from Pettis.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pettis pivots, looking for a leg kick but Morris is out of range and Pettis settles back down.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Pettis pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Morris is trying to pull guard but Pettis turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Pettis tries to land a knee to the head but Morris blocks with his arms.
Nice elbow from Pettis.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Pettis just misses with a elbow thrown towards Morris's brow.
Pettis tries a knee to the head but Morris blocks it.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Morris tries for a takedown but Pettis manages to get underhooks.
Morris on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Pettis tries to land knees in the clinch but Morris avoids the damage to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Anthony Pettis showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Morris shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Pettis throws a jab but it's blocked by Morris.
A punch combination from Pettis misses.
Anthony Pettis seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Pettis throws the left hand but Morris avoids the punch easily.
Pettis fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Morris manages to avoid it.
Pettis stuffs the takedown.
Pettis throws a hook but Morris avoids it easily.
Pettis throws a right and a left that both miss.
A cross from Morris lands.
Pettis misses with a low kick.
Pettis just misses with a punch to the body.
Pettis misses the shot to the body.
Morris fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Pettis avoids it really well and circles away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for William Morris. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Morris fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Morris throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Pettis's waist but Pettis gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Morris off to one side.
Sloppy strikes from Pettis. Those never looked like landing.
Pettis avoids the head kick by Morris.
Morris keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Nice sprawl there from Pettis as Morris shoots in.
Pettis looks to land a right hand but Morris moved out of range.
Some bone on bone action there as Morris checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Morris slips a jab and a cross from Pettis.
Morris avoids a punch combination nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pettis throws the left hand but Morris avoids the punch easily.
Morris shoots in for a takedown but Pettis shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Morris slips a straight right by Pettis.
Morris avoids the body shot from Pettis.
Pettis throws a poor cross that misses
and Morris counters with a nice uppercut.
Morris is looking to clinch but Pettis is avoiding it.
An inside leg kick from Pettis misses.
Morris shoots in for a takedown but Pettis shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Morris displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Pettis throws out the jab.
Pettis just misses with a punch to the body.
Pettis pushing out the jab but it's not landing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pettis throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Pettis loads up on a big right hand but Morris slips the punch.
Morris tries to clinch up.
Pettis misses with a low kick.
Morris checks a leg kick.
Pettis misses with a looping left.
Morris throws a sloppy head kick and Pettis moves out of range easily.
Pettis throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Morris sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Pettis displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Morris.
Pettis throws a right hand that Morris ducks under and follows up with a left that Morris also avoids with ease.
Pettis looks to throw the jab but Morris is out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pettis swings widly with a right hand
and Morris cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Pettis throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Morris.
Pettis swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Morris avoids the body shot from Pettis.
Pettis just misses with a punch to the body.
Morris fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Pettis throws a series of punches but Morris moves out of range.
Pettis misses with an uppercut.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Nice sprawl there from Pettis as Morris shoots in.
Pettis throws a right and a left that Morris avoids nicely.
Pettis pushing out the jab but it's not landing.

And that's the end of the fight!
Anthony Pettis comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Pettis has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Tarja Halkonen scores the fight for Anthony Pettis!
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight for Anthony Pettis!
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight for Anthony Pettis!

Anthony Pettis wins by unanimous decision!
An out of breath Anthony Pettis thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.