PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Yassir Morabet (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ryan Howard (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look pumped up here. Let's hope this is a good fight!

Morabet
vs
Howard

190 cm
22
180 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

180 cm
23
170 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Powerful

Bling Bling

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Yassir Morabet!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Ryan Howard!
The judges for this bout are Chris Edwards, Sam Margolis and James Ackerman.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Morabet drives through and clinches with Howard against the cage.
Morabet gets underhooks to prevent Howard's takedown attempt.
Howard blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Morabet lands a knee to the head.
Howard has Morabet pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Morabet manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.

Morabet breaks the clinch.
Morabet fails with an attempt to clinch.
Morabet stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Morabet wants it to stay on the feet.
Yassir Morabet has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ryan Howard.
Morabet throws a series of punches but Howard moves out of range.
Howard looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Howard fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

Howard shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Howard was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Morabet can't escape the position.
Morabet tries to lock up and control but Howard gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.

Howard working for a guillotine from mount but Morabet is in no mood to give up.

Howard jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Morabet manages to avoid the submission attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Howard wants to control but Morabet is keeping him busy.
Howard remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.

Howard is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Morabet knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Howard laying and praying for a moment but Morabet takes advantage and regains half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Morabet is trying to control but can't.
Howard seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Morabet does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Howard wants to pass the guard but Morabet is defending well.
Howard is trying to control the action in half guard but Morabet is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Morabet wants to control but Howard is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Morabet tries to kick Howard off but Howard keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Howard pulls out of a head kick attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Howard fails with a takedown attempt.
Morabet stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Morabet wants it to stay on the feet.
Howard shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Morabet as he avoids it easily.
Morabet is looking to clinch but Howard is avoiding it.
Howard misses with a takedown attempt - Morabet sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Morabet throws a head kick but Howard moves out of range.
Howard fails with a takedown attempt.
Horrible takedown by Howard or perhaps it was just good defense by Morabet which made him look bad.
Morabet scores with a push kick.
Howard looks gassed!
Some wild striking there from Morabet.
The fight stays on the outside here - Morabet looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
The fight stays on the outside here - Morabet looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Howard misses with a looping right.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Morabet keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Morabet tries to close the distance and clinch but Howard swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Howard fails with the takedown.

Morabet gets a clinch.
Morabet is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.

Morabet breaks the clinch.
Howard takes a head kick and shrugs it off.

It looks like Ryan Howard has been cut.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Howard fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

Morabet gets a clinch.
Howard tries for a takedown but Morabet manages to get underhooks.
Knees in the clinch landing for Morabet.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Morabet landing knees to the head.
Morabet utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.

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

Morabet gets a clinch.
Morabet stops a takedown attempt from Howard.
Morabet working Howard over with knees to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yassir Morabet dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Ryan Howard's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Morabet defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Howard.
Morabet tries to clinch but Howard moves out of range.
Morabet is looking to clinch but Howard is avoiding it.
Morabet tries to clinch there but Howard circles away.
Morabet slaps away a takedown attempt from Howard, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Howard closes this distance looking for a takedown but Morabet circles away.
Yassir Morabet has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ryan Howard.
Morabet lands a head kick!
Morabet pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Howard throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Morabet holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Howard takes a knee right on the jaw!
Howard jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Morabet walks away with a smile on his face. Howard gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Howard swats away the attempt to clinch by Morabet.
Morabet throws a head kick that misses.
Morabet keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Morabet doesn't manage to clinch there - Howard circles away.
Ryan Howard seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Howard looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Morabet is fending him off so far but Howard persists. Nope, Morabet circles away and we're back to standing.
Howard shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Morabet but Morabet pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Morabet lands a head kick!
Morabet tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Howard is working for takedown but Morabet is calmly controlling the position for now.
Morabet misses with a knee strike.
Morabet prevents the takedown attempt.
Nice body punch from Morabet - that landed with a thud.
Morabet stops a takedown attempt from Howard.
Morabet lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Howard backwards.

Morabet breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Yassir Morabet is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Morabet is looking to clinch but Howard is avoiding it.
Howard sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Morabet wants to clinch.

Morabet moves into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Morabet is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Morabet connects with a knee to the head.
Morabet is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.

Morabet escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Howard misses with a double jab
and Morabet counters with a body kick.
Morabet lands a high kick!
Morabet stuffs the takedown attempt from Howard. Howard gets slowly back to his feet.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Howard tries to keep at a distance but Morabet has taken the fight into the clinch.
Morabet connects with a knee to the head.

Howard gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Howard trying to control the action but Morabet is working from the bottom.
Howard is pressing down on Morabet's thigh, looking to free his foot. Morabet is holding on for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Howard is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Morabet holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Howard trying to control from Morabet's half guard. Morabet has other ideas though and has regained full guard.
Morabet can't keep his opponent in guard - Howard advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Howard wants to free his trapped foot but Morabet is holding on for dear life with his legs.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Howard uses his free foot to push down on Morabet's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Morabet.
Morabet manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Howard works his foot free and advances to mount.
Morabet is squirming around, avoiding Howard's attempts to control the action.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yassir Morabet dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Ryan Howard's cut.
That's time! Morabet's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Morabet tries to clinch up.
Howard has a takedown stuffed.
Morabet tries to clinch there but Howard circles away.
Howard lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Howard tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Morabet swivels and escapes.
Morabet tries to clinch but Howard is having none of it.
Howard is trying hard to land a takedown here. Morabet sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Yassir Morabet has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ryan Howard.
Howard tries to score a power double leg takedown but Morabet sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Howard somewhat.
Morabet throws a sloppy head kick and Howard moves out of range easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Morabet fails in his attempt to clinch.
Morabet tries to close the distance and clinch up but Howard swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Howard takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Morabet throws a head kick that misses.

Howard scores with a takedown into Morabet's guard.
Morabet wants to sweep but no luck.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Morabet keeping moving, preventing Howard from controlling successfully.
Morabet wants to stand but Howard is controlling the position.
Morabet keeping moving, preventing Howard from controlling successfully.
Howard is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
Morabet has his hands on Howard's head, controlling the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Howard connects with a couple of short punches.
Howard is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Howard trying to control but Morabet is working from the bottom.
Howard tries to free his leg and advance position but Morabet is retaining full guard.
Howard postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Howard trying to move into half guard but instead Morabet has managed to sweep!
Ryan Howard has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Morabet looking to sit in guard and control but Howard gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Howard drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Morabet manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Howard has Morabet in his guard.

Howard is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Morabet is aware though and is defending well.

Howard is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Howard wants to sweep here but Morabet controlling him for the moment.
Howard utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Morabet trying to control but Howard is working from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Morabet thows a big elbow that misses.

Howard is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Morabet is aware though and is defending well.
Howard is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Morabet is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

Morabet stands and steps away. Howard gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Morabet throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
Morabet misses with a head kick.
Morabet tries to clinch up.
Howard shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Morabet pinned against the cage. Morabet gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Yassir Morabet is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Howard misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Ryan Howard.
I think Morabet has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Chris Edwards scores the fight 29:28
Judge Sam Margolis scores the fight 29:28
Judge James Ackerman scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Yassir Morabet!