PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Fireaway Flanagan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Virgil Morgan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Flanagan might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to For Heavy Metal we will die!. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Flanagan
vs
Morgan

171 cm
28
140 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

169 cm
38
147 lbs
29 - 18 - 1

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Granite chin

Conviction

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Fireaway Flanagan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 29 - 18 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Virgil Morgan!
The judges for this bout are Igor Prikhodko, Valeri Chadov and Aleksei Zolotukhin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Flanagan lands a nice leg kick that just misses Morgan's sensitive parts.
Flanagan fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Morgan.
Flanagan clobbers Morgan with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Flanagan misses with the combination.
Morgan follows through with a counter body kick but it doesn't land.
Flanagan with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Morgan on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Flanagan misses with a leg kick.
Morgan moves out of range of the body kick.
Flanagan throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Morgan shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Morgan scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
A looping hook to the body misses from Flanagan. Morgan does a little dance to reset his feet.
Morgan throws out a counter right but Flanagan avoids it with no problem.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Flanagan displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Morgan throws out the jab.
Flanagan buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Morgan shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Flanagan is trying to defend but Morgan finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Flanagan makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Flanagan.
Morgan throwing strikes but missing.
Morgan is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Morgan looking to pass the guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Flanagan working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Morgan.
Morgan tries to free his leg and advance position but Flanagan is retaining full guard.
Morgan wants to control from the top but Flanagan keeps moving.

Morgan got a little sloppy there for a moment and Flanagan has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Morgan has managed to get both his arms back between Flanagan's legs - danger averted.
Morgan throws a strike but Flanagan rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Flanagan working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Flanagan controls from within his opponent's guard.
Morgan controls Flanagan momentarily but Flanagan frees himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Flanagan looking to pass the guard.
Flanagan is in close to Morgan's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Flanagan wants to control from the top but Morgan keeps moving.
Flanagan lands a couple of elbows.
Flanagan throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Morgan works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Flanagan trying to control but Morgan is working from the bottom.
Morgan wants to sweep but no luck.
Flanagan slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Flanagan throws a leg kick that misses.
Flanagan moves into range and connects with a jab.
Morgan scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Morgan catches Flanagan with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Morgan tries for a takedown but Flanagan sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Flanagan will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Flanagan ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Flanagan connects with a right hand. Morgan shakes it off.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Fireaway Flanagan dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Flanagan throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Flanagan jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Flanagan punishes Morgan's body with a nice straight punch.
Flanagan scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Morgan doesn't seem bothered though.
Flanagan tries a head kick but it misses.
Morgan pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Flanagan connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Flanagan lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Morgan dodges the punch combination from Flanagan.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Morgan misses with a low kick.
Fireaway Flanagan is winning the standup battle so far.
Flanagan throws a low kick but Morgan avoids it.
Morgan doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Flanagan loads up on a big right hand but Morgan slips the punch.
Morgan wants to clinch up but Flanagan keeps it at a distance.
Flanagan lands a jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Flanagan buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Flanagan lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Morgan at a distance.
Flanagan avoids the head kick by Morgan.
Sloppy strikes from Flanagan. Those never looked like landing.
Flanagan misses with a combination
and Morgan counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Flanagan has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Flanagan looks to land a left hand but Morgan moved out of range nicely.
A slow jab from Flanagan misses its intended target.
Morgan appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
Morgan throws a jab but it's blocked by Flanagan.
Flanagan throws a front kick that sends Morgan stumbling back into the cage.
Morgan is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Flanagan.
Morgan jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Flanagan throws a counter high kick but Morgan was just alert enough to avoid it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Flanagan thows a leg kick but Morgan checks it
and Morgan connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Morgan staying out of range there.
Morgan with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Flanagan to score with a decent uppercut.
Flanagan cracks a nice hook into Morgan's ribs.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Flanagan with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Morgan misses with a low kick.
Flanagan throws a quick counter head kick but Morgan was just out of range.
Flanagan pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Flanagan lands with a nice body punch.
Flanagan lands a jab.
Flanagan jabs Morgan right on the nose. Morgan blinks but takes it well.
Morgan looks to land a right hand but Flanagan moved out of range.
Flanagan lands with a kick to the ribs.
Fireaway Flanagan seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Morgan doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Morgan tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Flanagan manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Flanagan scores with a jab.
Morgan scores with a jab to the jaw.
Flanagan scores with a nice right hand.
Flanagan throws a body punch but Morgan moves out of range.

Morgan shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Morgan trying to pass the guard but Flanagan defending well.

Flanagan actively working from the bottom here.
Morgan seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Flanagan does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Morgan seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Flanagan is in a tricky position but he's been working on his transitions down at Heavy Metal, so we'll see if he gets out of it.
Flanagan makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Flanagan.

Flanagan throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Flanagan throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Morgan escapes and throws Flanagan's legs to the side, diving into side control!
Virgil Morgan has got the better of the ground game so far.
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!
Flanagan tries to get back to half guard but can't.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Fireaway Flanagan dominated that second round.
That's time! Flanagan's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. And we move into the final round!

Morgan manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Flanagan on his heels. He'll look to pass Flanagan's guard now, I'm sure.
Morgan wants to pass the guard but Flanagan is keeping the position.
Flanagan working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Morgan.
Flanagan looking for a sweep. Not yet Flanagan, not yet.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Morgan accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Flanagan working for a triangle but Morgan defends it easily.

Flanagan looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Flanagan tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Morgan stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Flanagan swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Morgan lands a couple of elbows.

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.
Flanagan working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Morgan.
Flanagan keeping moving, preventing Morgan from controlling successfully.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Flanagan will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Flanagan avoids the head kick by Morgan.
Morgan takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Morgan takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Flanagan plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Flanagan lands a nice shot that snaps Morgan's head back.
Flanagan avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Morgan throws a nice outside leg kick.
Flanagan bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Flanagan moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Morgan avoids a kick to the body.
It seemed like Morgan was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.

Morgan is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Flanagan's half guard.
Flanagan moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Morgan wants to control from the top but Flanagan keeps moving.

Flanagan working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Morgan doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Morgan manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Morgan must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Flanagan keeping full guard, as Morgan tries to pass.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Flanagan pulls Morgan in close to prevent any damage.

Morgan is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Flanagan is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Flanagan has escaped and now he's on top!

Morgan working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Flanagan doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Flanagan manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Fireaway Flanagan.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Flanagan, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 30:27
Judge Valeri Chadov scores the fight 30:27
Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Fireaway Flanagan!
Fireaway Flanagan tried to hype himself up post fight but didn't word it too well and it ended up with him sounding like a bit of a tool.