PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Ashton Eaton (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and James Morales (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Eaton comes to the cage accompanied by Eminem - Berzerk. Morales has chosen U Don't Know Me as his entrance music. James Morales has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Eaton
vs
Morales

170 cm
27
156 lbs
13 - 8 - 0

174 cm
25
156 lbs
13 - 5 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Solid chin

Spartan Nutrition

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 13 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Ashton Eaton!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 13 - 5 - 0, fighting out of London, James Morales!
The judges for this bout are Felipe Paraventi, Leandro Rodrigues and Mauricio Rocha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Eaton connects with a crisp jab.

Morales forces Eaton back against the cage and clinches.
Morales tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Eaton's elbow.
Eaton will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Morales up against the cage.
Morales misses with a hook from the clinch.
Morales swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Morales tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Knees in the clinch landing for Morales.
Eaton is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Eaton lands a body shot.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Eaton creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Morales swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Eaton lands a nice uppercut.
A right hand to the body from Eaton.

Eaton is trying to trip Morales. He has hold of a leg but Morales is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Eaton persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Eaton pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Morales is keeping the position for now.
Morales looking to hit a scissor sweep but Eaton is one step ahead there.
Eaton cracks Morales with a solid left hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Morales trying to control the position.
Eaton looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Morales wants to sweep here but Eaton controlling him for the moment.
Eaton has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Morales is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Morales being controlled here, momentarily.
Eaton preventing the sweep.
Eaton makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Eaton with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Eaton not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Eaton makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Morales working a defensive guard here.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Morales can do anything to dispel that myth.
Morales is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
Morales wants to sweep here but Eaton controlling him for the moment.
Eaton passes into half guard.
Eaton lands with a punch from half guard.
Eaton not doing much here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Eaton winds up and cracks Morales with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Eaton is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Morales taking some punishment here, with Eaton in his half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Eaton performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Morales trying to hold on to Eaton's head to control him but Eaton postures up.
Eaton is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.

Eaton seems to be working for a kimura but Morales defends the submission attempt.
Eaton keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Eaton looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Morales with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Eaton lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.

Eaton seems to be looking for submissions.

Eaton is trying to work for a kimura but Morales is defending well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Eaton seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Eaton working Morales over with strikes.
Eaton is controlling the pace.

Eaton is working for a kimura but Morales is defending it quite comfortably.
Eaton content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Morales tries to roll over but Eaton keeps him under control.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Eaton lands a nice short elbow.
Both fighters have adopted an aggressive gameplan on the ground!
Eaton slows the pace down in half guard.
Morales wants to control but Eaton is keeping busy and won't allow it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ashton Eaton dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Morales throws a sloppy head kick and Eaton moves out of range easily.
As Morales looks to move away, Eaton throws a big counter combo but Morales just gets out of the way.
Morales moves forwards but Eaton connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Morales tries to clinch
and Eaton counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Nice shot lands for Eaton.

Morales is rocked!
Eaton checks the leg kick.
Eaton throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Morales.
Morales tries to close the distance and clinch up but Eaton swats him away and circles back towards the center.
A head kick misses from Morales.
Eaton is trying hard to land a takedown here. Morales sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Morales tries a quick counter leg kick but Eaton is wise to it.
Morales tries to clinch but Eaton moves away

and Morales is countered with a crisp right hand from Eaton that sends him to the canvas! Eaton follows him to the mat into side control.
Morales is still in real trouble! Can Eaton finish him?
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Eaton scores with a big shot from side control... and another... and another! Oh Morales is done here - save him referee! More strikes land and eventually the ref does step in and Eaton can finally stop beating on his defenseless opponent!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:59 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Ashton Eaton!