PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Ducan Cosmin (ranked 4377 p4p, 5398 weight class) and Henry Bates (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ducan Cosmin is staring across the cage at his opponent, tweaking his nipples... Tweaking his own nipples that is.

Cosmin
vs
Bates

165 cm
18
145
0 - 0 - 0

197 cm
25
154
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Inexperienced

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Determined

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Ducan Cosmin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Henry Bates!
The judges for this bout are Michael Johnstone, David Hoff and Peter Branson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cosmin shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Cosmin is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Cosmin moves into the clinch.
Bates tries to score a body lock takedown but Cosmin shows good agility there to stay on his feet.

Cosmin ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Cosmin no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Cosmin working a defensive guard here.
Bates really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Cosmin. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Cosmin is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Bates is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Cosmin bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Bates's guard.

We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cosmin trying to control the position from guard on top but Bates is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Bates is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Cosmin missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Bates looking to control.
Bates utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cosmin controlling from the top position.
Cosmin trying to control but Bates is working from the bottom.

Bates looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Cosmin passes into side control.
Bates is not content to let Cosmin control the position.
Cosmin 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.

Cosmin decides to stand back up.
Bates keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Bates throws a good cross that connects.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bates uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Cosmin has time to react.

Bates has Cosmin up against the cage in a clinch.
Bates blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Bates is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Bates works on Cosmin's body with a couple of short punches.
Cosmin is looking for a takedown.
Bates looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Cosmin prevents a body shot from Bates.
Come on Cosmin - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Bates lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Bates has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Cosmin after a bit of a struggle.
Cosmin's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Cosmin missing with knees to the body.

Cosmin breaks the clinch.
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!

Bates instigates a clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Bates has clasped his hands together around Cosmin's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
Cosmin is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Bates is looking to stand up but he'll have to free his leg first. Instead, Cosmin manages to get to full guard.
Bates postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Cosmin might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Bates wants to control from the top but Cosmin keeps moving.
Bates scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Bates lands a couple of elbows.
Bates lands a couple of elbows.
Bates must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

Cosmin is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Bates defends well.
Cosmin is breathing heavily.
Bates throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Cosmin works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bates scoring with punches to the head and body.
Bates working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Cosmin trying to keep a closed guard but Bates is proving a slippery customer.
Bates working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Bates content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Bates would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Cosmin is on top in guard.

The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Bates throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Bates trying to strike off his back.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Bates can do anything to dispel that myth.
Bates is trying to control the position but Cosmin postures up.
Cosmin looking to pass the guard.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Henry Bates dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Bates darts in and out, connecting with a jab.

Bates drives through with a takedown into Cosmin's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.

Cosmin working for a triangle but Bates defends it easily.
Bates scoring with punches to the head and body.
Bates is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Bates wants to control from the top but Cosmin keeps moving.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cosmin lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Bates avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bates trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Bates looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Bates is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Bates pulls Cosmin in to control the position.
Cosmin has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Bates is proving hard to escape from.
Bates striking off his back but it's not causing Cosmin any problems.
Bates trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Bates keeping moving, preventing Cosmin from controlling successfully.
Bates striking from his own guard.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.

Bates looking for a guillotine here but Cosmin defends easily.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Cosmin gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Bates.
Bates lands a lovely overhand right.
Cosmin takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Cosmin misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Cosmin takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Bates connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Bates works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Bates goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Cosmin takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Bates's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Bates duly obliges.
Bates has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Cosmin takes one to the side of the head.

Cosmin is rocked!

Bates moves into the clinch.
Oh Cosmin is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Bates is trying to trip Cosmin. He has hold of a leg but Cosmin is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Bates persists though and gets the takedown into guard.

Bates drops back, looking for a kneebar! Cosmin looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Cosmin looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Cosmin!

Cosmin seems to have got his legs back now.
Bates is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Cosmin gets to mount! Bates was on the offensive and wasn't defending properly.
Cosmin tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Cosmin misses with a head shot.
Bates tries to hold on but Cosmin postures up.

Cosmin wants to finish this one by submission but Bates is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Cosmin.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bates wants to control but Cosmin is having none of it.
Cosmin trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Bates is looking to get to half guard.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Henry Bates 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. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Bates closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Cosmin is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Bates gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Cosmin fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

Bates turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!

Cosmin throws his opponent off and manages to get back to his feet! Nicely done!

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Bates as Cosmin tries to tie him up.
Cosmin tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Bates smiles and moves away.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Bates closes the distance and clinches.
Cosmin is trying to push Bates away but Bates has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.

Cosmin pulls Bates into guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cosmin doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Bates lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Cosmin wants to stand but Bates is controlling the position.
Bates makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Bates working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Cosmin's head.
Bates lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Bates connects with a couple of short punches.
Bates working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Cosmin's head.
Bates lands a couple of elbows.
Bates is working Cosmin over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Bates postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Bates makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Cosmin is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bates looking to pass the guard.
Bates landing with the ground and pound.
Bates is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Bates chips away with some ground and pound.
Bates postures up and lands a big shot to Cosmin's brow.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Bates content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Bates trying to control the position from guard on top but Cosmin is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Henry Bates is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bates chips away with some ground and pound.
Bates lands a couple of digs.
Bates trying to control the position from guard on top but Cosmin is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Bates postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Cosmin has momentary wrist control but Bates slips an elbow through the middle.
Bates is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Bates scoring with punches to the head and body.
Bates scoring with some ground and pound.
Cosmin keeping moving, preventing Bates from controlling successfully.
Bates working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Cosmin's head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bates is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Bates working some strikes from top position.
Bates working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Cosmin's head.
Bates looking to pass the guard.
Bates lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Henry Bates has got the better of the ground game so far.
Bates is working Cosmin over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Bates looking to pass the guard.
Bates scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Bates postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Ducan Cosmin has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Bates postures up from his opponent's guard, before exploding into some vicious ground and pound! Cosmin covers up, he's hurt! Bates keeps throwing the strikes, glancing at the referee... Will he stop it?? One more big shot from Bates and the ref steps in to end the fight! Bates can't hide his delight as he celebrates with his corner.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:58 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Henry Bates!