PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Milton Cooke (ranked 4377 p4p, 4209 weight class) and Simon Vaughan (ranked 431 p4p, 422 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Cooke
vs
Vaughan

190 cm
18
275
0 - 0 - 0

191 cm
18
275
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Very quick

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Experienced

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Milton Cooke!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Simon Vaughan!
The judges for this bout are Ben Zyskovitsi, Matti Vanhoillinen and Roosa Järviläinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Vaughan looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Cooke!
Cooke is not content to let Vaughan control the position.
Check out the look on Vaughan's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Cooke on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Vaughan takes a little break here. Cooke wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.
Cooke on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Cooke tries to get out of the position.
Vaughan working the head and body with strikes.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cooke looks to move to half guard but instead Vaughan has passed into mount! Damn!
Vaughan controlling the pace for now.
Cooke working to try and regain half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vaughan putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Vaughan landing strikes, looking to finish!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Vaughan with good strikes from the mount here!
Vaughan raining down hammerfists from mount.
Vaughan with shots to the head and body - Cooke looks very uncomfortable down there.
Vaughan scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Vaughan looking to finish Cooke with some ground and pound. This is bad for Cooke!
Vaughan is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Vaughan dominating with strikes here.
Vaughan has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Vaughan lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cooke is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Vaughan lands a big elbow.
Cooke takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Vaughan controlling the pace for now.
Vaughan looking to finish Cooke with some ground and pound. This is bad for Cooke!
Cooke keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Vaughan working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Cooke wants to hold on but Vaughan pushes him away.
Cooke can't escape the position.
Vaughan with the ground and pound from mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cooke tries to hold on but Vaughan pushes him away.
Cooke is squirming around, avoiding Vaughan's attempts to control the action.
Cooke tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Vaughan avoids the attempt from Cooke to control.
Cooke is in a horrible position here. Vaughan smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Vaughan content just to control the position here.
Vaughan scoring with strikes but Cooke is staying in there.
Cooke is squirming around, avoiding Vaughan's attempts to control the action.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Vaughan with shots to the head and body - Cooke looks very uncomfortable down there.
Cooke is in a horrible position here. Vaughan smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Vaughan controlling the pace for now.
Vaughan can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Cooke is looking to escape.
Vaughan lands a couple of good shots and Cooke has given up his back, trying to escape the position!
Vaughan lands a punch that was close to the back of the head but the ref thinks it's OK.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Simon Vaughan dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Cooke tries to clinch but Vaughan moves out of range.
Vaughan drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Cooke defends it well.
Milton Cooke seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Vaughan drives through with a takedown into guard.
Vaughan content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Vaughan cracks Cooke with a solid left hand.
Vaughan has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Vaughan connects with a couple of short punches.
Vaughan controlling from the top position.
Vaughan scoring with some ground and pound.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Vaughan with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vaughan scoring with some ground and pound.
Vaughan trying to control the position from guard on top but Cooke is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Vaughan keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Cooke's head.
Vaughan postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Vaughan is in close to Cooke's body, working some short punches and elbows.

Cooke is looking for a triangle here but Vaughan uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.

Vaughan decides to stand back up. Vaughan steps back and let's Cooke get back to his feet.
Vaughan should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
Cooke rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Vaughan moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Vaughan is looking for the big counter here.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Cooke enables Vaughan to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Cooke manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.

Cooke has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Vaughan off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
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!
Cooke is looking to clinch.
Vaughan is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Vaughan fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Cooke avoids it really well and circles away.
Cooke moves in looking to clinch but Vaughan pushes him off.
Cooke looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

Vaughan closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Cooke to the mat! Cooke manages to get full guard.
Cooke trying to keep a closed guard but Vaughan is proving a slippery customer.
Vaughan stays in close to Cooke's body and controls the position.
Vaughan lands a couple of decent looking shots.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cooke doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Cooke wants to stand but Vaughan is controlling the position.
Vaughan's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Cooke trying to keep a closed guard but Vaughan is proving a slippery customer.

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

Vaughan shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Simon Vaughan has got the better of the ground game so far.
Cooke being controlled here, momentarily.
Vaughan preventing the sweep.
Vaughan's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Cooke knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Vaughan on the ground.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cooke is looking to sweep but instead, Vaughan has passed into half guard.
Vaughan stalling.
Vaughan lands with a punch from half guard.
Vaughan seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Cooke does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Vaughan landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Vaughan working over Cooke with some ground and pound. Cooke looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.

Cooke kicks off Vaughan and gets to his feet.
Milton Cooke is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Vaughan throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Cooke tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Vaughan is in Cooke's guard.
Cooke keeping full guard, as Vaughan tries to pass.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Simon Vaughan showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Vaughan walks into a stiff left hand from Cooke.
Vaughan swats away the attempt to clinch by Cooke.
Vaughan avoids a punch combination nicely.

Vaughan fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Cooke sprawls well initially but Vaughan persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Vaughan looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Cooke with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Cooke is trying to stand.

Cooke actively working from the bottom here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Vaughan passes to full mount!
Vaughan with good strikes from the mount here!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vaughan lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Cooke hang on?
Vaughan lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Cooke hang on?
Vaughan content just to control the position here.
Vaughan dominating with strikes here.
Vaughan landing punches.
Cooke wants to hold on but Vaughan pushes him away.
Cooke is trying to stand.
Vaughan looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Vaughan raining down hammerfists from mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cooke is in a horrible position here. Vaughan smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Vaughan landing strikes from the mount.
Cooke tries to hold on but Vaughan postures up.
Cooke is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Cooke trying desperately to get to his feet.
Vaughan working the ground and pound effectively.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Cooke tries to reverse the position but Vaughan maintains control.
Vaughan breaks from Cooke's wrist control and lands an elbow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vaughan looking to finish Cooke with some ground and pound. This is bad for Cooke!
Vaughan with the ground and pound from mount.
Vaughan unloading with bombs!
Vaughan working the ground and pound effectively.
Vaughan lands a nice shot to the head.
Vaughan scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Vaughan lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Vaughan scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Cooke?
Vaughan lands a big elbow.
Cooke takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.

Cooke is rocked!
Cooke is trying to escape the mount.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Vaughan scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Oh Cooke is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Vaughan drops a big elbow. That's hurt Cooke! More shots from Vaughan and the ref steps in! The fight is over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:28 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Simon Vaughan!