PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Raphael Couture (ranked 2726 p4p, 1640 weight class) and Faarooq Rahim (ranked 317 p4p, 219 weight class). Raphael Couture has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Couture
vs
Rahim

183 cm
26
172
4 - 4 - 0

179 cm
26
172
5 - 4 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Powerful

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 4 - 4 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Raphael Couture!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 4 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Faarooq Rahim!
The judges for this bout are Michael Johnstone, Winston Alpacca and Peter Branson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Couture throws an off balance right hand

so Rahim counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Couture avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Couture trying to control the position here.
Couture definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Rahim engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Rahim postures up.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Couture bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Rahim's guard.

Couture preventing the sweep.
Couture showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Couture has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
Rahim wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Couture wants to pass the guard but Rahim is keeping the position.
Rahim pulls Couture in close to prevent any damage.
Rahim keeping moving, preventing Couture from controlling successfully.
Couture pushes down on Rahim's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Rahim is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Rahim controlling the position well.
Couture trying to control the action but Rahim is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Rahim looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Couture looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Couture wants to control but Rahim is keeping him busy.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Rahim is controlling Couture's trapped leg to prevent Couture from advancing to side control.
Rahim is looking for a sweep. Couture is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Rahim desperately trying to maintain half guard.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Rahim pivots, looking for a leg kick but Couture is out of range and Rahim settles back down.
Couture throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Rahim sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Couture misses with a right hand

and Rahim decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Couture's guard.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Rahim is in close to Couture's body, working some short punches and elbows.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Couture seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Rahim is working Couture over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Rahim in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Couture keeping moving, preventing Rahim from controlling successfully.
Rahim is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Rahim with a nice head shot there.
Rahim keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Couture's head.
Couture looking for a sweep. Not yet Couture, not yet.
Couture working a defensive guard here.
Rahim content to stall in guard here.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Rahim accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

That's four 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.
Couture has momentary wrist control but Rahim slips an elbow through the middle.
Rahim stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Couture swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Couture 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.
Rahim with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Rahim landing some decent shots from guard.
Couture seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Rahim chips away with some ground and pound.
Rahim loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Couture has Rahim pulled in close to control his posture.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Rahim working some strikes from top position.
Rahim postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rahim scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

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

Couture throws out a powerful jab.
A swing and a miss from Couture.

Couture tries to sprawl but Rahim drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Couture avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Rahim.
Couture trying to control here.
Rahim content to control rather than advance.
Faarooq Rahim has got the better of the ground game so far.
Couture desperately trying to maintain half guard.
Couture has hold of Rahim's hands but Rahim slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rahim passes into side control, despite Couture's attempt to control the position.
Rahim controls the position.
Rahim throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Couture wants to control but Rahim postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Couture manages to work his way to half guard, despite Rahim's best efforts.
Couture has hold of Rahim's hands but Rahim slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Couture makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Couture.
Couture is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Couture pulls Rahim in close to prevent any damage.
Rahim working some strikes from top position.
Rahim distracts Couture with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Couture working a defensive guard here.
Couture is really struggling to control Rahim but he's trying to hold on to the position.
Rahim works over Couture with some ground and pound from guard.
Rahim stands up over Couture, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Rahim must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rahim chips away with some ground and pound.
Rahim distracts Couture with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Rahim postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Rahim trying to control but Couture is working from the bottom.
Rahim stopping the sweep attempt from Couture.
Rahim is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Rahim stopping the sweep attempt from Couture.
Rahim with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Rahim lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Couture is trying to keep Rahim in close.
Rahim working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Couture's head.
Couture not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Rahim scoring with some ground and pound.
Couture is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Couture working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Rahim.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rahim is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Rahim is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Couture manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Rahim manages to get himself to full guard.

Rahim has his hands on Couture's head, controlling the position.
Couture stopping the sweep attempt from Rahim.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Rahim is on top in guard.

Rahim loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Couture looking to hit a scissor sweep but Rahim is one step ahead there.
Couture is trying to control the position but Rahim postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rahim scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Couture is pulling down on Rahim's head to control his posture.
Rahim preventing the sweep.
Couture working a defensive guard here.
Rahim is pushing down on Couture's leg trying to pass to half guard. Couture is fighting to maintain full guard but Rahim has managed to sneak the leg through.
Couture is staying active underneath Rahim, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Couture gets back to full guard.
Rahim wants to pass the guard but Couture is keeping the position.
Couture is trying to control the position but Rahim postures up.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Faarooq Rahim showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. 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.

Couture gets caught napping as Rahim dives in and scores a takedown. Couture manages to retain guard.
Couture controls Rahim momentarily but Rahim frees himself.
Rahim working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Couture working a defensive guard here.
Couture manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Rahim manages to get himself to full guard.

Couture passes Rahim's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Couture wants to control but Rahim is keeping him busy.
Raphael Couture has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rahim is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Rahim keeping hold of Couture's head, controlling as best he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rahim wants to get back to full guard.
Couture content to control rather than advance.
Couture wants to pass the guard but Rahim is defending well.
Couture stalling away here and it's allowed Rahim to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Couture trying to control but Rahim is working from the bottom.

That's two 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.
Rahim wants to improve his position but instead Couture has moved into half guard.
Rahim manages to get to full guard.
Couture trying to control but Rahim is working from the bottom.
Couture slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Rahim keeping full guard, as Couture tries to pass.
Rahim has his hands on Couture's head, controlling the position.
Let's hope that Rahim has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Rahim can do anything to dispel that myth.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rahim looking to hit a scissor sweep but Couture is one step ahead there.
Rahim trying to control the position here.
Couture trying to control but Rahim is working from the bottom.
Rahim pulls Couture in close to his closed guard and prevents Couture from doing any damage or advancing position.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Couture swings widly with a right hand

and Rahim counters with a shoot takedown. Couture fights it but they end up in guard.
Rahim with a flurry of punches that miss.
Rahim throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Couture is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Rahim scoring with punches to the head and body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rahim postures up.
Couture is controlling Rahim's posture.
Couture lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Rahim looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Couture slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Rahim managing to control the position.
Couture trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Couture with a nice head shot there.
Rahim wants to sweep but no luck.

And that's the end of the fight!
Faarooq Rahim comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Rahim winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Michael Johnstone scores the fight 27:30
Judge Winston Alpacca scores the fight 27:30
Judge Peter Branson scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Faarooq Rahim!