PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Raendi Kouture (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Frank Da La Rosa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Kouture comes to the cage accompanied by Warriors of the World. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Kouture
vs
Da La Rosa

186 cm
19
186 lbs
5 - 3 - 1

186 cm
25
180 lbs
7 - 5 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Experienced

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 3 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Raendi Kouture!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Frank Da La Rosa!
The judges for this bout are Frank Dennis, Stewart Dunkirk and Wesley Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Da La Rosa clinches.
Kouture lands a shoulder strike.
Kouture prevents the takedown attempt.
Da La Rosa tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Kouture just stands there and leans against the cage.
Da La Rosa blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Da La Rosa goes for a takedown in the clinch but Kouture prevents it.
Raendi Kouture has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Frank Da La Rosa.

Da La Rosa drags the fight down to the ground.
Kouture trying to control but Da La Rosa is working from the bottom.
Kouture would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Da La Rosa throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Da La Rosa has a closed guard, preventing Kouture from standing up.

Da La Rosa looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Kouture trying to control but Da La Rosa is working from the bottom.
Da La Rosa looking for a sweep. Not yet Da La Rosa, not yet.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
Da La Rosa wants to sweep but no luck.
Kouture stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Da La Rosa swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Da La Rosa trying to strike off his back.
Kouture seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.

Kouture got a little sloppy there for a moment and Da La Rosa has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Kouture has managed to get both his arms back between Da La Rosa's legs - danger averted.
Kouture trying to control the position from guard on top but Da La Rosa is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Da La Rosa is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Kouture defends well.
Da La Rosa looks gassed!

Da La Rosa is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kouture is looking to stand up but Da La Rosa won't let him.
Kouture wants to control from the top but Da La Rosa keeps moving.

Da La Rosa is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Kouture defends well.
Kouture is looking to stand up but Da La Rosa won't let him.
Kouture has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Kouture wants to pass the guard but Da La Rosa is keeping the position.
Kouture is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Kouture trying to control the position from guard on top but Da La Rosa is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Da La Rosa working for a triangle but Kouture defends it easily.
Kouture is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

Da La Rosa is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Kouture is aware though and is defending well.
Kouture trying to control the position from guard on top but Da La Rosa is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Kouture trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Da La Rosa is pulling down on Kouture's head. It's preventing any offense from Kouture, at least for the moment.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Da La Rosa 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.

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.
Kouture wants to control from the top but Da La Rosa keeps moving.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Da La Rosa is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Kouture is aware though and is defending well.

Da La Rosa escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Kouture gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Da La Rosa keeping moving, preventing Kouture from controlling successfully.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Kouture moves into the clinch.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Kouture.

Kouture escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Kouture tries to clinch but Da La Rosa is having none of it.
Da La Rosa shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Da La Rosa shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Frank Da La Rosa dominated that round.
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.

Kouture misses with a head kick.

Da La Rosa shoots in and bounces Kouture off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Da La Rosa postures up in Kouture's guard and throws a big left but Kouture blocks it.
Kouture 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.
Kouture not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

Da La Rosa drops back, looking for a kneebar! Kouture looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Kouture looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Kouture!
Kouture knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Da La Rosa on the ground.

Kouture stands up.
Da La Rosa shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Kouture sprawls well. Kouture wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Da La Rosa gets slowly back to his feet.
Da La Rosa is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kouture wants to clinch up but Da La Rosa keeps it at a distance.
Kouture misses with a few strikes there.
Da La Rosa is trying hard to land a takedown here. Kouture sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
A punch combination from Kouture misses.
Kouture lands with a cross.
Da La Rosa stuffs the takedown.
Da La Rosa misses with a low kick.
Da La Rosa tries for a takedown but Kouture circles away easily
letting Kouture counter with a right hand.
Raendi Kouture has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Frank Da La Rosa.
Kouture is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Da La Rosa with a lazy takedown attempt

and Kouture counters by clinching up.

Kouture's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Kouture shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Da La Rosa takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kouture looking to control and managing it successfully.
Da La Rosa swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.

Kouture stands up from the dominant position. He obviously fancies his chances standing.
Kouture lets loose with a powerful body kick. Da La Rosa will feel that in the morning.
Kouture scores with a nice right hand.
Kouture looks to land a combination but Da La Rosa avoids it well.
Da La Rosa takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Kouture moves into range and lands a nice body kick.

Kouture takes the fight into the clinch.

Kouture escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Da La Rosa doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Kouture counters with a low kick, right behind Da La Rosa 's knee.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Good leg kick by Kouture there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kouture throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Kouture lands a nice looking body shot.
Kouture throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Da La Rosa stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Da La Rosa gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Kouture counters with a two punch combo.
Da La Rosa shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Kouture counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Donk. Kouture catches Da La Rosa right on the button with a cross.
Frank Da La Rosa seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Kouture connects with a right hand. Da La Rosa shakes it off.
Kouture scores with a shot to the body.
Kouture tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Da La Rosa paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Kouture moves into range and lands a nice body kick.
Kouture tries to close the distance and clinch up but Da La Rosa swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Kouture misses with a few strikes there.
Da La Rosa keeps the fight on the outside.
Da La Rosa shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Kouture counters with a nice body shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Kouture has managed to clinch.
Kouture tries to land knees in the clinch but Da La Rosa avoids the damage to the body.
A short body shot lands from Kouture as the two fighters clinch.
Da La Rosa has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Kouture is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Kouture slowing the pace effectively.
Kouture unloads a knee to the mid-section. Da La Rosa lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.

Kouture breaks the clinch.
Kouture throws a right and a left that Da La Rosa avoids nicely.
Da La Rosa gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Kouture decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Da La Rosa's guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Da La Rosa has thrown up a leg looking for a triangle. Kouture doesn't defend quickly enough and Da La Rosa has managed to lock this one up! Can Kouture escape?! NO! He's tapping out! Damn, that was a quick submission - congrats to Da La Rosa on a fantastic submission victory.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:55 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle). Frank Da La Rosa!