PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Orion Cook (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Go Yamamoto (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). On his way into the cage it seems that Orion Cook has been attacked by a crazed fan! It looks like it might have been the just bleed guy! Luckily Orion Cook seems to be OK! I thought that lunatic was in prison!?

Cook
vs
Yamamoto

184 cm
25
197 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

189 cm
19
199 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Counter striker
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Experienced

Conviction
Convicted Trap House

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 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Orion Cook!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Go Yamamoto!
The judges for this bout are , and Jack Bonds.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Yamamoto slips under a jab.

Cook shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Cook wants to lay and pray for a moment but Yamamoto keeps working.
Yamamoto keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Cook wants to control but Yamamoto is keeping him busy.
Cook wants to pass the guard but Yamamoto is defending well.
Cook 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.
Yamamoto tries to roll over but Cook keeps him under control.

Cook is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Yamamoto doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Cook.

That's one minute gone in the round.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Yamamoto bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
A head kick misses from Yamamoto.
Yamamoto motions for Cook to come forward. Yamamoto throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Cook fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Cook shoots in and drives through. Yamamoto sprawls well.
Yamamoto tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
A looping hook to the body misses from Cook. Yamamoto does a little dance to reset his feet.
Go Yamamoto seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Cook shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Yamamoto napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Yamamoto tries to bench press Cook off him but Cook keeps the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yamamoto prevents Cook from moving into mount.
Cook wants to control but Yamamoto is keeping him busy.
Yamamoto tries to bench press Cook off him but Cook keeps the position.
Cook trying to control the position but Yamamoto is working away.
Sloppy strikes there by Cook.
Yamamoto manages to work his way to half guard, despite Cook's best efforts.
Yamamoto trying to control but Cook postures up.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Yamamoto tries a head kick but it misses.
Cook thows a left - swing and a miss!
Cook blocks a low kick nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yamamoto chopping away at his opponent's legs.
A clash of legs there as Cook blocks the low kick.
Good work by Cook as he checks the leg kick.
Cook walks forward, straight into a front kick from Yamamoto.
Cook chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Yamamoto can pounce on him.
Yamamoto walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Cook checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Yamamoto swings away with a body shot that misses

and Cook counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Yamamoto seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Yamamoto working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Cook.
Yamamoto looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Cook loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Yamamoto can't keep his opponent in guard - Cook advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Yamamoto tries to roll over but Cook keeps him under control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yamamoto trying to control here.
Cook stops Yamamoto from getting back to his feet.
Cook wants to control but Yamamoto is keeping him busy.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
A good leg kick by Yamamoto.
A telegraphed right hand from Cook misses the target.
Yamamoto throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Cook blocks a head kick by Yamamoto.

Cook shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Yamamoto is doing well to control the position and prevent Cook from advancing to side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Yamamoto attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Yamamoto connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Yamamoto looks to land a body kick but Cook moved away.
Yamamoto lands a head kick!
Cook avoids the head kick by Yamamoto.
Yamamoto throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Cook checks the leg kick nicely there.
Yamamoto tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Cook blocks a head kick by Yamamoto.
Yamamoto plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Yamamoto keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Yamamoto throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cook blocks a head kick by Yamamoto.
Yamamoto throws a low kick but it's checked well by Cook.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Cook.

Cook is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Yamamoto has escaped the position, nice work there.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Cook is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Yamamoto has escaped the position, nice work there.
Cook misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Yamamoto parries the strikes from Cook easily there. Cook is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Yamamoto to escape.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yamamoto sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Yamamoto is looking for a sweep. Cook is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Yamamoto is not content to let Cook control the position.

Yamamoto is defending against the submission attempts here by Cook.
Cook sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Yamamoto wants to control but Cook is keeping busy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cook throwing shots but Yamamoto is blocking nicely.
Cook is looking to take a break and control but Yamamoto is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Yamamoto misses with a body kick.
Yamamoto buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Cook blocks a head kick by Yamamoto.
Yamamoto chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Yamamoto pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Go Yamamoto is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Cook tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Yamamoto throws a head kick but Cook moves out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A head kick misses from Yamamoto.
Cook blocks a head kick by Yamamoto.

Cook looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Cook trying to control from Yamamoto's half guard. Yamamoto has other ideas though and has regained full guard.
Cook being controlled here momentarily.
Cook postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Yamamoto tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Cook sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Yamamoto's guard.
Cook sitting and controlling from the half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Go Yamamoto showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Yamamoto throws a leg kick but Cook sees it coming and moves out of range.
Yamamoto throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Cook on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Yamamoto. Yamamoto obviously looking to wear him down.
Yamamoto throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Yamamoto throws a head kick that misses

and Cook counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Cook throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Yamamoto has hold of Cook's hands but Cook slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Yamamoto avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Cook.

Cook is looking for a kimura here.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Cook is working for a kimura here but Yamamoto manages to reverse the position and he's now in Cook's guard.
Yamamoto must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yamamoto postures up.
Yamamoto is looking to stand up but Cook won't let him.

Cook looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Cook is trying to keep Yamamoto in close.

Yamamoto stands and steps away. Cook gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
A head kick by Yamamoto misses

and Cook counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Cook is looking to stall here but Yamamoto recovers full guard.
Cook is working Yamamoto over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yamamoto preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Cook controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Cook wants to control from the top but Yamamoto keeps moving.
Orion Cook overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Yamamoto trying to keep a closed guard but Cook is proving a slippery customer.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Yamamoto fakes the leg kick and cracks Cook in the body.
Yamamoto lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Yamamoto throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Yamamoto misses with a body kick.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Yamamoto, right into the meat.
Yamamoto misses with a head kick.
Yamamoto feints and then cracks Cook's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Cook down.
A punch lands to the side of Cook 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Yamamoto throws a wild body kick that Cook sees coming a mile off.
Cook jabbing away but nothing is landing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yamamoto's corner calls for a 1-2. Yamamoto obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Some bone on bone action there as Cook checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Cook uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Yamamoto.
Yamamoto wants to slow Cook down by chopping away at his legs.
Yamamoto throws a leg kick
and Cook counters with a nice body shot.
Cook takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Cook connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
A head kick misses from Yamamoto.
Yamamoto throws a nice inside leg kick.
Yamamoto throws a sloppy head kick and Cook moves out of range easily.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Yamamoto throws a head kick but Cook moves out of range.
Cook throws a head kick that misses.
Cook connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Orion Cook.
I think Cook has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Suge Night scores the fight for Go Yamamoto!
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight as a draw!
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight for Go Yamamoto!

Go Yamamoto wins by majority decision!