PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between joey cox (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and jake walden (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying walden's choice of entrance music: the way i am. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

cox
vs
walden

190 cm
18
185 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

183 cm
18
195 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, joey cox!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, jake walden!
The judges for this bout are Tiny Johnson, Robert Twigg and Stewart Dunkirk.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
cox looks for a takedown but walden sprawls well.
cox shoots in for a takedown but walden shows good takedown defense.
walden moves in looking to clinch but cox pushes him off.
walden fails with an attempt to clinch.

cox has managed to clinch.

cox has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics walden uses from the top position.

walden gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
walden wants to clinch

and cox moves into the clinch.
cox wants a takedown but no success here.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for joey cox. That's going to take a lot out of him.
cox tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
walden presses cox against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
walden misses with a punch on the inside.
walden missing with knees to the body.
walden goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
A nice glancing elbow lands by walden.
walden missing with knees to the body.

cox pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
walden tries to clinch up

and cox decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in walden's guard.
cox is breathing heavily.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
cox won't allow walden to get back to his feet.
cox pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. walden is keeping the position for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.

walden pushes cox off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
walden tries to clinch

and cox holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
walden misses with a punch on the inside.
walden trying to land knees to the body.
cox is working for takedown but walden is calmly controlling the position for now.
cox avoiding damage as walden throws knees to the body.
cox blocks a body shot from walden.
cox blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
walden tries to throw a body punch but cox avoids it by throwing walden back against the cage.
walden blocks an elbow strike from cox.
cox avoiding damage as walden throws knees to the body.
walden misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from cox.
cox wants a takedown but no success here.
walden tries a knee to the head but cox blocks it.
walden pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
cox on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
walden is working cox over against the cage.
walden pushes cox back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
walden goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
walden scores a nice knee to the body.

cox manages to pull guard.

cox is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. walden is aware though and is defending well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

walden stands and steps away. cox gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
cox shoots for a double leg takedown but walden sprawls well. He's pushed cox's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
walden clinches but cox breaks the clinch

and cox counters by clinching up.
cox stalling.
walden missing with knees to the body.
cox gets through walden's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
walden scores with a hook to the body.
walden tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
walden misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from cox.
cox blocks the elbow strike.
cox looking for a takedown.
walden takes an elbow to the forehead.
walden looks to throw an elbow but misses.
cox landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
cox has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. walden avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
cox jumps guard but walden stands there with cox around his waist. cox gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
walden scores with a hook to the body.
walden misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from cox.
walden stops a takedown attempt from cox.

cox manages to break the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
cox circles away from the clinch attempt

and cox counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.

walden pushes cox off and gets back to his feet.

walden gets in close and instigates a clinch.
walden pushes off an throws an elbow but cox leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
walden missing with knees to the body.
cox tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. walden smiles and moves away.

walden forces cox back against the cage and clinches.
walden tries a body shot but cox blocks it.
cox makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
walden swings away with an uppercut that misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
walden throws an elbow but it misses.
A short right hand to the side of the head by cox.
cox wants a takedown but no success here.
walden is leaning against cox and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
cox drops to a knee looking for a takedown but walden gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Nice body punch from walden - that landed with a thud.
walden lands a body shot.
walden pushes cox back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
walden tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
cox tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. walden smiles and moves away.
walden closes the distance but cox moves to the side
and cox counters with a two punch combo.
walden tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and cox counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for walden!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
walden squirming around on the bottom, looking to escape.
cox looking to control and managing it successfully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

joey cox dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

walden looks to clinch

and cox counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for walden!
walden is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
cox trying to control but he's not successful this time.
cox landing shots from mount.
walden trying desperately to get to his feet.
walden is bucking up trying to escape but cox cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
walden wants to get back to his feet.
cox breaks from walden's wrist control and lands an elbow.

cox is working for a guillotine from mount but walden frees his head quite easily.
walden is trying to stand.
cox landing punches.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
cox lands a big shot there that rocks walden but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
walden wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
cox unloading with bombs!
walden tries to buck cox off but he can't manage it.

walden defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from cox.

cox is going oldschool here, as he tries to force walden to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so walden shrugs it off.
cox working the ground and pound effectively.
joey cox overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
walden is trying to stand up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
walden is using up a lot of energy trying to get back to his feet. Perhaps he should improve his position first.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!

cox with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
walden wants to get back to his feet.
cox scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish walden?
cox fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
cox thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
cox with good strikes from the mount here!
walden wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by cox.
cox misses with a head shot.

cox has hold of walden's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and walden manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
walden's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.

walden somehow manages to escape the mount and get back to his feet!
walden tries to clinch but fails miserably

and cox counters by clinching up.
cox lands an elbow that stopped walden in his tracks for a moment.
walden swings wildly with an uppercut but cox uses good head movement to avoid it.
walden goes for a body shot but it's blocked.

cox pulls guard successfully.
cox lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for walden!
walden is trying to stand up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
cox trying to control but he's not successful this time.
cox raining down shots from the mount!
walden in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.

walden bucks cox off and manages to get back to his feet!
walden wants to clinch

and cox counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

joey cox dominated that second round.
That's time! cox's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

walden closes the distance but cox moves to the side

and cox counters with a nice double leg into half guard.

cox is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. walden doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time cox.
walden looks like he's trying to stand up.

cox is working for a kimura but walden is defending it quite comfortably.
cox is looking to take a break and control but walden is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

walden has one foot on cox's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from cox is defended easily by walden.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
walden tries to clinch up
and cox counters with a two punch combo.
walden tries to grapple but his opponent circles

so cox counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
cox is looking to work some ground and pound but walden has wrist control.

walden pushes cox off and scrambles back to his feet.
walden wants to clinch but cox slips to the side

and cox counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
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!
cox prevents walden from getting back to his feet.
jake walden has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.

walden pushes cox off and scrambles back to his feet.

walden closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
With the fighters up against the cage, walden throws an elbow but misses.
walden misses with a shot to the kidneys.
cox drops to a knee looking for a takedown but walden gets the underhooks and prevents it.
walden missing with knees to the body.
walden misses with an elbow strike.
cox jumps guard but walden stands there with cox around his waist. cox gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for joey cox. That's going to take a lot out of him.
cox tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. walden just stands there and leans against the cage.
cox trying to control the position but instead, walden has worked for underhooks and has pushed cox into the cage.
A nice glancing elbow lands by walden.
joey cox is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
walden trying to land knees to the body.
cox blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
walden throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but cox blocks it with crossed arms.

cox pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
walden tries to clinch but cox moves away

so cox counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
cox is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
walden wants to get back to his feet but cox is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
walden utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
walden keeping moving, preventing cox from controlling successfully.
cox has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

walden throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
cox trying to control but walden is working from the bottom.
walden utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
cox stops walden from standing up.
cox sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed walden's guard.
cox slips a nice elbow through walden's hands, connecting with walden's forehead.
walden is staying active underneath cox, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

cox seems to be looking for submissions.
walden wants to get back to his feet.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
cox misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
walden slips a jab and a cross from cox.
walden wants to clinch

and cox counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
cox blocks the strikes from walden.
cox missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
walden missing with punches from the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
joey cox showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for cox, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Tiny Johnson scores the fight 30:27
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 30:27
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... joey cox!