PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Joe Durland (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Peter Cortez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Joe Durland has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Durland
vs
Cortez

185 cm
24
169 lbs
3 - 2 - 1

197 cm
22
182 lbs
2 - 0 - 1

BJJ Brown Belt
Brawler
Experienced

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
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 3 - 2 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Joe Durland!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Peter Cortez!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, Chris Downing and Gwen Towbar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cortez misses with a looping right.
Durland throws a nice head kick!
Durland tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Cortez paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Cortez is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Cortez throws a right and a left that both miss.
Durland dives in and grabs Cortez's left leg, looking for a takedown. Cortez pushes down on Durland's head and hops out.
Durland moves in looking to clinch but Cortez pushes him off.
Durland avoids the body shot from Cortez.
Cortez throws an overhand right that lands on Durland's shoulder, as Durland tries to avoid the shot.
Cortez avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
The fighters circling - Cortez throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Cortez lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Cortez fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Cortez misses the jab.

Cortez scores a takedown into full mount!
Durland might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Durland tries to get back to half guard but can't.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Cortez is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Durland can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Durland working to try and regain half guard.

Cortez wants to finish this one by submission but Durland is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Cortez.

Cortez with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Durland really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Cortez wants to control the pace but Durland is squirming around nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Durland tries to reverse the position but Cortez maintains control.
Durland is breathing heavily.
BOOM! Cortez connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Cortez tries to control but Durland wriggling away.
Cortez throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Durland is squirming around, avoiding Cortez's attempts to control the action.
Cortez might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Durland kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Cortez punching from mount but Durland doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Cortez landing shots from mount.
Cortez looking to control but Durland is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Cortez landing strikes, looking to finish!
Durland is looking to get to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Cortez is working for a guillotine from mount but Durland frees his head quite easily.
Durland is squirming around, avoiding Cortez's attempts to control the action.
Cortez working the ground and pound effectively.
Durland gets back to half guard.
Durland is trying to get back to full guard.
Cortez stalling away here and it's allowed Durland to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.

Cortez drops back looking for a leg! Durland is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Durland manages to kick Cortez off! Cortez jumps back into Durland's guard.
Cortez must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Cortez postures up and lands a big shot to Durland's brow.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cortez wants to pass the guard but Durland is keeping the position.
Durland 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.
Cortez pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Durland is keeping the position for now.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Durland slips a straight right by Cortez.
Durland moves in looking to clinch but Cortez pushes him off.
Durland is looking to clinch but Cortez is avoiding it.

Cortez gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Cortez looking to control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Peter Cortez dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Cortez closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Durland actively working from the bottom here.
Cortez seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Durland does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Cortez sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Durland defending well though.
Durland gets full guard.
Cortez trying to control the position from guard on top but Durland is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Cortez passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Cortez working the body and head with strikes.
Durland being controlled for a moment.

Cortez thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Durland manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Durland actively working from the bottom here.

Durland looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

Cortez is looking for a kimura here.
Cortez throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Cortez tries to pass the half guard into mount. Durland knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Cortez passes to side control.
Cortez trying to control the position but Durland is working away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Cortez tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Cortez has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Durland is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Cortez off and has taken his back!
Cortez rolls, trying to escape but Durland keeps control of the position.
Cortez trying to control the action but Durland just sinks the hooks in.
Cortez is in a world of trouble here. He's outmatched on the ground here and he'd better get Durland off his back sharpish unless he wants to be submitted.
Cortez turns into Durland and is now in his guard.
Durland keeping moving, preventing Cortez from controlling successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Durland working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Cortez doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Cortez manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Cortez is pushing down on Durland's leg trying to pass to half guard. Durland is fighting to maintain full guard but Cortez has managed to sneak the leg through.
Durland is staying active underneath Cortez, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Cortez prevents Durland from improving his position.

Durland is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Cortez pulls his head out easily.
Cortez uses his free foot to push down on Durland's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Durland.
Peter Cortez has got the better of the ground game so far.

Cortez with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.

Cortez has control of Durland's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Durland regains control of the situation pretty easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Durland sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.

Cortez seems to be looking for submissions.

Durland is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Cortez pulls his head out easily.
Cortez controlling the pace.
Cortez thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Cortez seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Durland does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Durland won't allow Cortez to pass to mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Peter Cortez showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

A slow jab from Durland misses its intended target.
Cortez moves away from the strike by Durland.
Durland tries to clinch but Cortez is having none of it.
Joe Durland is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Durland is looking to clinch.
Cortez fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Cortez throws a hook but Durland blocks it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cortez uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Durland.
The fight stays on the outside here - Durland looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Cortez scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Durland is looking for the choke from the back position but Cortez is controlling his hands well.
Durland missing with punches from the back.
Durland struggling to land strikes to the head as Cortez covers up.

Cortez defends a rear naked choke attempt by controlling one of Durland's arms.
Durland is trying to stick to Cortez's back but Cortez is turning into Durland. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Durland's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Cortez.
Cortez preventing the sweep.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cortez pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Durland is keeping the position for now.
Cortez advances position into side control!

Cortez is trying to get an arm triangle but Durland is defending well.
Joe Durland has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Durland is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Durland won't allow Cortez to pass to mount.

Cortez is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Durland doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Cortez.
Cortez trying to control from half guard but Durland is working away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cortez works his way into side control.
Durland sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Durland wants to get back to full guard.
Cortez frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Cortez trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Durland tries to reverse the position but Cortez maintains control.
A nice elbow there by Cortez.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!

Cortez jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Durland manages to avoid the submission attempt.
Cortez tries to move to mount but Durland blocks the move with his legs.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Durland manages to get back to half guard.

Durland looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Cortez trying to mount his opponent but Durland defends it.

Cortez is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Cortez not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Cortez tries to pass to full mount but Durland defends it.
Durland gets full guard.
Peter Cortez is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Durland working for a triangle but Cortez defends it easily.

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 Joe Durland.
Well Cortez has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Daniel Franklin scores the fight 28:29
Judge Chris Downing scores the fight 28:29
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 28:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Peter Cortez!