PBP Commentary

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

Cooper
vs
Zilvia

185 cm
24
175 lbs
3 - 4 - 0

180 cm
19
180 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Big heart

Good takedowns
Brawler
Determined

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 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, William Cooper!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Jim Zilvia!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Cooper scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.

Zilvia looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Cooper not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Zilvia is trying is best to control the position here.
Cooper tries to pass to full mount but Zilvia defends it.
Zilvia manages to get to full guard.
Zilvia keeping moving, preventing Cooper from controlling successfully.
Zilvia working a defensive guard here.

Zilvia escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Cooper gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zilvia is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Cooper is controlling him.

Cooper stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Some wild striking there from Zilvia.

Cooper instigates a clinch.
Zilvia is trying to break free.

Cooper has hold of one of Zilvia's legs. Zilvia is fighting the takedown attempt but Cooper gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
Cooper wants to control from the top but Zilvia keeps moving.
Zilvia avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Cooper throwing strikes from guard but Zilvia blocks nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cooper won't allow Zilvia to sweep him here.
Cooper throws a strike but Zilvia rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Zilvia is looking to stand up but Cooper won't let him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Zilvia misses with a wild body shot.
Zilvia gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Cooper counters by clinching up.
Zilvia looks gassed!

Cooper has Zilvia pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Cooper pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Zilvia tumbling to the mat - Cooper dives into Zilvia's guard.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Cooper looking to pass the guard.
Cooper lands a couple of digs.
Zilvia seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Zilvia lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Cooper!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zilvia thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
Cooper can't escape the position.
Zilvia sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Cooper wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Zilvia.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

William Cooper dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Zilvia closes the distance but Cooper moves to the side

and Cooper counters by moving into the clinch.
Zilvia is looking to break free of the clinch but Cooper has double underhooks.

Cooper has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Zilvia uses from the top position.
Zilvia throwing strikes but missing.
Zilvia wants to control from the top but Cooper keeps moving.

Cooper scrambles and gets back to his feet.
Zilvia darts in trying to clinch

and Cooper counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zilvia is looking to improve his position.
Zilvia moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Cooper has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Zilvia is proving hard to escape from.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Zilvia is looking to stand back up... there's a bit of a scramble and Cooper dives into side control.
Zilvia struggling a bit here.
Zilvia sneaks back into half guard.
Cooper trying to pass the guard but Zilvia defending well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Zilvia is looking to control Cooper's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Zilvia avoid being mounted?
Zilvia tries to get to full guard but Cooper has control of the leg.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Cooper missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Cooper has decided to stand back up but his arm is trapped. Whilst he's worrying about his arm, Zilvia works to full guard.

Zilvia has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Cooper off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Cooper circles away from the clinch attempt
and Cooper counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Zilvia is lucky that one didn't land flush.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zilvia blocks a head kick by Cooper.
Zilvia fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

Zilvia darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.

Zilvia postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Cooper to stand up.
Zilvia keeps the fight on the outside.
William Cooper seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Zilvia shoots and misses

and Cooper counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Zilvia's guard now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zilvia looking to control.
Zilvia preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Zilvia trying to strike off his back.

Zilvia had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Cooper defends it easily.
Zilvia looking for a sweep. Not yet Zilvia, not yet.
Cooper pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Zilvia is keeping the position for now.
Cooper wants to get up but he can't break Zilvia's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

William Cooper dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. And we move into the final round!

Zilvia doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Cooper counters with a takedown into side control.
Cooper working the strikes but Zilvia uses the opportunity to regain half guard.
Cooper uses his free foot to push down on Zilvia's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Zilvia.
Zilvia is trying to stand up.
Zilvia is looking to get to half guard.
Zilvia regains half guard.

Cooper decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.
Cooper avoids a punch combination nicely.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cooper moves out of range as Zilvia throws a body kick.
A chopping leg kick lands by Cooper.
Zilvia takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Zilvia shoots for a double leg takedown but Cooper sprawls well. He's pushed Zilvia's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

Cooper fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Zilvia, pushing him back against the cage.
A nice left hand lands by Cooper.

Cooper pulls Zilvia into guard.
Zilvia trying to control the position from guard on top but Cooper is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zilvia works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Zilvia is looking to advance position but Cooper won't allow it.
Cooper is trying to control but can't.
Cooper is looking to improve his position.
Zilvia trying to control from Cooper's half guard. Cooper has other ideas though and has regained full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zilvia postures up.
Cooper keeping full guard, as Zilvia tries to pass.
William Cooper overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Cooper wants to get back to his feet but Zilvia is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

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

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Zilvia shoots in but no luck this time.
William Cooper has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jim Zilvia.
Zilvia tries to clinch up
and Cooper cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Cooper throws a combination. Zilvia tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Zilvia closes the distance but Cooper moves to the side
and Cooper counters with a head kick. That will keep Zilvia thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
Zilvia misses with a combination

and Cooper counters with a single leg into guard. Zilvia didn't expect that.
William Cooper is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Cooper has a momentary lapse of concentration, allowing Zilvia to throw up a leg and lock on what appears to be a pretty tight triangle! Cooper is fighting it off but it's all too little too late - Zilvia pulls down on the head and he's put Cooper to sleep! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:59 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle). Jim Zilvia!