PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Matthew Cole (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Furious Angel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Cole
vs
Angel

180 cm
19
256 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

190 cm
24
245 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Matthew Cole!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Furious Angel!
The judges for this bout are Valeri Chadov, Konstantin Menshow and Aleksei Zolotukhin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cole takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Cole displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Angel throws out the jab.
Cole takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.

It looks like Matthew Cole has been cut.

Cole drives through and clinches with Angel against the cage.
Angel gets underhooks to prevent Cole's takedown attempt.

Cole breaks the clinch.
Angel will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Angel fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Cole on the side of the head.
Cole avoids a punch combination nicely.
Cole avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Cole takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Angel misses with a two punch combination.

Cole drives through with a takedown into guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Cole trying to control the position from guard on top but Angel is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Angel keeping full guard, as Cole tries to pass.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cole trying to control the position from guard on top but Angel is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Cole thows a big elbow that misses.
Cole trying to control the position from guard on top but Angel is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Cole is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Angel is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

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

Cole pushes Angel up against the cage in a clinch.

Angel pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Angel stuffs the takedown.
Cole moves out of range of the strikes.
Cole misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Cole throws a head kick that Angel semi-blocks.
Angel works over Cole's head and body with a nice combination.
Cole with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Angel to score with a decent uppercut.
Angel connects with a jab.
Angel thuds his shin into the meat of Cole's side.
Cole is breathing heavily.
Angel misses with a hook. Cole ducked under it nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Angel scores with a sloppy right hand. Cole should have avoided that one.
Angel will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Cole slips a jab from Angel.
Angel thows a body shot but no joy.
Angel should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
Angel throws a hook but Cole blocks it.
Angel throws a hook but Cole blocks it.
Angel misses with a few strikes there.
Cole shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Angel as he avoids it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Matthew Cole. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Angel throws a head kick that misses.

Cole forces Angel back against the cage and clinches.

Cole pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Cole clinches.

Cole has clasped his hands together around Angel's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.

Cole is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Angel knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Angel takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Angel tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Cole wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Angel looks to move to half guard but instead Cole has passed into mount! Damn!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Cole jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Angel manages to avoid the submission attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Matthew Cole will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Matthew Cole's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Angel clobbers Cole with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.

Cole clinches with his opponent.
Cole wants a takedown but no success here.

Cole breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Cole throws a nice outside leg kick.

Cole has closed the distance and engaged Angel in a clinch.
Angel wants to break free but Cole has control.
Cole with an attempt at a knee that misses.

Cole breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Angel displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Cole.
Cole throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Angel's waist but Angel gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Cole off to one side.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Matthew Cole. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Cole ducks under a wild hook from Angel.
Angel throws a series of punches but Cole avoids them all with ease.
Furious Angel seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Angel showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Cole.
Angel throws a hook but Cole avoids it easily.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Cole scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Cole throwing shots but Angel is blocking nicely.
Angel is trying to stand up here but Cole is controlling him well.
Angel gets back to full guard.
Cole trying to control but Angel is working from the bottom.
Cole 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.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Cole gets to his feet - Angel follows without any prompting.
Cole closes the distance and clinches up with Angel, looking for a takedown. Cole pushes Angel against the cage but Angel circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Angel misses with a few strikes there.

Cole scores with a takedown into Angel's guard.
Cole tries to free his leg and advance position but Angel is retaining full guard.
Cole stopping the sweep attempt from Angel.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Angel wants to stand but Cole is controlling the position.
Cole is pushing down on Angel's leg trying to pass to half guard. Angel is fighting to maintain full guard but Cole has managed to sneak the leg through.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Angel trying to control from the bottom.
Cole is trying to control. Angel wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

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.
Cole prevents Angel from standing back up.

Cole is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Cole closes this distance looking for a takedown but Angel circles away.
Angel scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Angel throws a nice outside leg kick.
Angel misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Cole.
Angel misses with a straight left.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Cole has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Angel regains guard immediately.

Cole stands up from Angel's guard - Cole perhaps looking for a knockout.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matthew Cole dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Matthew Cole's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Left hook, right uppercut from Angel.
Cole swinging wildly here.
Cole connects with a high kick.
Angel misses with a wild body shot.
Angel lands a jab to the nose.
Cole shoots in but no luck this time.
Angel throws a jab but it's blocked by Cole.
Angel swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Cole walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Angel catches Cole with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Angel slaps away a takedown attempt from Cole, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Cole misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Angel takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Angel scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Angel misses the shot to the body.
Angel cracks Cole with an open hand slap.
Cole keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Angel.
Horrible takedown by Cole or perhaps it was just good defense by Angel which made him look bad.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Matthew Cole. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Angel throws a nice looking combination but Cole bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Cole fails with the takedown.
Angel throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Cole on the side of the head.
Angel throws a body kick, spinning off balance

and Cole counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Cole.
Matthew Cole overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Cole trying to control but Angel is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Angel scrambles and gets back to his feet.
Cole throws a left and a right that both miss
and Angel counters with a nice uppercut.

Cole bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Angel is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

Cole stands up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cole tries to score a power double leg takedown but Angel sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Cole somewhat.
Angel moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Cole throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Furious Angel has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Cole has a takedown stuffed.
Angel throws a body kick the misses
and Cole counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Angel stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Cole takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Cole moves away from the strike by Angel.
Angel throws a sloppy head kick and Cole moves out of range easily.

Cole shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Angel napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Angel wants to control but Cole postures up.
Cole wants to lay and pray for a moment but Angel keeps working.
Angel is trying to control Cole's posture but Cole avoids it.
Matthew Cole is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Cole is pausing for a moment. What's he doing? It looks like he's clearing his nose. Oh dude! He's shot a load of snot all down Angel's shoulder. That is not cool.

And that's the end of the fight!
Matthew Cole showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Cole, 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 Valeri Chadov scores the fight 30:27
Judge Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 30:27
Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Matthew Cole!