PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Bruce Couture (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Andrei Berdugo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). I'm sure you'll be fascinated to know that I was talking to some pointless Z list celebrity before the fight and he thought that Andrei Berdugo was going to win. Let's see if he was right.

Couture
vs
Berdugo

185 cm
21
195 lbs
4 - 6 - 0

189 cm
22
195 lbs
5 - 2 - 1

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Powerful

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 4 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Bruce Couture!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 2 - 1, fighting out of Montreal, Andrei Berdugo!
The judges for this bout are Gregory Folan, Steve Smith and William Peck.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Couture tries to clinch up.
Berdugo shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Couture as he avoids it easily.
Berdugo connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Couture momentarily.
Couture slips a jab and a cross from Berdugo.
Couture with a lazy takedown attempt

and Berdugo counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Couture's guard now.
Berdugo trying to control but Couture is working from the bottom.
Berdugo in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Couture is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Berdugo throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Berdugo pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Couture is keeping the position for now.
Berdugo preventing the sweep.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Berdugo tries to free his leg and advance position but Couture is retaining full guard.
Couture not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Couture with a lazy takedown attempt

and Berdugo counters with a takedown into side control.

Berdugo is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Couture has escaped the position, nice work there.
Couture wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!

Berdugo tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Berdugo has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Couture pushes Berdugo away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Berdugo gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Berdugo sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Couture is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Couture is looking for a sweep.
Couture is not content to let Berdugo control the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Berdugo working the ground and pound.

Berdugo decides to stand up, so the ref orders Couture to his feet.

Couture decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Berdugo is looking for a sweep. Couture is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Couture is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Berdugo is looking to control Couture's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Berdugo avoid being mounted?

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Couture sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Berdugo defending well though.
Berdugo wants to get back to his feet.
Couture seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Berdugo trying to control from the bottom.

Couture decides to return to a standing position.
Couture with a poor takedown

and Berdugo counters with a nice double leg into guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bruce Couture. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Berdugo looks gassed!
Berdugo tries to free his leg and advance position but Couture is retaining full guard.
Berdugo is looking to advance position but Couture has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!

Couture is working for a guillotine from mount but Berdugo frees his head quite easily.
Couture with a couple of short strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Couture raining down shots from the mount!
Couture 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.
Berdugo is looking to get to half guard.
Berdugo is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Couture trying to control but Berdugo is having none of it.
Couture pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Couture is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Berdugo to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Berdugo shrugs it off.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A nice elbow there by Couture.
Berdugo is trying desperately to improve position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Andrei Berdugo dominated that round.
That's time! Couture's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Couture shoots and misses

so Berdugo counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Berdugo preventing the sweep.
Berdugo sitting in guard here, content to control.
Berdugo working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Couture's head.
Berdugo stands and throws Couture's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Berdugo wants to lay and pray for a moment but Couture keeps working.

Berdugo is trying to get an arm triangle but Couture is defending well.
Couture is looking to regain half guard here but Berdugo keeps moving and retains side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Berdugo goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Couture has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Berdugo but great work by Couture.
Andrei Berdugo has got the better of the ground game so far.
Couture working the body and head with strikes.

Couture is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Berdugo has escaped the position, nice work there.
Berdugo gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Berdugo is looking for a sweep. Couture is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Couture lands with a punch from half guard.
Couture looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Berdugo wants to control but Couture is keeping busy.
Berdugo is in trouble now - Couture has advanced to mount!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Couture avoids the attempt from Berdugo to control.
Couture breaks from Berdugo's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Berdugo regains half guard.
Berdugo is breathing heavily.

Couture is looking for a kimura but Berdugo is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Couture to get the leverage.
Berdugo wants to get back to full guard.

Couture is trying to work for a kimura but Berdugo is defending well.

Couture stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.
Couture misses with a takedown
and Berdugo counters with a lovely straight right hand!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Berdugo looks to land a combination but Couture avoids it well.
Couture has his takedown stuffed

and Berdugo counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bruce Couture. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Berdugo seems to be looking for submissions.

Couture is defending against the submission attempts here by Berdugo.
Berdugo thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Couture's head.
Berdugo stops Couture from getting back to his feet.
Berdugo tries to pass to full mount but Couture defends it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Couture pushes Berdugo off looking to stand but Berdugo dives back in and keeps control.
Berdugo missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Couture gets full guard.
Berdugo looking to pass the guard.
Berdugo loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Berdugo throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Berdugo working some strikes from top position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Berdugo trying to move into half guard but instead Couture has managed to sweep!
Berdugo throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Berdugo wants to sweep here but Couture controlling him for the moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Andrei Berdugo showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Couture shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Berdugo is in all sorts of trouble here.
Couture looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Couture is landing with some decent strikes but Berdugo is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Couture raining down shots from the mount!
Berdugo can't escape the position.

Couture with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Couture fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Couture avoids the attempt from Berdugo to control.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Couture looking to finish Berdugo with some ground and pound. This is bad for Berdugo!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Couture lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Couture landing shots from mount.
A nice elbow there by Couture.

Couture goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Berdugo is on top in guard.
Couture looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Couture looking to control.

Couture is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Berdugo landing with the ground and pound.
Bruce Couture has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Berdugo thows a big elbow that misses.

Couture is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.
Couture misses with a hook to the ribs.

Couture jumps into guard, dragging Berdugo to the mat.
Couture keeping moving, preventing Berdugo from controlling successfully.
Berdugo pushing down on Couture's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Couture looks like he's trying to stand up.
Couture blocking the ground and pound attempt from Berdugo.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Couture wants to get back to his feet.
Nice strikes from Berdugo there.
Couture won't allow Berdugo to pass to mount.
Couture wants to get back to his feet.
Berdugo passes to full mount!
Berdugo pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Couture is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Berdugo lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Andrei Berdugo is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

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

Berdugo is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Couture to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Couture shrugs it off.
Berdugo trying to control but Couture is having none of it.
Couture can't escape the position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Berdugo is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Couture can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Berdugo looking to ground and pound but Couture is blocking nicely.

And that's the end of the fight!
Bruce Couture showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Berdugo 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 Gregory Folan scores the fight 28:29
Judge Steve Smith scores the fight 28:29
Judge William Peck scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Andrei Berdugo!