PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Corey Cormier (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jim Halpert (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Cormier's entrance music is Pharoahe Monch - Simon Says. A fine choice. Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Cormier
vs
Halpert

179 cm
29
161 lbs
17 - 18 - 0

173 cm
24
169 lbs
3 - 3 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Excellent boxer
Very quick

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 17 - 18 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Corey Cormier!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Jim Halpert!
The judges for this bout are Yves DeLean, Robert Douchet and Trevor Gratis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cormier looks to throw the jab but Halpert is out of range.
Halpert takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Halpert works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Cormier tries to bum rush Halpert with a series of wild strikes but Halpert uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Halpert lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Halpert closes the distance and clinches up with Cormier, looking for a takedown. Halpert pushes Cormier against the cage but Cormier circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Halpert scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Halpert jabs Cormier to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Cormier connects with a good right hand that stumbles Halpert. Halpert circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Halpert swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Halpert uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Cormier.
Halpert looks to throw the jab but Cormier is out of range.

Halpert shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Cormier is trying to defend but Halpert finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Halpert content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Cormier tries to kick Halpert off but Halpert keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Halpert misses with a head shot. Cormier uses the momentum to regain guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Halpert prevents Cormier from getting back to his feet.
Cormier pulls Halpert in close to prevent any damage.
Halpert makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Halpert throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Cormier works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Halpert throws and elbow that misses. Cormier uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Halpert's guard. Nice move by Cormier!
Cormier passes easily into side control. Nice work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Halpert stuck in half guard on the bottom here.
Cormier trying to control the position but Halpert is working away.
Cormier controls the position from side control.
Cormier tries to stand but Halpert is controlling his head.
Cormier trying to control the action but Halpert is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Halpert manages to get back to half guard.
Halpert is trying to control but can't.
Cormier wants to pass the guard but Halpert is defending well.
Cormier thows a huge punch but Halpert dodges it nicely.
Halpert trying to control from the bottom.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Halpert throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Halpert moves out of range as Cormier throws a body kick.
Cormier uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Halpert fails to land the takedown.
Halpert with a nice cross.
Halpert checks a leg kick.
Halpert showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Cormier.
Cormier changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Halpert closes the distance and clinches up with Cormier, looking for a takedown. Halpert pushes Cormier against the cage but Cormier circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Corey Cormier has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jim Halpert.
Halpert tries to bum rush Cormier with a series of wild strikes but Cormier uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Cormier throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Halpert tries to score a power double leg takedown but Cormier sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Halpert somewhat.
Halpert looks gassed!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Halpert throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Cormier counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

Halpert shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Cormier manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Cormier working a defensive guard here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Jim Halpert will probably get the nod.
That's time! Cormier's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Cormier does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Corey Cormier is winning the standup battle so far.
Halpert throws a hook to the side of Cormier's head but Cormier sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Cormier slaps away a takedown attempt from Halpert, before circling back to the center of the mat.
The fight stays on the outside here - Cormier looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Cormier misses with a two punch combination.
Some wild striking there from Cormier.
Corey Cormier is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Halpert keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Halpert misses with an uppercut.
Cormier tries to score with a low kick but Halpert moves his leg out of the way.
Halpert showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Cormier.
Halpert shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Cormier eats them both and turns towards Halpert to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Halpert dodges the punch combination from Cormier.
Some bone on bone action there as Cormier checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Cormier misses with a head kick.
A punch combination from Cormier misses.
Halpert on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Cormier. Cormier obviously looking to wear him down.
Cormier scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Cormier is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Halpert.
Cormier moves out of range as Halpert strikes.
Halpert throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Halpert moves out of range of the strikes.
Halpert changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Cormier tries to avoid it but Halpert manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Cormier to the ground. Cormier escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Halpert is breathing heavily.
Cormier pushes Halpert away with a front kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cormier is looking to score with low kicks.

Cormier drives through and clinches with Halpert against the cage.
Halpert misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Cormier prevents a body shot from Halpert.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Cormier wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Halpert has him pressed against the cage.
Cormier wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Halpert has him pressed against the cage.
Halpert misses with a hook to the ribs.
Cormier is trying to push Halpert away but Halpert has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Cormier with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Cormier is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Halpert tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Halpert slowing the pace effectively.
Cormier is stalling here.
Halpert lands with a right to the head.
Halpert tries to throw a body punch but Cormier avoids it by throwing Halpert back against the cage.
Halpert lands a nice shot to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A shot in the inside from Halpert.
Halpert tries to work over Cormier's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Cormier softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.

Cormier breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Halpert rushes Cormier and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Cormier manages to break the clinch.
Halpert showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Cormier.
Cormier tries to close the distance and clinch but Halpert swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Cormier misses with a few strikes there.
Cormier tries to clinch
and Halpert counters with a nice body shot.
Cormier tries to score with a low kick but Halpert moves his leg out of the way.

Halpert looking to score a takedown here. Cormier is defending well but Halpert drives through and ends up in Cormier's guard.
Cormier is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Halpert is controlling him.
Halpert passes into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Halpert missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Halpert stalling away here and it's allowed Cormier to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Halpert with a nice head shot there.
Halpert stands up over Cormier, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Halpert wants to control from the top but Cormier keeps moving.
Cormier wants to get back to his feet but Halpert is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Halpert lands a couple of digs.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Jim Halpert will probably get the nod - 10:9.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! And we move into the final round!

Halpert shoots in and drives through. Cormier sprawls well.
Halpert lands a nice looking body shot.
Cormier fails with an attempt to clinch.
Cormier tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Halpert manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Cormier throws a series of punches but Halpert moves out of range.
Nice takedown defense from Cormier. No joy for Halpert on that attempt.
Cormier throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
A combination from Cormier does no damage.
Halpert swats away the attempt to clinch by Cormier.
Cormier drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Nice shot by Halpert.
Cormier fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Halpert is out of range.
Halpert shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Cormier but Cormier pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Corey Cormier has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jim Halpert.
Halpert takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Halpert lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Cormier tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Cormier slaps away a takedown attempt from Halpert, before circling back to the center of the mat.

Halpert shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Halpert stops Cormier from getting back to his feet.
Cormier keeping hold of Halpert's head, controlling as best he can.
Cormier has hold of Halpert's hands but Halpert slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Halpert is stalling here. Cormier is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Halpert seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Cormier has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
Cormier postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Halpert on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Cormier is looking to take a break and control but Halpert is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Halpert struggling a bit here.

Cormier decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Corey Cormier has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Halpert throws a leg kick which misses Cormier's front leg but catches the back leg as Cormier tries to avoid it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A head kick from Cormier lands but Halpert takes it in his stride.
Cormier throws a combination. Halpert tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Cormier misses with a hook.
Corey Cormier is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Halpert scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Sloppy strikes there by Halpert.
Halpert in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Halpert scoring with punches from side control.
Cormier manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
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!
Halpert tries to get to full guard but Cormier has control of the leg.
Cormier thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Halpert's head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cormier missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Halpert is trying to get back to full guard.
Cormier missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Cormier sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Halpert defending well though.
Halpert is not content to let Cormier control the position.
Cormier thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Cormier seems to be looking for submissions.
Halpert blocking the ground and pound attempt from Cormier.

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 Corey Cormier.
I think Halpert has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Yves DeLean scores the fight 28:30
Judge Robert Douchet scores the fight 30:27
Judge Trevor Gratis scores the fight 30:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Corey Cormier!