PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Cooper King (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Phil Macaw (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighter's entrance songs getting the crowd jumping here.

King
vs
Macaw

186 cm
27
182 lbs
8 - 8 - 0

183 cm
27
175 lbs
10 - 6 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent elbows
Experienced

BJJ Purple Belt
Good low kicks
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 8 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Cooper King!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 6 - 0, fighting out of New York, Phil Macaw!
The judges for this bout are Ian Loll, Dillan Fox and Trevor Gratis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Macaw closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. King quickly recovers to half guard.
Well, if Macaw is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
King blocking the ground and pound attempt from Macaw.
Macaw is trying to control the action in half guard but King is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Macaw tries to pass to full mount but King defends it.
Macaw has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
King wants to improve his position but Macaw is controlling well.
Macaw thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed King's head.
Macaw with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
King is looking for a sweep. Macaw is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
King is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Macaw's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Macaw's back!

King looking for the choke but no joy.

King working for the choke.

That's one minute gone in the round.

King has his hand under the chin of his opponent looking for the choke. He's nearly got it! This one could be all over! But no, Macaw has freed his hand and lives to survive another… well, another couple of seconds at least!
King controlling well, preventing Macaw from escaping the position.

King working for a choke but Macaw is defending well.

Macaw defending nicely against the rear naked choke attempt.
Macaw has the hand control, trying to stop the rear naked choke.

King working for a choke but Macaw reverses nicely into King 's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Macaw controlling from the top position.

Macaw avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Macaw is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Macaw trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
King 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.
King wants to get back to his feet but Macaw is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
King tries to land a sweep but no joy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Macaw trying to control but King is working from the bottom.

Phil Macaw has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Macaw displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from King.
King lands with a nice body punch.
Macaw shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. King defends it nicely.
King tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Macaw.
King tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
King tries to close the distance and clinch up but Macaw swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Cooper King seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
King shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Macaw sprawls well. Macaw wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. King gets slowly back to his feet.
King lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Macaw fails to land with a series of punches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Macaw.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.
Macaw trying to control the position but King is working away.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Macaw is staying tight to King's torso, preventing him from escaping.
Macaw is looking to take a break and control but King is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
King seems a little lost for a moment, as Macaw dominates the positioning.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.

Phil Macaw has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Macaw lands a head kick!

It looks like Cooper King has been cut.

Macaw has managed to clinch.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Macaw misses with a knee to the head.
Macaw throws a punch but it's blocked by King.

Macaw pulls King into guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Phil Macaw dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Cooper King's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

King lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
King pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
King shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Macaw has taken the fight to the clinch.
Nice body punch from Macaw.
Macaw tries to pull guard but King won't allow it.
Macaw struggles to land a body shot inside as King controls his hands.

King breaks the clinch.
King keeps the fight on the outside.
King slaps away a takedown attempt from Macaw, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Macaw shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as King sprawls well. King wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Macaw gets slowly back to his feet.
Cooper King has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Phil Macaw.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from King is defended easily by Macaw.
Macaw leaves King with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Macaw tries to close the distance and clinch but King swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Macaw gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows King to score an easy takedown into full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
King looking to pass the guard.
King is working hard here to advance position.
King forces his way into half guard.

King is looking for a kimura but Macaw is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for King to get the leverage.
Macaw regains full guard. Nicely done.

Macaw has his feet on King's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.

Macaw is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in King's half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
King wants to get back to full guard.
King keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Macaw keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Macaw thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Macaw throwing shots but King is blocking nicely.
King is trying to stand up here but Macaw is controlling him well.
Macaw is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
King is refusing to be controlled, as Macaw sits in half guard.
King is trying to stand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Macaw working over King with some ground and pound. King looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Macaw wants to take a breather but King is having none of it.
Macaw is taking a breather. King says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
King wants to get back to full guard.
Macaw trying to control the pace.

Phil Macaw has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
King misses with a head kick.
Macaw shoots in for a takedown but King shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
King shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Macaw sprawls well. Macaw wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. King gets slowly back to his feet.

Macaw moves into the clinch.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Macaw just misses with a elbow thrown towards King's brow.

King escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
King keeps the fight on the outside.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Macaw closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. King quickly recovers to half guard.
Macaw passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for King!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
King is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Macaw with the ground and pound from mount.
King tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Macaw tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Macaw trying to control but King is having none of it.
Macaw lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
King can't escape the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Phil Macaw showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Cooper King's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

King tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Macaw paws at him with a jab and circles away.

King shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Macaw gets full guard.
King wants to pass the guard but Macaw is keeping the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Macaw looking to hit a scissor sweep but King is one step ahead there.
Macaw is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
King is looking to improve his position.

King looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Macaw wants to take a breather but King is having none of it.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
King is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
King wants to stand back up but Macaw manages to pass into side control.
King is not content to let Macaw control the position.
Macaw advances to full mount.
Phil Macaw has got the better of the ground game so far.
King is in all sorts of trouble here.

Macaw is working for a guillotine from mount but King frees his head quite easily.
Macaw looking to ground and pound but King is blocking nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Macaw content just to control the position here.
Macaw wants to control the pace but King is squirming around nicely.
Macaw prevents King from getting the reversal.
Macaw tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
King holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Macaw tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Macaw prevents King from getting the reversal.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Macaw can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as King is looking to escape.
King keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Macaw looking to control and managing it successfully.
Macaw throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for King because Macaw loaded up on that one.
King tries to reverse the position but Macaw maintains control.
Macaw wants to control the pace but King is squirming around nicely.
King is in all sorts of trouble here.
Macaw looking to control but King is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
King is desperately trying to improve his position but Macaw has a good base and remains in mount.
The referee warns King that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Macaw raining down shots from the mount!
Macaw trying to control but he's not successful this time.
King can't escape the position.
Cooper King has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Macaw looking to control but King is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
King can't escape the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Phil Macaw comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Macaw winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Ian Loll scores the fight 27:30
Judge Dillan Fox scores the fight 27:30
Judge Trevor Gratis scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Phil Macaw!