PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Tim Cooper (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Cain Velasquez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Cooper
vs
Velasquez

150 cm
18
140 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

170 cm
18
136 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Self confident

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Tends to cut

Charlie Wang's Nutrition and 95 % Laundry

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Tim Cooper!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Cain Velasquez!
The judges for this bout are Ren Mimura, Yukihiro Shimada and Taro Takaoka.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Velasquez throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Some wild striking there from Velasquez.
Cooper is looking to clinch but Velasquez is avoiding it.
Both fighters are looking to counter, which isn't making for the most exciting fight in the world.
A head kick misses from Velasquez.
Velasquez pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Velasquez displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Cooper.
Cooper connects with a high kick.
Velasquez throws a series of punches but Cooper avoids them all with ease.
Cooper wants to clinch up but Velasquez keeps it at a distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cooper throws a sloppy head kick and Velasquez moves out of range easily.
Cooper wants to clinch.
Velasquez misses with an uppercut

and Cooper counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Cooper.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.

Velasquez looking for subs off his back but Cooper has passed one foot through into half guard.
Cooper prevents Velasquez from improving his position.
Cooper looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Velasquez is looking to get back to full guard here but Cooper has managed to pass to side control instead.
Cooper throws a strike aimed at the side of Velasquez's head but Velasquez avoids it well.

Cooper decides to stand up, so the ref orders Velasquez to his feet.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Cooper moves into the clinch successfully.
Velasquez is trying to push Cooper away but Cooper has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Cooper could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Cooper jumps guard but Velasquez turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Cooper has Velasquez pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Velasquez manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tim Cooper. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Velasquez breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Velasquez, as that shot connected.
Cooper misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Velasquez throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Velasquez blocks a head kick by Cooper.
Velasquez throws a series of strikes that have Cooper backpedaling.
Cooper tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Velasquez paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Cooper misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Velasquez misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cooper misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Nice uppercut there from Velasquez.
Sloppy strikes from Velasquez. Those never looked like landing.
Cooper is looking to clinch but Velasquez is avoiding it.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Cooper.
Cooper tries to close the distance and clinch up but Velasquez swats him away and circles back towards the center.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
A low kick from Velasquez is predictable there
and Cooper counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Velasquez is lucky that one didn't land flush.
A cross from Velasquez lands.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tim Cooper dominated that 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.

Velasquez swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Cooper fails with the takedown
and Velasquez counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Cooper shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Velasquez defends it nicely.
Velasquez avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Cooper tries to clinch there but Velasquez circles away.
Velasquez throws a right and a left that Cooper avoids nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cooper throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Cooper throws a head kick but Velasquez moves out of range.
Cooper shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Velasquez pinned against the cage. Velasquez gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tim Cooper. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Velasquez lands a jab.
Velasquez scores with a jab.
Velasquez lands a lovely overhand right.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Velasquez looks to land a combination. Cooper sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Velasquez scores with a leg kick.
Velasquez fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Horrible takedown by Cooper or perhaps it was just good defense by Velasquez which made him look bad.
Cooper tries for a takedown but Velasquez sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Velasquez throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Cooper counters with a head kick. That will keep Velasquez thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
Tim Cooper is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Velasquez scores with a one two! Cooper had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Velasquez misses with a double jab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Velasquez throws a leg kick but Cooper moved away.
Cooper dives in and grabs Velasquez's left leg, looking for a takedown. Velasquez pushes down on Cooper's head and hops out.
Cooper moves out of range of the leg kick from Velasquez.
Nice defenses there by Cooper.
Cooper showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Velasquez.
Velasquez looks to land a combination but Cooper avoids it well.
Velasquez falls off balance throwing a combination
and Cooper counters with a leg kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Velasquez displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Cooper misses with a body kick.
Velasquez is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
A head kick misses from Cooper.
Velasquez swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Cooper tries a head kick but it misses.
Cooper avoids a punch combination nicely.
Velasquez lands a leg kick that knocks Cooper off balance momentarily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Cain Velasquez showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Cooper throws a sloppy head kick and Velasquez moves out of range easily.
Velasquez throws a big shot that misses.
Velasquez has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Cooper misses with a head kick.
Velasquez tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Cooper throws a head kick but Velasquez moves out of range.
Velasquez throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Velasquez misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Velasquez misses with a jab, cross combination.
Cooper throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Velasquez lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Cooper backs up against the cage.

Cooper fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Velasquez, pushing him back against the cage.
Velasquez tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Velasquez throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Coopers head.
Velasquez lands an uppercut.
A bit of stalling here from Cooper.
Velasquez looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Cooper lands a body punch in the clinch.
Velasquez tries to break the clinch but Cooper is controlling the position.
Cooper wants to break the clinch but can't.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Velasquez is trying to force a seperation but Cooper has the dominant position.
Cooper looking for a takedown.
Cooper is working for takedown but Velasquez is calmly controlling the position for now.

Velasquez's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Cooper tries to clinch there but Velasquez circles away.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Cooper.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tim Cooper. That's going to take a lot out of him.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Velasquez fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Cooper.
Sloppy strikes from Velasquez. Those never looked like landing.
Cooper throws a right and a left that both miss.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cooper blocks a head kick by Velasquez.
Velasquez throws a combination that misses

and Cooper counters with a single leg into guard. Velasquez didn't expect that.
Velasquez looking for a sweep. Not yet Velasquez, not yet.
Cooper trying to control the position from guard on top but Velasquez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Cooper trying to stand up but can't free himself from Velasquez's guard.
Cooper sitting in guard, not really doing much.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Velasquez has a closed guard, preventing Cooper from standing up.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Tim Cooper.
Cooper is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Cain Velasquez seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Cooper fails with an attempt to clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Decent striking displayed by Velasquez there.
Cooper tries to clinch up but Velasquez circles away and keeps his distance.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tim Cooper showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Cooper has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Ren Mimura scores the fight 29:28
Judge Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 29:28
Judge Taro Takaoka scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tim Cooper!