PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Sean Thompson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Orion Cook (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Thompson comes to the cage accompanied by Rollin. Sean Thompson could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Orion Cook's chin.

Thompson
vs
Cook

183 cm
22
185 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

184 cm
22
197 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter striker
Very confident

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Sean Thompson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Orion Cook!
The judges for this bout are Frank Antenori, and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Thompson pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.

Thompson closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.

Cook looking for submissions off his back.
Cook wants to control but Thompson passes into side.
You can see the frustration on Cook's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Cook regains half guard.
Cook is trying to control but can't.
Cook moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Cook keeping full guard, as Thompson tries to pass.
Cook has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cook keeping moving, preventing Thompson from controlling successfully.
Thompson wants to stand but Cook has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Cook trying to keep a closed guard but Thompson is proving a slippery customer.
Cook thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Thompson being controlled here momentarily.
Cook is trying to control the position but Thompson postures up.
Thompson has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Thompson wants to control from the top but Cook keeps moving.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Thompson misses with a body shot.

Cook looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Cook is looking to advance position but Thompson won't allow it.
Thompson has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Cook is working away from the top position though.
Thompson is trying to get back to full guard.
Cook slows the pace down in half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cook working over Thompson with some ground and pound. Thompson looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Cook throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Cook wants to free his trapped foot but Thompson is holding on for dear life with his legs.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Thompson fails in his attempt to clinch.
Thompson gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Cook counters with a shoot takedown. Thompson fights it but they end up in guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Cook trying to control the position from guard on top but Thompson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Cook slips nicely into half guard.
Cook trying to mount his opponent but Thompson defends it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cook throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

Cook is working for a submission of some sort.
Well, if Cook 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.
Thompson is breathing heavily.
Cook seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Thompson does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

Thompson looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Cook trying to control the pace.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Orion Cook dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Thompson takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Thompson with a poor takedown

and Cook counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Thompson's guard now.
Cook slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Cook slips nicely into half guard.

Cook looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.

Cook is trying to work for a kimura. He's got his hands clasped together - this could be trouble! No, Thompson has managed to free his arm - good work.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thompson is trying to control but can't.
Cook is tying to control. Thompson wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Cook is looking to advance position but Thompson won't allow it.

Cook wants to work for an arm triangle but Thompson is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Cook perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Cook landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Thompson won't allow Cook to pass to mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Cook throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Thompson gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Cook decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Thompson's guard.
Cook is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Thompson is looking to stand up but Cook isn't so interested in that idea.
Cook with a flurry of punches that miss.
Cook postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Cook is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Cook with a flurry of punches that miss.
Cook controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cook passes Thompson's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Cook not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Cook has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Cook trying to control from half guard but Thompson is working away.
Orion Cook has got the better of the ground game so far.
Cook uses his free foot to push down on Thompson's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Thompson.

Cook looking to secure an arm triangle but Thompson defends it well.
Thompson really trying hard to get back to half guard here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Cook jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Thompson manages to avoid the submission attempt.
Cook working away.
Cook is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.

Cook is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Thompson knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Cook 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 Thompson's shoulder. That is not cool.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Orion Cook showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Thompson misses with a takedown attempt

and Cook counters with a nice double leg into half guard.

Thompson is defending against the submission attempts here by Cook.
Cook wants to lay and pray for a moment but Thompson keeps working.

Cook is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Cook wants to free his trapped foot but Thompson is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Cook with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Cook seems to be working for a kimura but Thompson defends the submission attempt.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Thompson wants to control but Cook is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Thompson wants to get back to his feet.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Thompson takes a shot right to the bread basket.

Thompson shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Cook works his way to full guard. Good work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Thompson postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Thompson preventing the sweep.
Cook wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Thompson wants to control from the top but Cook keeps moving.
Cook seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Cook trying to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cook controlling the position.
Cook looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Cook looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Cook looking for a sweep. Not yet Cook, not yet.

Cook had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Thompson is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Cook Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Thompson's back instead.
Cook is trying to stick to Thompson's back but Thompson is turning into Cook. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Cook's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Thompson.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cook throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Thompson tries to free his leg and advance position but Cook is retaining full guard.
Thompson is fighting to break Cook's control of his arms but Cook is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Thompson trying to control the position from guard on top but Cook is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Thompson throwing strikes from guard but Cook blocks nicely.
Cook keeping moving, preventing Thompson from controlling successfully.

Cook pushes a forearm under Thompson's chin to create some space. He's escaped his hips and pivoted quickly for an armbar! Can he extend the arm? Yes, Thompson is tapping out! Damn, that was fast!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:56 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Orion Cook!