PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Kurt Cobb (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Andre Novaes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Cobb
vs
Novaes

220 cm
20
279 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

179 cm
21
250 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Kurt Cobb!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Andre Novaes!
The judges for this bout are Illya Tyunina, Ivan Kurochkin and Dmitry Maklakov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A combination from Cobb does no damage.
Novaes wants to clinch.

Cobb clinches.

Novaes pulls Cobb into guard.
Novaes wants to sweep here but Cobb controlling him for the moment.
Cobb trying to control but Novaes is working from the bottom.
Novaes trying to keep a closed guard but Cobb is proving a slippery customer.
Novaes should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
Novaes trying to control the position here.
Cobb loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cobb controlling from the top position.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Kurt Cobb wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Novaes tries for a takedown but Cobb sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

Cobb gets a clinch.
Novaes fails to pull the fight into his guard.

Novaes's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Novaes tries for a takedown but Cobb sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Kurt Cobb has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Andre Novaes.
Novaes is looking to clinch but Cobb is avoiding it.
Cobb fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Cobb throws a leg kick that misses.
Novaes misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Novaes darts in looking for a takedown but Cobb gets double underhooks and turns Novaes into the cage.
Novaes looks winded!
Novaes is trying to force a seperation but Cobb has the dominant position.
Cobb is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Novaes to keep the fight standing.
Cobb wants to break the clinch but can't.
Cobb taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Cobb prevents the takedown attempt.
Novaes is trying to force a seperation but Cobb has the dominant position.
Good body shot from Novaes.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Novaes breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Cobb lands with an uppercut that bounces Novaes off the cage and back into range.

It looks like Andre Novaes has been cut.
Cobb shoots in looking for a takedown but Novaes manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Cobb's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Novaes dives in for a single leg takedown but Cobb sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cobb tries for a takedown but Novaes manages to get underhooks.
Novaes changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Cobb fights it off and pushes away nicely.
No joy there for Novaes, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Cobb will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Cobb shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Novaes defends it nicely.
Cobb fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Cobb swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Novaes.
Cobb's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Cobb duly obliges.
Cobb goes for a double leg but Novaes avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Novaes continues to drive forward.
Cobb trying to control the position but instead, Novaes has worked for underhooks and has pushed Cobb into the cage.
Cobb fails to pull guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Novaes just misses with a elbow thrown towards Cobb's brow.
Novaes is working for takedown but Cobb is calmly controlling the position for now.
Cobb is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Novaes gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kurt Cobb dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Andre Novaes's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

Cobb avoids the head kick by Novaes.
Cobb tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Novaes manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
We're hearing some news coming in from back stage. It's official - Novaes has eaten all the pies!
Cobb fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Novaes swats away the attempt to clinch by Cobb.
Novaes moves in looking to clinch but Cobb pushes him off.
Cobb tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Novaes paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Novaes shoots in and drives through. Cobb sprawls well.
Cobb shoots in for a double leg but Novaes sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Cobb is defended easily by Novaes.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Kurt Cobb. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Novaes tries to close the distance and clinch but Cobb swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cobb shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Novaes as he avoids it easily.
Kurt Cobb is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Cobb closes the distance and pushes Novaes back into the cage.
Cobb gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Novaes.

Novaes pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Novaes fails with an attempt to clinch.
Novaes shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Cobb as he avoids it easily.
Cobb shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Novaes as he avoids it easily.
Novaes tries for a takedown but Cobb sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Novaes is defended easily by Cobb.
Cobb closes this distance looking for a takedown but Novaes circles away.
Cobb uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Novaes.
Novaes stuffs the takedown.
Cobb misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Novaes looks for the body kick but Cobb saw that one coming.
Kurt Cobb is winning the standup battle so far.
Cobb tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Novaes paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Cobb stuffs the takedown.
Novaes stuffs the takedown attempt from Cobb. Cobb gets slowly back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Novaes misses the shot to the body.
Cobb changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Novaes tries to avoid it but Cobb manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Novaes to the ground. Novaes escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Novaes goes for a double leg but Cobb avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Cobb continues to drive forward.

Novaes manages to break the clinch.

Novaes gets tackled into the cage by Cobb. Cobb maintains the clinch.
Cobb wants to take the fight to the mat but Novaes manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Novaes blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Novaes has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Cobb avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.

Novaes has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Cobb uses from the top position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cobb slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Novaes is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Novaes is not content to let Cobb control the position.
Cobb throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Cobb moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Kurt Cobb will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Andre Novaes's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Novaes tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Cobb swivels and escapes.
Cobb fails to land the takedown.
Cobb fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Novaes looks for a takedown but Cobb sprawls well.
Cobb is looking to clinch but Novaes is avoiding it.
Cobb tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Novaes manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Cobb fails with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Kurt Cobb. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cobb shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Novaes pinned against the cage. Novaes gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Novaes shoots in looking for a takedown. Cobb tries to sprawl out of it but Novaes keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Cobb manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Cobb throws a right and a left that Novaes avoids nicely.
Novaes tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
No luck for Novaes with that takedown attempt.
Novaes misses with an uppercut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cobb looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Novaes tries to land a front kick but Cobb steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Novaes misses with a series of wild punches.
Novaes stuffs the takedown.
Cobb fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Novaes throws a series of punches but Cobb moves out of range.
Novaes shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Cobb sprawls well. Cobb wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Novaes gets slowly back to his feet.
Cobb shoots in for a double leg but Novaes sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cobb changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Novaes tries to avoid it but Cobb manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Novaes to the ground. Novaes escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Novaes misses with a jab, cross combination.

Novaes instigates a clinch.

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

Novaes drives through and clinches with Cobb against the cage.
Novaes drops down looking for an ankle pick but Cobb pulls his leg out and moves away.
Novaes looks for the body kick but Cobb saw that one coming.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cobb looks for a takedown but Novaes sprawls well.
Cobb misses with a looping left.
Cobb tries to clinch but Novaes is having none of it.
Novaes throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Novaes lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Cobb circles away quickly and effectively.
Novaes stuffs the takedown.
Novaes connects with a good right hand that stumbles Cobb. Cobb circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Cobb shoots in but Novaes avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Andre Novaes has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Kurt Cobb is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Novaes tries to score a power double leg takedown but Cobb sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Novaes somewhat.

And that's the end of the fight!
Andre Novaes comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Cobb 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 Illya Tyunina scores the fight 29:29
Judge Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 28:29
Judge Dmitry Maklakov scores the fight 29:28

The fight is ruled a draw!