PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Ari Birmiski (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ted Coke (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Birmiski might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to I'm Back - T.I. Coke has chosen Cocaine as his entrance music. I don't know about you partner, but I'm pumped for this one!

Birmiski
vs
Coke

170 cm
35
140 lbs
24 - 18 - 0

170 cm
31
140 lbs
13 - 10 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class MT
Very strong

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Heavy handed

[JMFC] Arashi Fighting Nutrition
Milwaukee's Best Nutrition

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 24 - 18 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Ari Birmiski!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 13 - 10 - 0, fighting out of London, Ted Coke!
The judges for this bout are Frank Dennis, Cecil Peabody and Tiny Johnson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Coke tries to work over Birmiski's front leg with a kick but Birmiski checks it.
Birmiski tries to clinch up but Coke circles away and keeps his distance.
Coke swats away the attempt to clinch by Birmiski.
Birmiski is looking to clinch but Coke is avoiding it.
Birmiski fails in his attempt to clinch.
Ari Birmiski seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A head kick by Coke misses
and Birmiski connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

Birmiski shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Coke's guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Birmiski throws an elbow that misses. Coke uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Birmiski's guard. Nice move by Coke!
Coke trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Coke tries to stand but Birmiski is controlling from the bottom.
Birmiski tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Coke decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Birmiski's jab looks to have found its range, popping Coke under the eye.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Coke throws a series of strikes that have Birmiski backpedaling.
Birmiski wants to clinch but Coke slips to the side

and Coke counters with a nice double leg into side control. Birmiski won't be happy with that.
Coke tries to stand but Birmiski is controlling his head.
Birmiski manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Birmiski is pressing down on Coke's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Birmiski controls Coke momentarily but Coke frees himself.

Coke stands up from Birmiski's guard - Coke perhaps looking for a knockout.
Birmiski will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Coke throws the left hand but Birmiski avoids the punch easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Coke fails with the takedown.
Birmiski defending well as Coke loads up on a big left hand.
Coke lands a jab to the nose.
Coke throws a jab but it's blocked by Birmiski.
Birmiski tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Coke counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
The fight stays on the outside here - Birmiski looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Birmiski fails with an attempt to clinch.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Coke enables Birmiski to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Coke manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Birmiski looking to sit in guard and control but Coke gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Coke decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Birmiski closes the distance looking to clinch
and Coke counters with a series of strikes. Birmiski will be more careful next time no doubt.
Birmiski tries to clinch but Coke moves out of range.
Coke misses with a looping left.
Birmiski tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Coke manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Birmiski is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Coke shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Birmiski's guard.
Coke looking to pass the guard.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Coke working his ground and pound in the gym. He isn't landing a great percentage of his ground strikes so far though.
Coke won't allow Birmiski to sweep him here.

Birmiski is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Birmiski wants to sweep but no luck.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Birmiski escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Coke gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Coke working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Coke trying to control the position from guard on top but Birmiski is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Birmiski tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Coke wants to control from the top but Birmiski keeps moving.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Coke slips nicely into half guard.

Coke postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Birmiski to stand up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ted Coke dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Birmiski tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Coke manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Birmiski tries to clinch up

and Coke counters with a single leg into guard. Birmiski didn't expect that.
Coke would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Birmiski being controlled here, momentarily.

Coke decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Ted Coke is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Coke misses with a double jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Birmiski wants to clinch up but Coke keeps it at a distance.
Birmiski tries to clinch
letting Coke counter with a right hand.
Birmiski tries to clinch but Coke moves out of range.

Birmiski manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Coke on his heels. He'll look to pass Coke's guard now, I'm sure.
Birmiski trying to control the position from guard on top but Coke is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Birmiski postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Birmiski with a flurry of punches that miss.
Birmiski won't allow Coke to get back to his feet.
Coke being controlled here, momentarily.

Coke pushes Birmiski off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Birmiski fails in his attempt to clinch.

Birmiski shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Birmiski sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Coke defending well though.

Birmiski seems to be looking for submissions.
Birmiski throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Coke is refusing to be controlled, as Birmiski sits in half guard.
Birmiski not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Birmiski thows a huge punch but Coke dodges it nicely.
Coke blocking the ground and pound attempt from Birmiski.
Coke avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Birmiski.
Birmiski throws a strike but Coke avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Coke wants to stand up but Birmiski is controlling him.
Birmiski advances position into side control!

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Birmiski goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Coke has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Birmiski but great work by Coke.

Coke has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
Birmiski is looking to clinch.
Coke swats away the attempt to clinch by Birmiski.
Birmiski tries to clinch there but Coke circles away.
Birmiski tries to clinch there but Coke circles away.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Birmiski is looking to clinch but Coke is avoiding it.
Coke shoots for a takedown but Birmiski saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Coke circles away from the clinch attempt.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Birmiski tries to clinch there but Coke circles away.
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 Ari Birmiski will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Birmiski closes the distance but Coke moves to the side
and Coke counters with a series of strikes. Birmiski will be more careful next time no doubt.
Birmiski tries to close the distance and clinch but Coke swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Birmiski is looking to clinch but Coke is avoiding it.
Coke throws a wild body kick that Birmiski sees coming a mile off.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Birmiski lands a left hand.
Birmiski throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Birmiski misses with a hook from the clinch.
Coke is looking to take this one to the mat.
Coke goes for a takedown attempt but Birmiski pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Birmiski throws a head kick but Coke moves out of range.
Birmiski tries to clinch
and Coke counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Birmiski has managed to clinch.
Birmiski lands a left hand that snaps the head of Coke backwards.
Coke is trying to pull guard but Birmiski turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Ari Birmiski has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ted Coke.
Coke is looking to take this one to the mat.
Coke takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Coke has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Birmiski is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Birmiski is working for takedown but Coke is calmly controlling the position for now.
Birmiski lands a hook to the side of the head.
Birmiski swings wildly with an uppercut but Coke uses good head movement to avoid it.
Birmiski misses with a hook to the ribs.
Coke tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Birmiski tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Birmiski wants a takedown but no success here.
Birmiski prevents the takedown attempt.
Birmiski stalling the fight.
Coke drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Birmiski lands a shoulder strike.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Coke blocks an uppercut.

Birmiski has clasped his hands together around Coke's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Birmiski misses with an attempted head punch from side control.

Birmiski thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Birmiski lands an elbow.
Birmiski working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Coke is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Birmiski has just dragged him back down to the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Birmiski scoring with punches and elbows.
Birmiski throwing strikes but Coke manages to buck up and roll into a nice reversal - now he's on top in side control!
Coke working away.
Coke is looking to take a break and control but Birmiski is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Birmiski sneaks back into half guard.
Coke is trying to control. Birmiski wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

Birmiski is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Coke pulls his head out easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Coke wants to work for an arm triangle but Birmiski is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Coke is looking to advance position but Birmiski won't allow it.
Birmiski slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Birmiski has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Birmiski is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Birmiski tries to land a sweep but no joy.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ari Birmiski showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Birmiski 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 Frank Dennis scores the fight 29:28
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 29:28
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 29:29

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Ari Birmiski!
Our winner, Ari Birmiski, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.
The defeated Ted Coke had this to say: 'He was the better fighter today, but trust me, I am going to come back .. come back better prepared and in better condition !!!'.