PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Orion Cook (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Takeo Okamoto (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Cook
vs
Okamoto

184 cm
41
197 lbs
19 - 14 - 0

178 cm
30
195 lbs
15 - 6 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Olympic wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Raptorz Inc.

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 19 - 14 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Orion Cook!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Takeo Okamoto!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, Frank Antenori and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Okamoto lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Okamoto chopping away at his opponent's legs.

Okamoto forces Cook back against the cage and clinches.
Okamoto gets underhooks to prevent Cook's takedown attempt.
Okamoto landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Okamoto misses with a knee strike.
I was talking to Cook's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Okamoto with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.

Cook tightens his grip and picks Okamoto up, before dumping him to the ground. Okamoto manages to land in guard.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Cook loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Cook in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Cook throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Okamoto works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Cook is fighting to break Okamoto's control of his arms but Okamoto is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Cook postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Cook throwing strikes from guard but Okamoto blocks nicely.
Cook working some strikes from top position.
Cook scoring with some ground and pound.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cook working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Okamoto looking to hit a scissor sweep but Cook is one step ahead there.
Cook with a flurry of punches that miss.
Cook postures up.
Cook with a flurry of punches that miss.
Cook is looking to work some ground and pound but Okamoto has wrist control.
Cook works over Okamoto with some ground and pound from guard.
Okamoto controls Cook momentarily but Cook frees himself.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Cook postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Okamoto looking to hit a scissor sweep but Cook is one step ahead there.
Okamoto preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Cook throwing strikes but missing.
Cook keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Okamoto's head.
Cook throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Okamoto works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Cook throws a big elbow that misses.
Okamoto looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Cook trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Cook postures up and lands a big shot to Okamoto's brow.
Cook throwing strikes from guard but Okamoto blocks nicely.
Cook postures up.
Cook lands a couple of digs.
Cook has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Cook with a flurry of punches that miss.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Okamoto utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Cook missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Okamoto has his hands on Cook's head, controlling the position.
Cook trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Cook with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Okamoto preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Cook postures up.
Okamoto wants to sweep here but Cook controlling him for the moment.
Cook landing with the ground and pound.
Cook looking to pass the guard.
Okamoto 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.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Okamoto looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Cook throwing strikes from guard but Okamoto blocks nicely.
Cook loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Cook with a nice head shot there.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Cook throws an elbow that misses. Okamoto uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Cook's guard. Nice move by Okamoto!
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Okamoto is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Cook looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Okamoto puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Okamoto gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Cook jumps guard but Okamoto turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Okamoto prevents a takedown attempt there.

Cook gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Cook not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Okamoto manages to get to full guard.
Cook stopping the sweep attempt from Okamoto.
Cook throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Okamoto works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Cook trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Okamoto looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Cook throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cook in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Orion Cook overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Okamoto wants to sweep here but Cook controlling him for the moment.
Cook throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Okamoto works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Cook lands a couple of elbows.
Okamoto is trying to control the position but Cook postures up.
Cook stopping the sweep attempt from Okamoto.
Cook working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Cook postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Cook won't allow Okamoto to get back to his feet.
Cook throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Cook throws a big right hand that misses.
Okamoto looking for a sweep. Not yet Okamoto, not yet.
Cook wants to pass the guard but Okamoto is keeping the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Okamoto has control of Cook's left arm, preventing Cook from doing any damage.
Cook throws a big elbow that misses.
Cook throws a big right hand that misses.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Okamoto avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Cook advances position into side control!
Okamoto is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Cook misses with the ground and pound.
Cook sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Okamoto is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Okamoto is trying to control Cook's posture but Cook avoids it.
Cook cracks Okamoto with a big elbow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Okamoto is looking for a sweep.
Cook working the ground and pound but Okamoto is defending the strikes.
Cook working the head and body with strikes.
Okamoto is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Cook cracks Okamoto with a big elbow.
Okamoto can't do much from the bottom here.
Okamoto is working to avoid the ground and pound but Cook connects with a decent elbow.
You can see the frustration on Okamoto's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Cook throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Okamoto is trying to get back to half guard.
The strikes coming from Cook are missing the target in this wave of attacks.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cook scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Okamoto to see if he's OK.
Cook throws a strike aimed at the side of Okamoto's head but Okamoto avoids it well.
Okamoto sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Cook missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Cook throwing shots but Okamoto is blocking nicely.
Cook thows a huge punch but Okamoto dodges it nicely.
Okamoto trying to hold on to Cook's head to control him but Cook postures up.
Okamoto is trying to avoid being dragged into an even worse position than he's already in but Cook is staying active.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Cook working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Okamoto blocking the ground and pound attempt from Cook.
Cook throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Orion Cook dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Okamoto throws a low kick but Cook moves out of range easily.
Cook takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Cook shoots in looking for a takedown. Okamoto tries to sprawl out of it but Cook keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Okamoto manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

Okamoto has closed the distance and engaged Cook in a clinch.
Okamoto prevents the takedown attempt.
Knees in the clinch landing for Okamoto.
Cook can't get the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Orion Cook. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Okamoto gets through Cook's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Cook jumps guard but Okamoto turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Cook on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Okamoto tries a knee to the head but Cook blocks it.
Cook tries for a takedown but Okamoto manages to get underhooks.
Okamoto misses with a knee to the head.

Cook gets a trip takedown into half guard.

Okamoto kicks off Cook and gets to his feet.
Nice shot lands for Okamoto.
Okamoto misses with an uppercut.

Okamoto moves into the clinch successfully.

Cook pulls guard.
Cook wants to sweep here but Okamoto controlling him for the moment.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Okamoto is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Takeo Okamoto has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Orion Cook is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cook working a defensive guard here.
Cook keeping moving, preventing Okamoto from controlling successfully.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Takeo Okamoto hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Cook checks a low kick from Okamoto.
Takeo Okamoto is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Okamoto pivots, looking for a leg kick but Cook is out of range and Okamoto settles back down.
A low kick from Okamoto misses

and Cook counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Okamoto's guard now.
Okamoto is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Cook is in close to Okamoto's body, working some short punches and elbows.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Okamoto is trying to keep Cook in close.
Okamoto pulls Cook in close to prevent any damage.
Okamoto avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Okamoto keeping moving, preventing Cook from controlling successfully.
Cook postures up in Okamoto's guard and throws a big left but Okamoto blocks it.
Okamoto looking for a sweep. Not yet Okamoto, not yet.
Cook stays in close to Okamoto's body and controls the position.

Okamoto has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Cook off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.

Cook throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Okamoto tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Cook is in Okamoto's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cook scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Cook trying to control but Okamoto is working from the bottom.

Okamoto is looking for a triangle but Cook pushes his legs off easily.
Cook wants to control from the top but Okamoto keeps moving.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!

Okamoto is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Cook defends well.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Cook passes into half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Takeo Okamoto.
I think Cook 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 Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 30:27
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 30:28
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Orion Cook!
A very excited looking Orion Cook made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.