PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Otha Copeland (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Adam Yaunch (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). This should be fireworks!

Copeland
vs
Yaunch

174 cm
23
151 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

175 cm
25
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

Good takedowns
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Otha Copeland!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Adam Yaunch!
The judges for this bout are Roosa Järviläinen, Johanna Lukiainen and Matti Vanhoillinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Yaunch changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Copeland looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Yaunch looking to control but instead Copeland has slipped a leg in, to regain half guard.
Yaunch wants to take a breather but Copeland is having none of it.
Yaunch thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Copeland is looking to improve his position.
Copeland is staying active underneath Yaunch, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Copeland is looking for a sweep. Yaunch is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Yaunch wants to control but Copeland is keeping him busy.
Copeland knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Yaunch on the ground.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Adam Yaunch.

Copeland closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Copeland gets control of Yaunch's arms and successfully pulls guard. Copeland will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Copeland is on top in guard.
Yaunch manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Copeland manages to get himself to full guard.
Yaunch is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Yaunch trying to control but Copeland is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Copeland wants to improve his position but instead Yaunch has moved into half guard.
Yaunch is looking to advance position but Copeland won't allow it.
Yaunch content to control rather than advance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Yaunch works his foot free and advances to mount.
Yaunch looking to ground and pound but Copeland is blocking nicely.
Yaunch throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Yaunch throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yaunch controlling his opponent.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Copeland is just holding on here. Yaunch manages to take his back.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Yaunch controlling the position well here. Copeland rolled but Yaunch kept the hooks locked in and stayed in the dominant position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Yaunch lands strikes to the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Adam Yaunch dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Copeland takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.

Yaunch moves into the clinch.
Copeland keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Yaunch's efforts to push away.

Yaunch lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Yaunch slows the pace down in half guard.
Yaunch is keen to just control but Copeland is a slippery customer.

Yaunch is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Copeland is looking to control Yaunch's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Copeland avoid being mounted?
Yaunch has decided to stand back up but his arm is trapped. Whilst he's worrying about his arm, Copeland works to full guard.
Yaunch wants to control from the top but Copeland keeps moving.
Copeland looking for a sweep. Not yet Copeland, not yet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Adam Yaunch hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.

Copeland gets caught flat footed, as Yaunch shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Yaunch is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Yaunch stands and throws Copeland's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Yaunch wants to stand but Copeland has his arm trapped.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Copeland gets back to half guard.
Yaunch content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Copeland is trying to get back to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yaunch wants to stand up but Copeland is controlling the position.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Copeland trying to hold on to Yaunch's head to control him but Yaunch postures up.
Yaunch perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Adam Yaunch hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Yaunch misses with a kick to the body.

Copeland shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Yaunch's guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Adam Yaunch showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Yaunch closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Yaunch gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Adam Yaunch has got the better of the ground game so far.
Yaunch trying to control the action but Copeland is working from the bottom.
Copeland is trying to maintain the position but Yaunch is very close to passing his half guard.
Yaunch is looking to stall here but Copeland recovers full guard.
Copeland looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Yaunch puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yaunch is looking to stall here but Copeland recovers full guard.
Yaunch tries to stand but Copeland is controlling from the bottom.
Copeland looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Yaunch with a flurry of punches that miss.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Copeland can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Yaunch controls the pace.

Copeland pushes Yaunch off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Yaunch pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Yaunch misses with a leg kick
enabling Copeland to counter with a crisp jab.

Yaunch decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Yaunch looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Copeland is staying active underneath Yaunch, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Copeland avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Yaunch.
Copeland tries to get to full guard but Yaunch has control of the leg.

Adam Yaunch has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.

Copeland closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Yaunch trying to control here.
Yaunch gets back to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yaunch has Copeland pulled in close to control his posture.
Yaunch is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

Yaunch has his foot on Copeland's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Copeland works his way back into a safe position though.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Copeland postures up.
Otha Copeland has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Adam Yaunch is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Copeland is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.

And that's the end of the fight!
Adam Yaunch comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Yaunch has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 27:30
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 27:30
Judge Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Adam Yaunch!