PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Ferdinand Cortes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Avon Barksdale (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Cortes
vs
Barksdale

169 cm
21
150 lbs
10 - 0 - 1

165 cm
20
145 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Counter fighter
Powerful

VICIOUS FIGHT GEAR

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the featherweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 10 - 0 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Ferdinand Cortes!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Avon Barksdale!
The judges for this bout are Ren Mimura, Hirohito Nitta and Yukihiro Shimada.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Some wild striking there from Cortes.
A shot to the liver by Barksdale. Beautiful body shot.
Cortes misses with a hook to the body

and Barksdale counters with a takedown into side control! That could mean trouble for Cortes!
Barksdale working the head and body with strikes.
Barksdale trying to control the position but Cortes is working away.
Cortes parries the strikes from Barksdale easily there. Barksdale is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Cortes to escape.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Barksdale throws an elbow but Cortes slips to the side and avoids it well.
Cortes wants to get back to his feet but Barksdale drags him back down.
Barksdale working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barksdale looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Cortes is avoiding damage well.
Cortes avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Barksdale.
Barksdale postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Barksdale working his ground and pound in the gym. He isn't landing a great percentage of his ground strikes so far though.
Cortes is pushing Barksdale's head away, looking to escape. Barksdale manages to hold on to the position though.
Barksdale is putting a hurting on Cortes here, landing some big shots from side control.
Sloppy strikes there by Barksdale.
Barksdale scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Cortes to see if he's OK.
Barksdale cracks Cortes with a big right hand but Cortes just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Barksdale wants to lay and pray for a moment but Cortes keeps working.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Barksdale tries to score with some ground and pound. Cortes controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Barksdale fails with an attempt to clinch.
Barksdale cracks a nice hook into Cortes's ribs.
Barksdale tries to clinch up.
Cortes tests Barksdale's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Cortes takes a swing at Barksdale's ribcage but misses.

Barksdale shoots in and bounces Cortes off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Barksdale working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barksdale trying to control but Cortes is working from the bottom.
Barksdale passes into half guard.
Barksdale sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Cortes defending well though.
Barksdale works his way into side control.
Barksdale cracks Cortes with a big elbow.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Barksdale connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Cortes some visible discomfort.
Cortes regains half guard, as Barksdale was trying to land strikes.
Barksdale not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Barksdale prevents Cortes from standing back up.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Barksdale missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Cortes tries to kick Barksdale off but Barksdale keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Avon Barksdale dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Barksdale avoids the body shot from Cortes.
Cortes tries to clinch but Barksdale moves out of range.
Barksdale has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Barksdale is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Cortes lands a nice shot that snaps Barksdale's head back.
Cortes lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Barksdale backs up against the cage.
Cortes's jab looks to have found its range, popping Barksdale under the eye.
Barksdale misses with a jab to the body

and Cortes counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Barksdale prevents a body shot from Cortes.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Barksdale misses with a hook to the ribs.
Barksdale blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Cortes prevents a body shot from Barksdale.
Cortes gets through Barksdale's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Barksdale wants to take the fight to the mat but Cortes manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cortes lands an uppercut.
Cortes struggles to land a body shot inside as Barksdale controls his hands.
Barksdale's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Cortes working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Barksdale blocks a body shot from Cortes.
Cortes lands a left hand that snaps the head of Barksdale backwards.
A nice right hand lands inside from Cortes.
A head punch on the inside from Barksdale fails to land.
Cortes misses with some punches.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Cortes.
Barksdale lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Cortes backwards.
A head punch on the inside from Barksdale fails to land.
Cortes goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
A short left from Cortes.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Cortes tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Barksdale's elbow.
Barksdale prevents a body shot from Cortes.
Cortes tries to work over Barksdale's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Barksdale misses with a hook from the clinch.
Cortes lands on the inside with an uppercut.

Barksdale is rocked!
Barksdale misses with a hook to the ribs.
Barksdale swings wildly with an uppercut but Cortes uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Barksdale misses with a punch to the body.
Cortes lands with a right to the head.
Barksdale is still on wobbly legs! Can Cortes finish him?
Cortes lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Cortes lands an uppercut in the clinch that drops Barksdale to his knees! Cortes keeps firing more shots against his stricken opponent and the referee jumps in to save him!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:20 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Ferdinand Cortes!
Ferdinand Cortes retains his featherweight title!
Ferdinand Cortes gave a mention to VICIOUS FIGHT GEAR in his post fight interview. That will please them (and hopefully generate some sales).