PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Lyman Leach (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Daniel Cormier (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.

Leach
vs
Cormier

206 cm
18
214 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
18
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Lyman Leach!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Daniel Cormier!
The judges for this bout are , Timothy Bukovac and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cormier throws a head kick that misses.
Leach is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Cormier drives through and clinches with Leach against the cage.
Leach tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Cormier just stands there and leans against the cage.
Cormier blocks an elbow strike.

Leach tightens his grip and picks Cormier up, before dumping him to the ground. Cormier manages to land in guard.
Cormier controlling the position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cormier wants to get back to his feet but Leach is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Leach got a little sloppy there for a moment and Cormier has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Leach has managed to get both his arms back between Cormier's legs - danger averted.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Cormier can do anything to dispel that myth.
Leach postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Leach drops back, looking for a kneebar! Cormier looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Cormier looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Cormier!

Leach is looking for a sweep.
Cormier tries to get to his feet but he's trapped momentarily.
Cormier controlling from side mount.
Leach tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Cormier wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Leach is being controlled here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cormier wants to stand but Leach has his arm trapped.
The referee asks Cormier politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Cormier prefers to stall for the moment though.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Leach tries to bench press Cormier off him but Cormier keeps the position.
Leach wants to control but Cormier postures up.
Leach tries to improve position but can't.
You can see the frustration on Leach's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Cormier throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Leach was covering up waiting for the punch and Cormier finishes the takedown easily into guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cormier trying to stand up but can't free himself from Leach's guard.

Cormier drops back looking for a leg! Leach is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Leach manages to kick Cormier off! Cormier jumps back into Leach's guard.
Leach really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Leach can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Cormier controls the pace.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.

Leach is looking for a triangle but Cormier pushes his legs off easily.

Cormier decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Leach, up you get!
Cormier keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Leach is breathing heavily.
Leach dodges the punch combination from Cormier.
Cormier throws a sloppy head kick and Leach moves out of range easily.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Leach moves out of range of the body kick.

Leach gets caught napping as Cormier dives in and scores a takedown. Leach manages to retain guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Daniel Cormier dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Cormier drives through with a takedown into Leach's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Leach keeping full guard, as Cormier tries to pass.
Leach will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Cormier controlling from the top position.
Cormier wants to pass the guard but Leach is keeping the position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Leach holds on and takes a little breather.
Leach is trying to keep Cormier in close.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cormier wanted to stand there but Leach had control of the position.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
A shot to the liver by Leach. Beautiful body shot.
Daniel Cormier seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
The fight stays on the outside here - Leach looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Cormier tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.

Cormier shoots in for a takedown and gets it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Leach looking for submissions off his back.
Leach wants to improve his position but Cormier is controlling well.

Cormier is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Cormier 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.
Leach tries to get to full guard but Cormier has control of the leg.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cormier is taking a breather. Leach says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Cormier prevents Leach from improving his position.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Cormier is trying to get back to his feet now but his leg is trapped.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Cormier is controlling the pace.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

Cormier drives through with a takedown into guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Leach throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Cormier escapes and throws Leach's legs to the side, diving into side control!
Cormier slows the pace down.
Daniel Cormier has got the better of the ground game so far.
Leach gives up the full mount - oops, sloppy defensive grappling there!
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Leach takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Daniel Cormier showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Cormier looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Leach trying to keep a closed guard but Cormier is proving a slippery customer.
Cormier has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Leach is proving hard to escape from.
Cormier is stalling in the full guard.
Leach looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cormier is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Cormier has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Leach looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Cormier puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Leach is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Cormier tries to stand and escape but Leach is controlling the position.

Cormier seems like he's working for an arm triangle here. He's freed his trapped foot and he's rotating nicely. Leach is in big trouble! He's tapping out! This one is aaaaaaaaaaaall over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:46 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Arm Triangle). Daniel Cormier!