PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Trent Cotchin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gregory Scarpa (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.

Cotchin
vs
Scarpa

177 cm
23
178 lbs
5 - 1 - 0

187 cm
24
189 lbs
10 - 4 - 0

Good wrestling
World class MT
Cardio machine

Excellent grappler
Excellent MT
Granite chin

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 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Trent Cotchin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Gregory Scarpa!
The judges for this bout are Ron Honeybunn, Ben Watson and John Mangel.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cotchin avoids the body shot from Scarpa.
A punch lands to the side of Scarpa 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Cotchin throws a body kick that misses.
Scarpa misses with an attempted mid kick.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Cotchin.
And Scarpa tries to counter it with a takedown but Cotchin pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Gregory Scarpa seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Scarpa tries to clinch but Cotchin moves out of range.
Cotchin is looking to slow Scarpa down with leg kicks.
Scarpa looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Cotchin just misses with a punch to the body.
Cotchin misses the shot to the body.
Cotchin has been working on his boxing with his coaches at F U in the buildup to the fight.

Scarpa gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Cotchin to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Cotchin pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Scarpa is keeping the position for now.
Cotchin wants to control from the top but Scarpa keeps moving.
Scarpa trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cotchin trying to control the position from guard on top but Scarpa is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Cotchin got a little sloppy there for a moment and Scarpa has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Cotchin has managed to get both his arms back between Scarpa's legs - danger averted.

Scarpa throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Scarpa had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Cotchin defends it easily.

Scarpa looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Cotchin passes into side control.
Cotchin sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Scarpa is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Check out the look on Cotchin's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Cotchin controlling the position.
Cotchin advances to mount.
Cotchin trying to control but Scarpa is having none of it.
BOOM! Cotchin connects with a massive shot to the dome!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cotchin looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Scarpa is trying to escape the mount.
Scarpa in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Scarpa working to try and regain half guard.
Cotchin looking to control but Scarpa is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
BOOM! Cotchin connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Scarpa is wriggling around trying to escape.
Cotchin looking to control but Scarpa is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cotchin with the ground and pound from mount.
Scarpa is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Cotchin lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Scarpa hang on?
Scarpa working to try and regain half guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Scarpa slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Cotchin seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Scarpa does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Cotchin not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Cotchin trying to mount his opponent but Scarpa defends it.

Scarpa looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Trent Cotchin dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Cotchin just misses with a punch to the body.
Scarpa misses with a low kick.
It really doesn't seem like the step up in weight is hurting Cotchin here at all. He's more than holding his own against the bigger man.
Cotchin shoots in but Scarpa avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Cotchin sets himself, and Scarpa steps forward looking for the clinch! Cotchin avoids it this time.
Cotchin throws a head kick that misses.
Scarpa scores with a spinning back kick!
Cotchin is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Scarpa can do to turn this around?
Cotchin misses with a looping right.
Scarpa bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.
Scarpa will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Cotchin misses with an uppercut. Scarpa saw that one coming.
Scarpa throws a chopping leg kick but Cotchin manages to avoid taking any serious damage.

Scarpa tries to sprawl but Cotchin drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Cotchin slows the pace down in half guard.
Cotchin wants to lay and pray for a moment but Scarpa keeps working.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Scarpa looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Cotchin wants to pass to mount but Scarpa is defending the position.
Cotchin landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Cotchin seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Scarpa does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Scarpa is in trouble now - Cotchin has advanced to mount!
Scarpa can't escape the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cotchin is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Scarpa can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Scarpa is wriggling around trying to escape.
Cotchin is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Cotchin dominating with strikes here.
Cotchin with good strikes from the mount here!
Scarpa is looking to get to half guard.

Cotchin goes for an armbar but he's not got it… Scarpa turns into him and now he's in Cotchin's guard.
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!
Cotchin looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Scarpa trying to control the position from guard on top but Cotchin is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Cotchin can't keep his opponent in guard - Scarpa advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Scarpa passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Cotchin!
Scarpa cracks Cotchin with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.

It looks like Trent Cotchin has been cut.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cotchin tries to hold on but Scarpa pushes him away.
Cotchin tries to reverse the position but Scarpa maintains control.
Scarpa raining down shots from the mount!
Cotchin is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Scarpa trying to control but Cotchin is having none of it.
Scarpa lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Cotchin hang on?
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 Trent Cotchin will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Trent Cotchin's cut.
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!

Cotchin ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Scarpa moves away.
Scarpa lands with a thumping leg kick.
Cotchin throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Scarpa sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Cotchin pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Scarpa throws out a leg kick but Cotchin moves out of range and Scarpa only half commits.
Cotchin feinted with a counter takedown.
Scarpa blocks a low kick nicely.
Scarpa throws a low kick but Cotchin avoids it.
It looked like Cotchin was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
A nice inside leg kick there by Scarpa. That's going to slow Cotchin down.
Cotchin connects with a leg kick. Scarpa looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Cotchin throws a lazy right hand but Scarpa sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Cotchin checks a low kick from Scarpa.
Cotchin tries to counter with a takedown but Scarpa is quick to defend against it.
Nice jab there from Cotchin.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Scarpa fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Cotchin checks it well.
A low kick from Scarpa misses

and Cotchin counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Scarpa actively working from the bottom here.
Cotchin is just content to waste time from the top position. Scarpa takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Scarpa had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Cotchin defends it easily.

Scarpa looking for subs off his back but Cotchin has passed one foot through into half guard.
Cotchin looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Scarpa regains full guard. Nicely done.
Gregory Scarpa has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Cotchin throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

Scarpa has an active guard here but Cotchin has managed to pass into half guard.
Cotchin winds up and cracks Scarpa with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Scarpa is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Cotchin 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.

Cotchin seems to be working for a kimura but Scarpa defends the submission attempt.

Cotchin is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Scarpa has managed to free his arm - good work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cotchin trying to control the action but Scarpa is working from the bottom.

Cotchin is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Cotchin uses his free foot to push down on Scarpa's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Scarpa.
Cotchin is in the full mount, landing strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cotchin lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Scarpa hang on?
Scarpa has worked his way to half guard, taking advantage of Cotchin's lack of action.
Cotchin missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Trent Cotchin overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Scarpa looking for submissions off his back.
Trent Cotchin is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Scarpa looking for subs from the bottom but Cotchin mounts him!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Cotchin controlling the position easily from mount.

And that's the end of the fight!
Trent Cotchin showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Cotchin has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Ron Honeybunn scores the fight 30:27
Judge Ben Watson scores the fight 29:28
Judge John Mangel scores the fight 30:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Trent Cotchin!
During a confident post fight interview, Trent Cotchin thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.