PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Alberto Del Rio (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Orion Cook (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Del Rio comes to the cage accompanied by Requiem for a dream. Alberto Del Rio has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Del Rio
vs
Cook

197 cm
39
200 lbs
11 - 31 - 1

184 cm
47
197 lbs
25 - 18 - 0

Good wrestling
Good kicks
Very strong

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Knockout power

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 11 - 31 - 1, fighting out of Los Angeles, Alberto Del Rio!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 25 - 18 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Orion Cook!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, Frank Antenori and Don Winkell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cook lands with a right hand.
Cook stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.

It looks like Alberto Del Rio has been cut.
Cook fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Del Rio is trying to close the distance and clinch up, after that failed offence from Cook.
Del Rio on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Cook lands with a good body shot.

Del Rio gets a clinch.

Cook gets control of Del Rio's arms and successfully pulls guard. Cook will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.

Cook is looking for a triangle but Del Rio pushes his legs off easily.
Del Rio knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Cook on the ground.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Cook looking to hit a scissor sweep but Del Rio is one step ahead there.
Del Rio wants to stand and escape but instead Cook has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.

Cook landing some decent shots from guard.
Cook scoring with some ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cook forces his way into half guard.
Cook drops an elbow to the side of Del Rio's head.
Cook missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Cook not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.

Cook is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Cook throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Cook thows a huge punch but Del Rio dodges it nicely.
Cook thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Del Rio's head.
Cook lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Cook has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Cook missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Del Rio avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Cook.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Cook thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Del Rio's head.
Cook thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Del Rio blocking the ground and pound attempt from Cook.
Nice strikes from Cook there.
Cook looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Del Rio with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Cook is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Cook missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Cook throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Del Rio regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Cook.
Cook missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cook loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Cook content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Cook missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

Cook drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Cook jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Cook lands a couple of elbows.
Cook trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Cook throwing strikes but missing.
Cook lands a couple of digs.
Cook throwing strikes but missing.
Cook cracks Del Rio with a solid left hand.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cook looking to pass the guard.
Cook in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Cook postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Cook postures up and lands a big shot to Del Rio's brow.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Cook's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

Cook drops back looking for a leg! Del Rio is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Del Rio manages to kick Cook off! Cook jumps back into Del Rio's guard.
Cook cracks Del Rio with a solid left hand.
Cook working some strikes from top position.
Del Rio on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Del Rio tries to get out of the position.
Cook lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Cook scoring with punches to the head and body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Orion Cook dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Alberto Del Rio's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Cook is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.

Del Rio drives through and clinches with Cook against the cage.
Del Rio looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Cook controlling the action here for a moment.
Cook wants a takedown but no success here.
Cook is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Cook has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Del Rio creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Cook has Del Rio pushed against the cage.
Cook wants to take the fight to the mat but Del Rio manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cook tries for a takedown but Del Rio manages to get underhooks.
Alberto Del Rio has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Orion Cook.
Cook lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Del Rio backwards.
Cook tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Del Rio tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Cook avoids it.
Cook tries for a takedown but Del Rio manages to get underhooks.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Cook is working for takedown but Del Rio is calmly controlling the position for now.
Del Rio is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Del Rio misses with some punches.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Cook.

Cook pulls guard.
Cook lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Cook lands a couple of elbows.
Cook with a nice head shot there.
Cook throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Del Rio works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Del Rio utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Cook missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Cook trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Del Rio preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cook landing with the ground and pound.
Cook postures up in Del Rio's guard and throws a big left but Del Rio blocks it.
Cook loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Cook stops Del Rio from standing up.
Del Rio working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Cook.
Del Rio avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Cook throws a big right hand that misses.
Cook throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Cook works over Del Rio with some ground and pound from guard.
Cook working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Cook postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Del Rio will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Cook connects with a couple of short punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Del Rio utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Cook throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Del Rio works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Jab, jab by Cook - just one landing.
Cook tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Del Rio swivels and escapes.

Del Rio closes the distance and clinches.

Cook turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!
Cook sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Del Rio is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.

Cook is trying to get an arm triangle but Del Rio is defending well.
Cook throws an elbow but Del Rio slips to the side and avoids it well.
Cook working the head and body with strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cook sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Del Rio is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Cook working the body and head with strikes.

Del Rio is rocked!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Cook tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Cook has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Oh Del Rio is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Cook working the head with strikes.
Cook lands a decent elbow from side control.
Cook creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Orion Cook has got the better of the ground game so far.
A big shot lands for Cook! That's hurt Del Rio! Will he recover? Cook fires away with more strikes and the referee has to step in to stop the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:43 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Orion Cook!
Our winner, Orion Cook, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.