PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Travis Cooper (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ragnar Heidrich (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The key to victory for Travis Cooper has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Cooper
vs
Heidrich

157 cm
21
214 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

177 cm
18
210 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

Good wrestler
Counter fighter
Granite chin

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 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Travis Cooper!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Ragnar Heidrich!
The judges for this bout are Johanna Lukiainen, Tarja Halkonen and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cooper looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Cooper comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Cooper shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Heidrich pinned against the cage. Heidrich gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Danga de danga de dang - Cooper scores with a four punch combination!

That's one minute gone in the round.
A head kick misses from Cooper.
Heidrich changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Cooper rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Heidrich moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Cooper is looking to clinch.
Heidrich takes a head kick and keeps coming.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Cooper.
Heidrich drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Cooper defends it well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Travis Cooper. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Cooper changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Heidrich tries to avoid it but Cooper manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Heidrich to the ground. Heidrich escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Cooper looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Heidrich feints the counter takedown.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Heidrich keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Heidrich changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Cooper jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Cooper shoots for a takedown but Heidrich saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Heidrich drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Cooper defends it well.

Heidrich closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Cooper can't do much from the bottom here.
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!
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.
Cooper is trying to get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.
Cooper is trying to buck Heidrich off.
Heidrich is pausing for a moment. What's he doing? It looks like he's clearing his nose. Oh dude! He's shot a load of snot all down Cooper's shoulder. That is not cool.
Cooper prevents Heidrich from moving into mount.
Cooper really is a fat lump.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Sloppy strikes from Cooper. Those never looked like landing.
Travis Cooper seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Cooper tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
And Heidrich tries to counter it with a takedown but Cooper pushes his down on his head and steps out.

Heidrich rushes Cooper and presses him up against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Heidrich turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Heidrich manages to end up in side control.
Heidrich controlling the position from side mount.
Cooper might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Cooper gets back to half guard.
Heidrich is figuring out what he wants to do next.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Heidrich's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Travis Cooper will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Cooper tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Heidrich swivels and escapes.
Heidrich tries to counter with a clinch but Cooper shakes him off and moves away.
Cooper shoots in for a takedown but Heidrich shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Cooper is looking to clinch but Heidrich is avoiding it.

Heidrich drives through with a takedown into Cooper's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Heidrich stays in close to Cooper's body and controls the position.
Heidrich throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cooper is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Heidrich stays in close to Cooper's body and controls the position.
Heidrich must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

That's one minute gone in the round.
More stalling from Heidrich.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

Cooper tries to sprawl but Heidrich drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Heidrich wants to pass the guard but Cooper is defending well.
Heidrich content to control rather than advance.
Cooper wants to get back to his feet.
Heidrich trying to control the pace.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cooper tries to get to full guard but Heidrich has control of the leg.
Heidrich is looking to advance position but Cooper won't allow it.

Cooper pushes Heidrich off and gets back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cooper misses with a double jab.
Heidrich looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Cooper misses with a low kick.
Heidrich feints the counter takedown.
Cooper closes the distance and clinches up with Heidrich, looking for a takedown. Cooper pushes Heidrich against the cage but Heidrich circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Travis Cooper. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Cooper drives through and clinches with Heidrich against the cage.

Heidrich has hold of one of Cooper's legs. Cooper is fighting the takedown attempt but Heidrich gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.

Cooper has managed to wall walk up one of the corner posts to get back to his feet. Heidrich is pushing him up against the cage, looking to control the position.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Cooper tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Heidrich smiles and moves away.
Heidrich keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Heidrich feints the counter takedown.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Ragnar Heidrich will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Cooper misses with a wild body shot.
Heidrich tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Heidrich avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Nice body punch from Cooper.
Heidrich stuffs the takedown attempt from Cooper. Cooper gets slowly back to his feet.
Cooper wants to clinch up but Heidrich keeps it at a distance.
Heidrich is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cooper will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cooper throws a nice looking combination but Heidrich bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Heidrich keeps the fight on the outside.
Heidrich is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Heidrich stuffs the takedown.
Cooper tries to clinch but Heidrich moves out of range.
Travis Cooper is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Cooper tries to close the distance and clinch but Heidrich swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Cooper throws a nice looking combination but Heidrich bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Heidrich drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Cooper defends it well.
Cooper shoots for a takedown but Heidrich saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Travis Cooper. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Cooper fails with an attempt to clinch.
And Heidrich tries to counter it with a takedown but Cooper pushes his down on his head and steps out.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cooper tries to clinch up.
Cooper throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Heidrich changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Cooper throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Heidrich.
And Heidrich tries to counter it with a takedown but Cooper pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Cooper throws a body punch but Heidrich moves out of range.
Cooper wants to clinch up but Heidrich keeps it at a distance.
Heidrich is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.

Heidrich shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Cooper manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Heidrich is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Heidrich prevents Cooper from getting back to his feet.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Cooper working for a triangle but Heidrich defends it easily.
Heidrich throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Cooper works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Heidrich has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Cooper is proving hard to escape from.
Cooper is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Heidrich is controlling him.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Cooper tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Heidrich manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Heidrich gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Cooper fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Cooper is trying to pull guard but Heidrich has him pressed against the cage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ragnar Heidrich comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Heidrich has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 28:30
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 29:29
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Ragnar Heidrich!