PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Sung Cole (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Brandon Mathew (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Brandon Mathew will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Cole
vs
Mathew

164 cm
19
193 lbs
3 - 5 - 0

186 cm
18
196 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
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 3 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Sung Cole!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Brandon Mathew!
The judges for this bout are Eliza Hachem, Bruno Hogan and Steve Erwin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cole circles away from the clinch attempt

and Cole counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Cole is thwarting Mathew's attempts to control the position.
Cole trying to control the pace.
Mathew tries to kick Cole off but Cole keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Mathew trying to hold on to Cole's head to control him but Cole postures up.
Mathew landing a few short strikes.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nice strikes from Cole there.
Mathew slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Cole could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Mathew looking for a sweep. Not yet Mathew, not yet.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Mathew is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Cole defends well.
Cole chips away with some ground and pound.
Mathew trying to control the position.
Cole postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Cole makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.

Cole gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Mathew swings and misses with a shot to the body

and Cole counters with a takedown into side control.
Mathew taking a bit of punishment here - Cole scoring with strikes.
Cole controlling from side mount.

Cole is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Mathew has escaped the position, nice work there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mathew taking punishment in the form of punches.
Cole has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Cole landing a few strikes.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Mathew tries to bench press Cole off him but Cole keeps the position.

Cole thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Cole creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Mathew really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Cole. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Mathew takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Mathew sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Nice strikes from Cole there.
Cole is keen to just control but Mathew is a slippery customer.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Cole connects with a nice short shot to Mathew's temple.
Mathew looks winded!
Mathew misses with some strikes from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cole trying to control the action but Mathew is working from the bottom.
Mathew has hold of Cole's hands but Cole slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Mathew tries to roll over but Cole keeps him under control.
Cole scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Cole seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Mathew does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Cole is nestled in close to Mathew, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.

Cole is looking for a kimura here.
Mathew wants to control but Cole is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Cole working over Mathew with some ground and pound. Mathew looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Cole is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Mathew is just riding it out for now. Cole eventually gives up the hold.
Ground and pound from Cole.
Cole trying to control from half guard but Mathew is working away.
Mathew trying to control but Cole postures up.

Cole stands up and beckons Mathew to join him on the feet.
Mathew will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sung Cole dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Mathew throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Cole changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.

Mathew darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Cole tries to get to full guard but Mathew has control of the leg.
The fighters are battling for position here. Cole manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Mathew trying to control the position from guard on top but Cole is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mathew stopping the sweep attempt from Cole.
Mathew controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Mathew looking to sit in guard and control but Cole gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Cole working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Mathew bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Cole's guard.

Cole bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Mathew's guard.

Mathew is breathing heavily.
Cole preventing the sweep.
Cole postures up and lands a big shot to Mathew's brow.
Mathew is looking to stand up but Cole isn't so interested in that idea.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cole is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Mathew keeping moving, preventing Cole from controlling successfully.
Mathew controls Cole momentarily but Cole frees himself.
Mathew has momentary wrist control but Cole slips an elbow through the middle.
Cole slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Cole seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Mathew for as long as he can get away with.
Cole is in close to Mathew's body, working some short punches and elbows.

Mathew throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cole showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Cole landing some decent shots from guard.
Cole controlling from the top position.
Cole stands and throws Mathew's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Cole scoring with punches from side control.
Mathew on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Mathew struggling a bit here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cole landing strikes.
Cole lands a few punches from side control.
Sung Cole overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Cole decides to stand back up. Cole steps back and let's Mathew get back to his feet.
Cole shoots in for a takedown but Mathew shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.

Cole closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Cole lands in his opponent's guard.

Cole is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Cole postures up.
Cole stands up over Mathew, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sung Cole dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Cole gets caught napping as Mathew dives in and scores a takedown. Cole manages to retain guard.
Cole looking to hit a scissor sweep but Mathew is one step ahead there.
Mathew working some strikes from top position.
Cole is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Cole keeping full guard, as Mathew tries to pass.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cole avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Cole holds on and takes a little breather.
Mathew content to stall in guard here.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.

Cole drives through with a takedown into Mathew's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Mathew is looking to stand back up but Cole counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Mathew.

Mathew is trying to get back to full guard.
Mathew takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Cole lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cole working the head and body with strikes.
Cole working the head and body with strikes.
Cole lands strikes from half guard.
Cole is controlling the pace.
Cole is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Mathew can do to turn this around?
Cole working over Mathew with some ground and pound. Mathew looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Cole is nestled in close to Mathew, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Cole is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Cole is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mathew wants to get back to full guard.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Cole lands a nice short elbow.
Mathew trying to control from the bottom.

Cole is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Mathew defends it well.
Mathew trying to control but Cole postures up.

Cole is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Mathew is just riding it out for now. Cole eventually gives up the hold.

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

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cole is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
It looks like Cole is going to stand back up.
Cole is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Cole seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Mathew does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Mathew wants to control but Cole is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Brandon Mathew has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Sung Cole is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.

And that's the end of the fight!
Sung Cole showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Cole, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Eliza Hachem scores the fight 30:27
Judge Bruno Hogan scores the fight 30:27
Judge Steve Erwin scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Sung Cole!