PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Takem Downem (ranked 4850 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tommy Cottero (ranked 3420 p4p, 0 weight class). Tommy Cottero has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Downem
vs
Cottero

180 cm
38
150 lbs
21 - 25 - 0

170 cm
48
149 lbs
43 - 23 - 0

Great wrestler
Counter fighter
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 21 - 25 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Takem Downem!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 43 - 23 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Tommy Cottero!
The judges for this bout are Kenichi Hosakawa, Yukihiro Shimada and Shigeki Sano.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Downem closes the distance and clinches.
Downem blocks a body shot from Cottero.
Downem tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Downem doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Still in the clinch, Cottero scores with a nice short uppercut.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Cottero pushes Downem back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Downem prevents a body shot from Cottero.
Downem looking to slow down the pace here.
Cottero is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Downem wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Cottero has him pressed against the cage.
A body shot lands from Cottero.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Downem drags the fight down to the ground.
Downem keeping moving, preventing Cottero from controlling successfully.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Downem has his feet on Cottero's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.
Cottero connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.

It looks like Takem Downem has been cut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cottero ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Cottero jabs Downem to the body, keeping him at a distance.
A nice leg kick lands there from Cottero.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Downem.
Downem taking a breather here.
Cottero tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Downem wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Downem slows the pace down.
Cottero gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Downem keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cottero is positioning himself well to prevent Downem advancing to mount.
Cottero tries to roll over but Downem keeps him under control.
Cottero wants to control but Downem is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Downem is trying to control. Cottero wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Downem passes to side control.
Cottero is looking to reverse the position.
Downem working away.
Cottero tries to buck Downem off but Downem is having none of it.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Downem decides to stand up, so the ref orders Cottero to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cottero digs a good body shot into Downem's ribs.

Downem has Cottero up against the cage in a clinch.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Downem.

Downem manages to pull guard.

Downem pushes Cottero off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Ooooh, nice body kick lands from Cottero. Downem shrugs it off though.
Downem tries a head kick but it misses.
Downem takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Nice body punch from Cottero.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Downem throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Cottero tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Downem is in Cottero's guard.
Downem postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cottero is adopting a defensive guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Cottero is trying to control the position but Downem postures up.
Cottero tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Downem is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Cottero trying to keep a closed guard but Downem is proving a slippery customer.
Cottero utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Downem tries to stand but Cottero is controlling from the bottom.
Downem is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
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 Takem Downem will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Takem Downem's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Cottero goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Cottero jabs at Downem's body.

Downem scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Downem slows the pace down.
Cottero is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Takem Downem overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Downem decides to stand up, so the ref orders Cottero to his feet.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cottero lands a glancing blow to the side of Downem's head.
Cottero connects with an inside leg kick.
A right-left combo lands from Cottero.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Cottero goes for a high kick. It partially lands.

Downem is rocked!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Downem tries to clinch up
and Cottero counters with a nice uppercut.
Oh Downem is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Cottero lands a nice shot to the body.

Downem shoots in and bounces Cottero off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Cottero wants to sweep but no luck.
Cottero has a closed guard, preventing Downem from standing up.
Cottero is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Downem looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Cottero seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Cottero is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Downem seems to have got his legs back now.
Cottero is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Cottero tries to pass to full mount but Downem defends it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Downem keeping hold of Cottero's head, controlling as best he can.
Downem wants to get back to full guard.
Downem is refusing to be controlled, as Cottero sits in half guard.

Cottero is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Downem defends it well.
Cottero is trying to control the action in half guard but Downem is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Downem flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cottero prevents Downem from improving his position.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Cottero in particular looking to stall.

Cottero is working for a submission of some sort.
Downem trying to hold on to Cottero's head to control him but Cottero postures up.
Downem moves into full guard.
Downem bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Cottero's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Downem controls from within his opponent's guard.
Downem with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.

Downem avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Downem content to stall in guard here.

Cottero is looking for a triangle but Downem pushes his legs off easily.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Cottero keeping full guard, as Downem tries to pass.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tommy Cottero showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Takem Downem's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Downem takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Nice uppercut lands for Cottero. That snapped Downem's head back.
Cottero dives in for a single leg takedown but Downem sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.

Downem darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Downem is controlling the pace.
Downem is trying to control the action in half guard but Cottero is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Downem is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Cottero is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Downem with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Downem is thwarting Cottero's attempts to control the position.
Cottero keeps control of the position for the meantime.
Cottero is looking for a sweep. Downem is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

Downem is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Downem takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Downem is keen to just control but Cottero is a slippery customer.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.

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.

Downem is working for a submission of some sort.
Cottero trying to control but Downem postures up.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Downem.
Cottero tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Downem cracks Cottero with a big right hand but Cottero just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Downem in side control, just content to control the action for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Downem stands up and beckons Cottero to his feet.

Downem scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Downem looks up at the clock and then as Cottero takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Downem smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Cottero wants to control but Downem postures up.
Cottero regains half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Downem is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Downem content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Cottero wants to improve his position but Downem is controlling well.
Well, if Downem is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Cottero is looking to control Downem's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Cottero avoid being mounted?
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

And that's the end of the fight!
Takem Downem showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Downem has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 29:28
Judge Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 29:28
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Takem Downem!