PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Jean Luc Phaneuf (ranked 2357 p4p, 316 weight class) and Matt Cooper (ranked 2936 p4p, 377 weight class). Jean Luc Phaneuf has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Luc Phaneuf
vs
Cooper

191 cm
26
219 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

195 cm
25
215 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Brawler
Very strong

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Determined

Annihilation Apparel
Pit Bull Development

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 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Jean Luc Phaneuf!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Matt Cooper!
The judges for this bout are , Don Winkell and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Phaneuf misses with a jab to the body
and Cooper makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Phaneuf displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Cooper throws out the jab.
Phaneuf throws a jab but it's blocked by Cooper.
Phaneuf throws a hook but Cooper avoids it easily.
Phaneuf uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Cooper.
Phaneuf checks a leg kick.
Cooper throws a low kick but Phaneuf avoids it.
Cooper keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Cooper throws a nice looking combination but Phaneuf bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Phaneuf moves out of range of the body kick.
Phaneuf avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cooper avoids the body shot from Phaneuf.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Cooper is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Cooper can't break the clinch.
Cooper blocks a body shot from Phaneuf.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A short uppercut from Phaneuf.
Cooper tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Phaneuf's elbow.
Phaneuf lands an uppercut.
Phaneuf works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Cooper's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Cooper wants to break the clinch but can't.
Phaneuf misses with a body punch.
Phaneuf works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Phaneuf working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Cooper lands with a left to the head.
Cooper misses with the head strike.
Cooper is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
I was talking to Phaneuf's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Phaneuf prevents Cooper from breaking the clinch.
Cooper is trying to force a seperation but Phaneuf has the dominant position.

Cooper breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Phaneuf throws a nice looking combination but Cooper bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Cooper moves out of range as Phaneuf strikes.
Phaneuf throws a hook but Cooper blocks it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cooper misses with a right hand
and Phaneuf counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Phaneuf gets tackled into the cage by Cooper. Cooper maintains the clinch.
Cooper tries to break the clinch but Phaneuf is controlling the position.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Cooper creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Phaneuf lands a body shot.
Phaneuf stops a takedown attempt from Cooper.
Phaneuf misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Cooper is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Phaneuf is defending well.
Phaneuf works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Cooper looks winded!
Cooper misses with a short punch on the inside.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Cooper.
A short right from Phaneuf.
Phaneuf can't find room to land a body shot as Cooper controls the action.
Phaneuf lands with a short shot to the head.

It looks like Matt Cooper has been cut.
Phaneuf goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Phaneuf makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Nice body punch from Phaneuf - that landed with a thud.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A shot in the inside from Phaneuf.

Cooper is rocked!
Phaneuf presses Cooper against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Phaneuf is pressed up against the cage. Cooper has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Phaneuf down to the mat. Phaneuf avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Jean Luc Phaneuf has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Matt Cooper.
Phaneuf swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Phaneuf throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Phaneuf drops a shoulder and throws an uppercut that cracks Cooper right on the button. Cooper goes down! Phaneuf follows him to the mat and finishes the job with more strikes! Phaneuf gets the win via TKO!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:26 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Jean Luc Phaneuf!
The defeated Matt Cooper had this to say: 'My opponent did a pretty damn good job today. He's been destroying his opponents lately and I believe he'll be the title holder soon, here AT rise.'.