PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Jotham Cohen (ranked 5904 p4p, 0 weight class) and Muhsin Muhammad (ranked 4798 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Cohen
vs
Muhammad

195 cm
25
230 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

203 cm
25
265 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Jotham Cohen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Muhsin Muhammad!
The judges for this bout are Santiago Holmes, David Hoff and Sandra Marshall.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Muhammad clinches up against the cage.
Cohen can't get the takedown.
Muhammad is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Muhammad is looking for a takedown.

Muhammad breaks from the clinch.
Muhammad catches Cohen with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!

It looks like Jotham Cohen has been cut.
Cohen tries to clinch but Muhammad is having none of it.

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

Cohen wriggles free and stands up.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Muhammad changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Cohen looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Cohen is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Cohen prevents Muhammad from improving position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cohen is looking for a sweep.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Muhammad working away.
Cohen is not content to let Muhammad control the position.
Cohen is trying to control Muhammad's posture but Muhammad avoids it.
Muhammad in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Muhammad working the body and head with strikes.
Cohen is letting Muhammad control him for a moment.

Muhammad is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Cohen is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Cohen can't do much from the bottom here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Muhammad working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Cohen tries to control but end up mounted... ooooh, that's bad.
Muhammad looking to control but Cohen is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Muhammad looking to secure an arm triangle but Cohen defends it well.
Muhammad in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Muhammad thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Muhammad wants to control the pace but Cohen is squirming around nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Muhammad looking for a guillotine from mount but Cohen is having none of it.

Muhammad has hold of Cohen's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Cohen manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Cohen tries to get back to half guard but can't.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Cohen tries to hold on but Muhammad postures up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Muhsin Muhammad dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Jotham Cohen'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.

Muhammad shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Muhammad moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Cohen keeps the fight on the outside.
Cohen is looking for a counter combo.

Cohen has Muhammad up against the cage in a clinch.
Muhammad tries to score a body lock takedown but Cohen shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Muhammad tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Cohen smiles and moves away.
Jotham Cohen has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Muhsin Muhammad.
Cohen fails with a takedown attempt.
Muhammad throws a big counter head kick but Cohen avoids it with no problem.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cohen tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Muhammad shoots in and gets a takedown into Cohen's guard.

Muhammad 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.
Cohen not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cohen pulls Muhammad in close to his closed guard and prevents Muhammad from doing any damage or advancing position.
Muhammad is working Cohen over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Cohen keeping moving, preventing Muhammad from controlling successfully.
Muhammad loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Muhammad wants to pass the guard but Cohen is keeping the position.

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.
Muhammad stopping the sweep attempt from Cohen.
Muhammad trying to control but Cohen is working from the bottom.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Muhammad fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Cohen shoots in looking for a takedown but Muhammad manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Cohen's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Cohen sets himself, and Muhammad steps forward looking for the clinch! Cohen avoids it this time.
Muhammad keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Some wild striking there from Muhammad.
As Muhammad looks to move away, Cohen throws a big counter combo but Muhammad just gets out of the way.

Muhammad looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.

Cohen makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Muhammad misses with a head kick.
Cohen tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Muhammad swivels and escapes.
Cohen falls off balance throwing a combination

and Muhammad moves into the clinch.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Muhammad wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Cohen has him pressed against the cage.
Muhammad can't break the clinch.

Cohen pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Cohen fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

Muhammad drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Muhammad won't allow Cohen to get back to his feet.
Cohen can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Muhammad controls the pace.
Muhammad is pushing down on Cohen's leg trying to pass to half guard. Cohen is fighting to maintain full guard but Muhammad has managed to sneak the leg through.
Cohen is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Muhammad is figuring out what he wants to do next.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Muhsin Muhammad showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Jotham Cohen's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Cohen tries to clinch up but Muhammad circles away and keeps his distance.
Cohen doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Muhammad counters with a left and a right that stings Cohen.
Cohen shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Muhammad sprawls well. Muhammad wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Cohen gets slowly back to his feet.
Cohen blocks a jab.

Muhammad pushes Cohen up against the cage in a clinch.
Muhammad is pushing Cohen up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Muhammad manages to pull guard.
Cohen postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Muhammad keeping moving, preventing Cohen from controlling successfully.

Muhammad looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Cohen trying to control but Muhammad is working from the bottom.
Cohen preventing the sweep.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.

Cohen decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Muhammad, up you get!
Jotham Cohen is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Cohen wants to clinch up but Muhammad keeps it at a distance.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Cohen enables Muhammad to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Cohen manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.

The fighters are working up against the cage. Cohen manages to wriggle his way back to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched against the cage.
Cohen's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Muhammad goes for a takedown attempt but Cohen pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Muhammad takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Muhammad fails with a takedown attempt.

Cohen rushes Muhammad and presses him up against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cohen taking a breather.
Muhammad drops down looking for an ankle pick but Cohen pulls his leg out and moves away.
Jotham Cohen has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Muhsin Muhammad.

Cohen drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.

Muhammad has scooted to the edge of the canvas and used the cage to get back to his feet. Cohen has stuck on his opponent and is forcing him back against the cage.
Cohen is trying to pull guard but Muhammad turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Cohen wants a takedown but no success here.

Cohen gets a trip takedown into half guard.

Cohen decides he's had enough of the ground and stands up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Cohen tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Muhammad paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Cohen shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Muhammad but Muhammad pushes him off and we're back to square one.

Muhammad closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Muhammad drops an elbow to the side of Cohen's head.
Muhammad has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

Muhammad looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.

Muhammad is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.

And that's the end of the fight!
Muhsin Muhammad comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Muhammad has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Santiago Holmes scores the fight 27:30
Judge David Hoff scores the fight 27:30
Judge Sandra Marshall scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Muhsin Muhammad!