PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Yoel Mir (ranked 501 p4p, 71 weight class) and Juanito Cortez (ranked 1619 p4p, 220 weight class). Cortez has chosen $$$ as his entrance music. Both fighter's entrance songs getting the crowd jumping here.

Mir
vs
Cortez

188 cm
26
201 lbs
15 - 8 - 1

184 cm
33
196 lbs
18 - 10 - 0

Good wrestling
World class MT
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

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 15 - 8 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Yoel Mir!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 18 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Juanito Cortez!
The judges for this bout are Elvis Blanc, Yves DeLean and Dillan Fox.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mir throws a chopping leg kick but Cortez manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Mir tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Cortez paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Mir lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
The fighters circling - Mir throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Cortez connects with a nice looking jab.
Cortez is looking to land body kicks.
Mir is looking to counter punch.
Mir jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Mir uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Cortez.
Cortez keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Yoel Mir seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A slapping leg kick lands for Mir.
Cortez misses with a body shot.
A head kick misses from Mir.

Cortez shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Mir napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Mir is trying to get back to his feet.
Mir taking punishment in the form of punches.
Mir tries to escape but Cortez is in control.
Cortez throws a strike aimed at the side of Mir's head but Mir avoids it well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mir is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Cortez has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Cortez landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Mir taking punishment in the form of punches.
Cortez trying to control the position but Mir is working away.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Mir takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Cortez working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Mir takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Cortez working the ground and pound from side control.
Cortez working the head with strikes.
Cortez cracks Mir with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Cortez working the head and body with strikes.
Mir is trying to get back to his feet.
Mir takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Cortez lands an elbow.
Cortez has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Mir is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Cortez has just dragged him back down to the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cortez working the ground and pound.
Cortez working the head with strikes.

Mir is rocked!
Mir is trying to buck Cortez off.
Mir trying desperately to get back to his feet here but he's not having any joy at all. He's going to tire himself out if he's not careful.
Mir takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Check out the look on Cortez's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Mir is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Cortez asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Cortez landing a few strikes.
Mir taking punishment in the form of punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mir is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Cortez in side control lands a decent elbow.
Cortez cracks Mir with an elbow. That is naaassty.

Mir explodes and escapes back to his feet! Nice escape there!
Mir fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Cortez looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Cortez shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Mir is looking to counter punch.
Cortez jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Cortez will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Cortez misses with a body kick.
Cortez tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Mir scores with a leg kick.
A looping hook to the body misses from Cortez. Mir does a little dance to reset his feet.
Mir shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
A jab from Mir misses.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Mir fails to land with a series of punches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mir throws the left hand but Cortez avoids the punch easily.
Yoel Mir is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Mir has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Cortez.
Mir tests Cortez's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Cortez scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Mir throws a solid leg kick but Cortez takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Mir.
Cortez scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Mir doesn't seem bothered though.
Cortez lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Cortez throws a head kick but Mir moves out of range.
Cortez ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
A solid body kick from Mir.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Cortez checks a leg kick.
Cortez fails to land with a series of punches.
Cortez lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Mir shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Cortez lands with a right hand.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Juanito Cortez dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Cortez looks to score with a jab to the body but Mir is just out of range.
A telegraphed right hand from Cortez misses the target.
Cortez rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Mir moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Cortez misses with an uppercut.
Mir uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Cortez.
Cortez checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Cortez misses with an uppercut.
Mir throws a sloppy head kick and Cortez moves out of range easily.
Mir fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Cortez is out of range.
Cortez raises up his leg as if looking to counter with a high kick.
Cortez lands a nice shot that snaps Mir's head back.
Mir avoids the head kick by Cortez.
Mir wants to land a leg kick but Cortez is out of range.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cortez with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Mir connects with an inside leg kick.
Cortez checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Cortez takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Mir looks for the body kick but Cortez saw that one coming.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mir checks the leg kick.
Mir tries to clinch up but Cortez circles away and keeps his distance.
Mir scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.

Cortez clinches up with Mir and pushes him back against the cage.
Cortez is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Mir tries to throw a body punch but Cortez avoids it by throwing Mir back against the cage.
Cortez managing to block the knees to the body from Mir.
Cortez on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Cortez works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Mir tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Cortez lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Cortez tries to break free but Mir pushes him back against the cage.
Mir pushes Cortez back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Mir landing knees to the body.
Mir misses with a hook to the ribs.
A short right from Mir on the inside.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mir missing with knees to the body.
Cortez is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Cortez working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Mir prevents a body shot from Cortez.
Cortez avoiding damage as Mir throws knees to the body.
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!
Mir misses with a knee strike.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Mir.
Mir throws an elbow but it's blocked.
A short body shot lands from Cortez as the two fighters clinch.
Mir misses with a shot to the kidneys.
A short right from Mir on the inside.
Mir tries to work over Cortez's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.

Mir's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Juanito Cortez seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Mir throws a head kick but Cortez moves out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mir moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Mir lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Mir scores with a leg kick.
The fight stays on the outside here - Mir looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Cortez scores with a nice strike.
Mir looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Cortez fails to land with a series of punches.
Mir tests Cortez's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Cortez scores with the left hand. Mir knows he should have avoided that one.
Cortez misses the shot to the body.
Mir slips a jab and a cross from Cortez.
Mir fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Cortez checks it well.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Cortez crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Mir - the referee stops the clock and Cortez gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Mir. Cortez manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mir pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Cortez swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Mir takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Cortez takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Mir thumps Cortez with a low kick.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Mir.
Cortez's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Mir throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Mir pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Cortez looks like he wants to counter punch here.
A head kick misses from Cortez.
Mir tries to score with a low kick but Cortez moves his leg out of the way.
Cortez throws a half hearted mid kick.
A low kick from Mir is predictable there
and Cortez counters with a nice low kick that buckles Mir's knee momentarily.
Mir pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Cortez bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.
Cortez moves out of range of the leg kick from Mir.
Cortez sizes up Mir with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Cortez misses with a body kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Yoel Mir will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Cortez misses with a wild body shot.
Mir jabs Cortez to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Mir pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Mir checks a low kick from Cortez.
Mir lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Cortez at a distance.
Cortez fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Mir scores with a nice strike.
Mir is looking to chop away at Cortez's legs.
A countering left hand to the body from Cortez misses.
Cortez tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Cortez throws a low kick but Mir avoids it.
Cortez looks to throw the jab but Mir is out of range.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cortez misses with a body shot.
Mir appeared to be looking to counter that last move with a leg kick.
A big left from Cortez misses.
Mir appeared to be looking to counter that last move with a leg kick.
A swing and a miss from Cortez.
Cortez will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Mir lands a head kick!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cortez throws a predictable looking body shot
and Mir counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Mir tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Cortez moves out of range of the strikes.
Mir tries to close the distance and clinch but Cortez swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Despite the aggression on Cortez's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Mir just misses with a punch to the body.
Cortez blocks a leg kick.
Cortez now looks to counter with a shot at the body.
Mir bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Mir ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Cortez moves away.
Mir throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Cortez sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Mir has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Cortez cracks Mir with an open hand slap.
Mir moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Cortez comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Cortez circles away from the clinch attempt.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Cortez throws a body punch but Mir moves out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mir lands a nice leg kick that just misses Cortez's sensitive parts.
Mir scores with a nice head shot.
Mir tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Cortez manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Mir turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Cortez throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Mir looked to counter that last move with a leg kick but didn't pull the trigger.
Mir throws a solid leg kick but Cortez takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Mir.
Cortez throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Cortez swats away the attempt to clinch by Mir.
Cortez doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Cortez throws a hook but Mir avoids it easily.
Mir throws a good cross that connects.
Mir's corner calls for a 1-2. Mir obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Mir throws a head kick that misses.
A low kick from Mir is predictable there
and Cortez counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Mir connects with a good right hand that stumbles Cortez. Cortez circles away out of range and recomposes himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mir throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Cortez throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Cortez checks a low kick from Mir.
Mir throws a body punch but Cortez moves out of range.

Cortez feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Mir wants to stand up but Cortez is controlling him.
Mir keeping moving, preventing Cortez from controlling successfully.
Cortez won't allow Mir to get back to his feet.

Mir has managed to wall walk up one of the corner posts to get back to his feet. Cortez is pushing him up against the cage, looking to control the position.

Cortez pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Cortez closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Mir to the mat! Mir manages to get full guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Mir scrambles and gets back to his feet.
Mir avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Mir jinks towards his opponent looking like he wants to counter with a mid kick but doesn't commit.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cortez throws a big shot that misses.
Mir blocks a head kick by Cortez.
Cortez takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
A slow jab from Cortez misses its intended target.
Cortez throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Mir lands with a good body shot.
Mir throws a sloppy head kick and Cortez moves out of range easily.
Cortez misses with a head kick.
Mir scoring well with a low kick there.
Cortez scores with a hook.
Mir finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
A little jabbing left from Cortez on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Mir throws a leg kick that misses.
Mir uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Cortez has time to react.
Mir moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Cortez cracks Mir with a good jab.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Mir throws a leg kick which misses Cortez's front leg but catches the back leg as Cortez tries to avoid it.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Yoel Mir.
I think Mir 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 Elvis Blanc scores the fight 29:28
Judge Yves DeLean scores the fight 29:28
Judge Dillan Fox scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Yoel Mir!
Yoel Mir was full of energy after the big win and talked about how he thinks he can do big things in this sport. The crowd were appreciative of his determination to succeed.
Juanito Cortez was interviewed post fight and said 'Well...shit happens....i will b back!'.