PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Phil Coleman (ranked 177 p4p, 25 weight class) and Henry Akinwande (ranked 309 p4p, 47 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Coleman
vs
Akinwande

188 cm
29
223 lbs
21 - 4 - 0

197 cm
21
250 lbs
6 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

UnderGround Supplements
Urban Fighter

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 21 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Phil Coleman!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Henry Akinwande!
The judges for this bout are Yasuomi Hirokawa, Tatsuya Matsuyama and Yukihiro Shimada.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Coleman scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Akinwande throws a series of punches but Coleman avoids them all with ease.
Akinwande on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Coleman seems to be moving with more speed, compared to his last bout. He must have been working on that in the gym.
Coleman throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Coleman keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Coleman scores with the left hand. Akinwande knows he should have avoided that one.
Coleman getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Akinwande tries a head kick but it misses.
Coleman moves out of range of the strikes.
Coleman throws a body shot but no joy.
Coleman is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
A left and a right from Akinwande both land. Nice combination.

It looks like Phil Coleman has been cut.
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!

Coleman shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Coleman was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Coleman sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Akinwande is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Akinwande is working to avoid the ground and pound but Coleman connects with a decent elbow.
The strikes coming from Coleman are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Coleman tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Coleman fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Coleman in side control, throwing shots but Akinwande defends.
Coleman postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Coleman is chipping away with strikes.
Akinwande felt the need to train up his defensive grappling in the buildup to the fight. Presumably he was expecting to be in a difficult position like this, so let's see if he can get out of it.
Coleman sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Akinwande is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Coleman tries to score with some ground and pound. Akinwande controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
The strikes coming from Coleman are missing the target in this wave of attacks.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Coleman trying to control the position but Akinwande is working away.
Coleman sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Akinwande is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Coleman 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.
Coleman throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Akinwande avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Coleman.
Coleman sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Akinwande is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Coleman landing a few strikes.
Akinwande takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Akinwande managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Coleman.
Coleman working the ground and pound.
Akinwande taking punishment in the form of punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Coleman working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Coleman in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Akinwande wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Akinwande parries the strikes from Coleman easily there. Coleman is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Akinwande to escape.
Coleman tries to score with some ground and pound. Akinwande controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Coleman wants to control but Akinwande is keeping him busy.
The ground and pound from Coleman seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Akinwande is being controlled here.
Coleman trying to control the action but Akinwande is working from the bottom.
Akinwande being controlled for a moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Coleman has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
Coleman seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Akinwande for as long as he can get away with.
An elbow from Coleman crashes against the mat.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Phil Coleman dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Phil Coleman's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

Akinwande fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Henry Akinwande seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Akinwande looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Coleman is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Akinwande tries a head kick but it misses.
A nice combination there by Akinwande.
Coleman lands a body shot.
Akinwande keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Coleman misses with an uppercut.
Nice defenses there by Akinwande.
Akinwande is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Akinwande throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
A quick step to the side and Coleman tries to counter with a shot to the body but it doesn't connect.
Akinwande scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
A looping hook to the body misses from Coleman. Akinwande does a little dance to reset his feet.
Coleman avoids the head kick by Akinwande.
Coleman is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Coleman is looking to wear down Akinwande with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Coleman just misses with a punch to the body.
Akinwande lands with a straight right. Coleman didn't see that one coming.
The fight stays on the outside here - Coleman looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Coleman takes a swing at Akinwande's ribcage but misses.
Akinwande ducks under a wild hook from Coleman.
Akinwande lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Akinwande keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Akinwande now looks to counter with a shot at the body.
Coleman ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Akinwande moves away.
Akinwande comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Akinwande rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Coleman moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Coleman rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Akinwande counters with a lovely shot to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A combination from Akinwande does no damage.
Akinwande connects with a looping right hand.
Akinwande throws a head kick but Coleman moves out of range.
Henry Akinwande is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Coleman throws a hook but Akinwande blocks it.
Akinwande looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Akinwande has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Coleman tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Akinwande was well out of range. Poor timing from Coleman.
Akinwande throws a lazy uppercut
and Coleman counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Coleman fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Akinwande manages to avoid it.
Coleman fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Akinwande manages to avoid it.
Coleman misses with an uppercut.
Akinwande doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Akinwande displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Coleman throws out the jab.
Akinwande throws out a counter right but Coleman avoids it with no problem.
Coleman throws out a loose jab but Akinwande uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Coleman misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Akinwande.
Coleman with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Akinwande throws a looping overhand right but Coleman ducks down to avoid it.
Coleman scores with a jab. Akinwande acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Akinwande throws out a powerful jab.
Nice takedown defense from Akinwande. No joy for Coleman on that attempt.
Coleman scores with a hook.
Akinwande with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Coleman to score with a decent uppercut.
Akinwande throws a body shot but no joy.
Coleman was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
Coleman misses with a hook
and Akinwande cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Akinwande avoids the body shot from Coleman.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Coleman throws a body shot but no joy.
Akinwande throws a one two combo.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Akinwande is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Coleman.
Akinwande lands a nice shot to the body.
Coleman misses with a wild body shot.
Akinwande flicks out a counter leg kick but Coleman steps away.
Coleman takes a swing at Akinwande's ribcage but misses.
Akinwande pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Akinwande throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Coleman takes a swing at Akinwande's ribcage but misses.
Akinwande unleashes a big counter combination but Coleman bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.
Coleman showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Akinwande.
A counter left hand to the body from Coleman misses its target.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Henry Akinwande showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Phil Coleman's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Akinwande misses with a leg kick.
Coleman appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Coleman, as that shot connected.
Coleman throws a hook but Akinwande blocks it.
Jab by Akinwande.
Akinwande fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Akinwande ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Akinwande appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
A left lands for Akinwande.
Akinwande throws a head kick that misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Akinwande throws a right and a left that both miss.
Coleman misses with a wild body shot.
Coleman misses with a jab to the body
and Akinwande counters with a nice uppercut.
Coleman takes a shot to the body in his stride.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Akinwande throws a perfectly timed hook that sends Coleman crashing down! Coleman tries to stagger back to his feet but Akinwande just hammers him until the ref stops the fight! A confused Coleman asks the ref what just happened. Poor fella.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:10 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Henry Akinwande! Henry Akinwande retains his heavyweight title!
An out of breath Henry Akinwande thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.