PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Samuel Cooke (ranked 462 p4p, 59 weight class) and Nomor Gai (ranked 1629 p4p, 193 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Cooke might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Harm's Way - Warriors Will Reign. Gai has chosen Alice Cooper No More Mr. Nice Guy as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Cooke
vs
Gai

184 cm
30
161 lbs
19 - 14 - 0

182 cm
41
166 lbs
24 - 10 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class MT
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Ma Balls Is Hot Clothing

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 19 - 14 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Samuel Cooke!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 24 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nomor Gai!
The judges for this bout are Konstantin Menshow, Ivan Kurochkin and Igor Prikhodko.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gai jabbing away but nothing is landing.
A jab from Gai misses.
Cooke ducks under a wild hook from Gai.
Cooke scores with a kick to the midsection.
Cooke moves out of range of the strikes.
Cooke fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Gai is looking to land body kicks.
Gai lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Gai misses with a body kick.
Gai throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Cooke sees it coming and avoids it easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gai throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Cooke throws an overhand right that lands on Gai's shoulder, as Gai tries to avoid the shot.
Gai finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Cooke appeared to be looking to counter that last move with a leg kick.
Cooke throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Cooke lands a nice leg kick that just misses Gai's sensitive parts.
Gai misses with an attempted mid kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cooke lands with a thumping leg kick.
Cooke fails with a takedown attempt.
Gai throws a push kick but Cooke slaps the foot to one side.
Cooke throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Gai counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Gai throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Cooke goes for a double leg but Gai avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Gai continues to drive forward.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Samuel Cooke. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Cooke slips a straight right by Gai.
Cooke tries to land a front kick but Gai steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Gai keeps the fight on the outside.
Cooke ducks under a wild hook from Gai.
Cooke feinted there with a counter leg kick.
Gai misses with an uppercut.
Gai uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Cooke has time to react.
Gai misses with a kick to the body.
Cooke definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Nomor Gai seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gai keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Gai checks a leg kick nicely.
A telegraphed right hand from Gai misses the target.
Nice shot by Gai.
Gai keeps the fight on the outside.

Cooke has Gai up against the cage in a clinch.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
A short left from Cooke.
Cooke tries to land knees in the clinch but Gai avoids the damage to the body.
Cooke takes an elbow to the temple.

It looks like Samuel Cooke has been cut.
Cooke blocking some punches.
Cooke working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Gai lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Gai using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Cooke is breathing heavily.
Cooke misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Gai.
Cooke tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Gai lands with a right to the head.
Cooke gets through Gai's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Cooke blocks a body shot from Gai.
Cooke lands a right hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gai blocking some punches.
Gai pushes Cooke back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Cooke can't find room to land a body shot as Gai controls the action.
Gai misses with an elbow over the top.
Gai doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Gai is leaning against Cooke and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Cooke with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Cooke misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Gai doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Gai tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Cooke's elbow.
Cooke with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Gai struggles to land a body shot inside as Cooke controls his hands.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Gai.
Gai throws an elbow but it misses.
Cooke blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Gai.
Cooke misses with a knee strike.
Gai tries to work over Cooke's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Cooke throws an elbow but it misses.
Cooke tries to land a knee to the head but Gai blocks with his arms.
Gai misses with a hook to the ribs.
Cooke goes for a body shot but it's blocked.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A short body shot lands from Gai as the two fighters clinch.
Gai looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Cooke tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Gai's elbow.
Cooke tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Cooke can't find room to land a body shot as Gai controls the action.
Gai trying to land knees to the body.
Cooke struggles to land a body shot inside as Gai controls his hands.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Gai struggles to land a body shot inside as Cooke controls his hands.
Gai pushes Cooke back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Cooke tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

Gai breaks the clinch.
Gai tries a low kick but Cooke avoids it.
Cooke connects with a good right hand that stumbles Gai. Gai circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Gai throws a body shot but no joy.
Cooke connects with a solid leg kick.
Cooke misses the body punch
and Gai counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Cooke thinking.
Gai with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Gai tries a low kick but Cooke avoids it.
Cooke throws a hook but Gai blocks it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nomor Gai dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Samuel Cooke's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Gai throws the left hand but Cooke avoids the punch easily.
Cooke lands with a shot to the body.
Cooke scores with a nice head shot.
Gai misses with a body kick.
As Gai tries to get set, Cooke tries to push him back and clinch up but Gai manages to avoid the attempt.
A punch combination from Cooke misses.
A slapping body kick lands there for Cooke.
Gai swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Cooke digs a good hook to Gai's body.
Cooke misses with the combination.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Cooke has managed to clinch.
Cooke tries a knee to the head but Gai blocks it.
Gai lands an uppercut.
Cooke throws a head punch that misses.
Cooke can't find room to land a body shot as Gai controls the action.

Gai breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gai walks into a straight right hand from Cooke.

Gai gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Cooke is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Cooke looking to pass the guard.
Gai seems keen to control Cooke's posture.
Gai keeping full guard, as Cooke tries to pass.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Cooke accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Gai keeping full guard, as Cooke tries to pass.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Gai working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Cooke.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Gai takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Gai ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Cooke moves away.
Gai throws a leg kick but Cooke sees it coming and moves out of range.
Gai checks the leg kick nicely there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cooke uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Gai.
Nomor Gai is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Cooke slips a straight right by Gai.
Gai misses with an uppercut. Cooke saw that one coming.
Cooke uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Gai.
Gai looks to land a combination. Cooke sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
A leg kick checked by Gai.
Cooke slips under a jab.
Cooke throws a head kick that misses.
Cooke feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Gai's calf.
Gai moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Cooke ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
It looked like Cooke wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Cooke is looking to score with low kicks.
Cooke throws a left and a right that both miss
and Gai counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Cooke displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Gai throws out the jab.
Cooke misses with a kick to the body
and Gai counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Cooke throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Gai scores with a jab.
Cooke defending well as Gai loads up on a big left hand.
Cooke takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Cooke.
Gai throws a fast counter high kick but Cooke manages to duck under it in time.
Cooke tries a low kick but Gai avoids it.
Gai is looking for the big counter here.
Gai throws a push kick but Cooke slaps the foot to one side.
Gai avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Gai pivots, looking for a leg kick but Cooke is out of range and Gai settles back down.
Cooke uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Gai.
Cooke connects with the punch.
Gai needs to keep his hands up - Cooke had a free shot at his head there.
Cooke throws a body shot but no joy.
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 Samuel Cooke will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Samuel Cooke's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Gai throws a shot from downtown. Cooke moves away and avoids it.
Gai gets off balance looking for a body kick
and Cooke counters with a good, hard body kick but Gai shrugs it off.
Cooke takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Gai is looking to slow Cooke down with leg kicks.
Cooke ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Cooke swung with a counter punch to the body but it didn't connect.
Gai fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
A punch combination from Cooke misses.
Cooke is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Gai.
Gai throws a looping overhand right but Cooke ducks down to avoid it.
Cooke seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
A chopping leg kick lands by Gai.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cooke misses with a low kick.
Gai throws the left hand but Cooke avoids the punch easily.
Cooke feinted there with a counter leg kick.
Gai stuffs the takedown.
Gai tests Cooke's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Cooke misses with a low kick as Gai jumps back.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gai pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Cooke walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Gai checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Cooke scores with a shot to the body.

Cooke feints and as Gai raises his hands in defense, Cooke changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.

Cooke has gone for a leg lock! Gai slips out almost immediately though and dives into Cooke's guard.

Gai stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Cooke swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Gai preventing the sweep.
Cooke is working hard here to advance position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Gai avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Gai preventing the sweep.
Cooke is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Cooke wants to sweep but no luck.
Gai must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Cooke looking to control but Gai passes into half guard.

Cooke looking for submissions off his back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cooke is trying to control but Gai manages to pass to mount!
Cooke is trying desperately to improve position.
Cooke regains half guard.
Cooke makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Cooke.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gai trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Gai wants to control from the top but Cooke keeps moving.
Gai won't allow Cooke to sweep him here.
Gai slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Cooke is looking to clinch but Gai is avoiding it.

And that's the end of the fight!
Nomor Gai comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Gai has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 28:29
Judge Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 28:29
Judge Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Nomor Gai!
Post fight, Nomor Gai stared into the camera and said 'Next Fight Gap Turner Please, Respect Him As A Fighter. But He Need A Challenge And Im The Man For Him, He On 4 Fight Win Streak And Close To A Title Shot. Take On Former World Champ Me Vs You 5 Round Main Event '.