PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between David Cain (ranked 1780 p4p, 206 weight class) and Samuel Cooke (ranked 835 p4p, 104 weight class). Cooke is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Harm's Way - Warriors Will Reign. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Cain
vs
Cooke

189 cm
36
167 lbs
21 - 13 - 0

184 cm
30
161 lbs
19 - 15 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Excellent grappler
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 21 - 13 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, David Cain!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 19 - 15 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Samuel Cooke!
The judges for this bout are Fedor Mirinova, Sergei Dronov and Viktor Lagutenko.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cooke swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Cain throws a nice looking combination but Cooke bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Cooke feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Cain's calf.
The fighters circling - Cain throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Cain gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Cooke throws a nice outside leg kick.
Cooke scoring well with a low kick there.
Cain throws an off balance right hand
and Cooke counters with a slapping leg kick.
Cain lands a leg kick that knocks Cooke off balance momentarily.
Cain misses with a body shot.
Cooke tries a quick counter leg kick but Cain is wise to it.
Cain looks to land a left hand but Cooke moved out of range nicely.
Cain attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Cain throws a looping overhand right but Cooke ducks down to avoid it.
Cooke looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
A little feinted left hand from Cain on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Cain has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.
Cain displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Cooke.
Cain misses with the body kick
and Cooke makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. Cain really felt that one!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cain rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Cooke counters with a straight right hand.
Cooke throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
A solid leg kick lands there for Cain.
Cain misses with a leg kick
and Cooke counters with a nice uppercut.

Cooke forces Cain back against the cage and clinches.
Cooke unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Cooke is looking to take this one to the mat.
Cooke digs a right hand underneath Cain's ribcage. Cain let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Cooke misses with a shot to the kidneys.
A short right from Cooke.
Cooke using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Cain has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Cooke trying to land knees to the body.
Cooke prevents Cain from breaking the clinch.
Cooke drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
David Cain has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Samuel Cooke.

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cain tries a head kick but it misses.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Cooke blocks the body kick.
Cooke misses with a body kick.
An inside leg kick lands from Cain.
Cooke lands a nice hook to Cain's body. Cain takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Cooke throws a leg kick
and Cain counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Cain scores with a nice head shot.
Cain avoids the head kick by Cooke.
Cain pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Cain ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Cooke moves away.
Cain swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Cooke looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Cooke throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Cain swings and misses with a hook to the body.

Cooke pushes Cain up against the cage in a clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cooke tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Cain blocking some punches.
Cooke tries a body shot but Cain blocks it.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Cooke.
Cooke tries to work over Cain's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.

Cain escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Cain misses with a left hand
and Cooke counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Cooke takes one on the button.
Cooke misses the shot to the body.
Cain misses with a left hand
and Cooke counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Cooke tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Cain was well out of range. Poor timing from Cooke.
Cain throws a head kick that half lands.

Cooke is rocked!
Cooke keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Cain.
Cooke is still on wobbly legs! Can Cain finish him?
Cooke throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Cooke steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Cain. That one must have hurt.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Cooke on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Cooke seems to have recovered his senses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cooke connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Cain pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Cooke tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Cooke throws a wild body kick that Cain sees coming a mile off.
Cooke tries for a takedown but Cain sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Cain takes a swing at Cooke's ribcage but misses.
Cain lands with a right hand.
Good leg kick by Cooke there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Cain swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Cooke pulls out of a head kick attempt.
A head kick misses from Cain.
Cooke looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Cain throws a lazy right hand but Cooke sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
The fighters circle momentarily. Cain darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Cain really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Cooke moves out of range of the body kick.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Cain takes one to the chin there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Samuel Cooke will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Cain bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.

Cooke throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Cain was covering up waiting for the punch and Cooke finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Cooke is looking to work some ground and pound but Cain has wrist control.
Cooke trying to move into half guard but instead Cain has managed to sweep!

Cain won't allow Cooke to sweep him here.
Cain postures up.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Cooke throws his legs up looking for a submission but Cain uses it to pass to side control.
Cooke can't do much from the bottom here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cooke is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Cain off and has taken his back!
Cooke wants to control but Cain is keeping busy.
Cooke missing with strikes from the back.

Cooke working for a RNC but it's not happening just yet.
Cain looking very determined here, making life difficult for Cooke.

Cooke is persistently looking for the submission but Cain is defending it well.
Cooke misses with a punch to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cooke is controlling the position but Cain somehow manages to roll and ends up with half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Cooke perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Cooke sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Cain defending well though.
Cooke wants to pass the guard but Cain is defending well.
Cooke stalling.

Cooke is trying to work for a kimura but Cain is defending well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cain wants to get back to his feet.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Cain keeping hold of Cooke's head, controlling as best he can.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Cain lands a head shot.

That's four 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.
Cain takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Cooke throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Cain blocks the body kick.
A good leg kick by Cain.
Cain thows a leg kick but Cooke checks it
and Cooke counters with a nice leg kick.
Cooke thows a body kick. Cain tries to catch it but that hurt him.
A punch combination from Cain misses.
Cain thows a leg kick but Cooke checks it
and Cooke counters with a leg kick.
Cooke lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Nice body kick from Cooke.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Cooke throws a leg kick which misses Cain's front leg but catches the back leg as Cain tries to avoid it.
Cain slips under a jab.
Cooke lands with a thumping leg kick.
Cooke shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Cain as he jumps to the side.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Samuel Cooke showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Cain's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Cain defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Cooke.
A punch combination from Cain misses.
Cain swings for the body but Cooke moves out of range.
Cooke throws a big counter head kick but Cain avoids it with no problem.
Cain throws a hook but Cooke avoids it easily.
Cooke steps in looking to counter with the mid kick but it doesn't connect.
Cooke will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Cooke moves in looking to clinch but Cain pushes him off.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Cooke is defended easily by Cain.
Cooke has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Cain.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A low kick from Cooke is predictable there
and Cain counters with a one-two to the body.
Cain is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Cooke throws a body shot but no joy.
Cain throws a leg kick which misses Cooke's front leg but catches the back leg as Cooke tries to avoid it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cain swings for the body but Cooke moves out of range.
Cooke showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Cain.
Cooke lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
A big right from Cain misses.
David Cain is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Cooke.
Some bone on bone action there as Cain checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
A thudding body kick lands there by Cain!
Nice jab there from Cain.
Cooke misses with a head kick.
Cain scores with a decent looking hook.
Cooke throws a low kick but it's checked well by Cain.
Cooke throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.

Cooke shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Cain working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Cooke.
Cooke wants to control from the top but Cain keeps moving.
Cooke is looking to advance position but Cain has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!

Samuel Cooke has got the better of the ground game so far.
Cain takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Cooke tries to hold on but Cain pushes him away.
David Cain has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Cooke is in all sorts of trouble here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cooke keeps trying to improve his position.
Cain looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cooke is looking to get to half guard.
Cooke regains half guard.
Cooke gets back to full guard.
Samuel Cooke is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Cooke looking for a sweep. Not yet Cooke, not yet.
Cooke working a defensive guard here.
Cain sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Cooke's guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
David Cain showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Cooke 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 Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 28:29
Judge Sergei Dronov scores the fight 28:29
Judge Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Samuel Cooke!
During a confident post fight interview, Samuel Cooke thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.