PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Ivan Ivanov (ranked 2601 p4p, 263 weight class) and Winston Cooper (ranked 3935 p4p, 352 weight class). Winston Cooper has the eye of the tiger tonight.

Ivanov
vs
Cooper

170 cm
24
155 lbs
7 - 5 - 0

175 cm
26
152 lbs
9 - 13 - 0

Good wrestling
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Great elbows
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 5 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Ivan Ivanov!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 13 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Winston Cooper!
The judges for this bout are Shirou Masuda, Tatsuya Matsuyama and Yasuomi Hirokawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Cooper darts in and clinches Ivanov up against the cage.
Cooper trying to stall but Ivanov improves his position.
Ivanov is looking to take this one to the mat.
Ivanov avoids a wild elbow strike from Cooper.
Cooper is stalling here.
Cooper struggles to land a body shot inside as Ivanov controls his hands.
Cooper struggles to land a body shot inside as Ivanov controls his hands.
With the fighters up against the cage, Cooper throws an elbow but misses.
Come on Ivanov - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Cooper pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
I was talking to Ivanov's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Cooper prevents the takedown attempt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Ivanov pulls guard effortlessly.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Ivanov pushes Cooper off and gets back to his feet.

Cooper instigates a clinch.
Cooper misses with an elbow strike.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ivanov tries for a takedown. No joy.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ivan Ivanov. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Ivanov looking for a takedown.
Ivanov wants a takedown but no success here.
Cooper is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Cooper lands a nice elbow.
Cooper prevents a takedown attempt there.

Ivanov is trying to trip Cooper. He has hold of a leg but Cooper is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Ivanov persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Ivanov is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Cooper not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

Cooper had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Ivanov defends it easily.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Ivanov's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Ivanov working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cooper looking for a sweep. Not yet Cooper, not yet.

Cooper working for a triangle but Ivanov defends it easily.

Cooper is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Ivanov distracts Cooper with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Cooper controls Ivanov momentarily but Ivanov frees himself.
Ivanov wants to control from the top but Cooper keeps moving.

Cooper working for submissions but it's allowed Ivanov to get to half guard.
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!
Ivanov is pressing down on Cooper's thigh, looking to free his foot. Cooper is holding on for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ivanov takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Cooper wants to get back to full guard.
Cooper is looking to escape.
Ivanov wants to pass the guard but Cooper is defending well.
Cooper wants to improve his position but Ivanov is controlling well.
Ivanov looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Ivanov is looking to take a break and control but Cooper is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Ivanov seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Cooper trying to hold on to Ivanov's head to control him but Ivanov postures up.
Ivanov lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Cooper has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Ivanov is working away from the top position though.
Ivanov working the head and body with strikes.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Cooper is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Cooper is still trying to improve position.
Cooper keeping hold of Ivanov's head, controlling as best he can.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Ivan Ivanov will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Ivanov lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Cooper circles away quickly and effectively.

Cooper moves into range and clinches up with Ivanov.
Cooper swings wildly with an uppercut but Ivanov uses good head movement to avoid it.
Ivanov pressing his opponent against the cage.
Cooper lands an elbow that stopped Ivanov in his tracks for a moment.

Ivanov has hold of one of Cooper's legs. Cooper is fighting the takedown attempt but Ivanov gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.

Cooper looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Cooper is trying to keep Ivanov in close.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ivanov scoring with punches to the head and body.

Cooper has an active guard here but Ivanov has managed to pass into half guard.
Ivanov scores with a couple of good hammerfists.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Cooper looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Cooper is looking to improve his position.
Cooper trying to hold on to Ivanov's head to control him but Ivanov postures up.
Ivanov is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Ivanov lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Ivanov is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.

Ivanov moves into side control, avoiding a weak kimura attempt from Cooper.
Ivanov is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Cooper can do to turn this around?
Cooper taking a bit of punishment here - Ivanov scoring with strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.
Ivanov wants to control but Cooper is keeping him busy.
Cooper is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Ivanov's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Cooper taking some punishment here, with Ivanov in his half guard.
Ivanov seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.

Cooper is rocked!
Ivanov scores with a big shot! Cooper's head bounced off the canvas with a huge thud! More strikes land and the referee has jumped in to save Cooper! He was hurt real bad - good stoppage!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:58 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Ivan Ivanov!
A relieved looking Ivan Ivanov thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.