PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Tapu Koko (ranked 138 p4p, 1106 weight class) and Jean Lucroy (ranked 24 p4p, 0 weight class). Koko comes to the cage accompanied by Aotearoa. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Koko
vs
Lucroy

187 cm
27
213
14 - 4 - 0

182 cm
27
206
8 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Counter fighter
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 14 - 4 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Tapu Koko!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Jean Lucroy!
The judges for this bout are Bart Greer, Daniel Franklin and Winston Alpacca.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Lucroy throws a shot from downtown. Koko moves away and avoids it.
Lucroy shoots in but Koko avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Lucroy on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.

It looks like Jean Lucroy has been cut.
Koko jabs Lucroy right on the nose. Lucroy blinks but takes it well.
Koko throws a right hand that misses

and Lucroy counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Koko keeping moving, preventing Lucroy from controlling successfully.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Lucroy working his ground and pound in the gym. He isn't landing a great percentage of his ground strikes so far though.
Lucroy with a nice head shot there.
Lucroy throws an elbow that misses. Koko uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Lucroy's guard. Nice move by Koko!

Lucroy wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lucroy is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Koko wants to control from the top but Lucroy keeps moving.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Lucroy looking for a sweep. Not yet Lucroy, not yet.

Koko avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Lucroy controls Koko momentarily but Koko frees himself.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Lucroy keeping moving, preventing Koko from controlling successfully.
Koko content to stall in guard here.
Lucroy bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Koko's guard.

Lucroy missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Lucroy trying to control the position from guard on top but Koko is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Lucroy is working Koko over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lucroy working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Koko preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Lucroy landing some decent shots from guard.
Lucroy is stalling in the full guard.
Lucroy working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Lucroy is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Lucroy loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Lucroy preventing the sweep.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Lucroy throws a big elbow that misses.
Lucroy trying to control but Koko is working from the bottom.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Koko throws a big shot that misses.
Koko throws a right hand that misses

and Lucroy counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Lucroy is nestled in close to Koko, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Koko keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Koko has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Lucroy is working away from the top position though.
Koko on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Koko tries to get out of the position.
Lucroy scoring with strikes to the body and head.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Lucroy is working for a kimura but Koko is defending it quite comfortably.
Lucroy missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jean Lucroy dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Jean Lucroy's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Koko stuffs the takedown attempt from Lucroy. Lucroy gets slowly back to his feet.
Koko swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
A jab from Koko does it's job there.
Lucroy has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Lucroy with a lazy takedown attempt
and Koko counters with a straight right hand.
Lucroy misses with a takedown attempt - Koko sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Tapu Koko has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jean Lucroy.
Koko wants to clinch but Lucroy slips to the side

and Lucroy counters with a takedown into side control! That could mean trouble for Koko!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Koko stuck in half guard on the bottom here.
Lucroy wants to control but Koko is keeping him busy.
Lucroy lands a few punches from side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lucroy in side control, throwing shots but Koko defends.
Koko knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Lucroy on the ground.
Koko on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Lucroy throws a strike aimed at the side of Koko's head but Koko avoids it well.
Koko has improved his flexibility recently so we will have to see if he can use that to his advantage.
Koko is working to avoid the ground and pound but Lucroy connects with a decent elbow.
Lucroy takes a little break here. Koko wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.

Lucroy working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Lucroy is putting a hurting on Koko here, landing some big shots from side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lucroy lands a few punches from side control.
Lucroy scores with a couple of short elbows.
An elbow from Lucroy crashes against the mat.
Lucroy landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Koko dodges the ground and pound from Lucroy.
Lucroy connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Koko some visible discomfort.
Lucroy trying to control the action but Koko is working from the bottom.
Sloppy strikes there by Lucroy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lucroy looks up at the clock and then as Koko takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Lucroy smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Lucroy gets to mount! Koko was on the offensive and wasn't defending properly.
Lucroy tries to control but Koko wriggling away.
Lucroy scoring with strikes but Koko is staying in there.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Lucroy cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Lucroy lands a nice shot to the head.

Koko is rocked!

It looks like Tapu Koko has been cut.
Lucroy lands a big elbow - Koko is in trouble! More strikes from the mount and Koko is forced to tap out!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:57 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Strikes). Jean Lucroy!