PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Don Cortez (ranked 4765 p4p, 23325 weight class) and Johnny Cole (ranked 474 p4p, 539 weight class). Johnny Cole is staring across the cage at his opponent, tweaking his nipples.

Cortez
vs
Cole

185 cm
18
275
0 - 0 - 0

199 cm
21
230
4 - 4 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Very quick

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Don Cortez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Johnny Cole!
The judges for this bout are Gregory Folan, Alec Ball and Trevor Gratis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Excellent takedown into side control there by Cortez.
Cortez landing a few strikes.
Cortez scores with a couple of short elbows.
Cortez slows the pace down.

Cortez tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Cortez has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Cortez just content to control the position.
Cole is looking to regain half guard here but Cortez keeps moving and retains side control.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cortez passes to full mount! That's big trouble for Cole!
Cole is squirming around, avoiding Cortez's attempts to control the action.
Cole tries to reverse the position but Cortez maintains control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cortez 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.
Cortez pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Cortez lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Cole can do anything to dispel that myth.
Cortez avoids the attempt from Cole to control.
Cortez working away from the top, dropping strikes.

Cortez goes for an armbar but he's not got it… Cole turns into him and now he's in Cortez's guard.
Cole being controlled here momentarily.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Cole preventing the sweep.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cortez trying to strike off his back.
Cole wants to control from the top but Cortez keeps moving.
Cortez throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Cortez manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Cole manages to get himself to full guard.

Cortez trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Cortez keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Cole's head.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Cortez sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Cole's guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Cortez looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Cole with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Cortez lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Cortez is nestled in close to Cole, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cole is looking to escape.
Cole is looking for a sweep. Cortez is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Cortez slows the pace down in half guard.
Cole taking some punishment here, with Cortez in his half guard.
Cortez wants to take a breather but Cole is having none of it.

Cortez is working for a submission of some sort.

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.
Cortez working over Cole with some ground and pound. Cole looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Cortez looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Cortez looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Cortez lands a nice short elbow.
Cortez scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Cortez lands a nice short elbow.
Cortez looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Cortez is nestled in close to Cole, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Cortez looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Don Cortez dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Cole uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Cortez.
Cole wants to counter with a clinch but Cortez pushes him away.

Cole shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Cortez is trying to defend but Cole finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
The fighters are battling for position here. Cortez manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Cortez looking to hit a scissor sweep but Cole is one step ahead there.
Cole wants to control from the top but Cortez keeps moving.
Cortez bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Cole's guard.

We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cortez not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Cortez throws an elbow that misses. Cole uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Cortez's guard. Nice move by Cole!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cole postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Cortez wants to hit a sweep here but Cole passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for Cortez there!
Cole unloads with some shots from mount but Cortez bucks and avoids them well.

Cole has hold of Cortez's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Cortez manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Cortez is trying desperately to improve position.
Cortez holds on, trying desperately to control.
Cortez sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cortez moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Cortez has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Cortez is on top in guard.

Cole is wriggling around but Cortez manages to pass to half guard.
Cortez is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cortez trying to mount his opponent but Cole defends it.
Cole is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Cortez scores with a couple of nice shots.
Cole on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Ground and pound from Cortez.
Cole pushes Cortez off looking to stand but Cortez dives back in and keeps control.
Cole is looking for a sweep. Cortez is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

Cortez is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Cole defends it well.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cortez working the head and body with strikes.
Cole is looking to control Cortez's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Cole avoid being mounted?
Cortez working over Cole with some ground and pound. Cole looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.

Cortez is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Cole doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Cortez.
Ground and pound from Cortez.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Cortez perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Cortez lands strikes from half guard.
Cortez wants to take a breather but Cole is having none of it.
Cortez lands with a punch from half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Don Cortez dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Cortez looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Cortez is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Cole is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Cortez looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Cortez distracts Cole with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cortez controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cole is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

Cole has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Cortez can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Cortez sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Cole's guard.
Cortez controlling the action here.
Cortez lands strikes from half guard.
Cole is looking to improve his position.
Nice strikes from Cortez there.
Don Cortez overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cortez winds up and cracks Cole with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Cortez is taking a breather. Cole says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Cortez slips a nice elbow through Cole's hands, connecting with Cole's forehead.

Cortez seems to be looking for submissions.
Cortez looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Cole with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Cortez is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Cortez looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Cole trying to control but Cortez postures up.
Cortez stalling.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cole punching from the bottom.
Cortez landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Cortez controlling the action here.
Cortez drops an elbow to the side of Cole's head.
Cole wants to get back to full guard.

Cole is defending against the submission attempts here by Cortez.
Cortez working the head and body with strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cortez working Cole over with strikes.
Cole is staying active underneath Cortez, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Well, if Cortez is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Cortez winds up and cracks Cole with a swinging punch to the side of the head.

Cortez is looking for a kimura here.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Cortez lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.

And that's the end of the fight!
Don Cortez showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Cortez has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Gregory Folan scores the fight 30:27
Judge Alec Ball scores the fight 30:26
Judge Trevor Gratis scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Don Cortez!
Don Cortez spent the whole post fight interview bigging himself up. It didn't go down that well with the fans after a while as they thought it was a bit arrogant.