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PBP Commentary |
Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Yoshihiro Takaya (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mike Cope (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Takaya comes into the arena with Jimi Hendrix - All along the Watchtower blaring out of the sound system. The crowd seem to be enjoying Cope's choice of entrance music: You're Going Down. I can't wait for this one - let's get the fighter introductions out of the way and get this one started!
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| 171 cm
23
152 lbs
10 - 2 - 0 |
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176 cm
22
152 lbs
6 - 1 - 0 |
Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Very strong |
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Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Powerful |
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Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the featherweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of
10 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Yoshihiro Takaya!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of
6 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Mike Cope!
The judges for this bout are Sergei Dronov, Ivan Kurochkin and Aleksei Zolotukhin.
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cope feints and then cracks Takaya's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Takaya down.
Cope lands a really nice looking cross but Takaya seems unphased.
Cope waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Takaya.
Cope lands the left hand.
Takaya shoots in looking for a takedown. Cope tries to sprawl out of it but Takaya keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Cope manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Takaya keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Cope throws a lazy right hand but Takaya sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Cope misses with a two punch combination.
Cope ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Takaya moves away.
Mike Cope seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Cope catches Takaya with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Takaya displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Cope throws out the jab.
Takaya blocks a head kick by Cope.
Cope slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Cope throws a big shot that misses.
Cope fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Cope looks to land a left hand but Takaya moved out of range nicely.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Takaya steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Cope.
Cope throws a big shot that misses.
A big right from Cope misses.
Cope jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Cope fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Cope lands with an overhand left.
Cope slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Cope lands a nice shot to the body.
Cope fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Takaya pushes Cope up against the cage in a clinch.
Takaya is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Cope gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Cope lands a left hand that snaps the head of Takaya backwards.
A nice left hand lands by Cope.
Takaya prevents a takedown attempt there.
Still in the clinch, Cope scores with a nice short uppercut.
Cope fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cope fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Cope has a couple of punches blocked by Takaya.
A short right from Cope on the inside.
Takaya misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Cope breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Takaya moves out of range of the strikes.
Cope throws a hook but Takaya avoids it easily.
Cope throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Cope throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Jab, jab by Cope - just one landing.
Takaya moves out of range as Cope strikes.
Takaya takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Cope jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Cope misses with a body shot.
Cope throws a low kick, looking for Takaya's leg but Takaya calmly moves out of range.
Cope digs a good hook to Takaya's body.
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!
Nice body punch from Cope.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nice uppercut there from Cope.
Cope lands with a thumping leg kick.
Takaya is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Cope.
Cope connects with a looping right hand.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Takaya.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Yoshihiro Takaya. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Takaya waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Cope.
Takaya throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Cope's waist but Cope gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Takaya off to one side.
Cope throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Nice straight punches there by Cope. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Cope.
Cope throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Cope lands with a good body shot.
Cope connects with a body shot.
This is turning into a torrid day at the office for Takaya. He's trying desperately to land a takedown but he's failing miserably and getting slapped silly on the feet to compound his misery.
Cope ducks under a wild hook from Takaya.
Cope lands the left hand.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cope throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Takaya is breathing heavily.
Cope lands a really nice looking cross but Takaya seems unphased.
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!
Takaya misses with an uppercut.
Cope is landing a lot of head punches in this opening round! Takaya had better start moving his head a bit unless he wants his face to turn into pâté.
Cope throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Takaya blocks the body kick.
Cope jabs Takaya right on the nose. Takaya blinks but takes it well.
Takaya is rocked!
Takaya fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Cope throws a shot from downtown. Takaya moves away and avoids it.
A head kick misses from Cope.
A slow jab from Cope misses its intended target.
Takaya walks into a jab.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Takaya takes one on the button.
Oh Takaya is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Cope drops his shoulder and cracks Takaya with a huge uppercut! Takaya goes down! Can Cope finish him?
Cope trying to control the position from guard on top but Takaya is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Cope postures up in Takaya's guard and throws a big left but Takaya blocks it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.
Mike Cope dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.
Decent striking displayed by Cope there.
A bone on bone clash there as Takaya blocks the leg kick.
Cope cracks Takaya with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Nice straight punches there by Cope. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Cope.
Cope misses with a kick to the body.
Takaya looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Cope!
Takaya goes for an armbar but Cope turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from Cope.
Takaya keeping moving, preventing Cope from controlling successfully.
Takaya seems to have got his legs back now.
Takaya controlling the position.
Takaya is trying to control the position but Cope postures up.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Takaya is really struggling to control Cope but he's trying to hold on to the position.
Cope is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Cope's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Cope trying to control but Takaya is working from the bottom.
Cope trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Cope is fighting to break Takaya's control of his arms but Takaya is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Cope trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Cope controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Cope trying to control the position from guard on top but Takaya is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Takaya had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Cope defends it easily.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cope trying to control the position from guard on top but Takaya is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Cope misses with a straight right.
Cope throws the kick towards the body but Takaya avoids it.
The crowd cheers as Cope lands an impressive looking overhand right. Takaya doesn't seem phased though.
Takaya works over Cope's head and body with a nice combination.
Mike Cope seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Cope tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Cope lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Cope looks to score with a jab to the body but Takaya is just out of range.
Cope throws a front kick aimed at Takaya's knee but Takaya avoids it well.
Takaya moves out of range of the body kick.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cope takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Takaya uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Cope.
Takaya misses the shot to the body.
Takaya wants to clinch up but Cope keeps it at a distance.
Cope swings away with a body shot that misses
and Takaya counters with a three punch combo that has Cope backing up. Cope nods at Takaya to acknowledge the strikes.
Takaya misses the body punch
and Cope counters with a nice body shot.
Cope ducks under a wild hook from Takaya.
Cope scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Cope connects with a looping right hand.
Cope looks for the body kick but Takaya saw that one coming.
Cope fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Takaya.
Takaya thows a body shot but no joy.
Takaya will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Cope throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Takaya is looking to clinch.
Takaya loads up on a big right hand but Cope slips the punch.
Cope lands a right hook to the body.
Takaya fails with the takedown.
Takaya tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Cope throws out a powerful jab.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Takaya has his takedown stuffed
enabling Cope to counter with a crisp jab.
Takaya steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Cope.
Takaya takes a body punch but keeps moving.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Takaya takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Cope lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Cope lands a nice shot to the body.
Cope throws a leg kick but Takaya checks it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.
Mike Cope showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action!
Cope throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Cope circles away from the clinch attempt
and Cope counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Cope lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Takaya at a distance.
Takaya slips a straight right by Cope.
Cope pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Cope has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Takaya finds it's way round the side to connect with Cope's head.
Cope shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Takaya tries to clinch up.
Cope misses the body punch
and Takaya counters with a one-two to the body.
Cope slips a jab from Takaya.
Takaya looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Cope is fending him off so far but Takaya persists. Nope, Cope circles away and we're back to standing.
Takaya closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Cope jabs at Takaya's body.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Cope keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Takaya.
Takaya scores with a shot to the body.
Takaya takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Takaya chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Cope can pounce on him.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Cope.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Takaya looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Takaya checks a leg kick.
Takaya takes one to the chin there.
Cope works the jab nicely.
Takaya uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Cope.
Takaya closes this distance looking for a takedown but Cope circles away.
Cope scores with a punch to the head.
A shot to the body from Cope misses
and Takaya counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Cope's guard now.
Cope has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Cope wants to sweep here but Takaya controlling him for the moment.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Cope is on top in guard.
Cope advances position into side control!
Takaya gives up the full mount - oops, sloppy defensive grappling there!
Cope controlling the pace for now.
Cope has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Cope looking to control but Takaya is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Cope with a couple of short strikes.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cope scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Takaya?
Cope avoids the attempt from Takaya to control.
Cope pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Takaya is squirming around, avoiding Cope's attempts to control the action.
Takaya is in all sorts of trouble here.
Cope trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Takaya gets back to half guard.
Cope thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Cope takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Takaya controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Takaya is staying active underneath Cope, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Cope trying to control from Takaya's half guard. Takaya has other ideas though and has regained full guard.
Cope scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Cope wants to pass the guard but Takaya is keeping the position.
Takaya looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Cope passes into half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.
Mike Cope really dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!
Takaya blocks a head kick by Cope.
Left hook, right uppercut from Takaya.
Cope smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Takaya scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Takaya moves out of range of the strikes.
Cope takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
Takaya takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Takaya takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Cope staying out of range there.
Takaya blocks a jab.
Cope throws a big shot that misses.
Takaya looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Cope uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Takaya.
Takaya misses the jab.
Takaya displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Cope throws out the jab.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Takaya moves away from the strike by Cope.
Takaya scores with a hook.
The crowd cheers as Cope lands an impressive looking overhand right. Takaya doesn't seem phased though.
Takaya misses with a takedown attempt
and Cope counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Takaya tries to close the distance and clinch but Cope swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Takaya on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Cope misses with a looping right.
Takaya steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Cope.
Takaya walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Takaya misses with a hook. Cope ducked under it nicely.
Takaya throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Takaya connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Takaya throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Takaya looks to land a left hand but Cope moved out of range nicely.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
A jab from Takaya misses.
Takaya takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Takaya misses with a jab to the body
and Cope counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Cope avoids the body shot from Takaya.
Cope connects with a crisp jab.
Cope lands a slapping body shot.
Cope scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Cope scores with a body shot.
Cope swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Takaya.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Cope is looking to land body kicks.
Cope throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Cope lands a slapping body shot.
Takaya ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Cope lands with a slapping head kick.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Takaya throws a right and a left that Cope avoids nicely.
Takaya is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Takaya slips a jab from Cope.
Takaya takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Takaya ducks under a wild hook from Cope.
Cope tries to land a leg kick but Takaya saw it coming and moves away.
The fighters circle momentarily. Cope darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Takaya throws a body punch but Cope moves out of range.
Cope scores with a head kick.
Nice defenses there by Takaya.
Takaya takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Cope moves out of range as Takaya strikes.
Cope paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Takaya looks for a takedown but Cope sprawls well.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cope throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Takaya on the side of the head.
Cope tries to land a leg kick but Takaya saw it coming and moves away.
Takaya connects with a body shot.
Takaya tries for a takedown but Cope sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Yoshihiro Takaya. That's going to take a lot out of him.
It's got to the stage where if one of these guys blows hard enough, the other might fall over.
Cope tries a head kick but it misses.
Cope cracks Takaya with a good jab.
Takaya takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Takaya swings and misses with a hook to the body.
A jab from Takaya misses.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Cope looks to score with a jab to the body but Takaya is just out of range.
Nice takedown defense from Takaya. No joy for Cope on that attempt.
Takaya changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Cope looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.
Mike Cope dominated that fourth round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!
A telegraphed right hand from Cope misses the target.
Cope lands a nice looking body shot.
A decent looking cross lands there for Cope.
Cope avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Cope thows a body shot but no joy.
Cope throws a head kick that half lands.
Takaya lands with a hook. Cope tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Cope throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Takaya shoots in looking for a takedown. Cope tries to sprawl out of it but Takaya keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Cope manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Takaya moves forwards but Cope connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Jab, jab by Cope - just one landing.
Cope digs a good body shot into Takaya's ribs.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Cope scores with a decent looking hook.
Cope dodges the punch combination from Takaya.
Cope bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Cope misses with a straight right.
Takaya shoots in looking for a takedown. Cope tries to sprawl out of it but Takaya keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Cope manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Both of our modern day gladiators look out of it here - an gruelling 5 rounds of action taking it's toll on them, no doubt.
Takaya missing with a left hand there. Cope was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Takaya shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Takaya showed some decent athleticism there.
Cope controlling the position for now.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cope wants to improve his position but Takaya is controlling well.
Takaya wants to pass the guard but Cope is defending well.
Cope trying to hold on to Takaya's head to control him but Takaya postures up.
Takaya is pressing down on Cope's thigh, looking to free his foot. Cope is holding on for now.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Takaya not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Takaya trying to control from Cope's half guard. Cope has other ideas though and has regained full guard.
Cope not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Takaya has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Cope.
Mike Cope is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Takaya looks to score with a jab to the body but Cope is just out of range.
Some wild striking there from Takaya.
Yoshihiro Takaya has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Cope scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Takaya misses with a body shot
and Cope counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Takaya takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Cope looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Takaya avoids the head kick by Cope.
Cope throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
Cope misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Cope swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Takaya throws a hook but Cope blocks it.
Takaya fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Cope avoids it really well and circles away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Yoshihiro Takaya. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Cope scores with a shot to the body.
Cope scores a takedown into full mount!
Yoshihiro Takaya overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Cope looking to control and managing it successfully.
And that's the end of the fight!
Mike Cope comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Cope winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.
Ladies and gentlemen, after 5 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Sergei Dronov scores the fight 44:50
Judge Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 44:50
Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 44:50
In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mike Cope!
Mike Cope is the new featherweight champion!
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| S |
C
A |
G |
S |
C
B |
G |
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S |
C |
G |
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energy
A | B |
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hype
A | B |
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pop
A | B |
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mgr
A | B |
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FIGHT
RATING
100% |
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