PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Kurt Randel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Damien Cook (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Randel
vs
Cook

185 cm
25
195 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

184 cm
25
184 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Decent wrestler
Solid boxing
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Kurt Randel!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Damien Cook!
The judges for this bout are Aafke Stam, Radbod Blank and Paul Aken.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Randel leaves Cook with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Horrible takedown by Cook or perhaps it was just good defense by Randel which made him look bad.
Cook fails in his attempt to clinch.
Randel misses with the combination.
Cook dodges the punch combination from Randel.
A head kick misses from Randel.
Cook blocks the body kick.
Cook checks a leg kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Randel clinches.
Randel jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Cook walks away with a smile on his face. Randel gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Randel swinging wildly here.

Cook darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cook is trying to control the action in half guard but Randel is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Randel avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Cook.
Cook wants to take a breather but Randel is having none of it.

Cook is working for a submission of some sort.
Randel blocking the ground and pound attempt from Cook.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.

Cook is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Randel doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Cook.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
The fight stays on the outside here - Randel looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Randel lands a big head kick that sends Cook tumbling to the mat! Randel takes a step backwards and waves Cook back to his feet - he wants the finish!

It looks like Damien Cook has been cut.
Randel keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Kurt Randel has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Damien Cook.
Cook looks gassed!
A punch combination from Randel misses.
Randel scores with a hook to the body. Cook takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.

Randel has taken the fight to the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Randel breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Randel throws a head kick that misses.

Randel pushes Cook up against the cage in a clinch.
Randel changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Cook fights it off and pushes away nicely.

Randel has Cook up against the cage in a clinch.
Cook tries to break free but Randel pushes him back against the cage.
Cook wants to break the clinch but can't.
Cook jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Randel walks away with a smile on his face. Cook gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.

Randel pushes Cook up against the cage in a clinch.
Randel throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Cook stops a takedown attempt from Randel.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Randel.
Randel tries for a takedown. No joy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Randel lands a hook that snaps the head of Cook backwards.
Randel lands with a short shot to the head.
Randel is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Cook gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.

Randel breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Randel moves in looking to clinch but Cook pushes him off.
Randel tries to close the distance and clinch up but Cook swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Randel misses with a body kick.
Cook looks to clinch
and Randel counters with a slapping leg kick.
Randel tries to clinch up.

Randel gets in close and instigates a clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Randel gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Cook looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Randel prevents Cook from improving his position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kurt Randel dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Damien Cook's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

Randel takes the fight into the clinch.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.

Cook pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Cook shoots for a takedown but Randel saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Cook shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Randel sprawls well. Randel wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Cook gets slowly back to his feet.

Randel closes the distance and clinches.
Cook tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Randel smiles and moves away.
Kurt Randel has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Damien Cook.
Cook is breathing heavily.

Randel clinches with his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Randel is trying to force a seperation but Cook has the dominant position.

Randel escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Randel circles away from the clinch attempt.
Randel shoots for a takedown but Cook saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Randel pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Cook misses with a takedown attempt

and Randel counters by clinching up.
Randel is trying to break the clinch but Cook has him pressed against the cage.
Randel using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Cook has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
A shot in the inside from Randel.

Randel breaks from the clinch.
Cook fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Randel avoids it really well and circles away.
Randel shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Cook as he jumps to the side.

That's two 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.
Cook shoots in and drives through. Randel sprawls well.

Randel closes the distance and pushes Cook back into the cage.
Randel goes for a takedown in the clinch but Cook prevents it.

Randel breaks from the clinch.
Cook fails with a takedown attempt.
Randel scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Cook misses with a head kick.
Cook wants to clinch but Randel slips to the side

and Randel counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Randel.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Randel.
Cook keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Randel's efforts to push away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Randel lands with a left to the head.
A short right from Randel.
Cook looking for a takedown.
Cook looking to slow down the pace here.
Randel tries for a takedown. No joy.

Randel's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Cook fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Randel avoids it really well and circles away.
Randel goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Cook wants to clinch but Randel slips to the side

and Randel counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Randel on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Cook is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Randel pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Cook has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Randel avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Randel with an attempt at a knee that misses.

Randel pulls guard successfully.
Cook cracks Randel with a solid left hand.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Randel has a closed guard, preventing Cook from standing up.
Randel lands a good elbow from the bottom.
Cook lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Randel is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Randel looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kurt Randel dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Damien Cook's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Randel slips a jab and a cross from Cook.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Cook.
Randel scores with a one two! Cook had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Randel shoots and misses
and Cook counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Cook clinches but Randel breaks the clinch
and Randel counters with a low kick, right behind Cook 's knee.
Cook has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Randel finds it's way round the side to connect with Cook's head.
Randel throws a wild body kick that Cook sees coming a mile off.
Cook misses with a hook. Randel ducked under it nicely.

Cook instigates a clinch.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Randel successfully pulls guard.
Randel is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cook pushing down on Randel's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Cook seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Randel does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Randel scrambles, trying to get to his feet, but Cook manages to mount him!
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Cook cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Randel on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Randel tries to get out of the position.
Randel reaches up and holds on to Cook to control the position.
Cook has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Randel is desperately trying to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Cook can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Randel is looking to escape.
Cook working Randel over with strikes here.
Randel is desperately trying to improve his position but Cook has a good base and remains in mount.
Randel is squirming around, avoiding Cook's attempts to control the action.
Randel looking to escape from mount but he's given up his back!
Randel trying to get back to his feet but Cook is in full control for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Cook patiently working for the choke. Which fighter will keep their nerve here?
Randel is really stuck here.
Cook misses with an elbow to the head.
Cook controlling the position well here. Randel rolled but Cook kept the hooks locked in and stayed in the dominant position.
Randel is keeping busy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Randel tries to escape the position.
The crowd hopeful of a finish here - Cook's supporters are on their feet, screaming for him to go for the rear naked choke.
Randel trying to get back to his feet but Cook is in full control for now.
Randel can't escape the position.
Cook controls the action.
Randel trying to control the hands but Cook won't let him.
Damien Cook has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Kurt Randel is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Randel is really stuck here.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Damien Cook.
I think Randel has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Aafke Stam scores the fight 29:28
Judge Radbod Blank scores the fight 29:28
Judge Paul Aken scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kurt Randel!