PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Richard Martin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and William Cooper (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). William Cooper is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Martin
vs
Cooper

173 cm
21
167 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

185 cm
25
175 lbs
3 - 5 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Richard Martin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, William Cooper!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cooper throws a sloppy head kick and Martin moves out of range easily.
Martin scores with a head kick.
Martin blocks a head kick by Cooper.
Cooper swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Martin scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Martin misses with a jab, cross combination.
Martin tries to clinch there but Cooper circles away.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Martin.
Martin defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Cooper.
Martin misses with the combination.
Martin with a lazy takedown attempt

and Cooper counters by moving into the clinch.
Martin is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Martin gets underhooks to prevent Cooper's takedown attempt.
Martin has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Cooper can't get the takedown.
Richard Martin has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of William Cooper.
A short right from Martin on the inside.
Cooper comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Cooper creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.

Cooper escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
William Cooper seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Cooper shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Cooper showed some decent athleticism there.
Martin wants to get back to his feet.
Cooper looks gassed!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Martin won't allow Cooper to pass to mount.
Martin is trying to stand.
Cooper looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.

Cooper stands up from half guard.
Martin misses with a takedown attempt - Cooper sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Martin misses with a takedown attempt - Cooper sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

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.
Martin misses with a double jab.
Cooper misses with a head kick.
Martin swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Cooper holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

Cooper lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Still in half guard, Cooper seems content to control.
Martin is trying to stand up here but Cooper is controlling him well.
Cooper looks to land a strike but Martin avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
Cooper throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Martin works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Cooper stops Martin from standing up.

Cooper stands up and waves to Martin to follow him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cooper throws a chopping leg kick but Martin manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Cooper misses with a series of wild punches.
Martin plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Cooper ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
The fighters circling - Martin throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Martin moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Martin is looking to clinch.
Martin wants to clinch but Cooper slips to the side

and Cooper counters with a single leg into guard. Martin didn't expect that.
Cooper loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

Cooper gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Cooper throws a lazy head kick
and Martin counters with a flying knee. Nice.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Martin throws a leg kick which misses Cooper's front leg but catches the back leg as Cooper tries to avoid it.
Nice sprawl there from Martin as Cooper shoots in.
Martin avoids the head kick by Cooper.

Cooper moves into the clinch.
Martin is trying to drag Cooper to the mat but Cooper just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Cooper prevents a takedown attempt there.
Cooper prevents a takedown attempt there.
A frustrated look appears on Martin's face as he tries to break the clinch.

Cooper breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Cooper misses with the combination.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Cooper throws a head kick but Martin moves out of range.
Martin avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Nice sprawl there from Cooper as Martin shoots in.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

William Cooper dominated that round.
That's time! Martin's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

A low kick from Martin misses

and Cooper counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Cooper.
A short right from Cooper.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Cooper tries to score a body lock takedown but Martin shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Martin tries to circle away but Cooper has him pinned against the cage.
Cooper drops down looking for an ankle pick but Martin pulls his leg out and moves away.
A head kick misses from Martin.
Martin fails to land with a series of punches.
Cooper throws a front kick that sends Martin stumbling back into the cage.

Cooper closes the distance and clinches.
Cooper drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Richard Martin has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of William Cooper.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Martin wants to break the clinch but can't.
Martin can't break the clinch.
Martin wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cooper wants to stall.
Martin wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Cooper has him pressed against the cage.

Martin breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Martin misses with a double jab

so Cooper counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Martin is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Cooper pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Martin is keeping the position for now.
Martin utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Martin is looking to stand up but Cooper isn't so interested in that idea.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Cooper decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Martin, up you get!
Martin displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Cooper lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Martin throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Cooper moves into the clinch.

Cooper breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Martin stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Martin wants it to stay on the feet.
Nice defenses there by Cooper.
Cooper misses with a jab, cross combination.
Martin throws a head kick but Cooper moves out of range.

Cooper has managed to clinch.

Cooper decides to pull guard.
Martin knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Cooper on the ground.
Cooper 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.
Martin throwing strikes but missing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cooper lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Martin!
Cooper throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
Martin trying desperately to get to his feet.
Cooper with the ground and pound from mount.
Cooper punching from mount but Martin doing a good job of avoiding damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Martin wants to get back to his feet.
Cooper controlling his opponent.
Cooper wants to control the action but instead Martin gets a body lock and reverses into Cooper's guard! Nice work!
Martin throwing strikes from guard but Cooper blocks nicely.
Martin throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Cooper works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

William Cooper showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Martin throws a right and a left that both miss.

Cooper clinches.
Cooper lands an elbow inside that Martin shrugs off.

Cooper drags the fight down to the ground.
Cooper keeping full guard, as Martin tries to pass.
Martin throws a strike but Cooper rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Cooper thows a big elbow that misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Cooper stands up from Martin's guard - Cooper perhaps looking for a knockout.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Martin misses with a few strikes there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cooper dodges the punch combination from Martin.
Martin throws a head kick but Cooper moves out of range.
Cooper pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Martin throws a combination that misses

and Cooper counters with a shoot takedown. Martin fights it but they end up in guard.
Martin wants to stand and escape but Cooper is having none of it.
Martin keeping moving, preventing Cooper from controlling successfully.
Cooper missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Cooper stops Martin from standing up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cooper missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Cooper stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Martin swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Cooper has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Martin is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Cooper avoids the head kick by Martin.
Cooper shoots in but no luck this time.

Martin shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Martin showed some decent athleticism there.
Martin missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cooper trying to control from the bottom.
Martin missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Nice strikes from Martin there.
Richard Martin has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Martin tries to stand but can't do so whilst Cooper controls his leg.
Martin lands with a punch from half guard.
Martin sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Cooper defending well though.
Martin thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Cooper's head.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Martin misses with a double jab
and Cooper counters with a straight punch to the midsection.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
A head kick misses from Martin.
Martin shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Cooper throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Martin tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Martin lands a head shot.
Cooper blocks a head kick by Martin.
Cooper tries to score with a low kick but Martin moves his leg out of the way.
Martin throws a leg kick but Cooper moved away.
Cooper feints and then cracks Martin's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Martin down.
Martin misses with a few strikes there.

Cooper scores a takedown into full mount!
Cooper trying to control but he's not successful this time.

And that's the end of the fight!
William Cooper comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Cooper 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 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Andi Peters scores the fight 27:30
Judge Gordon Ramsey scores the fight 27:30
Judge Frank Skinner scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... William Cooper!