PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Julius Cooper (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Al Micoal (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.

Cooper
vs
Micoal

185 cm
20
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

188 cm
25
188 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

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 Tokyo, Julius Cooper!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Al Micoal!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Yamamoto, Ren Mimura and Hirohito Nitta.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cooper misses with a wild combination.
Micoal shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Cooper pinned against the cage. Cooper gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Cooper misses with a double jab
and Micoal counters with a nice uppercut.
Cooper falls off balance throwing a combination

and Micoal counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Micoal thows a huge punch but Cooper dodges it nicely.
Cooper is looking for a sweep. Micoal is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Micoal is looking to take a break and control but Cooper is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Micoal slows the pace down in half guard.
Cooper wants to get back to full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Cooper actively working from the bottom here.

Micoal stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.

Micoal gets the takedown into side control.

Micoal working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Micoal tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here as Micoal stalls from top position.
Cooper is trying to improve his position.
Cooper sneaks back into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Micoal wants to stand but Cooper has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.
Micoal trying to control the pace.
Cooper is trying to control but Micoal passes into side control!

That's four 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.
Cooper is looking for a sweep.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Micoal tries to move to mount but Cooper blocks the move with his legs.
Micoal wants to control but Cooper is keeping him busy.
Micoal controlling the position from side mount.
Cooper is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Al Micoal 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.

Micoal has a takedown stuffed.
Cooper fails in his attempt to clinch.
Cooper throws a head kick that misses.

Cooper clinches with his opponent.

Cooper breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Cooper tries a head kick but it misses.
Nice takedown defense from Micoal. No joy for Cooper on that attempt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cooper has his takedown stuffed

and Micoal counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Cooper is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Micoal tries to get to full guard but Cooper has control of the leg.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Micoal is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cooper prevents Micoal from standing back up.
Cooper passes to full mount!
Cooper can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Micoal is looking to escape.
Micoal working to try and regain half guard.
Cooper looking to control but Micoal is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's two 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.
Micoal is desperately trying to improve his position but Cooper has a good base and remains in mount.
Micoal tries to hold on but Cooper postures up.
Cooper looking to control but Micoal is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Micoal is in all sorts of trouble here.
Cooper wants to control the pace but Micoal is squirming around nicely.

Cooper wants to finish this one by submission but Micoal is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Cooper.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cooper tries to control but Micoal wriggling away.
A nice elbow there by Cooper.
Cooper can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Micoal is looking to escape.
Cooper working Micoal over with strikes here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cooper lands a big elbow.
Micoal tries to hold on but Cooper postures up.
Cooper controlling the pace for now.
Cooper unloads with some shots from mount but Micoal bucks and avoids them well.

Cooper is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Micoal is surviving well by controlling Cooper's body position as best he can.
Cooper raining down shots from the mount!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Julius Cooper dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Cooper clinches up with Micoal and pushes him back against the cage.
Micoal is trying to maintain a safe position but Cooper gets an underhook and turns Micoal into the cage.
Cooper is working for takedown but Micoal is calmly controlling the position for now.
Micoal tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Cooper just stands there and leans against the cage.

Micoal drags the fight down to the ground.
Cooper stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Micoal swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Cooper works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Micoal tries to get to full guard but Cooper has control of the leg.
Micoal works his way to full guard. Good work.
Micoal takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Micoal is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cooper slips nicely into half guard.
Al Micoal has got the better of the ground game so far.
Micoal is refusing to be controlled, as Cooper sits in half guard.

Cooper stands, ready to strike. The ref makes him back up and allows Micoal to get to his feet.
Cooper fails to land the takedown.
Micoal closes the distance but Cooper moves to the side

and Cooper counters by clinching up.

Cooper manages to pull guard.
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.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Micoal wants to control from the top but Cooper keeps moving.

Cooper pushes Micoal off and gets back to his feet.
Some wild striking there from Cooper.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Cooper.
Cooper is putting a hurting on Micoal here, landing some big shots from side control.
Cooper wants to control but Micoal is keeping him busy.
Micoal tries to get back to half guard but can't.

Cooper decides to stand back up.
Cooper shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Micoal pinned against the cage. Micoal gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Julius Cooper. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nice takedown defense from Micoal. No joy for Cooper on that attempt.

Micoal looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Cooper is trying to control but can't.
Cooper is not content to let Micoal control the position.
Micoal is thwarting Cooper's attempts to control the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Julius Cooper showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Cooper 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 Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 29:28
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight 29:28
Judge Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 29:28

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