PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Houston Warren (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Keslir Coates (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Warren
vs
Coates

177 cm
21
177 lbs
0 - 3 - 0

183 cm
18
180 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Basic striking
Very confident

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 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Houston Warren!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Keslir Coates!
The judges for this bout are Bruno Hogan, Ben Watson and Eliza Hachem.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Warren avoids the body shot from Coates.
Coates will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Coates stalks Warren and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Warren's face. Warren staggers backwards, shaken.
Coates tries a low kick but Warren avoids it.

Coates drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Warren bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Coates's guard.
Coates really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Warren. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Warren missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Warren stops Coates from standing up.
Coates preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Coates can do anything to dispel that myth.
Coates is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Warren content to stall in guard here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Warren pushes Coates up against the cage in a clinch.
Warren tries a body shot but Coates blocks it.
Warren is trying to drag Coates to the mat but Coates just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Warren changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Coates fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Coates slaps away a takedown attempt from Warren, before circling back to the center of the mat.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Houston Warren. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Warren closes the distance looking to clinch
and Coates counters with a big head kick but Warren shrugs it off.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Coates will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Coates looks to score with a jab to the body but Warren is just out of range.
Warren fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Coates throws a leg kick
and Warren counters with a series of strikes. Coates will be more careful next time no doubt.
Coates swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Warren counters with a one-two to the body.
Coates throws a head kick that misses.
Coates throws a nice looking combination but Warren bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Coates just misses with a punch to the body.
Coates throws a lazy uppercut
and Warren counters with a two punch combo.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Warren showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Coates.
Coates looks winded!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Coates throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Warren.
Coates misses with a kick to the body.
Coates avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Warren scores with a one two! Coates had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Warren tries to close the distance and clinch but Coates swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Coates lands a right hook to the body.
Coates swings away with a body shot that misses
and Warren counters with a lovely straight right hand!

Warren has managed to clinch.
Coates blocks a body shot from Warren.

Warren pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Coates swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Warren connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
No joy there for Warren, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

Warren closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Warren working the ground and pound but Coates is defending the strikes.
Warren in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Warren throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Warren 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.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Coates dodges the ground and pound from Warren.
Warren is staying tight to Coates's torso, preventing him from escaping.
Warren working away.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Warren lands a decent elbow from side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Houston Warren will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Warren closes the distance but Coates moves to the side
and Coates counters with a head kick.
Coates throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Warren darts in trying to clinch
and Coates counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Coates misses with a double jab.
Coates misses with a body kick.
Coates misses with a two punch combination.
Warren misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Coates misses with the body kick
and Warren counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Keslir Coates seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Coates is breathing heavily.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Warren.
Coates is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Warren rather than just go for the knockout.
Coates throws a half hearted mid kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Coates throws the left hand but Warren avoids the punch easily.

Coates scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Warren is concentrating on defense, preventing Coates from advancing position.
Warren is looking to control Coates's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Warren avoid being mounted?
Warren manages to get to full guard.
Coates throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Warren 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.
Coates must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Coates pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Warren is keeping the position for now.
Coates trying to control the position from guard on top but Warren is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Warren is looking to stand up but Coates isn't so interested in that idea.
Warren is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Warren seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Coates trying to hold on to Warren's head to control him but Warren postures up.
Still in half guard, Warren seems content to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Coates is looking to improve his position.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Warren throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Warren thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Houston Warren overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Coates keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Warren missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Warren throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Warren throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Warren scores with a couple of good hammerfists.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Coates is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Warren is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Coates has managed to free his arm - good work.
Warren thows a huge punch but Coates dodges it nicely.
Warren thows a huge punch but Coates dodges it nicely.
Warren wants to take a breather but Coates is having none of it.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Warren missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Coates is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Houston Warren dominated that second round.
That's time! Warren's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Warren drives through and clinches with Coates against the cage.
Warren has Coates pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Coates manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Coates is trying to break free.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.

Warren has picked Coates up - he's going for a ride! Warren dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Warren sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Coates defending well though.
Warren landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Warren prevents Coates from standing back up.
Coates keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

Warren looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Coates trying to control here.
Coates takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Warren moves into side control, avoiding the strikes from Coates.
Coates tries to buck Warren off but Warren is having none of it.

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.
Warren trying to control the action but Coates is working from the bottom.
Warren in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Warren misses with the ground and pound.
Coates tries to escape but Warren is in control.
Warren wants to control but Coates is keeping him busy.
Warren looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Coates is avoiding damage well.
Coates is pushing Warren's head away, looking to escape. Warren manages to hold on to the position though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Warren trying to control the position but Coates is working away.
Warren throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Coates regains half guard there - taking advantage of Warren's attempt to lay and pray for a moment.
Warren sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Coates defending well though.
Coates tries to kick Warren off in order to stand up. Warren Avoids the leg push though and dives into side control.
Warren throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Warren is trying to ground and pound but Coates uses the momentary lack of control by Warren to regain half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Coates is concentrating on defense, preventing Warren from advancing position.
Keslir Coates has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Warren missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Warren missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Warren scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Coates avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Warren.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Warren missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Warren seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Houston Warren is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Warren 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!
Houston Warren showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Warren, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Bruno Hogan scores the fight 30:27
Judge Ben Watson scores the fight 30:27
Judge Eliza Hachem scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Houston Warren!