PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Espiridion Araya (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kurtis Couturier (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Couturier is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Forever Angel. There are an array of beautiful celebrities at ringside tonight! I wonder if any of them paid for their tickets.

Araya
vs
Couturier

201 cm
22
195 lbs
7 - 6 - 0

176 cm
22
189 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Good knees
Cardio machine

Powerful takedowns
World class boxer
Good gas tank

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 7 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Espiridion Araya!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Kurtis Couturier!
The judges for this bout are Frank Antenori, Don Winkell and Jack Bonds.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Araya tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Couturier tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Araya manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Araya swings and misses with a hook to the body.

Araya feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Araya trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Couturier controlling Araya's posture.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Couturier trying to keep a closed guard but Araya is proving a slippery customer.
Araya tries to free his leg and advance position but Couturier is retaining full guard.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Couturier can do anything to dispel that myth.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Kurtis Couturier was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Couturier throws an off balance right hand

and Araya counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Couturier's guard now.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Araya distracts Couturier with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Araya trying to control the position from guard on top but Couturier is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Couturier not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Araya engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Couturier really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Araya. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Araya throwing strikes from guard but Couturier blocks nicely.
Couturier trying to control the position.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Kurtis Couturier was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Araya will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Couturier lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Couturier tries to close the distance and clinch up but Araya swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Couturier wants to clinch.
Couturier tries to clinch but Araya is having none of it.

Couturier pushes Araya up against the cage in a clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Couturier breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Couturier swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Araya swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Araya swats away the attempt to clinch by Couturier.
Couturier scores with a jab.
This has been an exciting period of action!
The fight stays on the outside here - Couturier looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
The fight stays on the outside here - Couturier looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Couturier misses with a right hand

and Araya decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Couturier's guard.
Araya trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Araya wants to control from the top but Couturier keeps moving.
Araya pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Couturier is keeping the position for now.
Araya trying to control but Couturier is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Couturier is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Araya is looking to work some ground and pound but Couturier has wrist control.
Araya seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.

We're going to have a standup here because Espiridion Araya wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Araya misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
A telegraphed right hand from Araya misses the target.
Couturier misses with a jab, cross combination.
Araya closes this distance looking for a takedown but Couturier circles away.
Kurtis Couturier is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Couturier takes the fight into the clinch.
Araya misses with a punch on the inside.
A short right from Couturier on the inside.
Couturier has a couple of punches blocked by Araya.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Couturier misses with a short punch on the inside.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Araya fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Couturier scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Araya tries for a takedown. No joy.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Espiridion Araya. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Araya misses with a knee to the head.
Araya looking to throw knees to the head but Couturier is blocking nicely.
Couturier lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Couturier swings wildly with an uppercut but Araya uses good head movement to avoid it.
Araya misses with a hook to the ribs.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Araya with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Araya wants to stall.
Couturier working aggressively here.

Couturier breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Couturier throws a jab but it's blocked by Araya.

Couturier clinches with his opponent.
Couturier misses with the head strike.
Couturier throws a head punch that misses.
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 Espiridion Araya will probably get the nod.
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.

Couturier fails with an attempt to clinch.
Espiridion Araya is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Araya shoots for a double leg takedown but Couturier sprawls well. He's pushed Araya's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Araya scores with a decent looking hook.

Araya gets a clinch.
Couturier lands a left hand.
Couturier lands a hook to the side of the head.
Couturier scores with a nice hook to the head.

Araya is rocked!
Araya is trying to drag Couturier to the mat but Couturier just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Couturier misses with a hook from the clinch.
Couturier has a couple of punches blocked by Araya.
Araya tries to stall but Couturier uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Couturier lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Araya backwards.
Araya really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Araya.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Araya misses with a hook to the ribs.
Araya blocks an uppercut.
Couturier misses with a short punch on the inside.
A right hook to the body lands for Couturier.
Couturier stalling the fight.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Couturier.
Couturier is pressed up against the cage. Araya has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Couturier down to the mat. Couturier avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Espiridion Araya. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Araya on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Oh Araya is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Couturier lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Couturier fails in his attempt to clinch.
Couturier tries to clinch up but Araya circles away and keeps his distance.
Couturier misses with a straight right.
Araya keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Couturier.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Couturier is looking to clinch.
Couturier tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Araya paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Araya closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Couturier fails with an attempt to clinch.
Couturier batters Araya with a massive right followed by a huge left! Araya is out on his feet looking like a zombie as Couturier lands a final crushing right hand to drop Araya to the mat with a gruesome thud! Couturier is running around like a mad man after that fight and for good reason!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:12 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Strikes). Kurtis Couturier!
Kurtis Couturier seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.