PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Dan Hard (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Caleb Cottrell (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Cottrell is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Honor by Atreyu. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Hard
vs
Cottrell

185 cm
22
180 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

194 cm
18
180 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Enjoys gardening

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 Las Vegas, Dan Hard!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Caleb Cottrell!
The judges for this bout are Wesley Smith, Cecil Peabody and Frank Dennis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hard misses with a jab, cross combination.
Hard scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Dan Hard seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Cottrell lands with a kick to the ribs.
Cottrell fails with an attempt to clinch.
Cottrell avoids a punch combination nicely.
Horrible takedown by Cottrell or perhaps it was just good defense by Hard which made him look bad.
Hard closes the distance but Cottrell moves to the side

and Cottrell counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Cottrell tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Cottrell tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Cottrell wants to stall.
Cottrell looking to throw knees to the head but Hard is blocking nicely.
Cottrell using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Hard has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Cottrell tries to pull guard but Hard won't allow it.
Cottrell is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Cottrell connects with a knee to the head.
Cottrell tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Hard just stands there and leans against the cage.
Dan Hard has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Caleb Cottrell.
Hard tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Cottrell throws a knee to the head but misses.
Hard on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

Cottrell pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hard has his takedown stuffed

and Cottrell counters with a takedown into side control.
Cottrell looks gassed!
Hard is trying to improve his position.
Hard is working hard here to advance position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
A control attempt from Hard but he's now mounted!
Cottrell wants to control the pace but Hard is squirming around nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hard keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Hard tries to hold on but Cottrell postures up.
Hard controls the position.
Hard is trying to escape the mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cottrell looking to control but Hard is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Hard tries to lock up and control but Cottrell gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Cottrell tries to control but Hard wriggling away.
Hard tries to reverse the position but Cottrell maintains 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.
Cottrell blocks Hard's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Hard keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Hard on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Hard tries to get out of the position.
Hard tries to lock up and control but Cottrell gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Cottrell trying to control but Hard is having none of it.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Hard tries to lock up and control but Cottrell gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Caleb Cottrell dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Hard shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Cottrell as he jumps to the side.
Hard tries to close the distance and clinch up but Cottrell swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Hard shoots in for a takedown but Cottrell shows good takedown defense.
Hard will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Dan Hard. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Hard takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.
No luck for Hard with that takedown attempt.
Crunch! Cottrell slams his shin into Hard's torso.
Cottrell scores with a leg kick.
A left and a right from Hard both land. Nice combination.

Hard fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Cottrell sprawls well initially but Hard persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Cottrell is looking to improve his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hard controlling the action here.
Cottrell has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Hard is working away from the top position though.
Hard is pressing down on Cottrell's thigh, looking to free his foot. Cottrell is holding on for now.

That's two 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.
Cottrell trying to control but Hard postures up.
Hard is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Hard thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Cottrell's head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Still in half guard, Hard seems content to control.
Hard trying to pass the guard but Cottrell defending well.
Cottrell controlling the position for now.
Cottrell is trying to control but can't.

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.
Hard performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Hard tries to pass the half guard into mount. Cottrell knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Cottrell is trying to maintain the position but Hard is very close to passing his half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Hard is controlling the pace.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dan Hard dominated that second round.
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!

Hard shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Cottrell but Cottrell pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Hard looks to clinch
and Cottrell counters with a big head kick but Hard shrugs it off.
Cottrell throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Hard counters with a one-two to the body.
A head kick misses from Cottrell.
Hard tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Cottrell swivels and escapes.
Hard will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Dan Hard. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Hard looks for a takedown but Cottrell sprawls well.
Cottrell slips a jab and a cross from Hard.
Hard tries to clinch but Cottrell moves away
and Cottrell counters with a solid body kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hard takes a kick to the side of the head.
Hard darts in trying to clinch
and Cottrell counters with a head kick. That will keep Hard thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
Cottrell pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Cottrell lands a nice looking kick to the body. Hard takes a step back to recover.
Cottrell throws a head kick but Hard moves out of range.
Hard shoots in for a double leg but Cottrell sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Dan Hard is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Cottrell misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Hard has a takedown stuffed.
Hard shoots and misses
and Cottrell counters with a flying knee. Nice.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cottrell throws a head kick that misses.
Hard throws a right and a left that Cottrell avoids nicely.
Cottrell looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Hard takes a kick to the side of the head.
Nice sprawl there from Cottrell as Hard shoots in.
Cottrell throws a head kick but Hard moves out of range.
Cottrell throws a head kick but Hard moves out of range.
Cottrell throws a head kick but Hard moves out of range.
Hard avoids the head kick by Cottrell.
Cottrell misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Hard dodges the punch combination from Cottrell.
Cottrell is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Hard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cottrell throws a head kick but Hard moves out of range.
Cottrell shoots in but no luck this time.
Cottrell tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Cottrell tries a head kick but it misses.
Hard lands a two punch combo.
Hard darts in trying to clinch
and Cottrell counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Hard throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Cottrell throws a head kick but Hard moves out of range.
Hard shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Cottrell pinned against the cage. Cottrell gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Hard misses with the combination.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cottrell lets loose with a powerful body kick. Hard will feel that in the morning.
Cottrell throws a sloppy head kick and Hard moves out of range easily.
Cottrell wants to clinch.
Cottrell throws a head kick but Hard moves out of range.
Hard closes this distance looking for a takedown but Cottrell circles away.
Hard stuffs the takedown.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Caleb Cottrell.
Well Cottrell has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Wesley Smith scores the fight 28:29
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 28:29
Judge Frank Dennis scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Caleb Cottrell!