PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Randy Couture (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Chuck Liddell (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Couture's entrance music is Randy Couture. A fine choice. Liddell is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: My Way. Randy Couture could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Chuck Liddell's chin.

Couture
vs
Liddell

185 cm
22
220 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

188 cm
22
215 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Intelligent

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Randy Couture!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Chuck Liddell!
The judges for this bout are Alan Glass, Stewart Dunkirk and George Francis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Some wild striking there from Liddell.
Liddell throws a series of punches but Couture moves out of range.
Liddell scores with a leg kick.
Liddell cracks Couture with a right hand to the side of the head.

Liddell gets caught flat footed, as Couture shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Liddell tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Liddell wants to stand and escape but Couture is having none of it.
Liddell manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Couture manages to get himself to full guard.
Liddell being controlled here momentarily.
Liddell postures up.
Couture working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Liddell.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Couture looking to control but Liddell passes into half guard.
Couture controlling the position well.
Liddell tries to pass to full mount but Couture defends it.
Couture is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Liddell's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Liddell's back!
Liddell is really stuck here.
Couture scores with strikes from the back.
Couture lands punches and elbows.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Liddell manages to reverse the position and now he's in Couture's guard. Nice work there by Liddell.
Couture pulls Liddell in close to prevent any damage.
Couture bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Liddell's guard.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Couture is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Liddell working a defensive guard here.
Couture has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Liddell is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Liddell wants to stand but Couture has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.
Liddell looks gassed!
Couture is controlling Liddell's trapped leg to prevent Liddell from advancing to side control.
Liddell sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Couture defending well though.
Liddell is keen to just control but Couture is a slippery customer.
Couture moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Liddell wants to stand and escape but instead Couture has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Couture 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.
Couture has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
Couture cracks Liddell with a solid left hand.
Liddell keeping moving, preventing Couture from controlling successfully.
Couture stays in close to Liddell's body and controls the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Couture tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Liddell swivels and escapes.
Couture closes this distance looking for a takedown but Liddell circles away.
Liddell tries for a takedown but Couture circles away easily

and Couture counters with a single leg into guard. Liddell didn't expect that.
Couture showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Liddell trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Liddell looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Couture lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Liddell keeping moving, preventing Couture from controlling successfully.
Liddell wants to stand but Couture is controlling the position.
Liddell is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Couture looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Couture prevents Liddell from getting back to his feet.

Liddell has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Couture is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Liddell.
Liddell wants to control but Couture postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Liddell wants to get back to his feet but Couture drags him back down.
Liddell tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Couture wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Liddell looks to move to half guard but instead Couture has passed into mount! Damn!
Couture takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
BOOM! Couture connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Couture cracks Liddell with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Couture controlling the pace for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Couture scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Couture tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Randy Couture just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Couture throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Liddell's waist but Liddell gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Couture off to one side.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Randy Couture. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Liddell lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Liddell lands with an overhand left.
Liddell misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Couture misses with a takedown attempt - Liddell sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Couture shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
A nice combination there by Liddell.
Randy Couture is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Couture fails with a takedown attempt.
Liddell throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Couture's head.
Couture looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Couture gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Liddell counters with a three punch combo that has Couture backing up. Couture nods at Liddell to acknowledge the strikes.

Couture shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Liddell wants to improve his position but instead Couture has moved into half guard.
Couture is keen to just control but Liddell is a slippery customer.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Liddell is looking for a sweep. Couture is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Randy Couture dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Couture with a lazy takedown attempt
and Liddell counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Couture fails to land the takedown.

Liddell moves into the clinch.
Liddell can't get the takedown.
Couture keeps control of Liddell as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Liddell looking to slow down the pace here.
Couture gets underhooks to prevent Liddell's takedown attempt.
Couture tries to pull guard but Liddell holds him up against the ropes and eventually Couture drops back down to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Randy Couture. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Couture gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Liddell.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Liddell prevents the takedown attempt.
Couture drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Liddell gets the underhooks and prevents it.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Couture works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Couture with a flurry of punches that miss.
Liddell is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Couture postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.

Liddell is looking for a triangle but Couture pushes his legs off easily.
Couture preventing the sweep.
Couture works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Couture moves nicely into side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Liddell is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Couture asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Couture moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.
Liddell is looking to slip a leg under and get half guard but Couture is one step ahead and moves to full mount!
Couture controlling the position easily from mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Couture jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Liddell manages to avoid the submission attempt.
Liddell sneaks back into half guard.
Randy Couture overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Liddell trying to control from the bottom.
Liddell is trying to get back to full guard.
Chuck Liddell has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Couture is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Liddell tries to buck Couture off but he can't manage it.
Liddell is trying to escape the mount.
Couture content just to control the position here.
Liddell takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Couture raining down shots from the mount!

And that's the end of the fight!
Randy Couture showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Couture, 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 Alan Glass scores the fight 30:27
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 30:27
Judge George Francis scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Randy Couture!