PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Wilbur Cooley (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bayo Star (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Cooley
vs
Star

175 cm
24
151 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

190 cm
25
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Hates pizza

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Inexperienced

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Wilbur Cooley!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Bayo Star!
The judges for this bout are Radbod Blank, Daniel Blasius and Saam Ante.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cooley tries to clinch there but Star circles away.
It seemed like Star was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.

Cooley has managed to clinch.
Star jumps guard but Cooley stands there with Star around his waist. Star gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Star is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

Star breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Cooley tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Star swivels and escapes.
Cooley is looking to clinch.

Cooley forces Star back against the cage and clinches.
Cooley gets underhooks to prevent Star's takedown attempt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cooley is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Star stalling the fight.
Star content to slow the pace in the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cooley tries to break free but Star pushes him back against the cage.
Come on Star - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Star is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Cooley wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Star has him pressed against the cage.
Cooley wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Star has him pressed against the cage.

Star's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Cooley gets tackled into the cage by Star. Star maintains the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Star tries to pull guard but Cooley forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Wilbur Cooley has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bayo Star.
Star jumps guard but Cooley turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Star tries to pull guard but Cooley won't allow it.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.

Cooley breaks the clinch.
Cooley tries to clinch but Star is having none of it.
Cooley fails with a takedown attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Cooley fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Star, pushing him back against the cage.
Star is trying to pull guard but Cooley turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Cooley wants to break free but Star has control.
Star wants to take the fight to the mat but Cooley manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Star tries for a takedown but Cooley manages to get underhooks.
Cooley just leaning against Star, taking a breather.

Star breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Cooley tries to clinch but Star is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Star rushes Cooley and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Star escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Star keeps the fight on the outside.
Star is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Star shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Cooley as he avoids it easily.
Star shoots in looking for a takedown. Cooley tries to sprawl out of it but Star keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Cooley manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Cooley wants to clinch up but Star keeps it at a distance.
Star throws a counter combo.
Star circles away from the clinch attempt.

Cooley closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Bayo Star will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Nice takedown defense from Cooley. No joy for Star on that attempt.

Star takes the fight into the clinch.
Cooley gets underhooks to prevent Star's takedown attempt.
Star is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Cooley wants to break free but Star has control.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cooley is trying to push Star away but Star has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Cooley is trying to push Star away but Star has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Star jumps guard but Cooley turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Wilbur Cooley has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bayo Star.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Star stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Star tries to pull guard but Cooley won't allow it.
Cooley is trying to break the clinch but Star is controlling him.
Cooley is trying to break free.

Star gets control of Cooley's arms and successfully pulls guard. Star will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Star preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Star avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Cooley trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Cooley throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cooley is fighting to break Star's control of his arms but Star is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Cooley is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Star has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Cooley throws a big right hand that misses.
Cooley trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Cooley with a flurry of punches that miss.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Star working a defensive guard but Cooley manages to pass into side control anyway.
Star holds on tight, trying to prevent any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Cooley is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Star knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Cooley tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Cooley has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

Cooley tries for a kimura but Star is defending well.

Cooley wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Star, who protects the arm well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.

Cooley tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Cooley has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Star gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.

Cooley is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Star is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Cooley scores with a couple of nice shots.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Cooley moves in looking to clinch but Star pushes him off.
Cooley tries to close the distance and clinch but Star swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Star fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Star swats away the attempt to clinch by Cooley.
Star avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Cooley doesn't manage to clinch there - Star circles away.
Star tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Cooley defends well and Star ends up having to push Cooley into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Wilbur Cooley is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cooley fails with an attempt to clinch.

Cooley gets tackled into the cage by Star. Star maintains the clinch.
Star working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Star breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Star shoots in for a takedown but Cooley shows good takedown defense.
Wilbur Cooley has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bayo Star.
Nice body kick there by Star.
Cooley moves in looking to clinch but Star pushes him off.
Star looks like he wanted to counter with a high kick but didn't throw it.
Cooley tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Star manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Cooley clinches.
Cooley wants to break the clinch but can't.
Star tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Cooley's elbow.
Cooley trying to control the position but instead, Star has worked for underhooks and has pushed Cooley into the cage.
Star looking for a takedown.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cooley is trying to break the clinch but Star has him pressed against the cage.
Cooley looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

Star escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Bayo Star seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Star circles away from the clinch attempt.
Cooley fails with an attempt to clinch.

Cooley darts in and clinches Star up against the cage.
Cooley wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Star connects with a knee to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Star keeps control of Cooley as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Star fails to pull the fight into his guard.

Cooley's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Star drives through and clinches with Cooley against the cage.
Star tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Cooley just stands there and leans against the cage.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Cooley prevents the takedown attempt.
Star has Cooley pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Cooley manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.

Star breaks the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Star fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Cooley avoids it really well and circles away.
Star takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Cooley tries to clinch but Star is having none of it.
As Cooley backs off Star throws a huge counter combo but Cooley manages to avoid it all.
Star keeps the fight on the outside.
Cooley tries to clinch but Star moves out of range.

Star fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Cooley, pushing him back against the cage.
Cooley wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

Star pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Star lands a nice looking kick to the body. Cooley takes a step back to recover.
Nice takedown defense from Cooley. No joy for Star on that attempt.

And that's the end of the fight!
Bayo Star comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Star has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Radbod Blank scores the fight 29:28
Judge Daniel Blasius scores the fight 28:29
Judge Saam Ante scores the fight 29:29

The fight is ruled a draw!