PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Himo Ta (ranked 6211 p4p, 4825 weight class) and Cosmo Houston (ranked 628 p4p, 570 weight class). Cosmo Houston told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Ta
vs
Houston

195 cm
23
205
0 - 1 - 0

189 cm
24
204
0 - 0 - 0

Decent wrestler
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Himo Ta!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Cosmo Houston!
The judges for this bout are Lou da Vinci, Chad Campbell and John Roberts.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Ta scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Ta prevents Houston from escaping the position.
Ta happy to just control the position for now.
Ta is working Houston over with some ground and pound from side control.
Ta content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
Houston is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Ta is controlling him well.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Ta is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Houston has escaped the position, nice work there.

Houston explodes and escapes back to his feet! Nice escape there!
Ta tries to clinch up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Houston thuds his right hand into Ta's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Houston scores to the head and body with a nice combination!

It looks like Himo Ta has been cut.
Ta doesn't manage to clinch there - Houston circles away.
Houston tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Ta manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Ta shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Houston as he avoids it easily.
Houston is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Houston.
The strikes coming from Houston are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Houston working away.
Ta tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Houston trying to control the position but Ta is working away.
Ta is looking to regain half guard here but Houston keeps moving and retains side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Houston content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
Ta is looking to reverse the position.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Houston tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Houston misses with the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Houston working away.
Ta is looking for a sweep.
Houston throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Houston throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Ta is not content to let Houston control the position.
Ta manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Houston is refusing to be controlled, as Ta sits in half guard.
Houston taking some punishment here, with Ta in his half guard.
Houston keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Ta wants to free his trapped foot but Houston is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Ta working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ta prevents Houston from standing back up.

Houston manages to escape and get back to his feet!
Ta tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Houston stalks Ta and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Ta's face. Ta staggers backwards, shaken.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Ta dodges the punch combination from Houston.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Houston.
Ta can't do much from the bottom here.
Houston working the strikes but Ta uses the opportunity to regain half guard.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Cosmo Houston dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Himo Ta's cut.
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.

Houston fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Ta sprawls well initially but Houston persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Houston prevents Ta from improving his position.
Houston is trying to control the action in half guard but Ta is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Ta works his way to full guard. Good work.
Houston trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Ta is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Ta wants to lay and pray for a moment but Houston keeps working.
Ta works his way into full mount!
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Houston wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
Ta pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Houston is squirming around, avoiding Ta's attempts to control the action.
Houston is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Cosmo Houston has got the better of the ground game so far.
Ta with good strikes from the mount here!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Ta scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Ta 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.
Houston is trying to stand up.

Houston defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Ta.
Ta trying to control but Houston is having none of it.
Houston has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Ta sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Houston trying desperately to get to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ta controlling from the full mount.
Ta's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.

Ta is working for a guillotine from mount but Houston frees his head quite easily.
Ta lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Ta lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Ta wants to control the action but instead Houston gets a body lock and reverses into Ta's guard! Nice work!
Houston stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Ta swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Houston trying to control the position from guard on top but Ta is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ta working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Houston.
Ta working a defensive guard but Houston passes into half guard.
Ta moves into full guard.
Houston trying to control the position from guard on top but Ta is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Ta is looking for a triangle but Houston pushes his legs off easily.
Houston must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Houston wants to control from the top but Ta keeps moving.
Houston won't allow Ta to sweep him here.

That's four 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.
Houston trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Houston looking to sit in guard and control but Ta gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Ta trying to control the position from guard on top but Houston is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Houston manages to wriggle out and sneak his way back up to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched up against the cage.
Ta fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Houston looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Houston prevents a body shot from Ta.
Ta drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Ta can't find room to land a body shot as Houston controls the action.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Himo Ta dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Himo Ta's cut.
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!

Ta shoots for a takedown but Houston saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Houston works over Ta's head and body with a nice combination.
Houston lands with a nice combination. Ta backs away looking to recover.

Houston drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Houston tries to free his leg and advance position but Ta is retaining full guard.
Houston in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Ta not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Houston stays in close to Ta's body and controls the position.
Ta trying to keep a closed guard but Houston is proving a slippery customer.

Houston decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Ta wants to clinch up but Houston keeps it at a distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Houston throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Ta dodges the punch combination from Houston.
Ta seems to be moving with more speed, compared to his last bout. He must have been working on that in the gym.
Houston misses with a series of wild punches.
Ta tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Houston manages to circle out of the way.
Ta misses with a double jab.
Sloppy strikes from Houston. Those never looked like landing.

Ta takes the fight into the clinch.

Ta escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Ta swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Houston fails to land with a series of punches.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A shot to the liver by Houston. Beautiful body shot.

Houston throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Ta was covering up waiting for the punch and Houston finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Houston throwing strikes from guard but Ta blocks nicely.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Houston postures up.
Ta looking to control but Houston passes into half guard.
Ta is not content to let Houston control the position.
Ta is trying to get back to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Houston trying to control the action but Ta is working from the bottom.
Houston throwing shots but Ta is blocking nicely.
Houston wants to control but Ta is keeping him busy.
Ta trying to control but Houston postures up.
Ta is controlling Houston's trapped leg to prevent Houston from advancing to side control.

Ta actively working from the bottom here.
Ta trying to hold on to Houston's head to control him but Houston postures up.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Houston frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Houston working some short elbows here. He postures up to throw some more ground and pound but Ta slips a leg through to get back to half guard. Nice work.
Houston missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Ta trying to control from the bottom.
Ta is looking for a sweep. Houston is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Ta looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Houston wants to control but Ta is keeping him busy.

And that's the end of the fight!
Cosmo Houston comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Houston 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 Lou da Vinci scores the fight 28:29
Judge Chad Campbell scores the fight 28:29
Judge John Roberts scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Cosmo Houston!
A very excited looking Cosmo Houston rambled incoherently for about 5 minutes post fight about how awesome he is. It was kinda funny for a while but then everyone got annoyed.