PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Mike Kooch (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and James Kennedy (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Kooch comes to the cage accompanied by Rusko - Tru Powwa. Kennedy has chosen MegaDeth - Symphony of Destruction as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Mike Kooch had a look across the cage there at his opponent. He definitely means business

Kooch
vs
Kennedy

194 cm
21
255 lbs
6 - 2 - 0

193 cm
22
275 lbs
7 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Powerful

Black Skull Clothing

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 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Mike Kooch!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, James Kennedy!
The judges for this bout are Robert Douchet, William Peck and Elvis Blanc.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kooch fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Kennedy with a lazy takedown attempt

and Kooch counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

Kooch is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Kennedy has managed to free his arm - good work.
Kooch scoring with strikes to the body and head.

Kooch seems to be looking for submissions.

Kooch is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Kooch 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.
Kennedy pushes Kooch off looking to stand but Kooch dives back in and keeps control.

Kennedy is defending against the submission attempts here by Kooch.

Kooch is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kennedy looks like he's trying to stand up.
Kooch is looking to advance position but Kennedy won't allow it.
Kennedy tries to get to full guard but Kooch has control of the leg.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Kennedy looks to clinch

and Kooch counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Kennedy's guard now.

Kooch drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Kennedy manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Kooch has Kennedy in his guard.
Kennedy 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.

Kooch is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Kennedy defends well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kennedy stands up over Kooch, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Kennedy tries to free his leg and advance position but Kooch is retaining full guard.
Kennedy not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Kooch has a closed guard, preventing Kennedy from standing up.

Kooch escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Kennedy gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Kennedy wants to stand but Kooch is controlling his posture from full guard.
Kennedy controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kennedy wants to control from the top but Kooch keeps moving.

Kooch escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Kennedy gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

Kooch is working an open guard so Kennedy takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Kennedy looks for the body kick but Kooch saw that one coming.

Kennedy closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Kooch to the mat! Kooch manages to get full guard.
Kennedy pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Kooch is keeping the position for now.

Kooch throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Kennedy escapes and throws Kooch's legs to the side, diving into side control!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kooch tries to improve position but can't.
Kooch prevents Kennedy from improving position.
Kooch struggling a bit here.
Kennedy wants to lay and pray for a moment but Kooch keeps working.
Kooch manages to work his way to half guard, despite Kennedy's best efforts.
Kooch won't allow Kennedy to pass to mount.
Kennedy perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Kennedy is looking to take a break and control but Kooch is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Still in half guard, Kennedy seems content to control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mike Kooch dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Kooch shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Kennedy counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Kennedy.

Kooch looking for a guillotine here but Kennedy defends easily.

Kooch has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Kennedy can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Kennedy wants to pass the guard but Kooch is keeping the position.
Kennedy wants to control from the top but Kooch keeps moving.
Mike Kooch overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Kooch looks to be working for a triangle here. Oh, it looks like he might have it! Kennedy has picked Kooch up and slammed him! Kooch can't keep hold of the triangle and Kennedy manages to pass to side control!
Kennedy has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for Kooch!
Kennedy controlling from the full mount.
Kooch is trying to escape the mount.
Kennedy can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Kooch is looking to escape.
Kooch wants to hold on but Kennedy pushes him away.
Kennedy lands a nice shot to the head.
Kooch wants to control but Kennedy is having none of it.
Kennedy looking to control but Kooch is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kennedy controlling from mount.
Kooch can't escape the position.
Kooch is in a horrible position here. Kennedy smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Kennedy trying to control but Kooch is having none of it.

Despite being in the dominant position, James Kennedy just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Kooch scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Kooch is trying to work for a kimura but Kennedy is defending well.
Kennedy gets full guard.
Kennedy trying to keep a closed guard but Kooch is proving a slippery customer.
Kooch wants to control from the top but Kennedy keeps moving.

Kooch has gone for a leg lock! Kennedy slips out almost immediately though and dives into Kooch's guard.
Kennedy trying to control the position from guard on top but Kooch is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

Kooch is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Kennedy trying to control but Kooch is working from the bottom.
Kennedy must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Kooch trying to control the position.

Kennedy avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Kooch keeping moving, preventing Kennedy from controlling successfully.

Kooch throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James Kennedy showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Kennedy scores with a three punch combo!
Kooch fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Kennedy manages to avoid it.
Kennedy misses with a takedown attempt

and Kooch decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Kennedy's guard.
Kooch missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Kennedy wants to sweep here but Kooch controlling him for the moment.

Kooch drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Kennedy manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Kooch has Kennedy in his guard.
Kennedy pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Kooch is keeping the position for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kennedy trying to control but Kooch is working from the bottom.
Kooch looking to control.
Kennedy wants to control from the top but Kooch keeps moving.

Kooch has an active guard here but Kennedy has managed to pass into half guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Kennedy trying to control the action but Kooch is working from the bottom.
Kennedy looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Kennedy is trying to control. Kooch wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Kennedy looks to land a right hand but Kooch moved out of range.

Kennedy is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Kooch's half guard.

Kooch is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Kennedy pulls his head out easily.

Kooch looking for submissions off his back.
Kennedy slips a nice elbow through Kooch's hands, connecting with Kooch's forehead.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Kennedy in particular looking to stall.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kooch tries to get to full guard but Kennedy has control of the leg.
Kennedy trying to control the action but Kooch is working from the bottom.
Kooch is looking to improve his position.
Kennedy throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

Kooch looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Kennedy sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Kooch trying to hold on to Kennedy's head to control him but Kennedy postures up.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Kennedy throws a combination that misses
and Kooch counters with a lovely straight right hand!

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.
Kooch on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Kennedy swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Kooch swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Kooch shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Kennedy pinned against the cage. Kennedy gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
The fighters circling - Kooch throws out the jab but it was never going to land.

Kennedy feints and as Kooch raises his hands in defense, Kennedy changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
James Kennedy comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Kennedy 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 Robert Douchet scores the fight 28:29
Judge William Peck scores the fight 28:29
Judge Elvis Blanc scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... James Kennedy!