PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Armenian Samoan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Stephen Koepfer (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Koepfer comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Mongol kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Samoan
vs
Koepfer

160 cm
23
180 lbs
5 - 5 - 0

168 cm
19
175 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter striker
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Determined

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 5 - 5 - 0, fighting out of New York, Armenian Samoan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Stephen Koepfer!
The judges for this bout are Bruno Lombardi, Anthony Taglia and Eddie Farnsworth.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Samoan misses with a takedown attempt - Koepfer sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Samoan drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Koepfer can't do much from the bottom here.
Samoan trying to control the position but Koepfer is working away.
Samoan passes to full mount! That's big trouble for Koepfer!
Samoan tries to control but Koepfer wriggling away.
Samoan throws some wild stikes that Koepfer manages to avoid easily.
Koepfer tries to reverse the position but Samoan maintains control.
Samoan is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Koepfer can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Samoan throwing strikes here but Koepfer is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Koepfer is looking to get to half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Samoan landing strikes from the mount.
Koepfer is looking to get to half guard.
Samoan throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Koepfer is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Samoan lands with some strikes.
Koepfer tries to get back to half guard but can't.
BOOM! Samoan connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Samoan thowing shots but they're missing.
Samoan looking to ground and pound but Koepfer is blocking nicely.
Samoan looking to control but Koepfer is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Koepfer can't escape the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Samoan trying to control but Koepfer is having none of it.
Samoan working Koepfer over with strikes here.
Samoan looking to ground and pound but Koepfer is blocking nicely.
Samoan landing punches.
Koepfer is trying to escape the mount.
BOOM! Samoan connects with a massive shot to the dome!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Samoan tries to control but Koepfer wriggling away.
Samoan cracks Koepfer with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Samoan lands a big elbow.
Samoan throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Samoan looking to ground and pound but Koepfer is blocking nicely.
Samoan cracks Koepfer with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Samoan throws some wild stikes that Koepfer manages to avoid easily.
Samoan looking to control but Koepfer is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Samoan with the ground and pound from mount.
Koepfer is working to get back to half guard.

Samoan goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Koepfer is on top in guard.
Samoan lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Koepfer!
Samoan 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.
Samoan pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Samoan lands a heavy elbow.

Samoan jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Koepfer manages to avoid the submission attempt.
Koepfer is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Koepfer is looking for a sweep. Samoan is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Samoan thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Samoan looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Koepfer tries to get to full guard but Samoan has control of the leg.
Koepfer looks gassed!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Samoan is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Koepfer!
Koepfer really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Armenian Samoan dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Samoan changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Koepfer tries to avoid it but Samoan manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Koepfer to the ground. Koepfer escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Koepfer doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Samoan counters with a shoot takedown. Koepfer fights it but they end up in guard.
Samoan throws a big right hand that misses.
Samoan is looking to advance position but Koepfer has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!
Koepfer trying to control but Samoan is having none of it.
Samoan regains half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Samoan is pressing down on Koepfer's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Samoan wants to sweep here but Koepfer controlling him for the moment.
Koepfer wants to control from the top but Samoan keeps moving.
Samoan tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Samoan throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Samoan manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Samoan lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Samoan wants to control the pace but Koepfer is squirming around nicely.
Samoan controlling from the full mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Samoan lands a heavy elbow.

Samoan is working for a guillotine from mount but Koepfer frees his head quite easily.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Samoan lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Koepfer hang on?
Koepfer is squirming around, avoiding Samoan's attempts to control the action.
Samoan looking to finish with strikes here!
Koepfer blocking the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Koepfer holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Samoan tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
Koepfer holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Samoan tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
Koepfer tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Samoan raining down shots from the mount!
Samoan in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Samoan with the ground and pound from mount.
Samoan dominating with strikes here.
Koepfer is bucking up trying to escape but Samoan cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Koepfer is trying desperately to improve position.
Samoan trying to control but he's not successful this time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Koepfer is working to get back to half guard.
Samoan lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
The referee warns Koepfer that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Koepfer is in all sorts of trouble here.
Samoan lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Samoan working the ground and pound effectively.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Koepfer is desperately trying to improve his position but Samoan has a good base and remains in mount.
Samoan sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

Samoan is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Koepfer to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Koepfer shrugs it off.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Armenian Samoan 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!

Samoan avoids the head kick by Koepfer.
Koepfer fails with the takedown

and Samoan counters with a takedown into side control.
Samoan in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Samoan landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Koepfer takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Samoan advances to full mount.
Samoan raining down shots from the mount!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Samoan lands with some strikes.

Samoan jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Koepfer manages to avoid the submission attempt.
Samoan has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for Koepfer!
Samoan sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Samoan is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Koepfer can do to turn this around?
Samoan in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Samoan tries to control but Koepfer wriggling away.
Koepfer is in a horrible position here. Samoan smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Koepfer is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
A nice elbow there by Samoan.
Armenian Samoan overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
BOOM! Samoan connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Samoan landing punches.

Koepfer is rocked!
Koepfer keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Samoan landing strikes from the mount.
Koepfer is still in real trouble! Can Samoan finish him?
Samoan wants to control the pace but Koepfer is squirming around nicely.
Koepfer seems to have recovered his senses.
Samoan connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Samoan working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Koepfer holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Samoan tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Samoan with shots to the head and body - Koepfer looks very uncomfortable down there.
Samoan is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Samoan with a couple of short strikes.
Samoan takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Samoan lands a big elbow.
Armenian Samoan is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Samoan looking to control and managing it successfully.
Koepfer is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Samoan controlling his opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Koepfer wants to control but Samoan is having none of it.
Samoan controlling his opponent.
Stephen Koepfer has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

And that's the end of the fight!
Armenian Samoan showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Samoan, 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 Bruno Lombardi scores the fight 30:25
Judge Anthony Taglia scores the fight 30:25
Judge Eddie Farnsworth scores the fight 30:25

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Armenian Samoan!