PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Samuel Cooke (ranked 1259 p4p, 144 weight class) and Emilio Rojas (ranked 1571 p4p, 178 weight class). Cooke comes to the cage accompanied by Harm's Way - Warriors Will Reign. Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Cooke
vs
Rojas

184 cm
27
161 lbs
15 - 10 - 0

175 cm
31
168 lbs
10 - 8 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class MT
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Sin City Allstars

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 15 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Samuel Cooke!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 8 - 0, fighting out of New York, Emilio Rojas!
The judges for this bout are Marco Blurström, Roosa Järviläinen and Johanna Lukiainen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A solid leg kick lands there for Cooke.
Rojas lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Cooke ducks under a wild hook from Rojas.
Emilio Rojas seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rojas throws the left hand but Cooke avoids the punch easily.
Rojas pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Rojas is looking to chop away at Cooke's legs.
We've been informed that Rojas has been sparring a lot of Muay Thai in the buildup to this fight so let's see if that has an impact on the result.
Nice defenses there by Cooke.
Cooke lands with a shot to the body.
Nice shot lands for Cooke.
Cooke explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.

Cooke moves into the clinch.
Rojas is trying to break free.
Cooke lands an elbow inside that Rojas shrugs off.

It looks like Emilio Rojas has been cut.
Cooke landing some nice looking knees to the body.
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!
Rojas wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Cooke definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Cooke with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.

Rojas escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Cooke closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Rojas to the mat! Rojas manages to get full guard.
Cooke tries to free his leg and advance position but Rojas is retaining full guard.
Rojas wants to stand up but Cooke is controlling him.
Cooke content to stall in guard here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rojas is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Cooke is controlling him.
Cooke stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Rojas swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Cooke throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Rojas works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

Rojas has his feet on Cooke's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.
Cooke takes a jab right on the kisser.
Cooke shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Rojas defends it nicely.

Cooke closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Rojas to the mat! Rojas manages to get full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rojas is looking to stand up but Cooke isn't so interested in that idea.
Cooke controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Rojas is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

Rojas manages to escape and get back to his feet.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
A slapping leg kick lands for Rojas.
Cooke throws a hook but Rojas blocks it.
Good work by Cooke as he checks the leg kick.
Cooke tries to clinch but Rojas moves out of range.
A good leg kick by Rojas.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Cooke.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rojas's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Rojas duly obliges.
Cooke tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Rojas throws out a counter right but Cooke avoids it with no problem.
Rojas slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
A bone on bone clash there as Rojas blocks the leg kick.
Cooke misses with a body shot.
Cooke takes a swing at Rojas's ribcage but misses.
Cooke scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Rojas misses with a right hand
and Cooke counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Rojas circles away from the clinch attempt.
Cooke explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.
Rojas connects with a body shot.
Rojas will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Rojas slips a jab from Cooke.
Cooke takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
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!
Rojas misses the shot to the body.
Cooke shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Rojas defends it nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cooke keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Rojas.
Cooke takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Cooke missing with a left hand there. Rojas was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Rojas throws an overhand right that lands on Cooke's shoulder, as Cooke tries to avoid the shot.
Cooke throws a nice outside leg kick.
Cooke goes for a double leg but Rojas avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Rojas continues to drive forward.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Samuel Cooke. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rojas throws a leg kick which misses Cooke's front leg but catches the back leg as Cooke tries to avoid it.
Cooke misses with a two punch combination.
Cooke misses with an uppercut.
Cooke closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Cooke uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Rojas.
Cooke pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Rojas scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Cooke is looking to score with low kicks.

Cooke shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rojas is trying to stand up here but Cooke is controlling him well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Emilio Rojas will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Emilio Rojas's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

A slow jab from Rojas misses its intended target.
Rojas swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Cooke connects with a nice looking jab.
Cooke slips a straight right by Rojas.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Rojas.
Rojas avoids the head kick by Cooke.
Cooke scores with a nice right hand.
Cooke scores with a decent looking hook.
Rojas misses with an uppercut
and Cooke cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Rojas defending well as Cooke loads up on a big left hand.
Rojas tries to land a body kick
and Cooke counters with a leg kick.
Cooke closes this distance looking for a takedown but Rojas circles away.
Rojas jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
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!
Cooke walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.

Cooke shoots in for a takedown and gets it.

Rojas makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cooke shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Cooke throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
Emilio Rojas is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Cooke avoids the head kick by Rojas.
Nice uppercut lands for Rojas. That snapped Cooke's head back.
Rojas throws a jab when Cooke was well out of range.
A slow jab from Rojas misses its intended target.
Cooke throws a head kick that misses.
Rojas tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Cooke was well out of range. Poor timing from Rojas.
Cooke ducks under a wild hook from Rojas.
Cooke is looking to counter punch.
Rojas misses with a straight right.
Cooke changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Cooke slips a jab from Rojas.
Cooke appeared to be looking to counter that last move with a leg kick.
Rojas rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
letting Cooke counter with a right hand.
Cooke looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Cooke scores with a push kick.
Rojas swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Cooke dives in for a single leg takedown but Rojas sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A head kick misses from Cooke.
Rojas blocks a head kick by Cooke.
Rojas takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Rojas tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Cooke is able to avoid easily.
Cooke is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Cooke connects with a body shot.
Rojas moves out of range of the body kick from Cooke.
Cooke uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Rojas.
Cooke fails to land the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Samuel Cooke. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Cooke lands a front kick.
Cooke tries to close the distance and clinch but Rojas swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Rojas misses with an uppercut.
Cooke throws a right and a left that both miss.
A slapping leg kick lands for Rojas.
Cooke tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Rojas manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Rojas scores with a nice right hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rojas lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
A chopping leg kick lands by Rojas.
Rojas keeps the fight on the outside.
Nice defenses there by Cooke.
A chopping leg kick lands by Rojas.
Rojas walks into a straight right hand from Cooke.
Rojas throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Cooke lands a nice shot to the body.

Cooke gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Cooke tries to land knees in the clinch but Rojas avoids the damage to the body.
Cooke lands with a short punch from the clinch.

Rojas breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
A looping hook to the body misses from Rojas. Cooke does a little dance to reset his feet.
Rojas tries to land a front kick but Cooke steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Rojas misses with a looping left.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Rojas lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Cooke has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Cooke and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Rojas, as that shot connected.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Cooke stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Rojas.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rojas swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Cooke lands a nice looking kick to the body. Rojas takes a step back to recover.
Rojas blocks the body kick.
Cooke lands with a kick to the temple. Rojas shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Rojas has developed a nice purple lump on his ribcage, as a result of some heavy body kicks from Cooke.
Rojas throws a jab when Cooke was well out of range.
Rojas throws the left hand but Cooke avoids the punch easily.
Rojas avoids the head kick by Cooke.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Cooke.

Cooke moves into the clinch.
Rojas lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Cooke backwards.
Cooke unloads a knee to the mid-section.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Cooke throws an elbow that misses.
A knee to the head by Cooke.
Rojas gets underhooks to prevent Cooke's takedown attempt.

Rojas's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Rojas moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Emilio Rojas will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Emilio Rojas's cut.
That's time! Cooke's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Cooke lands a lovely overhand right.
Rojas avoids a kick to the body.
Rojas looks to throw the jab but Cooke is out of range.
Rojas lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Cooke throws a head kick that misses.
Cooke on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Rojas cracks a nice hook into Cooke's ribs.
Rojas fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Cooke manages to avoid it.
Cooke with a nice cross.
Rojas sizes up Cooke with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Cooke throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Rojas jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Rojas misses with a body shot.
Cooke throws out a loose jab but Rojas uses good head movement to avoid it.
Cooke uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Rojas.
Cooke is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Rojas tries to keep at a distance but Cooke has taken the fight into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rojas is trying to force a seperation but Cooke has the dominant position.
Rojas working aggressively here.
Cooke lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Rojas backwards.
Cooke misses with a knee strike.
A shot in the inside from Rojas.
A head punch on the inside from Rojas fails to land.

Rojas breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Cooke takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Cooke dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Rojas takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Cooke looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Rojas misses the jab.

Cooke clinches up against the cage.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Cooke just misses with a elbow thrown towards Rojas's brow.
Cooke lands a left hand.
Cooke lands an elbow inside.
Cooke unloads a knee to the mid-section.
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!

Rojas breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Cooke defending well as Rojas loads up on a big left hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A telegraphed right hand from Rojas misses the target.
A quick step to the side and Cooke tries to counter with a shot to the body but it doesn't connect.
Rojas pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Rojas throws a jab when Cooke was well out of range.
Cooke gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Rojas throws a hook to the side of Cooke's head but Cooke sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Rojas stuns Cooke with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Cooke tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Rojas throws a leg kick but Cooke sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Cooke misses the shot to the body.
Rojas throws out a counter right but Cooke avoids it with no problem.
Rojas throws a half hearted mid kick.
Cooke throws a head kick but Rojas moves out of range.
Rojas missing with a left hand there. Cooke was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Cooke lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Rojas fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Cooke manages to avoid it.
Cooke throws a counter high kick but Rojas was just alert enough to avoid it.
Rojas connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
A telegraphed right hand from Rojas misses the target.
Cooke throws a right and a left that both miss.
Emilio Rojas is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rojas loads up on a big right hand but Cooke slips the punch.
Cooke throwing a counter right hand but Rojas manages to avoid it.
Cooke throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Rojas's waist but Rojas gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Cooke off to one side.
Rojas connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Rojas takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Cooke tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

Cooke shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Cooke stops Rojas from getting back to his feet.
Samuel Cooke has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Rojas makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!
Rojas turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Cooke throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rojas throws a jab but it's blocked by Cooke.
Cooke thinks about countering with a head kick.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Cooke throws the kick towards the body but Rojas avoids it.
Cooke throws a quick inside leg kick.
Rojas waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Cooke.
Cooke moves away from the strike by Rojas.
A cross from Rojas lands.
Emilio Rojas seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Cooke ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Rojas moves away.
Rojas throws a jab when Cooke was well out of range.
Rojas throws an overhand right that lands on Cooke's shoulder, as Cooke tries to avoid the shot.
Rojas throws out a loose jab but Cooke uses good head movement to avoid it.
Cooke throws a leg kick which misses Rojas's front leg but catches the back leg as Rojas tries to avoid it.
Cooke tries to work over Rojas's front leg with a kick but Rojas checks it.
Cooke throws a right hand that misses
and Rojas counters with a stiff right hand.
Rojas catches Cooke with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Rojas is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Cooke.
Cooke ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Rojas moves away.

And that's the end of the fight!
Emilio Rojas comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Rojas winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Marco Blurström scores the fight 27:30
Judge Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 27:30
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Emilio Rojas!
Emilio Rojas thanked the fans post fight for their support.