PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Lazuran Riku (ranked 1121 p4p, 141 weight class) and Samuel Cooke (ranked 1243 p4p, 156 weight class). Cooke has chosen Harm's Way - Warriors Will Reign as his entrance music. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Riku
vs
Cooke

175 cm
35
163 lbs
25 - 9 - 2

184 cm
28
161 lbs
16 - 11 - 0

Good wrestling
Lethal high kicks
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

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 25 - 9 - 2, fighting out of New York, Lazuran Riku!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 16 - 11 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Samuel Cooke!
The judges for this bout are Stewart Dunkirk, Wesley Smith and Alan Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cooke is trying hard to land a takedown here. Riku sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Riku swats away the attempt to clinch by Cooke.
A punch lands to the side of Riku 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Cooke tries a head kick but it misses.
Cooke doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Riku counters with a straight right hand.
Cooke throws a lazy head kick
and Riku counters with a stiff right hand.
Cooke doesn't manage to clinch there - Riku circles away.
Riku swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cooke throws a right hand that misses
and Riku counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Riku.
Cooke tries to land a front kick but Riku steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Riku.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cooke pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Nice body kick there by Cooke.
Cooke throws a lazy head kick
and Riku counters with a nice uppercut.
Cooke checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Cooke looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Riku checks a leg kick.
Riku half committed to a counter leg kick.
Riku swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Lazuran Riku is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Riku takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
Cooke takes a swing at Riku's ribcage but misses.
Cooke takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
A swing and a miss from Riku.
Riku throws a hook but Cooke avoids it easily.
Cooke was about to counter that last move with a leg kick but changes his mind.
Riku throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
And Cooke responds with a good body kick, but Riku manages to step out the way in time.
Cooke throws a series of punches but Riku avoids them all with ease.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cooke jabs Riku to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Cooke connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Riku throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Riku staying out of range there.
Cooke tries a low kick but Riku avoids it.
Cooke throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Riku leaves Cooke with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Lazuran Riku has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Samuel Cooke.
Riku leaves Cooke with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Cooke tries to score with a low kick but Riku moves his leg out of the way.
Cooke fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Riku avoids it really well and circles away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cooke tries to clinch but Riku is having none of it.
Cooke has a takedown stuffed.
Cooke tries for a takedown but Riku circles away easily
and Riku makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Riku throws a hook to the side of Cooke's head but Cooke sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Cooke misses with a kick to the body.
Crunch! Cooke slams his shin into Riku's torso.
Riku lands a slapping body shot.
Cooke lands a nice looking kick to the body. Riku takes a step back to recover.
Cooke is looking to land body kicks.
No joy there for Riku, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
And Cooke responds with a good body kick, but Riku manages to step out the way in time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cooke thows a left - swing and a miss!
Cooke lands a head shot.
Cooke changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Riku tries to avoid it but Cooke manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Riku to the ground. Riku escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Riku throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Cooke wants to slow Riku down by chopping away at his legs.
Cooke is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Riku quickly followed up with a counter body kick but doesn't connect.
Cooke thows a leg kick but Riku checks it
and Riku counters with an inside leg kick.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Cooke closes the distance and pushes Riku back into the cage.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Cooke.
Cooke misses with an elbow over the top.
Cooke can't get the takedown.

Riku's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Nice defenses there by Riku.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Lazuran Riku will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Cooke fails with the takedown
letting Riku counter with a right hand.
Cooke misses with a hook
and Riku counters with a stiff right hand.
Cooke takes a swing at Riku's ribcage but misses.
Cooke tries to clinch there but Riku circles away.
It looked like Riku was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Cooke.
Riku throws a jab but it's blocked by Cooke.
Cooke throws a head kick that misses.
It looked like Riku was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Cooke.
Riku misses with a two punch combination.
Cooke throws a body kick despite being completely out of range
and Riku counters with a nice uppercut.

Cooke is rocked!
Riku lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Cooke at a distance.
Cooke is still on wobbly legs! Can Riku finish him?
Cooke displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Riku throws out the jab.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Cooke! But no joy.
Samuel Cooke seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Cooke missing with a left hand there. Riku was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Riku is looking to counter punch.
Cooke seems to have recovered his senses.
Cooke looks to land a right hand but Riku moved out of range.
Cooke misses with a lunging right hand
and Riku counters with a nice uppercut.
Riku is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Cooke can do to turn this around?

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cooke checks the leg kick.
Lazuran Riku is winning the standup battle so far.
Cooke attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Riku swung with a counter punch to the body but it didn't connect.
Riku punishes Cooke's body with a nice straight punch.
Cooke throws a head kick that misses.
A head kick from Cooke lands but Riku takes it in his stride.
Cooke misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Cooke will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Riku connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
A leg kick checked by Cooke.
Cooke let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.
Cooke tries a low kick but Riku avoids it.
Riku throws a body shot but no joy.
Riku connects with a body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cooke checks a low kick from Riku.
Cooke misses with a head kick.
It looked like Riku was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.

Cooke shoots in and bounces Riku off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Cooke stopping the sweep attempt from Riku.
Riku keeping moving, preventing Cooke from controlling successfully.
Riku is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Cooke slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cooke stopping the sweep attempt from Riku.
Cooke tries to free his leg and advance position but Riku is retaining full guard.
Cooke controls from within his opponent's guard.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Riku looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Cooke misses with a wild body shot.
Cooke fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Riku has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Cooke throws a lazy right hand but Riku sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Cooke scores with a nice right hand.
Nice sprawl there from Riku as Cooke shoots in.
Riku throwing a counter right hand but Cooke manages to avoid it.
Lazuran Riku has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Samuel Cooke.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cooke looks to score with a jab to the body but Riku is just out of range.
Cooke jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Cooke throws a body shot but no joy.
Riku throws a poor cross that misses
and Cooke counters with a nice body kick.
Riku misses with a series of wild punches.
Nice cross by Cooke.
Cooke misses with a body kick.
Cooke takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Riku missing with a left hand there. Cooke was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Cooke is trying to counter with his kicks.
Riku misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Cooke.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Lazuran Riku dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

A cross from Cooke lands.
Cooke misses with a body kick.
Riku fires out a quick counter leg kick but Cooke just manages to avoid it.
Riku stuns Cooke with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Cooke attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Riku is looking to counter punch.

Riku cracks Cooke with a big right hand that sends him to the floor! Cooke looks wobbly but he's sprung back up to his feet straight away… can Riku finish him?
Nice defenses there by Riku.
Riku swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Riku misses with an uppercut. Cooke saw that one coming.
Riku lands a big uppercut and this one is all over! His foe lies motionless on the canvas - a massive one punch knockout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:40 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Lazuran Riku!
Lazuran Riku spent the whole post fight interview bigging himself up. It didn't go down that well with the fans after a while as they thought it was a bit arrogant.