Ryan Couture vs Joe Duarte

by Dr. Octagon, J.D.

Damn. They got this next fight going quick. Live updates after the jump:[[MORE]]

Round 1: Duarte lands a right on a Couture kick.  Duarte catches a kick and punches Couture.  Couture shoots and pins Duarte against the cage.  Duarte has a choke in and Couture lets it go.  Duarte with a right hook that was partially blocked.  Leg kick by couture.  Couture lands a jab and gets hit with a hook.  Duarte lands a right as Couture comes running in.  Couture with a right.  Duarte lands a bodyshot on a caught kick.  Couture with a spinning leg kick. Duart goes for a body head combination.  Duarte throws a flying knee and a left.  Duarte shoots and gets a takedown, Couture throws up his guard and lands some punches and Duarte decides he doesn’t want to tangle with Couture on the ground and gets up.

Round 2: Couture gets a bodylock and trips Duarte and has him on his back, but Duarte gets up.  Duarte catches a kick and lands a kick of his own.  Duarte snapping another leg kick at the end of a combination.  Couture went for a front kick that looked like the one Lyoto Machida put on his old man, but it misses.  Nice leg kick by Duarte.  Couture lands a jab.  Duarte catches Couture and takes him down, but lets him get up.  Couture lands a right.  Couture shoots, but it is stuffed and he pushes Duarte up against the fence and is working some Couture dirty boxing.  Couture landed another right.  Couture shoots, and drops Duarte down, but Duarte is against the cage.  Couture jumps on Duarte’s back and is going for the a neck crank, but lets it go.  He’s popping Duarte, but Duarte is able to survive.

10-9 Couture. 

Round 3: Leg kick by Duarte.  Couture with a vicious knee from the clinch.  Body kick by Duarte.  Leg kick from Couture.  Fighters lock up, Couture has an underhook.  Lets go.  Couture whiffs on a punch and Duare sticks the shot .  Peruvian necktie, but Duarte, but Couture rolls out of it.  Ryan is able to get up to the feet.  Duarte goes for a trip, but doesn’t get a takedown out of it.  Couture pushes Duarte up against the fence goes for the takedown, but Duarte goes for a kimura.  Couture is on top  now, but Duarte is able to get to his feet.  Duarte catches another couture kick and tries for the takedown, but Couture pushes him against the cage again and is working for a single, puts Duarte on his butt, but Duarte is already sitting up against the fence.  Couture throwing knees to the body as the round ends.  That third round was really close, but I think Couture gets it.

I score 29-28 Couture. He wins a split decision from the judges. Joe Duarte was ahead on one card 29-28. Not the greatest fight ever.