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PBP Commentary |
Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Santa Cruz (ranked 3326 p4p, 4197 weight class) and Yusuf Sapi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Yusuf Sapi has the eye of the tiger tonight.
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| 180 cm
25
180
1 - 0 - 0 |
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180 cm
25
169
0 - 0 - 0 |
BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Cuts easily |
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Good wrestler
Counter fighter
Determined |
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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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Santa Cruz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Yusuf Sapi!
The judges for this bout are Phil Schofield, Donald Grub and Steven Brown.
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cruz moves out of range as Sapi strikes.
Sapi lands with a straight right. Cruz didn't see that one coming.
Cruz misses with a lunging right hand
and Sapi counters with a stiff right hand.
Cruz lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Sapi backs up against the cage.
Cruz lands a slapping body shot.
Sapi ducks under a wild hook from Cruz.
Cruz lands a jab.
Cruz throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Cruz cracks Sapi with an open hand slap.
A jab lands there for Cruz.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Cruz misses the body punch
and Sapi holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Come on Sapi - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Cruz is pressed up against the cage. Sapi has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Cruz down to the mat. Cruz avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Santa Cruz is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Sapi ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Cruz misses with a straight right.
Cruz throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Sapi counters by moving into the clinch.
Sapi gets through Cruz's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Sapi looking for a takedown.
Sapi keeps control of Cruz as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Sapi breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
A jab from Cruz misses.
Cruz cracks Sapi with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Sapi takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Sloppy strikes from Cruz. Those never looked like landing.
Cruz misses with a two punch combination.
Sapi swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Cruz loads up on a big right hand but Sapi slips the punch.
Sapi looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Sapi on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Cruz changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Sapi drives through and clinches with Cruz against the cage.
Cruz is trying to break free.
Sapi breaks from the clinch.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Cruz duly obliges.
Cruz listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Sapi takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Cruz throws a jab but it's blocked by Sapi.
Sapi shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Cruz pinned against the cage. Cruz gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Santa Cruz has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Yusuf Sapi.
Cruz missing with a left hand there. Sapi was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Sapi avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Cruz will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Nice defenses there by Sapi.
Sapi tries to counter with a clinch but Cruz shakes him off and moves away.
Cruz fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Cruz shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Cruz is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cruz throws a body punch but Sapi moves out of range.
Sapi swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Cruz tests Sapi's chin there with a solid looking shot.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Cruz misses with a hook. Sapi ducked under it nicely.
Santa Cruz seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Cruz looks to land a left hand but Sapi moved out of range nicely.
Sapi looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Cruz's corner calls for a 1-2. Cruz obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Cruz misses with a body shot.
Cruz throws a lazy right hand but Sapi sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Sapi swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Cruz missing with a left hand there. Sapi was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Sapi throws out a counter right but Cruz avoids it with no problem.
Sapi uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Cruz.
Cruz throws a lazy right hand but Sapi sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Sapi throws a counter combo.
Sapi misses with a looping left.
Cruz scores with a jab. Sapi acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Cruz fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Cruz sets himself, and Sapi steps forward looking for the clinch! Cruz avoids it this time.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.
Santa Cruz dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!
Cruz missing with a left hand there. Sapi was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Cruz connects with a body shot.
Cruz throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Cruz takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Cruz throws a lazy uppercut
and Sapi counters with a straight right hand.
Cruz scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Sapi doesn't seem bothered though.
Cruz scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Cruz throws an overhand right that lands on Sapi's shoulder, as Sapi tries to avoid the shot.
Sapi throws out a counter right but Cruz avoids it with no problem.
Cruz looks to land a right hand but Sapi moved out of range.
Despite the aggression on Sapi's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Cruz swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Cruz throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
A little jabbing left from Sapi on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cruz throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Cruz missing with a left hand there. Sapi was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Cruz throws a hook to the side of Sapi's head but Sapi sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Sapi on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz thuds a left hand into Sapi's body.
Cruz looks to land a left hand but Sapi moved out of range nicely.
Sapi moves out of range as Cruz strikes.
Sloppy strikes from Cruz. Those never looked like landing.
Sapi with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Cruz swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Sapi lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Cruz misses with a body punch
and Sapi counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Sapi.
Cruz is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Sapi can do to turn this around?
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Sapi breaks the clinch.
Cruz swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Sapi is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Sapi avoids a punch combination nicely.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cruz throws a body punch but Sapi moves out of range.
Sapi looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Sapi lands a jab to the head.
Cruz throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Sapi defending well as Cruz loads up on a big left hand.
Cruz looks to land a left hand but Sapi moved out of range nicely.
Sapi's corner calls for a 1-2. Sapi obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Cruz works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Sapi slips a straight right by Cruz.
Sapi has managed to clinch.
Cruz is trying to force a seperation but Sapi has the dominant position.
Sapi stalling.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sapi just leaning against Cruz, taking a breather.
Sapi's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Cruz misses with the combination.
Sapi throws out a counter right but Cruz avoids it with no problem.
A big right from Cruz misses.
Cruz throws a body punch but Sapi moves out of range.
Cruz works over Sapi's head and body with a nice combination.
Cruz throws a big shot that misses.
Sapi moves out of range as Cruz strikes.
Cruz with a hook.
Santa Cruz is winning the standup battle so far.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cruz takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
A jab lands there for Cruz.
Sapi uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Cruz.
Sapi looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Sapi ducks under a wild hook from Cruz.
Cruz throws a big shot that misses.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Sapi! But no joy.
Sapi uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Cruz.
Cruz throws a jab but it's blocked by Sapi.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Sapi bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Cruz misses the body punch
and Sapi counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Sapi is struggling to control the position.
Sapi escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.
Santa Cruz dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!
Cruz swings away with a body shot that misses
and Sapi counters by moving into the clinch.
The referee calls for Sapi to work.
Cruz is trying to push Sapi away but Sapi has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Sapi content to slow the pace in the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cruz is looking to break free of the clinch but Sapi has double underhooks.
Sapi is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Cruz is defending well.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Sapi working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Sapi is pushing Cruz up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Sapi displaying some good clinch control by pressing Cruz up against the cage.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Cruz has had enough of the clinch but Sapi keeps him there for the moment.
Cruz is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Sapi leaning against his opponent.
Sapi effectively controlling the action here.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz is trying to force a seperation but Sapi has the dominant position.
Sapi is stalling here.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Yusuf Sapi.
Cruz sizes up Sapi with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Cruz takes a swing at Sapi's ribcage but misses.
Cruz misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Sapi counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Cruz thinking.
Cruz misses with a straight left.
The fight moves into the clinch position.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sapi lands a body shot in the clinch.
Sapi lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Yusuf Sapi has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Cruz tries to break free but Sapi pushes him back against the cage.
Sapi's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Cruz tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Sapi was well out of range. Poor timing from Cruz.
Sapi loads up on a big right hand but Cruz slips the punch.
And that's the end of the fight!
Yusuf Sapi comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Cruz has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Phil Schofield scores the fight 29:28
Judge Donald Grub scores the fight 29:28
Judge Steven Brown scores the fight 29:28
In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Santa Cruz!
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| S |
C
A |
G |
S |
C
B |
G |
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C |
G |
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energy
A | B |
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hype
A | B |
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pop
A | B |
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mgr
A | B |
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FIGHT
RATING
42% |
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