PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ricardo Margarito (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Churko Cridell (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Margarito
vs
Cridell

193 cm
20
218 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

185 cm
19
210 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Bio-Tech Industries

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Ricardo Margarito!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Churko Cridell!
The judges for this bout are Eddie Farnsworth, Anthony Taglia and Steve Montenegro.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Margarito closes the distance and clinches.

Margarito pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Margarito tries to clinch up but Cridell circles away and keeps his distance.
Cridell misses with a few strikes there.
Cridell misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Cridell throws a series of punches but Margarito avoids them all with ease.
Margarito tries to clinch up but Cridell circles away and keeps his distance.
Margarito avoids a punch combination nicely.
Margarito displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Cridell.
Margarito thows a left - swing and a miss!
Cridell circles away from the clinch attempt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Margarito throws a head kick but Cridell moves out of range.
The crowd cheers as Cridell lands an impressive looking overhand right. Margarito doesn't seem phased though.
Margarito tries to close the distance and clinch but Cridell swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Margarito misses with a head kick.
Margarito stuffs the takedown attempt from Cridell. Cridell gets slowly back to his feet.

Margarito clinches.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cridell lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Margarito backwards.
Margarito lands a hook that snaps the head of Cridell backwards.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Margarito is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Cridell is defending well for now.
Cridell tries to pull guard but Margarito won't allow it.
Ricardo Margarito has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Churko Cridell.
Margarito throws a punch but it's blocked by Cridell.
Margarito tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Margarito lands with a left to the head.

Margarito manages to pull guard.
Cridell postures up in Margarito's guard and throws a big left but Margarito blocks it.
Cridell is looking to work some ground and pound but Margarito has wrist control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Cridell prevents Margarito from getting back to his feet.
Cridell trying to control the position from guard on top but Margarito is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Cridell won't allow Margarito to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Cridell gets to his feet - Margarito follows without any prompting.
Cridell looks gassed!
Margarito fails in his attempt to clinch.
A punch combination from Margarito misses.
Margarito doesn't manage to clinch there - Cridell circles away.
Cridell stalks Margarito and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Margarito's face. Margarito staggers backwards, shaken.
Cridell throws a nice looking combination but Margarito bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.

Margarito drives through and clinches with Cridell against the cage.
Margarito landing knees to the body.
Cridell fails to pull guard.
Margarito jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Cridell walks away with a smile on his face. Margarito gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Margarito moves in looking to clinch but Cridell pushes him off.
Margarito wants to clinch up but Cridell keeps it at a distance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Margarito tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Cridell paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Margarito wants to clinch up but Cridell keeps it at a distance.
Cridell circles away from the clinch attempt.
Margarito is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Margarito fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Cridell, pushing him back against the cage.
Cridell wants to get back to striking at distance but Margarito won't allow it.

Margarito breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Cridell keeps the fight on the outside.
Cridell avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
The fight stays on the outside here - Margarito looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Ricardo Margarito seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Margarito tries to close the distance and clinch up but Cridell swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Margarito clinches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Margarito misses with some punches.
Cridell tries to pull guard but Margarito holds him up against the cage and eventually Cridell drops back down to his feet.
A short right from Margarito.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Margarito takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Margarito lands a nice uppercut.
Margarito is working Cridell over against the cage.
Margarito fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Margarito lands a nice uppercut.

Margarito pulls guard.

Margarito uses the cage to get back to his feet.
Cridell swats away the attempt to clinch by Margarito.
Margarito swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Cridell digs a good hook to Margarito's body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ricardo Margarito dominated that 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.

Margarito tries to close the distance and clinch but Cridell swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Margarito shoots in for a double leg but Cridell sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.

Cridell looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Cridell thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Cridell trying to control the pace.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Cridell prevents Margarito from standing back up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Margarito on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Still in half guard, Cridell seems content to control.
Cridell not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Cridell stops Margarito from getting back to his feet.
Cridell trying to control the action but Margarito is working from the bottom.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Margarito shoots in and drives through. Cridell sprawls well.
Margarito fails with an attempt to clinch.

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.
Margarito checks a leg kick.

Margarito closes the distance and clinches.

Margarito manages to break the clinch.
Margarito is looking to clinch.
Margarito shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Cridell sprawls well. Cridell wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Margarito gets slowly back to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ricardo Margarito. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Cridell throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Margarito takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Margarito doesn't manage to clinch there - Cridell circles away.
A nice inside leg kick there by Margarito. That's going to slow Cridell down.
Margarito misses with a double jab
and Cridell counters with a two punch combo.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Margarito closes this distance looking for a takedown but Cridell circles away.
The fighters circling - Margarito throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Margarito is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Margarito tries to clinch but Cridell is having none of it.
Cridell shoots for a takedown but Margarito saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Margarito closes the distance looking to clinch
and Cridell counters with a nice body shot.
Cridell keeps the fight on the outside.
Margarito takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Margarito throws a head kick that misses.
Ricardo Margarito is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Cridell moves into the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Cridell blocking some punches.
Margarito is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Cridell is keeping busy.
Margarito pushes Cridell back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Margarito throws a head punch that misses.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Cridell.
Margarito lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Margarito misses with the head strike.
Cridell cracks Margarito with a nice body shot.
Cridell tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

Margarito pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Margarito tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Cridell cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Cridell tries to score a power double leg takedown but Margarito sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Cridell somewhat.
Margarito wants to clinch but Cridell slips to the side
and Cridell counters with a three punch combo that has Margarito backing up. Margarito nods at Cridell to acknowledge the strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Churko Cridell showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Margarito is looking to clinch.
Margarito stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Margarito wants it to stay on the feet.
Cridell throws a right and a left that both miss.
Margarito wants to clinch but Cridell slips to the side
and Cridell counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Margarito thinking.
Margarito avoids the head kick by Cridell.
Margarito tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Cridell counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Cridell.
Margarito lands a hook that snaps the head of Cridell backwards.
A knee to the head by Margarito.
Cridell takes a knee right on the jaw!
Margarito lands with a light punch inside.

Margarito breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Margarito is looking to clinch.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Margarito tries to clinch but Cridell is having none of it.
Cridell takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Margarito fails with an attempt to clinch.
Cridell throws a right hand that Margarito ducks under and follows up with a left that Margarito also avoids with ease.
Cridell misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Margarito is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Cridell throws a right and a left that Margarito avoids nicely.
Cridell showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Margarito.
Margarito misses with a few strikes there.
Some wild striking there from Cridell.
Margarito throws a head kick that misses.
Cridell swats away the attempt to clinch by Margarito.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Margarito fails in his attempt to clinch.
Cridell works Margarito's body with a nice hook.
Cridell throws a series of punches but Margarito avoids them all with ease.
Margarito closes this distance looking for a takedown but Cridell circles away.
Margarito misses with a double jab
and Cridell counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Margarito wants to clinch
and Cridell counters with a three punch combo that has Margarito backing up. Margarito nods at Cridell to acknowledge the strikes.
Cridell circles away from the clinch attempt
and Cridell counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Cridell takes a head kick and keeps coming.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cridell misses with the combination.
Margarito tries to clinch up
and Cridell counters with a one-two to the body.
Margarito closes the distance looking to clinch

and Cridell counters with a takedown into side control.
Cridell in side control, throwing shots but Margarito defends.
Cridell has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Margarito tries to escape but Cridell is in control.
Cridell looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Margarito is avoiding damage well.
Cridell tries to score with some ground and pound. Margarito controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Margarito avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Cridell.
Margarito wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Cridell fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Margarito wants to get back to his feet.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Cridell scores with a hook to the body. Margarito takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Cridell is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Margarito rather than just go for the knockout.
Margarito tries to clinch up
and Cridell cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

And that's the end of the fight!
Churko Cridell comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Cridell has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Eddie Farnsworth scores the fight 28:29
Judge Anthony Taglia scores the fight 28:29
Judge Steve Montenegro scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Churko Cridell!