PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Gerard Babineaux (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Joel de la Cruz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Babineaux comes to the cage accompanied by On My Own-Alone . Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Babineaux
vs
de la Cruz

191 cm
20
193 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

187 cm
20
196 lbs
5 - 6 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Very strong

Powerful takedowns
Counter striker
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Gerard Babineaux!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 6 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Joel de la Cruz!
The judges for this bout are Igor Prikhodko, Illya Tyunina and Ivan Kurochkin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Babineaux tries to close the distance and clinch but de la Cruz swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
de la Cruz blocks a head kick by Babineaux.
Nice defenses there by de la Cruz.

Babineaux gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
de la Cruz trying to control but Babineaux is working from the bottom.
Babineaux keeping full guard, as de la Cruz tries to pass.
de la Cruz is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Babineaux looking to hit a scissor sweep but de la Cruz is one step ahead there.

That's one minute gone in the round.

de la Cruz is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
de la Cruz trying to control the position from guard on top but Babineaux is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
de la Cruz wants to pass the guard but Babineaux is keeping the position.
Babineaux looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Babineaux is working hard here to advance position.
Babineaux being controlled here, momentarily.
Babineaux wants to sweep but no luck.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Babineaux seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Babineaux lands a leg kick that knocks de la Cruz off balance momentarily.
Babineaux scores with a sloppy right hand. de la Cruz should have avoided that one.
Babineaux tries to clinch up.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from de la Cruz.
Babineaux doesn't manage to clinch there - de la Cruz circles away.
de la Cruz uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Babineaux.
Babineaux bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
de la Cruz walks into a left hand.
de la Cruz shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
de la Cruz blocks a head kick by Babineaux.
Babineaux jabs at de la Cruz's body.
Babineaux lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Babineaux connects with an inside leg kick.
de la Cruz looks gassed!
de la Cruz's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Babineaux connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! de la Cruz scrambles back to his feet.
Babineaux uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before de la Cruz has time to react.
Babineaux tries to close the distance and clinch but de la Cruz swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
de la Cruz swats away the attempt to clinch by Babineaux.
Gerard Babineaux is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
A nice leg kick lands there from Babineaux.
Babineaux lands a high kick!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gerard Babineaux 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.

de la Cruz shoots in for a double leg but Babineaux sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.

It looks like Joel de la Cruz has been cut.
de la Cruz shoots in for a double leg but Babineaux sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Babineaux ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Babineaux looks to land a left hand but de la Cruz moved out of range nicely.

Babineaux gets a clinch.

Babineaux breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Babineaux cracks de la Cruz with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Babineaux throws a nice outside leg kick.
Gerard Babineaux seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A slapping body kick lands there for Babineaux.
Gerard Babineaux is winning the standup battle so far.
Babineaux with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Babineaux looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
de la Cruz is breathing heavily.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Babineaux works de la Cruz's body with a nice hook.

Oooooh!!! Babineaux has knocked de la Cruz down with a huge combo! Babineaux steps away and waves a wobbly de la Cruz back to his feet! This one might not go much longer!
Babineaux feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to de la Cruz's calf.

That's one minute gone in the round.
de la Cruz has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Babineaux.
de la Cruz walks into a stiff left hand from Babineaux.
A punch lands to the side of de la Cruz 's head but he takes it in his stride.

That has opened up Joel de la Cruz's cut even more.

Babineaux closes the distance and clinches.
Babineaux lands with a light punch inside.
de la Cruz being controlled against the cage.

Babineaux breaks from the clinch.
de la Cruz shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
That kick from Babineaux tenderised de la Cruz's leg. de la Cruz is trying to keep his angry face on.
de la Cruz takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
de la Cruz looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Babineaux moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
de la Cruz's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Babineaux scores with a head kick.
Babineaux cracks de la Cruz with a right hand to the side of the head.

The cut above Joel de la Cruz's eye is starting to cause him problems now.
Babineaux punishes de la Cruz's body with a nice straight punch.
de la Cruz avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Babineaux misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Babineaux cracks de la Cruz with a right hand to the side of the head.
Babineaux punishes de la Cruz's body with a nice straight punch.
Babineaux chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Babineaux connects with a body shot that sends de la Cruz's belly button to the back.

Babineaux takes the fight into the clinch.

Babineaux pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Babineaux stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Babineaux wants it to stay on the feet.
Gerard Babineaux has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Joel de la Cruz.
Babineaux stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Babineaux scores with a jab to the head.
de la Cruz walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Babineaux lunges at de la Cruz with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by de la Cruz's hand.

Joel de la Cruz's cut is absolute horrible now. This looks like something out of a horror film with blood covering both fighters.
Joel de la Cruz is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Babineaux fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Babineaux lands a jab to the head.
Babineaux throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Babineaux has taken the fight to the clinch.

Babineaux breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Babineaux swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by de la Cruz.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
de la Cruz walks into a left hand.
de la Cruz keeps the fight on the outside.
Babineaux scores with the left hand. de la Cruz knows he should have avoided that one.

The referee calls the doctor in to look at Joel de la Cruz's cut. Oh no, the doctor has called an end to the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:23 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Cut). Gerard Babineaux!