PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Orlando Cardigan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Charmaine Dela Cruz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Orlando Cardigan had a look across the cage there at his opponent. He definitely means business

Cardigan
vs
Dela Cruz

180 cm
26
209 lbs
10 - 6 - 0

188 cm
23
212 lbs
12 - 5 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

MADE IN GERMANY

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 10 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Orlando Cardigan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Charmaine Dela Cruz!
The judges for this bout are Damien Edna, Hugh Johnson and Skip Squint.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Dela Cruz displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Cardigan.
Cardigan tries to clinch up but Dela Cruz circles away and keeps his distance.
Dela Cruz throws a right and a left that Cardigan avoids nicely.

Cardigan shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Dela Cruz is trying to defend but Cardigan finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Cardigan thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Cardigan thows a big elbow that misses, also allowing Dela Cruz to regain full guard.
Cardigan trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Cardigan throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Cardigan postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Cardigan tries to free his leg and advance position but Dela Cruz is retaining full guard.
Cardigan wants to control from the top but Dela Cruz keeps moving.
Cardigan stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Dela Cruz swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dela Cruz has momentary wrist control but Cardigan slips an elbow through the middle.
Dela Cruz avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Cardigan with a flurry of punches that miss.
Cardigan throws a strike but Dela Cruz rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Dela Cruz preventing the sweep.
Cardigan manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Dela Cruz manages to get himself to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dela Cruz wants to stand but Cardigan is controlling the position.
Dela Cruz keeping moving, preventing Cardigan from controlling successfully.
Cardigan is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Dela Cruz is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Cardigan tries to free his leg and advance position but Dela Cruz is retaining full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Cardigan trying to control the position from guard on top but Dela Cruz is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

We're going to have a standup here because Orlando Cardigan wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Dela Cruz slaps away a takedown attempt from Cardigan, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Dela Cruz scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Cardigan doesn't seem bothered though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dela Cruz lands a two punch combo.
Cardigan tries to clinch
and Dela Cruz counters with a nice uppercut.
Dela Cruz swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Cardigan holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Cardigan lands an elbow just above Dela Cruz 's eye.

It looks like Charmaine Dela Cruz has been cut.
A right hand to the body from Dela Cruz.
Cardigan wants a takedown but no success here.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Orlando Cardigan. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Cardigan breaks from the clinch.
Cardigan tries to close the distance and clinch but Dela Cruz swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Cardigan looks to clinch
and Dela Cruz counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Cardigan misses with a left hand
and Dela Cruz counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.

Cardigan closes the distance and clinches.
Cardigan has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Dela Cruz is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Cardigan tries for a takedown but Dela Cruz manages to get underhooks.
Cardigan is breathing heavily.
Dela Cruz wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Dela Cruz creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Dela Cruz working hard to break the clinch.
Dela Cruz takes an elbow to the forehead.
Cardigan lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Dela Cruz digs a right hand underneath Cardigan's ribcage. Cardigan let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Cardigan wants a takedown.
Nice elbow from Cardigan.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cardigan throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Cardigan misses with an elbow strike.
Cardigan has Dela Cruz pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Dela Cruz manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Cardigan misses with an elbow strike.
Cardigan is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Dela Cruz gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Cardigan pushes off an throws an elbow but Dela Cruz leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Dela Cruz is leaning against Cardigan and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Cardigan tries for a takedown but Dela Cruz manages to get underhooks.
Cardigan misses with an elbow over the top.

Dela Cruz breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
A jab lands there for Dela Cruz.
Dela Cruz moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.

It looks like Orlando Cardigan has been cut.
Dela Cruz keeps the fight on the outside.
Dela Cruz connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Cardigan momentarily.
Dela Cruz throws a head kick but Cardigan moves out of range.
Charmaine Dela Cruz is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Dela Cruz connects with a combination that backs up Cardigan into the cage. Dela Cruz lands a flurry of punches that gets past Cardigan's guard. Cardigan is down and the referee has seen enough. It is all over! Dela Cruz bursts into tears - this win obviously means a huge amount to him.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:51 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Charmaine Dela Cruz!