PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between David Cross (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Zane Viren (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Cross's entrance music is The American Dream Song. A fine choice. Viren is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Beethoven Virus - BanYa. This should be a great matchup!

Cross
vs
Viren

179 cm
26
168 lbs
13 - 5 - 1

181 cm
22
165 lbs
8 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

BJJ Brown Belt
Excellent MT
Heavy handed

Rivers Edge Nutrition(Disciples of Pain)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 13 - 5 - 1, fighting out of New York, David Cross!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 5 - 0, fighting out of New York, Zane Viren!
The judges for this bout are Dean Styles, Bruno Lombardi and Joseph Jones.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Viren throws a poor cross that misses

and Cross counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Cross is keen to just control but Viren is a slippery customer.
Cross keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Cross looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Viren wants to get back to full guard.

Cross is looking for a kimura but Viren is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Cross to get the leverage.
Viren wants to get back to full guard.
Cross slows the pace down in half guard.
Cross is nestled in close to Viren, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.

Cross is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Viren is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cross throwing shots but Viren is blocking nicely.

Cross is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Viren sees it coming and defends easily.
Viren has hold of Cross's hands but Cross slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Cross throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Viren is looking to escape.
Cross seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Viren does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Viren is looking to improve his position.
Cross takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Viren is looking to improve his position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Cross landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Cross throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Viren gets full guard.
Cross postures up.
Viren looking for a sweep. Not yet Viren, not yet.
Cross trying to control but Viren is working from the bottom.
Cross won't allow Viren to sweep him here.

Cross drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Cross jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Viren trying to keep a closed guard but Cross is proving a slippery customer.
Cross trying to control the position from guard on top but Viren is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cross is looking to work some ground and pound but Viren has wrist control.
Viren is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Viren working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Cross.
Viren keeping full guard, as Cross tries to pass.
Viren looking to hit a scissor sweep but Cross is one step ahead there.
Viren keeping moving, preventing Cross from controlling successfully.
Viren tries to land a sweep but no joy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Cross looking to pass the guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Viren closes the distance looking to clinch

and Cross holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Viren misses with the head strike.
Cross's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Viren misses with a knee strike.
Cross lands a right hand that snaps the head of Viren backwards.
Viren throws a knee to the head but misses.
Cross unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Cross softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Viren looks gassed!
Viren lands a nice shot to the body.
Viren misses with a hook from the clinch.
Viren tries to circle away but Cross has him pinned against the cage.
Cross lands a nice uppercut.
Cross lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Cross creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Viren's defenses.

Viren is rocked!

It looks like Zane Viren has been cut.
Cross lands a nice elbow.
Viren is still on wobbly legs! Can Cross finish him?
Viren blocking some punches.
Cross tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Cross lands a nice elbow.
Cross misses with a short punch on the inside.
Cross misses with some punches.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

David Cross dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Zane Viren's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Viren throws the left hand but Cross avoids the punch easily.
Viren tries to move into range but Cross moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Cross lands with a thumping leg kick.

Cross fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Viren, pushing him back against the cage.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Cross lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Cross prevents a body shot from Viren.
Viren misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Cross.
A short body shot lands from Viren as the two fighters clinch.
Viren tries a knee to the head but Cross blocks it.

Viren breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Viren throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Cross tries a head kick but it misses.
Viren misses with a hook
and Cross counters with a right hand to the body.
Viren seems to have recovered his senses.

Cross fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Viren sprawls well initially but Cross persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Viren is breathing heavily.
Cross scores with a couple of good hammerfists.

Cross is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Viren sees it coming and defends easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cross takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.

Cross looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Viren is looking to escape.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Cross is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!

Cross has hold of Viren's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Viren manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Viren is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Viren tries to hold on but Cross pushes him away.
Viren working to try and regain half guard.
BOOM! Cross connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Cross wants to control the pace but Viren is squirming around nicely.
Viren is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Viren gets back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Viren works his way to full guard. Good work.
Viren controls Cross momentarily but Cross frees himself.
Cross cracks Viren with a solid left hand.
Cross is pushing down on Viren's leg trying to pass to half guard. Viren is fighting to maintain full guard but Cross has managed to sneak the leg through.
Viren wants to control but Cross is keeping busy.
Cross moves into full mount! Viren won't be happy about that!
Viren regains half guard.

Cross is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Viren defends it well.
Viren tries to get to full guard but Cross has control of the leg.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cross not doing much here.
Viren wants to get back to full guard.
Cross wants to free his trapped foot but Viren is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Cross takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Viren wants to control but Cross is keeping busy and won't allow it.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Viren gets full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

David Cross dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Zane Viren's cut.
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. This is the final round!

Viren moves in looking to clinch but Cross pushes him off.
Viren takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Viren throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Cross.
Nice jab there from Cross.

Cross dives in and scores a takedown into Viren's guard.
Cross controls from within his opponent's guard.
Cross looking to pass the guard.
Cross trying to control the position from guard on top but Viren is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Viren wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Cross is now in half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Viren is trying to get back to full guard.

Cross is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Viren doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Cross.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Viren is trying to stand up here but Cross is controlling him well.
Viren wants to improve his position but Cross is controlling well.
Cross not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Cross passes into side control, despite Viren's attempt to control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Cross lands an elbow.
Viren is trying to control Cross's posture but Cross avoids it.
Viren tries to improve position but can't.

Cross tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Viren on the wrong end of some ground and pound.

Cross wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Viren, who protects the arm well.
Cross wants to control but Viren is keeping him busy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Viren prevents Cross from moving into mount.
Viren is not content to let Cross control the position.
Zane Viren has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
David Cross is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Viren is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Viren gets back to half guard.

That's four 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.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Cross in particular looking to stall.
Viren gets full guard.
Viren wants to sweep here but Cross controlling him for the moment.
Cross stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Viren swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Viren is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Cross defends well.
Cross looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

Viren has his foot on Cross's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Cross works his way back into a safe position though.

And that's the end of the fight!
David Cross showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Cross has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Dean Styles scores the fight 30:27
Judge Bruno Lombardi scores the fight 30:27
Judge Joseph Jones scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... David Cross!