PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Kiwi Bird (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Luiz Fernando Cruz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Bird
vs
Fernando Cruz

150 cm
18
130 lbs
0 - 22 - 0

180 cm
19
135 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Counter striker
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 22 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Kiwi Bird!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Luiz Fernando Cruz!
The judges for this bout are Mauricio Rocha, Seu Braga and Felipe Paraventi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Cruz closes the distance and clinches.

Cruz breaks from the clinch.

Cruz instigates a clinch.
Cruz is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Cruz utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Bird could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.

Cruz breaks from the clinch.

Cruz rushes Bird and presses him up against the cage.

Cruz breaks the clinch.

Bird gets tackled into the cage by Cruz. Cruz maintains the clinch.
Bird takes a knee to the side of the body.

Cruz breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Cruz darts in and clinches Bird up against the cage.
Bird is trying to break the clinch but Cruz has him pressed against the cage.

Cruz breaks from the clinch.

Cruz instigates a clinch.
Bird looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

Cruz's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Cruz clinches up with Bird and pushes him back against the cage.

Cruz breaks the clinch.

Cruz clinches up with Bird and pushes him back against the cage.
Cruz lands a damaging elbow.

Cruz breaks from the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Cruz fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Bird, pushing him back against the cage.
Cruz using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Bird tries to break the clinch but Cruz is controlling the position.

Cruz manages to break the clinch.

Cruz clinches with his opponent.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Cruz breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Cruz has closed the distance and engaged Bird in a clinch.
Bird wants to break the clinch but can't.
Cruz lands a knee to the body.

Cruz manages to break the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Cruz darts in and clinches Bird up against the cage.
Cruz prevents Bird from breaking the clinch.
Cruz putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Bird in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Bird tries to circle away but Cruz has him pinned against the cage.
Bird wants to break free but Cruz has control.

Cruz breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Cruz takes the fight into the clinch.
Cruz scores a nice knee to the body.
Cruz lands an elbow just above Bird 's eye.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Cruz manages to break the clinch.

Cruz has Bird up against the cage in a clinch.
Cruz keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Bird's efforts to push away.

Cruz breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Cruz pushes Bird up against the cage in a clinch.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Bird wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Cruz has him pressed against the cage.
Cruz landing knees to the body.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!

Cruz's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Luiz Fernando Cruz dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Cruz breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Cruz clinches.
Cruz crunches a lovely knee into Bird's ribcage.

Cruz manages to break the clinch.

Cruz clinches up against the cage.

Cruz breaks the clinch.
Bird misses with a kick to the body

and Cruz counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Cruz.

Cruz breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

That's one minute gone in the round.

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

Cruz rushes Bird and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Bird is trying to force a seperation but Cruz has the dominant position.
Cruz is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

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

Cruz moves into range and clinches up with Bird.
Cruz prevents Bird from breaking the clinch.
Cruz lands a knee to the body.
Cruz lands a nice knee to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Cruz breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Cruz clinches.

Cruz breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Cruz closes the distance and clinches.
Cruz lands with a short head shot on the inside.

Cruz breaks the clinch.

Cruz has taken the fight to the clinch.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Cruz obliges.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Bird tries to break the clinch but Cruz is controlling the position.

Cruz breaks the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Cruz closes the distance and clinches.

Cruz breaks from the clinch.

Cruz gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Cruz is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Bird takes a knee right on the jaw!

Cruz breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Cruz has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

Cruz has Bird up against the cage in a clinch.
Bird tries to break free but Cruz pushes him back against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bird is trying to break the clinch but Cruz is controlling him.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Cruz breaks the clinch.

Cruz moves into the clinch.

Cruz breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Bird gets tackled into the cage by Cruz. Cruz maintains the clinch.
Bird has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Cruz working some nice short punches in the clinch.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Cruz breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Cruz has closed the distance and engaged Bird in a clinch.

Cruz breaks from the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Luiz Fernando Cruz showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Cruz clinches with his opponent.

Cruz breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Cruz darts in and clinches Bird up against the cage.

Cruz breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Cruz moves into the clinch.

Cruz breaks the clinch.

Cruz forces Bird back against the cage and clinches.
Bird tries to break the clinch but Cruz is controlling the position.

Cruz breaks the clinch.
Bird misses with a leg kick

and Cruz counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Knees in the clinch landing for Cruz.
Cruz landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Cruz unloads a knee to the mid-section. Bird lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.

Cruz escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Cruz fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Bird, pushing him back against the cage.
Cruz using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Cruz lands a knee to the body.
Cruz working Bird over with knees to the body.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Cruz gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Cruz unloads a knee to the mid-section.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cruz lands a good knee to the midsection. Bird won't want to take too many of those.
Cruz working Bird over with knees to the body.
Cruz crunches a lovely knee into Bird's ribcage.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Cruz breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Cruz moves into the clinch.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Cruz obliges.
Cruz landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.

Cruz's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Cruz clinches up against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Cruz breaks from the clinch.

Cruz moves into the clinch.
Cruz lands a knee to the head.

Cruz breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Cruz gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Cruz's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Cruz rushes Bird and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Cruz scores a nice knee to the body.

Cruz breaks the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Cruz moves into the clinch successfully.

Cruz breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Cruz gets a clinch.
Cruz working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.

Cruz breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Cruz clinches with his opponent.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Cruz breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Cruz gets a clinch.

Cruz breaks the clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
Luiz Fernando Cruz comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Cruz has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 26:30
Judge Seu Braga scores the fight 26:30
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Luiz Fernando Cruz!