PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Luiz Fernando Cruz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kiwi Bird (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Luiz Fernando Cruz could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Kiwi Bird's chin.

Fernando Cruz
vs
Bird

180 cm
19
135 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

150 cm
19
130 lbs
0 - 23 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
KO power

BJJ White Belt
Counter striker
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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Luiz Fernando Cruz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 23 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Kiwi Bird!
The judges for this bout are Thiago Cunha, Alexandre Firmino and Paulo Santos.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

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

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

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

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

Cruz pushes Bird up against the cage in a clinch.
Bird can't break the clinch.
Bird wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Cruz is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Cruz keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Bird's efforts to push away.
Bird wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Cruz unloads a knee to the mid-section.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.

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

Cruz gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Cruz comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.

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

Bird gets tackled into the cage by Cruz. Cruz maintains the clinch.

Cruz breaks from the clinch.

Cruz closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Cruz manages to break the clinch.
Luiz Fernando Cruz seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Cruz clinches with his opponent.

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Bird tries to keep at a distance but Cruz has taken the fight into the clinch.

Cruz breaks from the clinch.

Cruz fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Bird, pushing him back against the cage.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Bird is trying to force a seperation but Cruz has the dominant position.
A frustrated look appears on Bird's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Bird tries to break free but Cruz pushes him back against the cage.

Cruz breaks the clinch.

Cruz moves into the clinch.
Cruz presses Bird against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Cruz lands a good knee to the midsection. Bird won't want to take too many of those.

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

Cruz drives through and clinches with Bird against the cage.
Cruz lands a nice knee to the body.
Cruz landing knees to the body.

Cruz breaks from the clinch.
Cruz really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

Cruz moves into the clinch.

Cruz breaks from the clinch.

Bird tries to keep at a distance but Cruz has taken the fight into the clinch.

Cruz manages to break the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

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

Cruz breaks from the clinch.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Cruz closes the distance and pushes Bird back into the cage.

Cruz manages to break the clinch.

Cruz clinches up against the cage.
Bird is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Bird should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Cruz lands a good knee to the midsection. Bird won't want to take too many of those.
Bird looks gassed!

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

Cruz closes the distance and pushes Bird back into the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Luiz Fernando Cruz dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Cruz gets a clinch.
Bird wants to get back to striking at distance but Cruz won't allow it.
Luiz Fernando Cruz has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Cruz scores a nice knee to the body.
Cruz landing knees to the body.

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

Bird tries to keep at a distance but Cruz has taken the fight into the clinch.

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

Cruz closes the distance and pushes Bird back into the cage.
Bird is looking to break free of the clinch but Cruz has double underhooks.
Cruz is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bird tries to break free but Cruz pushes him back against the cage.

Cruz escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Luiz Fernando Cruz is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Cruz moves into the clinch.
Cruz throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Birds head.

Cruz manages to break the clinch.

Cruz gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Cruz breaks from the clinch.

Cruz closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Cruz escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Cruz is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Bird can do to turn this around?

Cruz rushes Bird and presses him up against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Cruz breaks the clinch.

Cruz fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Bird, pushing him back against the cage.
Cruz lands a nice knee to the body.

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

Cruz drives through and clinches with Bird against the cage.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Cruz manages to break the clinch.
Bird misses with the combination.

Cruz gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Cruz breaks the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Cruz clinches up against the cage.
Cruz gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.

Cruz breaks from the clinch.

Cruz forces Bird back against the cage and clinches.
Bird has had enough of the clinch but Cruz keeps him there for the moment.
Bird is breathing heavily.

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

Cruz closes the distance and clinches.

Cruz manages to break the clinch.

Cruz forces Bird back against the cage and clinches.
Bird tries to break free but Cruz pushes him back against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A frustrated look appears on Bird's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Cruz keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Bird's efforts to push away.

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

Cruz closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

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

Cruz clinches up against the cage.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Knees in the clinch landing for Cruz.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Bird wants to break free but Cruz has control.
Cruz working Bird over with knees to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Luiz Fernando Cruz dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Cruz closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Cruz is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.

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

Cruz closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Cruz breaks the clinch.

Cruz has managed to clinch.

Cruz manages to break the clinch.

Cruz darts in and clinches Bird up against the cage.
Cruz utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.

Cruz breaks the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Bird tries to keep at a distance but Cruz has taken the fight into the clinch.

Cruz breaks the clinch.

Cruz drives through and clinches with Bird against the cage.
Cruz lands a knee to the head.
Cruz lands an elbow inside.
Cruz unloads a knee to the mid-section. Bird lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Bird takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Cruz utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Cruz rushes Bird and presses him up against the cage.

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

Cruz forces Bird back against the cage and clinches.
Bird takes an elbow to the forehead.
Bird has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

Cruz breaks from the clinch.

Cruz drives through and clinches with Bird against the cage.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Cruz working Bird over with knees to the body.

Cruz manages to break the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Cruz clinches with his opponent.

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

Cruz gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Cruz manages to break the clinch.

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

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

Cruz closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cruz working Bird over with knees to the body.

Cruz manages to break the clinch.

Cruz fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Bird, pushing him back against the cage.

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

Cruz moves into the clinch successfully.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Cruz prevents Bird from breaking the clinch.
Cruz using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

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

Cruz closes the distance and pushes Bird back into the cage.
Kiwi Bird has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Luiz Fernando Cruz is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Bird takes a knee to the side of the body.

And that's the end of the fight!
Luiz Fernando Cruz showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Cruz 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 Thiago Cunha scores the fight 30:26
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 30:26
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 30:26

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