PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Muhamad Alli (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Carlos Ruiz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Alli comes into the arena with De la Souls, by POS blaring out of the sound system. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Alli
vs
Ruiz

200 cm
32
214 lbs
23 - 14 - 0

181 cm
33
205 lbs
17 - 13 - 1

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Powerful

Resistance

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 23 - 14 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Muhamad Alli!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 17 - 13 - 1, fighting out of St Petersburg, Carlos Ruiz!
The judges for this bout are Vladimir Khabensky, Dmitry Maklakov and Ivan Kurochkin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Alli wants to clinch.

Ruiz feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Ruiz throws a big elbow that misses.
Alli working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Ruiz.
Ruiz trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Ruiz loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Ruiz looking to sit in guard and control but Alli gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Alli throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Ruiz works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Ruiz not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ruiz looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Ruiz will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Alli wants to control from the top but Ruiz keeps moving.
Alli sitting in guard here, content to control.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Ruiz swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Ruiz enables Alli to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Ruiz manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Ruiz has his hands on Alli's head, controlling the position.
Ruiz can't keep his opponent in guard - Alli advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Alli wants to pass to mount but Ruiz is defending the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ruiz is trying to get back to full guard.
Alli missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Ruiz tries to get to full guard but Alli has control of the leg.
Alli with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
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!
Alli seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Ruiz does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Alli will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Ruiz is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Alli is keen to just control but Ruiz is a slippery customer.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Ruiz looking for submissions off his back.

Alli seems to be looking for submissions.
Ruiz tries to roll over but Alli keeps him under control.
Alli wants to pass to mount but Ruiz is defending the position.
Alli prevents Ruiz from improving his position.
Alli is trying to control the action in half guard but Ruiz is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Ruiz is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ground and pound from Alli.
Alli wants to lay and pray for a moment but Ruiz keeps working.
Alli keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Ruiz is in trouble now - Alli has advanced to mount!
Alli trying to control but he's not successful this time.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Ruiz tries to hold on but Alli postures up.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Ruiz looking to escape from mount but he's given up his back!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Ruiz breaks Alli's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Muhamad Alli will probably get the nod.
That's time! Alli's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Alli fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Ruiz avoids it really well and circles away.
Alli shoots in looking for a takedown. Ruiz tries to sprawl out of it but Alli keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Ruiz manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Ruiz takes a swing at Alli's ribcage but misses.
Ruiz throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Ruiz misses with a lunging right hand

and Alli counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Alli.
Ruiz is looking for a takedown.
Alli drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Ruiz gets the underhooks and prevents it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Muhamad Alli. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Alli is working for takedown but Ruiz is calmly controlling the position for now.
Alli lands a knee to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Alli fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Ruiz is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Ruiz wants a takedown but no success here.
Alli tries to work over Ruiz's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Alli blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Ruiz as Alli tries to tie him up.
Ruiz misses with a body punch.

Ruiz has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Alli is trying to keep an underhook but Ruiz manages to get the takedown into half guard.
Muhamad Alli overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Alli regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Ruiz.
Ruiz trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Ruiz postures up and lands a big shot to Alli's brow.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ruiz is looking to work some ground and pound but Alli has wrist control.
Alli keeping moving, preventing Ruiz from controlling successfully.
Alli pulls Ruiz in close to prevent any damage.
Alli utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Ruiz must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Ruiz trying to control but Alli is working from the bottom.
Ruiz is looking to work some ground and pound but Alli has wrist control.
Ruiz throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ruiz is looking to work some ground and pound but Alli has wrist control.
Ruiz postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Ruiz working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Ruiz throws an elbow that misses. Alli uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Ruiz's guard. Nice move by Alli!
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Alli's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Ruiz punching from the bottom.
Ruiz tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Ruiz trying to keep a closed guard but Alli is proving a slippery customer.

Alli is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Ruiz is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Ruiz has escaped and now he's on top!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ruiz throws a big elbow that misses.
Alli trying to keep a closed guard but Ruiz is proving a slippery customer.
Alli looking for a sweep. Not yet Alli, not yet.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Alli keeping moving, preventing Ruiz from controlling successfully.
Ruiz postures up in Alli's guard and throws a big left but Alli blocks it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Carlos Ruiz showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Alli pushes Ruiz up against the cage in a clinch.
Ruiz stalling in the clinch but Alli improves position.
Alli is working for takedown but Ruiz is calmly controlling the position for now.
Ruiz working aggressively here.
Ruiz swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Ruiz looking to slow down the pace here.
Ruiz swings wildly with an uppercut but Alli uses good head movement to avoid it.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Ruiz.

Alli wants the takedown. Ruiz is fighting it off but Alli persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Ruiz's guard against the cage.
Ruiz keeping moving, preventing Alli from controlling successfully.
Alli throwing strikes but missing.
Alli stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Ruiz swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Alli throwing strikes from guard but Ruiz blocks nicely.
Alli wants to control from the top but Ruiz keeps moving.
Ruiz looking to hit a scissor sweep but Alli is one step ahead there.
Ruiz looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Alli puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Ruiz is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Alli is keen to just control but Ruiz is a slippery customer.

Alli is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Ruiz defends it well.
Ruiz manages to get to full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Alli throws a big right hand that misses.
Ruiz wants to sweep but no luck.
Alli is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Ruiz is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Alli throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Ruiz works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Alli landing with the ground and pound.
Alli wants to control from the top but Ruiz keeps moving.
Ruiz looking to control.
Ruiz is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Ruiz missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ruiz not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Alli blocking the ground and pound attempt from Ruiz.
Ruiz throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Ruiz is looking to stall here but Alli recovers full guard.
Alli utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Ruiz with a flurry of punches that miss.
Ruiz in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Muhamad Alli.
I think Alli has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 29:28
Judge Dmitry Maklakov scores the fight 27:30
Judge Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Muhamad Alli!
A relieved looking Muhamad Alli thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.