PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Jermaine Cruz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jay Houk (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Cruz
vs
Houk

160 cm
19
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

178 cm
19
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Counter fighter
Big right hand

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Jermaine Cruz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Jay Houk!
The judges for this bout are Yuuki Gou, Kenichi Hosakawa and Tatsuya Matsuyama.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Houk moves in looking to clinch but Cruz pushes him off.
Sloppy strikes from Houk. Those never looked like landing.
Houk shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Cruz sprawls well. Cruz wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Houk gets slowly back to his feet.
Cruz steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Houk. That one must have hurt.
Houk shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Houk takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Houk.
Jermaine Cruz has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jay Houk.

Houk moves into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Houk stalling in the clinch but Cruz improves position.
Cruz tries to circle away but Houk has him pinned against the cage.
Cruz wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Houk has him pressed against the cage.
Cruz prevents the takedown attempt.
Cruz tries to break the clinch but Houk is controlling the position.
Houk with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Houk is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Cruz to keep the fight standing.

Houk breaks from the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fight stays on the outside here - Houk looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Houk tries to score with a low kick but Cruz moves his leg out of the way.
Houk throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Houk tries a head kick but it misses.
Houk fails with the takedown.
Horrible takedown by Houk or perhaps it was just good defense by Cruz which made him look bad.
Houk looks winded!
Houk fails to land the takedown.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Houk fails with a takedown attempt.
Houk tries to close the distance and clinch up but Cruz swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Houk tries to clinch but Cruz is having none of it.
Houk tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Cruz is able to avoid easily.
Houk swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Cruz counters with a nice uppercut.

It looks like Jay Houk has been cut.
Cruz keeps the fight on the outside.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Houk is defended easily by Cruz.
Jay Houk seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Cruz swats away the attempt to clinch by Houk.
Cruz keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Houk swings widly with a right hand
and Cruz counters with a nice body shot.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Cruz slaps away a takedown attempt from Houk, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Houk fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
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 Jermaine Cruz will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Jay Houk's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Cruz avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Houk misses with a body punch
and Cruz counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Houk fails with a takedown attempt.
Houk throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Cruz counters with a nice uppercut.
Houk fails with a takedown attempt.
Cruz avoids a kick to the body.
Houk is breathing heavily.
Houk throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Houk fails in his attempt to clinch.
Jay Houk is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Houk misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Houk misses with the combination.
Houk throws a front kick aimed at Cruz's knee but Cruz avoids it well.
Houk has his takedown stuffed
and Cruz counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Jermaine Cruz has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jay Houk.
Cruz stuffs the takedown.
Houk shoots in and drives through. Cruz sprawls well.
Houk will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Houk throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Houk throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Houk throws a sloppy body shot
and Cruz counters with a huge left! Houk is in big trouble! He's backing up but Cruz isn't giving him chance to recover. Under a barage of punches the ref has to step in to save Houk from any more damage. A dominating finish by Cruz!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:24 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Jermaine Cruz!