PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Jermaine Cruz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nathan Nolan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Jermaine Cruz had real problems making weight for this fight. After initially coming in at 146.4lbs, he had two hours to make the official fight weight. He made it but it will have taken a lot out of him to cut those extra few pounds. Both these fighters are unbeaten, so somebody's 0 has got to go!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.

Cruz
vs
Nolan

160 cm
19
155 lbs
5 - 0 - 0

173 cm
23
151 lbs
5 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Counter fighter
Big right hand

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Prefers standup

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 5 - 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 5 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Nathan Nolan!
The judges for this bout are Sosuke Kotani, Kenichi Hosakawa and Shigeki Fujiwara.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cruz tries to bum rush Nolan with a series of wild strikes but Nolan uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Nolan tests Cruz's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Nolan shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Cruz eats them both and turns towards Nolan to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Nolan steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Cruz.
Nolan lunges at Cruz with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Cruz's hand.
Nolan scores with a nice right hand.
Nolan fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Cruz manages to avoid it.
Nolan misses with a few strikes there.
Cruz throws the left hand but Nolan avoids the punch easily.
Nice straight punches there by Cruz. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Cruz.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nolan looks to land a combination. Cruz sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Cruz takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Nolan throws a jab when Cruz was well out of range.
Cruz ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Cruz misses with an uppercut.
Cruz staying out of range there.
Cruz throws a shot from downtown. Nolan moves away and avoids it.
Nolan misses with a body punch
and Cruz counters with a nice uppercut.
Cruz slips a jab and a cross from Nolan.
Cruz lands a head shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nolan closes the distance and lands a one-two.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Nolan changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Nolan misses the shot to the body.
Nolan defending well as Cruz loads up on a big left hand.
Cruz throws a body punch but Nolan moves out of range.
Nolan misses with a hook. Cruz ducked under it nicely.
Cruz swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Nolan tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Cruz was well out of range. Poor timing from Nolan.
Nolan lands a body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nolan looks to land a right hand but Cruz moved out of range.
A slow jab from Cruz misses its intended target.
Cruz rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Nolan moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Cruz ducks under a wild hook from Nolan.
Cruz doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Nolan takes a swing at Cruz's ribcage but misses.
Cruz throws a body punch but Nolan moves out of range.
Cruz has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Cruz shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Nolan eats them both and turns towards Cruz to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.

Nolan is rocked!
Cruz is breathing heavily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Some wild striking there from Nolan.
Nolan is still on wobbly legs! Can Cruz finish him?
Cruz avoids the body shot from Nolan.
Cruz rushes in with a sloppy looking punch

and Nolan counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Nolan pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Cruz misses with a hook

and Nolan counters by clinching up.
Nolan seems to have recovered his senses.
Cruz is trying to break the clinch but Nolan is controlling him.

Nolan breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Nolan ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Cruz moves away.
Cruz throws a poor cross that misses

and Nolan counters by moving into the clinch.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Nolan has Cruz pushed against the cage.

Nolan breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Cruz misses with a left hand
and Nolan counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Nolan misses with a wild combination.
Nolan misses with a series of wild punches.
Nolan throws a combination that misses
and Cruz connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Nolan is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Cruz rather than just go for the knockout.
Nolan scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Cruz is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Nolan lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Nolan lands a glancing blow to the side of Cruz's head.
Jab from Nolan.
Nolan connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nolan lands a jab.
Nolan ducks under a wild hook from Cruz.
Cruz closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Nolan lands a head shot.
Cruz misses with the combination.
Nolan dips down and scores with a jab to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cruz misses with a wild body shot.
Nolan misses the jab.
Nolan takes a swing at Cruz's ribcage but misses.
Cruz throws a series of punches but Nolan moves out of range.
Cruz slips a jab and a cross from Nolan.
Nolan with a hook.
Cruz is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Cruz uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Nolan.
Nolan thows a body shot but no joy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz throws a combination that misses

and Nolan counters by moving into the clinch.

Nolan breaks the clinch.
Cruz bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Nolan moves out of range of the strikes.
A right-left combo lands from Nolan.
Nolan lands a nice shot to the body.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Nolan throws a series of punches but Cruz avoids them all with ease.
Cruz shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Nolan misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Cruz.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cruz takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Nolan lands with a shot to the body.
Nolan throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Nolan throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
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 misses with an uppercut. Nolan saw that one coming.
Nolan cracks Cruz with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
A jab from Nolan finds it's way through Cruz's defenses.
Nolan wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nathan Nolan showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Cruz loads up on a big right hand but Nolan slips the punch.
Nolan throws a nice looking combination but Cruz bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Nolan scores with a jab to the body.
Nolan works over Cruz's head and body with a nice combination.
Nolan lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Nolan throws a good cross that connects.
Cruz throws a right and a left that both miss.
Nolan lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Cruz at a distance.
Nice defenses there by Nolan.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nolan swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Cruz counters with a nice uppercut.
Cruz looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Jab from Nolan.
Nolan misses with a double jab.
Nolan staying out of range there.
Nolan is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
A looping hook to the body misses from Cruz. Nolan does a little dance to reset his feet.
Cruz misses with an uppercut

and Nolan counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Cruz tries to break free but Nolan pushes him back against the cage.

Nolan's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Nathan Nolan is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nolan scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Nolan looks to land a combination but Cruz avoids it well.
Nolan lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Cruz at a distance.
Nathan Nolan seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Nolan swings and misses with a hook to the body.
A combination from Nolan does no damage.
Nolan scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Cruz doesn't seem bothered though.
Nolan lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Nolan throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Cruz.
Cruz throws a nice looking combination but Nolan bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Some wild striking there from Nolan.
Nolan swings for the body but Cruz moves out of range.
Cruz swinging wildly here.
Nolan takes one on the button.
Nolan misses with a wild combination.
Nolan throws a series of strikes that have Cruz backpedaling.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nolan throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Cruz.
Cruz dodges the punch combination from Nolan.
Nolan displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Cruz throws out the jab.
Cruz walks into a straight right hand from Nolan.
Nathan Nolan is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Nolan throws a jab when Cruz was well out of range.
Nolan misses with a jab, cross combination.
Jermaine Cruz has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Nolan has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Nolan looks to land a combination but Cruz avoids it well.

And that's the end of the fight!
Nathan Nolan comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Nolan 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 Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 27:30
Judge Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 27:30
Judge Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Nathan Nolan!
Nathan Nolan seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.