PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Bruce McBrain (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Humberto Cruz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Cruz has chosen Deja Vu as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

McBrain
vs
Cruz

175 cm
30
184 lbs
32 - 17 - 0

170 cm
34
165 lbs
30 - 14 - 5

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

TWGC Champion
World class boxer
Good gas tank

CEC Nutrition Q160
Merciless Gladiators

GREEN!160

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the welterweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 32 - 17 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Bruce McBrain!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 30 - 14 - 5, fighting out of London, Humberto Cruz!
The judges for this bout are Arvi Lind, Johanna Lukiainen and Anni Minnemäki.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
McBrain misses with a double jab.
Cruz misses with a series of wild punches.
Cruz fails with an attempt to clinch.
Cruz uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by McBrain.
Bruce McBrain seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
McBrain cracks Cruz with an open hand slap.
Cruz gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Cruz throws a leg kick which misses McBrain's front leg but catches the back leg as McBrain tries to avoid it.
McBrain on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Cruz swings for the body but McBrain moves out of range.
Cruz tried to score with a low kick but McBrain checks it.
McBrain thuds his shin into the meat of Cruz's side.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Cruz misses with an uppercut.
Cruz cracks McBrain with a good jab.

It looks like Bruce McBrain has been cut.
McBrain throws a leg kick

and Cruz counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Cruz.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz looking to sit in guard and control but McBrain gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Cruz has an active guard here but McBrain has managed to pass into half guard.
McBrain is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Cruz works his way to full guard. Good work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cruz wants to sweep here but McBrain controlling him for the moment.
McBrain stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Cruz swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Cruz wants to control but McBrain passes easily into half guard.
McBrain slows the pace down in half guard.
Cruz tries to get to full guard but McBrain has control of the leg.
Cruz is trying to control but McBrain passes into side control!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz is trying to control McBrain's posture but McBrain avoids it.
Cruz tries to get back to half guard but can't.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.
We've been hearing that McBrain has been drilling a lot of ground and pound in training, so let's see if he get the finish.
Cruz sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
McBrain controlling the pace.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
McBrain's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Bruce McBrain just wasn't active enough.
McBrain lands with a shot to the body.
Bruce McBrain is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cruz misses with a looping right.
A low kick from McBrain is predictable there

and Cruz counters with a shoot takedown. McBrain fights it but they end up in guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
McBrain is trying to control the position but Cruz postures up.
Cruz looking to sit in guard and control but McBrain gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Cruz is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
McBrain is looking to work some ground and pound but Cruz has wrist control.
Cruz controlling McBrain's posture.
McBrain wants to control from the top but Cruz keeps moving.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Humberto Cruz dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Bruce McBrain's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

McBrain moves out of range as Cruz throws a body kick.
McBrain misses with an uppercut

and Cruz counters with a single leg into guard. McBrain didn't expect that.
Cruz throws a big elbow that misses.
McBrain looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Cruz puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Cruz with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Cruz wants to pass to mount but McBrain is defending the position.
Cruz moves nicely into side control.
McBrain tries to improve position but can't.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz is looking to take a break and control but McBrain is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
What's McBrain going to do here then? He's in a bit of a pickle.
McBrain has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
McBrain is not content to let Cruz control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Cruz swings around for an armbar but McBrain sees it coming a mile off and turns beautifully into Cruz's guard.
McBrain stands and throws Cruz's legs to the side, diving into side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
A lull in the action here as McBrain stalls from top position.
McBrain working the ground and pound but Cruz is defending the strikes.
Cruz sneaks back into half guard.
McBrain is figuring out what he wants to do next.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz wants to improve his position but McBrain is controlling well.
Cruz wants to control the action here but instead McBrain manages to pass to full mount!
Cruz gets back to half guard.
McBrain is thwarting Cruz's attempts to control the position.
Cruz is not content to let McBrain control the position.
McBrain prevents Cruz from standing back up.
Cruz is refusing to be controlled, as McBrain sits in half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
McBrain prevents Cruz from improving his position.
McBrain looks to land a strike but Cruz avoids it nicely and regains full guard.

Cruz looking for submissions from the bottom but instead McBrain passes into half guard.
McBrain trying to control the action but Cruz is working from the bottom.
Cruz is looking to improve his position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
McBrain seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Cruz does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Humberto Cruz showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Bruce McBrain's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Cruz throws a series of punches but McBrain avoids them all with ease.
McBrain fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Cruz has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Cruz takes one to the side of the head.
McBrain sizes up Cruz with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Cruz takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Cruz jabs at McBrain's body.
McBrain connects with an inside leg kick.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Cruz slips under a jab from McBrain.
Cruz scores with a shot to the body.
McBrain lands an overhand right.
Cruz is looking to clinch.
The fighters circle momentarily. Cruz darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Jab by McBrain.

That's one minute gone in the round.
McBrain looks for the body kick but Cruz saw that one coming.
McBrain throws out a loose jab but Cruz uses good head movement to avoid it.
McBrain tries a head kick but it misses.
Cruz throws a left and a right that both miss
and McBrain counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Cruz is lucky that one didn't land flush.
McBrain is looking to land body kicks.
McBrain fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Cruz has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Cruz connects with an inside leg kick.
McBrain drops Cruz with a huge uppercut! Cruz drops to the floor like a sack of potatoes. McBrain is raining down punches and the ref stops the fight! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:44 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Bruce McBrain!
Bruce McBrain retains his welterweight title!
An out of breath Bruce McBrain thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.