PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Hector Cruz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tom A Lincoln (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). A Lincoln has chosen Game of Thrones as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Cruz
vs
A Lincoln

179 cm
27
145 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

180 cm
21
145 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Good knees
Big right hand

Excellent grappler
Brawler
Granite 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 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Hector Cruz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Tom A Lincoln!
The judges for this bout are Josh West, Paul Gruel and Jeff Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Cruz gets tackled into the cage by A Lincoln. A Lincoln maintains the clinch.
A Lincoln is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Cruz to keep the fight standing.
A Lincoln wants to stall.
Cruz lands a hook that snaps the head of A Lincoln backwards.
A Lincoln tries to pull guard but Cruz holds him up against the cage and eventually A Lincoln drops back down to his feet.
A Lincoln takes an elbow to the temple.
Cruz connects with a knee to the head.
Cruz with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.

Cruz's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
A Lincoln takes one on the chin but keeps coming.

It looks like Tom A Lincoln has been cut.
Cruz connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Cruz rushes A Lincoln and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Cruz lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of A Lincoln backwards.
Cruz with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A Lincoln tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Hector Cruz has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Tom A Lincoln.
Cruz lands a damaging elbow.

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

Cruz moves into the clinch.
Cruz misses with a knee to the head.
Cruz lands a body shot.
I was talking to Cruz's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
A Lincoln is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.

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

Cruz gets caught flat footed, as A Lincoln shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Cruz is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
A Lincoln pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Cruz is keeping the position for now.
Cruz preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cruz is controlling A Lincoln's posture.
A Lincoln stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Cruz swivels though and keeps the full guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Cruz controls A Lincoln momentarily but A Lincoln frees himself.

Hector Cruz has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.

Cruz drives through and clinches with A Lincoln against the cage.
Cruz scores with an uppercut up the middle.
A Lincoln looking to slow down the pace here.
Cruz scores a nice knee to the body.
Cruz lands a nice elbow.

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Cruz gets tackled into the cage by A Lincoln. A Lincoln maintains the clinch.

Cruz breaks from the clinch.
Cruz connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.

Cruz has closed the distance and engaged A Lincoln in a clinch.
A Lincoln wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Cruz has him pressed against the cage.
A Lincoln fails to pull guard.
Knees to the body from Cruz.
Cruz lands an elbow that stopped A Lincoln in his tracks for a moment.
A Lincoln has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
A knee to the head by Cruz.
Cruz lands a left hand that snaps the head of A Lincoln backwards.
Cruz landing some nice looking knees to the body.
A Lincoln's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Cruz lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A Lincoln taking a breather.
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!
A Lincoln has had enough of the clinch but Cruz keeps him there for the moment.
A Lincoln wants to break the clinch but can't.
Cruz comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Cruz scores with an uppercut up the middle.
A Lincoln has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Cruz after a bit of a struggle.
Cruz lands with a left to the head.
A Lincoln jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Cruz walks away with a smile on his face. A Lincoln gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Cruz connects with a body shot.
A Lincoln throws a right and a left that Cruz avoids nicely.

Cruz rushes A Lincoln and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
A Lincoln is trying to break free.
A Lincoln is working for takedown but Cruz is calmly controlling the position for now.
A Lincoln misses with a shot to the kidneys.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hector Cruz dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Tom A Lincoln's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Cruz cracks A Lincoln with an open hand slap.
Cruz moves into range and lands a nice body kick.

Cruz has managed to clinch.
A Lincoln jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Cruz walks away with a smile on his face. A Lincoln gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.

A Lincoln darts in and clinches Cruz up against the cage.

Cruz breaks the clinch.
Cruz moves into range and connects with a jab.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Cruz tries to clinch but A Lincoln is having none of it.

Cruz closes the distance and clinches.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
A Lincoln tries for a takedown but Cruz manages to get underhooks.
A Lincoln has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Cruz after a bit of a struggle.
Hector Cruz has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Tom A Lincoln.
A Lincoln takes an elbow to the temple.
Cruz connects with a nasty looking knee right to A Lincoln's face.

Cruz pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
A Lincoln gets cracked there but stands up to it.

A Lincoln is rocked!
A Lincoln is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

Cruz moves into the clinch.
A Lincoln is still on wobbly legs! Can Cruz finish him?
Cruz lands with a left to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz connects with a nasty looking knee right to A Lincoln's face.
Cruz has A Lincoln pressed up against the cage in a tight Thai clinch. A Lincoln is arching his back, trying to avoid the knees but a big one sneaks through from Cruz - that's hurt A Lincoln badly! Oh, another knee lands and A Lincoln is covering up! The referee steps in to save him - possibly a bit early but A Lincoln doesn't seem to be complaining.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:13 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Knees). Hector Cruz!
A very excited looking Hector Cruz made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.