PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Orlando Bond (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Joey Cruz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Cruz has chosen Mockingbird-Eminem as his entrance music. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Bond
vs
Cruz

187 cm
24
215 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

188 cm
25
200 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Granite chin

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 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Orlando Bond!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Joey Cruz!
The judges for this bout are Ryoma Takatsuka, Micheangelo Fripello and Roger Salmon.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Cruz clinches up against the cage.
Bond tries to circle away but Cruz has him pinned against the cage.

Bond is trying to trip Cruz. He has hold of a leg but Cruz is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Bond persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Bond controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Bond scoring with punches to the head and body.
Bond sitting in guard here, content to control.
Bond scoring with some ground and pound.
Cruz is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Bond has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Bond working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Bond engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz looking for a sweep. Not yet Cruz, not yet.
Bond with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Bond is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Orlando Bond just wasn't active enough.
Cruz looks to throw the jab but Bond is out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bond fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Cruz avoids it really well and circles away.
Cruz is looking to clinch.
Cruz shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Bond counters with a shoot takedown. Cruz fights it but they end up in guard.
Bond looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Cruz is looking to sweep but instead, Bond has passed into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz wants to control but Bond is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Well, if Bond is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Bond prevents Cruz from standing back up.
Bond trying to control the pace.

Orlando Bond has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Cruz throws a right and a left that both miss.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cruz wants to clinch.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Cruz enables Bond to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Cruz manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Bond slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Bond postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Bond slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Bond seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Cruz for as long as he can get away with.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Orlando Bond dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Bond fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Cruz, pushing him back against the cage.

Bond breaks from the clinch.
Cruz stuffs the takedown attempt from Bond. Bond gets slowly back to his feet.
Cruz shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Bond decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Cruz's guard.
Bond is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Bond is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Bond slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Cruz working a defensive guard but Bond manages to pass into side control anyway.
Bond in side control, throwing shots but Cruz defends.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bond is chipping away with strikes.
Bond staying calm.
Bond lands some shots froms side control.
Bond staying calm.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bond working the ground and pound.
Cruz is looking for a sweep.
Cruz is working to avoid the ground and pound but Bond connects with a decent elbow.
Bond controls the position from side control.
Cruz wants to get back to his feet but Bond drags him back down.
Bond is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Orlando Bond wasn't doing enough on the ground.

Bond has closed the distance and engaged Cruz in a clinch.
Cruz fails to pull guard.
Bond has Cruz pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Cruz manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Cruz keeps control of Bond as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Bond is working for takedown but Cruz is calmly controlling the position for now.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Orlando Bond. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bond fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Bond wants to take the fight to the mat but Cruz manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Cruz is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Bond drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Cruz gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Cruz tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Bond slowing the pace effectively.
Cruz looking for a takedown.
Cruz is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Cruz keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Bond's efforts to push away.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Bond has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Cruz after a bit of a struggle.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Cruz prevents a takedown attempt there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Orlando Bond dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Bond stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Bond wants it to stay on the feet.
Cruz keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Bond shoots in for a takedown but Cruz shows good takedown defense.
Bond is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Cruz shoots in looking for a takedown. Bond tries to sprawl out of it but Cruz keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Bond manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Bond fails in his attempt to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz tries for a takedown but Bond circles away easily
letting Bond counter with a right hand.
Orlando Bond has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Joey Cruz.
Bond closes this distance looking for a takedown but Cruz circles away.
Cruz displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Cruz enables Bond to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Cruz manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Cruz looking for a sweep. Not yet Cruz, not yet.
Bond is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Bond throws a big elbow that misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bond looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Orlando Bond wasn't doing enough on the ground.

Cruz fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Bond, pushing him back against the cage.
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 prevents a takedown attempt there.
Bond has Cruz pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Cruz manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Cruz is trying to push Bond away but Bond has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz crunches a lovely knee into Bond's ribcage.
Cruz stops a takedown attempt from Bond.
Cruz fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Cruz is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Cruz pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Cruz has a takedown stuffed.
Cruz shoots in for a takedown but Bond shows good takedown defense.
Bond drops his hands momentarily and Cruz takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Bond stuffs the takedown.
Cruz throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Bond looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bond controlling the pace.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Bond throwing shots but Cruz is blocking nicely.
Bond looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Cruz taking some punishment here, with Bond in his half guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Bond is taking a breather. Cruz says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.

We're going to have a standup here because Orlando Bond wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Cruz gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Bond counters with a nice double leg into side control. Cruz won't be happy with that.

And that's the end of the fight!
Orlando Bond showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Bond, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Ryoma Takatsuka scores the fight 30:27
Judge Micheangelo Fripello scores the fight 30:27
Judge Roger Salmon scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Orlando Bond!