PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Brennan Abramson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Lester Cruise (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Brennan Abramson looks tired to me. Hopefully he has got enough gas left in the tank to put in a good performance.

Abramson
vs
Cruise

189 cm
25
205 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

190 cm
23
205 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

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 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Brennan Abramson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Lester Cruise!
The judges for this bout are Eddie Farnsworth, Joseph Jones and Anthony Taglia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Abramson shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Cruise cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Abramson looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!
Abramson avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Abramson seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.

Cruise has Abramson up against the cage in a clinch.
We can't be sure of the tactics at this early stage but we have heard that Cruise has been working on his takedowns a lot in the buildup to the fight and we can only assume he's going to look to take this to the mat.
Abramson keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Cruise's efforts to push away.
Cruise tries to circle away but Abramson has him pinned against the cage.
Abramson tries to break free but Cruise pushes him back against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cruise is looking to break free of the clinch but Abramson has double underhooks.
Cruise looking to stall.
Abramson has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Cruise is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Abramson manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Cruise wants to control from the top but Abramson keeps moving.
Cruise must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Abramson is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Cruise is controlling him.
Abramson throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Cruise wants to pass the guard but Abramson is keeping the position.
Abramson preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Abramson not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

Cruise closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Cruise wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Abramson has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Cruise is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Brennan Abramson. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Cruise misses with some punches.
Cruise working hard to break the clinch.
Cruise is trying to push Abramson away but Abramson has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Cruise lands a right hand that snaps the head of Abramson backwards.
Cruise scores with a nice hook to the head.
Abramson drops down looking for an ankle pick but Cruise pulls his leg out and moves away.
Abramson misses with a takedown attempt
and Cruise counters with a one-two to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruise tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Abramson paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Cruise tries to clinch but Abramson moves out of range.
Cruise doesn't manage to clinch there - Abramson circles away.
Abramson keeps the fight on the outside.

Cruise instigates a clinch.
Cruise misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Cruise misses with a body punch.
Cruise wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Cruise is looking to control Abramson's arms but Abramson gets an underhook and turns him. Now Cruise has his back to the cage.
Cruise wants to break free but Abramson has control.
Cruise is trying to push Abramson away but Abramson has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.

Cruise breaks the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cruise tries to clinch up but Abramson circles away and keeps his distance.
Brennan Abramson seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Cruise fails in his attempt to clinch.
Cruise tries to clinch up but Abramson circles away and keeps his distance.

Abramson rushes Cruise and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Cruise breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
A head kick by Abramson misses
and Cruise counters with a straight right hand.
Cruise doesn't manage to clinch there - Abramson circles away.
Cruise tries to clinch but Abramson is having none of it.

Cruise closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Abramson can't break the clinch.
Cruise wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Cruise throws a head punch that misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Lester Cruise dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Cruise doesn't manage to clinch there - Abramson circles away.

Abramson drives through and clinches with Cruise against the cage.
Cruise is trying to force a seperation but Abramson has the dominant position.
Cruise looking to slow down the pace here.
Abramson wants a takedown but no success here.
Cruise scores with a hook to the body.

Cruise manages to break the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cruise tries to clinch there but Abramson circles away.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Cruise tries to clinch up.
Cruise is looking to clinch but Abramson is avoiding it.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Abramson shoots in for a takedown but Cruise shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Cruise wants to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruise fails in his attempt to clinch.
Abramson swats away the attempt to clinch by Cruise.
Cruise tries to clinch up but Abramson circles away and keeps his distance.
Abramson circles away from the clinch attempt.
Cruise moves in looking to clinch but Abramson pushes him off.
Abramson seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.
Cruise has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Cruise doesn't manage to clinch there - Abramson circles away.
Abramson avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Abramson swats away the attempt to clinch by Cruise.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Cruise fails in his attempt to clinch.
Cruise fails with an attempt to clinch.
Cruise tries to clinch but Abramson is having none of it.
Abramson appears to be looking for a big counter.
Abramson throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Cruise's waist but Cruise gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Abramson off to one side.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Brennan Abramson. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Cruise tries to clinch but Abramson is having none of it.
Cruise wants to clinch up but Abramson keeps it at a distance.
Cruise moves in looking to clinch but Abramson pushes him off.
Abramson is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Cruise keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Cruise throws a counter combo.
Brennan Abramson is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Cruise is looking to clinch but Abramson is avoiding it.
Cruise wants to clinch up but Abramson keeps it at a distance.
Cruise tries to clinch but Abramson moves out of range.
Abramson seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Cruise gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Cruise breaks from the clinch.
Cruise tries to close the distance and clinch but Abramson swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Cruise tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Abramson manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Abramson is looking to counter the offense by Cruise and move into the clinch.
Cruise tries to clinch there but Abramson circles away.
Abramson went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
Cruise tries to clinch but Abramson is having none of it.
The fight stays on the outside here - Cruise looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Abramson avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
No luck for Abramson with that takedown attempt.
Cruise tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cruise moves in looking to clinch but Abramson pushes him off.
Abramson changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Abramson avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Abramson tries to counter by clinching up but Cruise breaks away and moves out of range.
Abramson with a lazy takedown attempt
and Cruise counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Abramson swats away the attempt to clinch by Cruise.
Cruise tries to clinch up but Abramson circles away and keeps his distance.
Cruise tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Abramson is looking for a counter combo.

Cruise moves into the clinch.
Cruise wants to break free but Abramson has control.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Abramson keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Cruise's efforts to push away.
Abramson is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Cruise is defending well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Brennan Abramson dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Cruise fails with an attempt to clinch.
Cruise tries to close the distance and clinch up but Abramson swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Abramson keeps the fight on the outside.
Abramson closes this distance looking for a takedown but Cruise circles away.

Cruise closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Lester Cruise seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.

Cruise pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Cruise tries to clinch up but Abramson circles away and keeps his distance.
Cruise tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Abramson manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cruise tries to clinch up.
Abramson swats away the attempt to clinch by Cruise.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Cruise tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Abramson went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruise tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Abramson swats away the attempt to clinch by Cruise.
Cruise tries to clinch up.

Abramson gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Cruise misses with some punches.
Abramson is trying to break the clinch but Cruise has him pressed against the cage.
Cruise tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Cruise looking to stall.
Abramson tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Cruise keeps control of Abramson as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Cruise as Abramson tries to tie him up.
A bit of stalling here from Cruise.
Cruise pushes Abramson back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Abramson keeps control of Cruise as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Cruise looking to slow down the pace here.
Abramson has a couple of punches blocked by Cruise.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Cruise creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Abramson has had enough of the clinch but Cruise keeps him there for the moment.
Cruise has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Cruise wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Abramson has him pressed against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Cruise pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Cruise tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Abramson manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Abramson looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Brennan Abramson. That's going to take a lot out of him.
The fight stays on the outside here - Cruise looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Cruise takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.

Cruise has taken the fight to the clinch.
Cruise is trying to stall.
Cruise misses with a body punch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Abramson lands a hook that snaps the head of Cruise backwards.
Cruise is trying to push Abramson away but Abramson has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Cruise stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Abramson being controlled against the cage.
Cruise stalling in the clinch but Abramson improves position.
Cruise misses with a punch on the inside.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Abramson is working for takedown but Cruise is calmly controlling the position for now.
Abramson being controlled against the cage.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Lester Cruise.
I think Cruise has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Eddie Farnsworth scores the fight 28:29
Judge Joseph Jones scores the fight 28:29
Judge Anthony Taglia scores the fight 29:29

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Lester Cruise!