PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Rafael Cruz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Thiago Meida (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Cruz comes to the cage accompanied by My Way - Limpbizkit. Rafael Cruz has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Cruz
vs
Meida

186 cm
24
185 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

180 cm
25
190 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

Good takedowns
Counter fighter
Self confident

Good takedowns
Counter fighter
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rafael Cruz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Thiago Meida!
The judges for this bout are Edson Gomes, Paulo Santos and Daniel Cesar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cruz scores with a jab to the head.
Cruz stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Cruz scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Meida takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Cruz displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Meida.
Meida moves away from the strike by Cruz.

Cruz forces Meida back against the cage and clinches.

Meida jumps guard and drags Cruz to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.

Meida looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

Meida looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Cruz passes Meida's left leg - he's now in half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz prevents Meida from improving his position.

Meida looking for subs from the bottom but Cruz mounts him!
Cruz looking to control but Meida is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Cruz avoids the attempt from Meida to control.
Cruz trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Meida is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Meida is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Meida is looking to get to half guard.
Cruz trying to control but he's not successful this time.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Cruz is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Meida can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Cruz looking to control and managing it successfully.
Meida is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Meida is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Cruz takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Meida is trying desperately to improve position.
Cruz looking to control but Meida is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Meida is in all sorts of trouble here.
Cruz can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Meida is looking to escape.
Meida can't escape the position.
Meida tries to hold on but Cruz pushes him away.
Meida is trying to escape the mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Meida wants to hold on but Cruz pushes him away.
Cruz wants to control the pace but Meida is squirming around nicely.
Cruz prevents Meida from getting the reversal.
Cruz wants to control the pace but Meida is squirming around nicely.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Meida gets back to half guard.

Meida looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rafael Cruz dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Meida tries for a takedown but Cruz circles away easily
and Meida takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Meida shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Cruz counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Cruz throws a right and a left that both miss.
Meida drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Cruz defends it well.
Cruz misses with an uppercut. Meida saw that one coming.
A jab from Cruz finds it's way through Meida's defenses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Cruz fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Meida, pushing him back against the cage.
Cruz misses with a hook from the clinch.
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.

Cruz has Meida pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Cruz pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Meida tumbling to the mat - Cruz dives into Meida's guard.
Meida looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz wants to control from the top but Meida keeps moving.
Rafael Cruz overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Meida looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Cruz passes into side control.
Cruz trying to control the action but Meida is working from the bottom.
Meida is looking for a sweep.

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.
Meida struggling a bit here.

Cruz tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Cruz has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Cruz trying to control the position but Meida is working away.
Cruz moves into full mount!
Meida is squirming around, avoiding Cruz's attempts to control the action.
Meida keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Cruz working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Cruz avoids the attempt from Meida to control.
Meida is looking to get to half guard.
Meida manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Cruz is keen to just control but Meida is a slippery customer.

Meida looking for submissions off his back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Meida actively working from the bottom here.
Cruz passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Meida!
Meida tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Cruz looking to control but Meida is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Cruz content just to control the position here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rafael Cruz dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Cruz scores with a sloppy right hand. Meida should have avoided that one.
Cruz scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.

It looks like Thiago Meida has been cut.
Meida shoots in for a takedown but Cruz shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Meida shoots for a takedown but Cruz saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Cruz throws a good cross that connects.

Cruz closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Cruz lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Meida slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Cruz trying to control but Meida is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz looking to pass the guard.

Meida looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

Meida is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

Meida looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Meida keeping moving, preventing Cruz from controlling successfully.
Cruz passes into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Cruz is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Meida sees it coming and defends easily.
Cruz is pressing down on Meida's thigh, looking to free his foot. Meida is holding on for now.
Cruz takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Meida has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Cruz is working away from the top position though.
Cruz trying to pass the guard but Meida defending well.

Meida actively working from the bottom here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Cruz is working for a kimura but Meida is defending it quite comfortably.
Cruz trying to advance position but Meida counters by regaining guard.
Meida keeping moving, preventing Cruz from controlling successfully.

Cruz got a little sloppy there for a moment and Meida has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Cruz has managed to get both his arms back between Meida's legs - danger averted.
Cruz is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Meida can do to turn this around?

Meida is looking for a triangle but Cruz pushes his legs off easily.
Cruz trying to control the position from guard on top but Meida is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Meida controls Cruz momentarily but Cruz frees himself.
Cruz pushes down on Meida's leg and manages to get into half guard.

Meida is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Cruz pulls his head out easily.
Rafael Cruz is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Cruz is keen to just control but Meida is a slippery customer.
Meida has found himself in a tricky position here. He's been working his transitions in training so let's see if he can work his way out of it.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Meida trying to control from the bottom.
Thiago Meida has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Meida looking for submissions off his back.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rafael Cruz showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Cruz has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Edson Gomes scores the fight 30:27
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 30:27
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rafael Cruz!
As Rafael Cruz got his breath back, he grabbed the microphone and managed to blurt out the following: I have no contract after tonight. Caged Combat Rio; I thank you for the time here, I thank the fans as well. Maybe I come back here maybe I don't. Thank you for your support tonight i'm very happy for my performance'.