PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Soons Sam (ranked 23108 p4p, 3027 weight class) and Ricardo P Cruz (ranked 769 p4p, 392 weight class). Soons Sam has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Sam
vs
P Cruz

180 cm
33
220
4 - 9 - 1

193 cm
23
225
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Solid boxing
Experienced

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

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 4 - 9 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Soons Sam!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Ricardo P Cruz!
The judges for this bout are Reed Andrews, Dean Styles and Columbo Gatti.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
P Cruz connects with an inside leg kick.
P Cruz swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Nice shot by P Cruz.
Sam shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says P Cruz as he avoids it easily.
P Cruz throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

P Cruz closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
P Cruz effectively controlling the action here.

P Cruz breaks the clinch.
P Cruz fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
P Cruz lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by P Cruz.

It looks like Soons Sam has been cut.
P Cruz pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Sam back to the cage. P Cruz follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Sam shoots in for a takedown but P Cruz shows good takedown defense.
Sam shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. P Cruz defends it nicely.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Soons Sam. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sam throws a body kick that misses
and P Cruz counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.

Sam has P Cruz up against the cage in a clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

P Cruz breaks the clinch.
P Cruz lands a head kick. Sam smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
P Cruz lands with a cross.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Sam being controlled against the cage.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.

P Cruz breaks the clinch.

P Cruz moves into the clinch.
P Cruz has been looking to improve his clinch game in recent weeks. Sam seems to have the measure of him in the clinch so far, so let's see if P Cruz can turn it around.
P Cruz stalling the fight.
Sam wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

P Cruz breaks from the clinch.
Sam throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
P Cruz lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Ricardo P Cruz seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
P Cruz ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
P Cruz throws a nice looking combination but Sam bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Sam has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.
Sam throws a body punch but P Cruz moves out of range.
P Cruz throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
As P Cruz looks to move away, Sam throws a big counter combo but P Cruz just gets out of the way.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
P Cruz throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Sam.
Sam fails to land with a series of punches.

P Cruz clinches up against the cage.

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

P Cruz drives through and clinches with Sam against the cage.

Sam manages to pull guard.
P Cruz is stalling in the full guard.
Sam might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

P Cruz gets to his feet. Sam looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Sam looks to clinch
and P Cruz counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.

P Cruz moves into the clinch.
Sam wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

P Cruz breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Sam tries to clinch but P Cruz is having none of it.
A nice leg kick lands there from P Cruz.

P Cruz darts in and clinches Sam up against the cage.
P Cruz gets underhooks to prevent Sam's takedown attempt.

P Cruz's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
P Cruz lands with a right hand.
Ricardo P Cruz is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sam fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but P Cruz avoids it really well and circles away.

P Cruz has taken the fight to the clinch.
Sam fails to pull the fight into his guard.

P Cruz escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

P Cruz has taken the fight to the clinch.

P Cruz breaks from the clinch.

P Cruz moves into the clinch.
Sam wants to take the fight to the mat but P Cruz manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.

P Cruz's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
P Cruz throws a nice looking combination but Sam bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Sam dives in for a single leg takedown but P Cruz sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Sam dodges an elbow strike from P Cruz.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Ricardo P Cruz dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Soons Sam's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

P Cruz pushes Sam away with a front kick.
Sam tries to clinch there but P Cruz circles away.
Nice sprawl there from P Cruz as Sam shoots in.
Despite the aggression on P Cruz's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
P Cruz tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
P Cruz throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Sam tries to counter by clinching up but P Cruz breaks away and moves out of range.
P Cruz lands with a good body shot.

P Cruz has closed the distance and engaged Sam in a clinch.
Sam is trying to pull guard but P Cruz has him pressed against the cage.
A quick uppercut on the inside from P Cruz.

P Cruz breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
P Cruz closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Sam jabbing away but nothing is landing.
P Cruz is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
P Cruz throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A head kick misses from P Cruz.
P Cruz tries a head kick but it misses.
Sam tries to score a power double leg takedown but P Cruz sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Sam somewhat.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Soons Sam. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sam misses with an attempted mid kick.

P Cruz moves into the clinch.

P Cruz manages to break the clinch.

P Cruz moves into the clinch.
P Cruz stalling in the clinch.

P Cruz breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
P Cruz swats away the attempt to clinch by Sam.
P Cruz unleashes a big counter combination but Sam bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.
P Cruz lands a jab to the nose.
Soons Sam is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Sam wants to clinch up but P Cruz keeps it at a distance.
P Cruz throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

P Cruz gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

P Cruz breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Sam misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
P Cruz will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
P Cruz scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

P Cruz rushes Sam and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

P Cruz breaks the clinch.
P Cruz closes the distance and lands a one-two.
P Cruz has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
P Cruz misses with a kick to the body.
A head kick misses from P Cruz.
P Cruz displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Sam.
Ricardo P Cruz seems to be getting the better of the standup.

P Cruz gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
P Cruz lands with a right to the head.
Sam has P Cruz pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. P Cruz manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.

P Cruz pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
P Cruz throws a right hand that Sam ducks under and follows up with a left that Sam also avoids with ease.
Sam shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with P Cruz but P Cruz pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Sam tries to close the distance and clinch up but P Cruz swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Sam dives in and grabs P Cruz's left leg, looking for a takedown. P Cruz pushes down on Sam's head and hops out.
Sam fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
P Cruz throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
P Cruz looks to land a combination. Sam sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
P Cruz's jab looks to have found its range, popping Sam under the eye.
Sam has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.

Sam is rocked!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

P Cruz has closed the distance and engaged Sam in a clinch.
Oh Sam is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!

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

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sam gets caught by a brutal right hook which buckles his knees! Sam tries to backpedal with his spaghettilegs but P Cruz is headhunting and goes for the kill. A jab and a right hook connect and Sam buckles badly as his eyes roll back. The referee steps in and saves Sam!! Sam is complaining but he was clearly out on his feet. P Cruz throws his mouthpiece into the crowd. Mmmm spit-tastic.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:06 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Ricardo P Cruz!