PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Anthony Ruiz (ranked 3397 p4p, 4480 weight class) and Emmet Alex (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The key to victory for Anthony Ruiz has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Ruiz
vs
Alex

188 cm
25
184
1 - 1 - 0

190 cm
22
190
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Self confident

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Determined

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 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Anthony Ruiz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Emmet Alex!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Percy O'Donnell and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ruiz throws a body kick that misses.
Ruiz misses with a head kick.
Ruiz misses with a wild combination.
Alex steps in looking to clinch after the strikes miss from Ruiz.
Ruiz fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Alex checks it well.
Alex dives in for a single leg takedown but Ruiz sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Alex avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Alex throws a body kick despite being completely out of range

and Ruiz counters with a flying knee that sends his opponent to the canvas! Ruiz looking to finish!
Ruiz looking to pass the guard.

Ruiz avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Ruiz pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Alex is keeping the position for now.

Alex is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ruiz pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Alex is keeping the position for now.
Ruiz pushing down on Alex's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Ruiz looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Ruiz is keen to just control but Alex is a slippery customer.
Alex misses with some strikes from the bottom.

Ruiz is trying to work for a kimura but Alex is defending well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Alex wants to control but Ruiz is keeping busy and won't allow it.

Ruiz is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Ruiz uses his free foot to push down on Alex's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Alex.
Ruiz takes his opponent's back. Perhaps a chance to lock up a rear naked choke here.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Alex is really stuck here.
Alex really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Ruiz. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Alex is trying to get back to his feet but he's not managed it yet.
Ruiz tries to get the hooks in deep but Alex pushed the leg off.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Ruiz has his opponent's back and is working for the choke.
Alex trying to control the action but Ruiz just sinks the hooks in.

Ruiz is working hard for the rear naked choke here.

Ruiz seems to be going for a rear naked choke. He has an arm under Alex's chin but Alex turns very nicely into Ruiz's guard. Good BJJ skills being displayed there by Alex.

Ruiz is working an open guard so Alex takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Alex closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Alex working away.

Alex tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Alex has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.
Alex throwing strikes but Ruiz manages to buck up and roll into a nice reversal - now he's on top in side control!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Ruiz tries to stand but Alex is controlling his head.
Alex tries to improve position but can't.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Anthony Ruiz dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Ruiz connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Ruiz tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Alex paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Ruiz tries a low kick but Alex avoids it.
Ruiz displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Alex.

Alex rushes Ruiz and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Alex is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Ruiz gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Alex blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Ruiz with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Ruiz misses with a knee strike.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ruiz is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Ruiz.
Alex keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Ruiz's efforts to push away.
Alex on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ruiz wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Ruiz is trying to push Alex away but Alex has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Ruiz swings away with an uppercut that misses.

Alex breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Some bone on bone action there as Alex checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.

Alex feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.

Ruiz pushes Alex off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Alex has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Alex there as he acknowledges the shot.
Alex fails with the takedown
and Ruiz connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Anthony Ruiz has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Emmet Alex.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Ruiz.
Anthony Ruiz is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Ruiz is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Alex keeps the fight on the outside.
Alex gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Ruiz counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Anthony Ruiz is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Alex is breathing heavily.
Alex changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Ruiz tries to avoid it but Alex manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Ruiz to the ground. Ruiz escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Ruiz is looking for a counter combo.
Ruiz shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Alex eats them both and turns towards Ruiz to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Ruiz, as that shot connected.

Alex is rocked!
Alex keeps the fight on the outside.
Ruiz tries to clinch but Alex moves out of range.
Alex now looks to counter with a shot at the body.

Alex clinches up with Ruiz and pushes him back against the cage.
Alex's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Alex creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Ruiz's defenses.

Alex pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
A lazy left from Ruiz finds it's target.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ruiz fails with an attempt to clinch.
Alex is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Ruiz.
Alex is still on wobbly legs! Can Ruiz finish him?
Alex takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
A punch combination from Alex misses.
Anthony Ruiz seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A nice inside leg kick there by Ruiz. That's going to slow Alex down.
Look low, kick high! Ruiz uses the oldest trick in the book to send Alex tumbling to the canvas, in a truly brutal knockout! Ruiz is absolutely delighted - when Alex wakes up, I doubt he'll be quite so happy!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:25 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Head Kick). Anthony Ruiz!
Anthony Ruiz bigged himself up after the win. The crowd seemed to love it.