PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Thiago Cruz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and kyle connelly (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Cruz
vs
connelly

160 cm
21
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

165 cm
20
154 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ Brown Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Thiago Cruz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, kyle connelly!
The judges for this bout are Skip Squint, Hugh Johnson and Eliza Hachem.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
connelly swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
connelly looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Cruz is fending him off so far but connelly persists. Nope, Cruz circles away and we're back to standing.

Cruz shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Cruz was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
connelly throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
Cruz looking to finish connelly with some ground and pound. This is bad for connelly!
connelly is trying desperately to improve position.
Cruz lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Cruz scores with a couple of good head shots there.
connelly is bucking up trying to escape but Cruz cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
connelly is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Cruz looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Cruz working connelly over with strikes here.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Cruz avoids the attempt from connelly to control.
connelly is working to get back to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
connelly is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Cruz tries to control but connelly wriggling away.
Cruz lands a nice shot to the head.
Cruz has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of connelly's face.
connelly looks gassed!
Cruz lands with some vicious ground and pound - can connelly hang on?
connelly working to try and regain half guard.
connelly wants to control but Cruz is having none of it.
Cruz looking to finish connelly with some ground and pound. This is bad for connelly!
Cruz lands a big elbow.
connelly working to try and regain half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cruz lands with some vicious ground and pound - can connelly hang on?

Cruz is going olschool here, as he tries to force connelly to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so connelly shrugs it off.
Cruz working connelly over with strikes here.
connelly is bucking up trying to escape but Cruz cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Cruz is landing with some decent strikes but connelly is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Cruz with the ground and pound from mount.
Cruz landing shots from mount.
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!
A nice elbow there by Cruz.
connelly is working to get back to half guard.
Cruz wants to control the pace but connelly is squirming around nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz avoids the attempt from connelly to control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Cruz lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
connelly is trying desperately to improve position.
Cruz unloading with bombs!
The referee warns connelly that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.

Cruz is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. connelly can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
connelly taking shots to the head.
Cruz looking to control but connelly is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
connelly is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.
connelly is in all sorts of trouble here.
connelly tries to lock up and control but Cruz gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Cruz working connelly over with strikes here.
Cruz working away from the top, dropping strikes.
connelly working to try and regain half guard.
Cruz breaks from connelly's wrist control and lands an elbow.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
connelly is squirming around, avoiding Cruz's attempts to control the action.
Cruz with good strikes from the mount here!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Thiago Cruz dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Cruz throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. connelly was covering up waiting for the punch and Cruz finishes the takedown easily into guard.

connelly has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Cruz can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Cruz content to stall in guard here.
Cruz wants to control from the top but connelly keeps moving.

Cruz thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz is in close to connelly's body, working some short punches and elbows.

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

Cruz gets to his feet - connelly follows without any prompting.

Cruz gets a takedown into half guard.

connelly looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
connelly is not content to let Cruz control the position.
Cruz wants to pass to mount but connelly is defending the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
connelly moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.

connelly escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Cruz gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

connelly looking for a guillotine here but Cruz defends easily.

connelly is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Cruz is aware though and is defending well.
Cruz postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.

connelly looking for a guillotine here but Cruz defends easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
connelly tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Cruz stands up from connelly's guard - Cruz perhaps looking for a knockout.

connelly gets caught flat footed, as Cruz shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
connelly wants to improve his position but instead Cruz has moved into half guard.
Cruz controlling the action here.
Cruz is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
connelly is trying to control but can't.

Cruz is sneakily working for an arm triangle but connelly sees it coming and defends easily.
Cruz passes the guard and advances to mount!
connelly is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
connelly really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Thiago Cruz dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

A combination from Cruz does no damage.
connelly misses with a takedown attempt

and Cruz counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Cruz seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but connelly does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Cruz looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks connelly with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Cruz prevents connelly from improving his position.
connelly is refusing to be controlled, as Cruz sits in half guard.

connelly is working on a guillotine. He's managed to get to full guard and he's really squeezing tight! Cruz is tapping! Great win for connelly!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:58 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Guillotine). kyle connelly!