PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Damian De La Cruz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Echo Kyu (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). De La Cruz kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Ransom. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

De La Cruz
vs
Kyu

199 cm
18
290 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

209 cm
19
292 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Self confident

BJJ White Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Damian De La Cruz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Echo Kyu!
The judges for this bout are Mauricio Rocha, Luis Engracia and Thiago Cunha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
De La Cruz fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Kyu misses with a jab, cross combination.
De La Cruz throws a one two combo.

It looks like Echo Kyu has been cut.

De La Cruz clinches with his opponent.
De La Cruz wants to stall.
A short right from Kyu on the inside.

It looks like Damian De La Cruz has been cut.

De La Cruz gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Kyu is looking for a sweep. De La Cruz is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Kyu keeps control of the position for the meantime.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Still in half guard, De La Cruz seems content to control.
Kyu is looking to escape.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kyu makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Kyu.
De La Cruz thows a big elbow that misses.
De La Cruz postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
De La Cruz trying to control but Kyu is working from the bottom.
Kyu looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Kyu being controlled here, momentarily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
De La Cruz trying to control the position from guard on top but Kyu is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
De La Cruz pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Kyu is keeping the position for now.
De La Cruz wants to control from the top but Kyu keeps moving.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Kyu gets the takedown into side control.
De La Cruz prevents Kyu from improving position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kyu throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Kyu looks gassed!
Kyu trying to control the action but De La Cruz is working from the bottom.
De La Cruz manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
De La Cruz tries to get to full guard but Kyu has control of the leg.
De La Cruz is pressing down on Kyu's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Kyu wants to control from the top but De La Cruz keeps moving.
De La Cruz controls Kyu momentarily but Kyu frees himself.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Kyu working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Kyu stays in close to De La Cruz's body and controls the position.

De La Cruz is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.

De La Cruz breaks from the clinch.
Kyu misses with a two punch combination.
De La Cruz is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Kyu tries to clinch but De La Cruz moves away

and De La Cruz decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Kyu's guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
De La Cruz is pushing down on Kyu's leg trying to pass to half guard. Kyu is fighting to maintain full guard but De La Cruz has managed to sneak the leg through.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Damian De La Cruz dominated that round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
That's time! Back to the action!

Kyu is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Kyu moves in looking to clinch but De La Cruz pushes him off.
Kyu lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as De La Cruz backs up against the cage.
Kyu fails with the takedown.

De La Cruz darts in and clinches Kyu up against the cage.
De La Cruz fails to pull guard.
Kyu tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
A body shot lands from De La Cruz.

Kyu breaks the clinch.

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

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

De La Cruz scores with a takedown into Kyu's guard.
Kyu keeping moving, preventing De La Cruz from controlling successfully.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
De La Cruz would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Kyu is pulling down on De La Cruz's head. It's preventing any offense from De La Cruz, at least for the moment.
Kyu keeping moving, preventing De La Cruz from controlling successfully.

That's two 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.
Kyu wants to sweep here but De La Cruz controlling him for the moment.
De La Cruz throws a big right hand that misses.
Kyu can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as De La Cruz controls the pace.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Kyu tries to clinch but De La Cruz moves out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kyu falls off balance throwing a combination

so De La Cruz counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Kyu tries to land a sweep but no joy.
De La Cruz thows a big elbow that misses.
De La Cruz trying to control but Kyu is working from the bottom.
De La Cruz could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

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

De La Cruz stands up from Kyu's guard - De La Cruz perhaps looking for a knockout.
De La Cruz walks into a straight right hand from Kyu.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Damian De La Cruz dominated that second round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
That's time! De La Cruz's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

De La Cruz gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
De La Cruz preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
De La Cruz is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

Kyu avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now De La Cruz is on top in guard.
De La Cruz trying to control the position from guard on top but Kyu is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kyu is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
De La Cruz thows a big elbow that misses.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
De La Cruz wants to control from the top but Kyu keeps moving.
De La Cruz has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Kyu is proving hard to escape from.
De La Cruz preventing the sweep.

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.
Kyu pulls De La Cruz in to control the position.
De La Cruz trying to control the position from guard on top but Kyu is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Kyu throws a one two combo.
Kyu shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and De La Cruz counters with a nice double leg into side control. Kyu won't be happy with that.
De La Cruz slows the pace down.
Kyu is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but De La Cruz has just dragged him back down to the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kyu is looking to regain half guard here but De La Cruz keeps moving and retains side control.

De La Cruz decides to stand back up.

De La Cruz pushes Kyu up against the cage in a clinch.

Kyu's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
De La Cruz misses with a takedown attempt

and Kyu counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Kyu.
De La Cruz tries to land a sweep but no joy.
De La Cruz is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kyu pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. De La Cruz is keeping the position for now.
Kyu looking to sit in guard and control but De La Cruz gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
De La Cruz is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Kyu can do anything to dispel that myth.
Kyu wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Damian De La Cruz.
Well De La 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 Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 29:28
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight 30:27
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 30:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Damian De La Cruz!