PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Xavi D Cruz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Alphonse Roux (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). D Cruz comes into the arena with mama said knock you out blaring out of the sound system. Xavi D Cruz is staring across the cage at his opponent, tweaking his nipples... Tweaking his own nipples that is.

D Cruz
vs
Roux

178 cm
19
179 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

173 cm
22
184 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Big heart

Good takedowns
Basic striking
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Xavi D Cruz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Alphonse Roux!
The judges for this bout are Paul Tew, Steven Brown and James Atkins.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

D Cruz shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. D Cruz showed some decent athleticism there.
Roux trying to control from the bottom.
D Cruz thows a big elbow that misses, also allowing Roux to regain full guard.
Roux controls D Cruz momentarily but D Cruz frees himself.
Roux seems keen to control D Cruz's posture.
Roux throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Roux avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as D Cruz accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Roux has momentary wrist control but D Cruz slips an elbow through the middle.
D Cruz lands a couple of digs.
D Cruz throws a big right hand that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Roux looking for a guillotine here but D Cruz defends easily.
Roux is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Roux looking for a sweep. Not yet Roux, not yet.
Roux is trying to control the position but D Cruz postures up.
D Cruz with a flurry of punches that miss.
Roux is trying to keep D Cruz in close.
D Cruz stands up over Roux, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!

Roux working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. D Cruz doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. D Cruz manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

D Cruz is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Roux managing to control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Roux preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
D Cruz throws a strike but Roux rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Roux trying to control but D Cruz is working from the bottom.
D Cruz knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Roux on the ground.
D Cruz looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Roux slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Roux drops back looking for a leg! D Cruz is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and D Cruz manages to kick Roux off! Roux jumps back into D Cruz's guard.
D Cruz has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Roux won't allow D Cruz to get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Roux looking to sit in guard and control but D Cruz gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Roux is trying to control the position but D Cruz postures up.

Despite being in the dominant position, Alphonse Roux just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Roux shoots in but D Cruz avoids the takedown attempt easily.
D Cruz walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Roux checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Roux misses with a takedown attempt
and D Cruz counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Roux looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
D Cruz works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
D Cruz scores with a sloppy right hand. Roux should have avoided that one.
Some wild striking there from D Cruz.
D Cruz scores with a jab to the body.
D Cruz darts in and out, connecting with a jab.

D Cruz shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
D Cruz throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

D Cruz connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Roux takes one to the chin there.
D Cruz lands a glancing blow to the side of Roux's head.
Roux thows a left - swing and a miss!
D Cruz fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
D Cruz connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Xavi D Cruz is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Roux gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
D Cruz connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
D Cruz jabs at Roux's body.
D Cruz dips down and scores with a jab to the body.

Roux changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. D Cruz looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Roux wants to control but D Cruz is keeping him busy.
D Cruz seems a little lost for a moment, as Roux dominates the positioning.
D Cruz can't do much from the bottom here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Roux wants to lay and pray for a moment but D Cruz keeps working.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.

Roux thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

Roux is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. D Cruz knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Roux is breathing heavily.
D Cruz struggling a bit here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

D Cruz shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Roux working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from D Cruz.

Roux escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. D Cruz gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
D Cruz throwing strikes but missing.
D Cruz trying to control the position from guard on top but Roux is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Roux controlling D Cruz's posture.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
D Cruz throws a big right hand that misses.
D Cruz throws a strike but Roux rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Roux trying to control but D Cruz is working from the bottom.
D Cruz on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if D Cruz tries to get out of the position.
D Cruz is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Roux is controlling him.
D Cruz controls Roux momentarily but Roux frees himself.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Xavi D Cruz will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

D Cruz connects with a looping right hand.

D Cruz is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Roux's half guard.
D Cruz working over Roux with some ground and pound. Roux looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Roux regains full guard. Nicely done.
Roux preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
D Cruz is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Roux controls D Cruz momentarily but D Cruz frees himself.
D Cruz works a leg free and moves into half guard.
D Cruz not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Roux is trying to control but can't.

Roux looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Roux trying to control but D Cruz postures up.
Roux takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Roux actively working from the bottom here.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
D Cruz scores with a three punch combo!
D Cruz scores with a nice strike.
D Cruz lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
D Cruz lands an overhand right.
D Cruz's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and D Cruz duly obliges.
D Cruz listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
D Cruz misses with a jab, cross combination.
Decent striking displayed by D Cruz there.
D Cruz lands a nice hook to Roux's body. Roux takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
D Cruz throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.

D Cruz scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
What's Roux going to do here then? He's in a bit of a pickle.
Roux wants to control but D Cruz postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The ground and pound from D Cruz seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Roux can't do much from the bottom here.
D Cruz lands a decent elbow from side control.
Roux taking a bit of punishment here - D Cruz scoring with strikes.
D Cruz lands a nice forearm strike.
D Cruz misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Roux dodges the ground and pound from D Cruz.
Roux stuck in half guard on the bottom here.
D Cruz working away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
D Cruz creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
D Cruz tries to score with some ground and pound. Roux controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Roux parries the strikes from D Cruz easily there. D Cruz is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Roux to escape.
Roux wants to control but D Cruz postures up.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
D Cruz ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.

D Cruz darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Roux preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.
Alphonse Roux has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Roux trying to hold on to D Cruz's head to control him but D Cruz postures up.
Roux is trying to avoid being dragged into an even worse position than he's already in but D Cruz is staying active.
D Cruz working over Roux with some ground and pound. Roux looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Xavi D Cruz is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
D Cruz sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Roux defending well though.
D Cruz not landing any meaningful shots this time.
D Cruz is looking to take a break and control but Roux is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
D Cruz is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Roux is looking to improve his position.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
D Cruz throws out a powerful jab.
Roux moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
D Cruz lands with a shot to the body.

D Cruz shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Roux's guard.
Roux looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
D Cruz content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
D Cruz is looking to work some ground and pound but Roux has wrist control.

And that's the end of the fight!
Xavi D Cruz showed his dominance in that final round.
Well D 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 Paul Tew scores the fight 30:27
Judge Steven Brown scores the fight 29:28
Judge James Atkins scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Xavi D Cruz!