PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Dean Martin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jorge Cruz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Jorge Cruz will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Martin
vs
Cruz

195 cm
24
282 lbs
8 - 3 - 0

215 cm
26
225 lbs
8 - 3 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
KO power

Decent wrestler
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Dean Martin !
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Jorge Cruz!
The judges for this bout are Gwen Towbar, Daniel Franklin and Frank Dennis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cruz lands a jab to the nose.
A big left from Cruz misses.
Cruz lands a glancing blow to the side of Martin 's head.
Cruz looks to land a right hand but Martin moved out of range.
Cruz throws a jab but it's blocked by Martin .

Martin closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Cruz takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Cruz wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Martin throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Cruz tries to escape but Martin is in control.
Martin wants to lay and pray for a moment but Cruz keeps working.
Cruz is pushing Martin 's head away, looking to escape. Martin manages to hold on to the position though.
Cruz prevents Martin from moving into mount.
Cruz is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Martin is controlling him well.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Cruz misses with a jab, cross combination.
Cruz lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Martin shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Cruz manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Cruz utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Cruz wants to stand up but Martin is controlling him.
Martin distracts Cruz with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Martin stands up over Cruz, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Martin trying to control the position from guard on top but Cruz is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Cruz is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Martin is controlling him.
Martin loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Martin slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Martin in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Martin trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Martin with a flurry of punches that miss.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Cruz is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Martin is controlling him.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Martin fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Cruz, pushing him back against the cage.

Martin breaks from the clinch.
A shot to de liver by Cruz. Beautiful body shot.
Martin doesn't manage to clinch there - Cruz circles away.

Martin closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Cruz to the mat! Cruz manages to get full guard.
Martin stops Cruz from standing up.
Cruz is wriggling around but Martin manages to pass to half guard.
Martin drops an elbow to the side of Cruz's head.
Martin tries to pass the half guard into mount. Cruz knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Martin is nestled in close to Cruz, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Martin wants to control but Cruz is keeping him busy.
Martin winds up and cracks Cruz with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Cruz is trying to stand.
Martin seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.

Cruz kicks off Martin and gets to his feet.
Martin takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.

Martin moves into the clinch.
Cruz wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Cruz gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Martin .
Martin is breathing heavily.
Martin is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Cruz is keeping busy.
Cruz is looking to break free of the clinch but Martin has double underhooks.
Cruz is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Cruz tries to circle away but Martin has him pinned against the cage.

Cruz breaks the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Cruz gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Martin stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Cruz swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Cruz wants to stand up but Martin is controlling him.
Martin wants to control from the top but Cruz keeps moving.
Martin has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Martin missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Martin won't allow Cruz to get back to his feet.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Martin thows a big elbow that misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Dean Martin will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Cruz tries to keep at a distance but Martin has taken the fight into the clinch.
A right handed body shot lands from Martin .
Cruz tries to break free but Martin pushes him back against the cage.
Cruz wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Cruz.
Martin goes for a takedown in the clinch but Cruz prevents it.
Martin goes for a takedown in the clinch but Cruz prevents it.
Martin stalling in the clinch but Cruz improves position.
Cruz looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Cruz blocks a body shot from Martin .
Martin tries to work over Cruz's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Martin misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Martin lands an uppercut.
Martin lands with a short shot to the head.
Martin tries for a takedown. No joy.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Dean Martin . That's going to take a lot out of him.
Martin stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Martin wants to break free but Cruz has control.
Cruz blocks an uppercut.

Cruz escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Martin showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Cruz.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Cruz throws a jab when Martin was well out of range.
Cruz cracks a nice hook into Martin 's ribs.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Martin drives through and clinches with Cruz against the cage.
Cruz wants to break free but Martin has control.

Cruz escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Cruz's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Cruz duly obliges.
Martin steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Cruz.

Martin shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Martin is trying to control. Cruz wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Cruz won't allow Martin to pass to mount.
Martin missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Cruz wants to get back to his feet.
Martin is trying to control the action in half guard but Cruz is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Cruz wants to get back to his feet.

That's two 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.
Cruz lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Martin defending well as Cruz loads up on a big left hand.
Cruz is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Martin lands a nice hook to Cruz's body. Cruz takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.

Martin gets a takedown into half guard.
Martin trying to pass the guard but Cruz defending well.
Martin passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Cruz!
Martin tries to control but Cruz wriggling away.
Dean Martin overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Martin goes for an armbar but he's not got it… Cruz turns into him and now he's in Martin 's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Martin looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Cruz preventing the sweep.
Cruz tries to stand but Martin is controlling from the bottom.

Cruz gets to his feet. Martin looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Martin clinches up with Cruz and pushes him back against the cage.
Cruz wants to break free but Martin has control.
Martin keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Cruz's efforts to push away.
Cruz looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Cruz can't break the clinch.

Cruz breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Martin closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Martin lands in his opponent's guard.
Cruz wants to stand but Martin is controlling the position.
Martin with a flurry of punches that miss.
Martin trying to control the position from guard on top but Cruz is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Martin trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Martin cracks Cruz with a solid left hand.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dean Martin dominated that second round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. And we move into the final round!

Cruz scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Jorge Cruz seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Martin is trying hard to land a takedown here. Cruz sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Cruz throws a sloppy body shot

and Martin counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Martin trying to control but Cruz is working from the bottom.

Cruz has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Martin off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Cruz digs a good hook to Martin 's body.
Cruz tests Martin 's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Cruz looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Cruz throws a right hand that Martin ducks under and follows up with a left that Martin also avoids with ease.
Cruz lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Jorge Cruz is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Donk. Cruz catches Martin right on the button with a cross.
Cruz throws a right and a left that both miss.

Martin clinches.

Cruz breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Cruz throws a shot from downtown. Martin moves away and avoids it.
Cruz throws an overhand right that lands on Martin 's shoulder, as Martin tries to avoid the shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz throws a series of punches but Martin moves out of range.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Martin takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Cruz works over Martin 's head and body with a nice combination.
Cruz misses with a wild combination.

Martin bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Cruz wants to get back to his feet but Martin drags him back down.
Cruz prevents Martin from improving position.
Martin cracks Cruz with a big right hand but Cruz just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Cruz is trying to buck Martin off.
Cruz prevents Martin from improving position.
Martin wants to lay and pray for a moment but Cruz keeps working.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cruz tries to escape but Martin is in control.
Martin misses with an attempted head punch from side control.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Cruz swats away the attempt to clinch by Martin .
Cruz misses with a double jab

and Martin counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Cruz!
Martin landing shots from mount.
Martin looking to finish Cruz with some ground and pound. This is bad for Cruz!
Cruz is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.
Martin trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Cruz in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Martin is landing with some decent strikes but Cruz is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Cruz is trying to stand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Martin looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Cruz's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.
Dean Martin is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Martin looking to control and managing it successfully.
Cruz is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.
Jorge Cruz has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four 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.
Martin controlling the position easily from mount.
Cruz is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.
Martin takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Martin lands a nice shot to the head.
Martin wants to control the pace but Cruz is squirming around nicely.
Cruz swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.

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 Dean Martin .
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Martin , winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Gwen Towbar scores the fight 30:27
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 30:27
Judge Frank Dennis scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Dean Martin !