PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Bobby Cruz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ronny Goldstein (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Cruz
vs
Goldstein

185 cm
22
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
24
185 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Big heart

Good wrestler
Counter striker
Granite chin

We Go Hard

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Bobby Cruz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Ronny Goldstein!
The judges for this bout are Robert Twigg, Stewart Dunkirk and Gwen Towbar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cruz tries to clinch but Goldstein is having none of it.

Cruz looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Goldstein is trying to control the position but Cruz postures up.
Goldstein throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Goldstein throwing short punches from the bottom.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Goldstein throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Goldstein can do anything to dispel that myth.
Goldstein throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Goldstein trying to strike off his back.
Goldstein looking for a sweep. Not yet Goldstein, not yet.
Goldstein throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.

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

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Cruz tries to throw a body punch but Goldstein avoids it by throwing Cruz back against the cage.
Cruz stalling in the clinch but Goldstein improves position.
Goldstein goes for a takedown attempt but Cruz pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

Goldstein feints and as Cruz raises his hands in defense, Goldstein changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Goldstein postures up and lands a big shot to Cruz's brow.
Goldstein is looking to work some ground and pound but Cruz has wrist control.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Cruz is on top in guard.
Cruz stopping the sweep attempt from Goldstein.
Cruz is looking to stand up but Goldstein won't let him.
Goldstein keeping full guard, as Cruz tries to pass.
Cruz trying to control the position from guard on top but Goldstein is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Goldstein pulls Cruz in close to prevent any damage.
Cruz wants to control from the top but Goldstein keeps moving.
Cruz chips away with some ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Cruz tries to close the distance and clinch but Goldstein swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Cruz fails with the takedown

and Goldstein counters with a takedown into side control.
Goldstein cracks Cruz with a big right hand but Cruz just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Goldstein lands an elbow.
Cruz on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Goldstein just content to control the position.
Goldstein lands an elbow.
Goldstein scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Cruz to see if he's OK.
Cruz gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Goldstein thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Cruz's head.
Goldstein is controlling the pace.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Goldstein has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Goldstein looks gassed!
Goldstein looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Cruz is looking to escape.
Goldstein is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Cruz tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Cruz trying to control here.
Cruz is looking to improve his position.
Cruz has hold of Goldstein's hands but Goldstein slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Goldstein lands strikes from half guard.
Cruz keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Goldstein connects with a nice short shot to Cruz's temple.
Goldstein is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Cruz is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Goldstein working over Cruz with some ground and pound. Cruz looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Cruz looks like he's trying to stand up.
Goldstein working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Cruz is looking to improve his position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Ground and pound from Goldstein.
Goldstein is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Cruz wants to control but Goldstein is keeping busy and won't allow it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ronny Goldstein dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Goldstein drives through with a takedown into guard.
Cruz has momentary wrist control but Goldstein slips an elbow through the middle.
Cruz trying to control the position.
Goldstein lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Goldstein with a nice head shot there.
Ronny Goldstein has got the better of the ground game so far.
Goldstein working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Cruz's head.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Cruz working a defensive guard here.
Goldstein thows a big elbow that misses.
Goldstein lands a couple of elbows.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Goldstein connects with a couple of short punches.
Cruz is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Goldstein is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Goldstein is stalling in the full guard.
Goldstein scoring with punches to the head and body.
Cruz is trying to keep Goldstein in close.
Cruz wants to sweep here but Goldstein controlling him for the moment.
Goldstein postures up.
Goldstein with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Goldstein sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Goldstein keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Cruz's head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cruz working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Goldstein.
Goldstein working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Cruz keeping moving, preventing Goldstein from controlling successfully.
Goldstein working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Cruz's head.
Cruz is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Cruz seems to be looking for submissions.
Goldstein punching from the bottom.
Goldstein lands a couple of sideways elbows.
Cruz sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Goldstein defending well though.
Cruz wants to lay and pray for a moment but Goldstein keeps working.

Goldstein makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Goldstein bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Goldstein working the body and head with strikes.
Goldstein wants to lay and pray for a moment but Cruz keeps working.
Goldstein tries to score with some ground and pound. Cruz controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
An elbow from Goldstein crashes against the mat.
Goldstein misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Cruz managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Goldstein.
Cruz is trying to improve his position.
Goldstein is pausing for a moment. What's he doing? It looks like he's clearing his nose. Oh dude! He's shot a load of snot all down Cruz's shoulder. That is not cool.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Cruz instigates a clinch.
Cruz doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Cruz misses with a knee strike.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Cruz breaks from the clinch.

Goldstein darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Cruz is trying to get back to full guard.
Goldstein winds up and cracks Cruz with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Goldstein wants to take a breather but Cruz is having none of it.
Cruz wants to control but Goldstein is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Cruz works his way to full guard. Good work.
Goldstein landing with the ground and pound.
Goldstein cracks Cruz with a solid left hand.
Goldstein lands a couple of elbows.
Goldstein thows a big elbow that misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ronny Goldstein showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Cruz moves in looking to clinch but Goldstein pushes him off.
Cruz misses with a takedown attempt

and Goldstein counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Goldstein lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Goldstein slows the pace down in half guard.
Goldstein lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Cruz trying to control but Goldstein postures up.
Cruz wants to improve his position but Goldstein is controlling well.
Goldstein winds up and cracks Cruz with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Goldstein seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Goldstein scores with a couple of good hammerfists.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Goldstein lands strikes from half guard.
Goldstein is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Cruz wants to get back to full guard.
Goldstein trying to control from half guard but Cruz is working away.
Goldstein looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Cruz with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Goldstein working over Cruz with some ground and pound. Cruz looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.

Cruz is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Goldstein pulls his head out easily.
Goldstein seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Goldstein passes to side control.
Cruz is not in a great position here, taking some shots.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Goldstein lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Cruz down.
Cruz is looking to reverse the position.
Goldstein in side control lands a decent elbow.
Cruz on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Goldstein lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Cruz down.
Goldstein working the body and head with strikes.
Goldstein in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.

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

Goldstein scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Cruz takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Goldstein scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Cruz to see if he's OK.
Cruz struggling a bit here.
Goldstein working the head and body with strikes.
Bobby Cruz has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Cruz tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Goldstein wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Goldstein is putting a hurting on Cruz here, landing some big shots from side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz is trying to get back to half guard.
Goldstein working the body and head with strikes.

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

Cruz gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Cruz's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Cruz gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Goldstein counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Cruz!
Cruz taking shots to the head.
Goldstein looking to control but Cruz is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Goldstein dominating with strikes here.
Goldstein throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Cruz is working to get back to half guard.
Goldstein looking to control but Cruz is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cruz taking shots to the head.
Cruz is in all sorts of trouble here.
Goldstein looking to finish Cruz with some ground and pound. This is bad for Cruz!
Goldstein working the ground and pound effectively.
Goldstein landing strikes, looking to finish!
Goldstein lands with some strikes.
Goldstein in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Goldstein landing shots from mount.
Cruz sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Cruz wants to control but Goldstein is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Goldstein seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Ronny Goldstein is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Goldstein is looking to take a break and control but Cruz is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ronny Goldstein comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Goldstein winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Robert Twigg scores the fight 27:30
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 27:30
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ronny Goldstein!