PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Donald Cross (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Eli Gabriel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Cross comes to the ring accompanied by You're A Jerk. Donald Cross had real problems making weight for this fight. After initially coming in at 136.8lbs, he had two hours to make the official fight weight. He made it but it will have taken a lot out of him to cut those extra few pounds. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Cross
vs
Gabriel

175 cm
18
144 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

160 cm
22
135 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Big heart

Poweful takedowns
Brawler
Powerful

Hellbent, Inc.

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Donald Cross!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Eli Gabriel!
The judges for this bout are Jorge Garcia, David Schapiro and Eddie Farnsworth.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nice sprawl there from Cross as Gabriel shoots in.
Gabriel throws a series of punches but Cross avoids them all with ease.

Gabriel tries to keep at a distance but Cross has taken the fight into the clinch.
The referee calls for Gabriel to work.
Gabriel wants a takedown.
Cross fails to pull the fight into his guard.

Gabriel is trying to trip Cross. He has hold of a leg but Cross is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Gabriel persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Cross is wriggling around but Gabriel manages to pass to half guard.
Gabriel content to control rather than advance.
Gabriel is thwarting Cross's attempts to control the position.
Cross blocking the ground and pound attempt from Gabriel.
Gabriel not doing much here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.

Gabriel stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.

Cross shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Cross showed some decent athleticism there.
Cross seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Gabriel does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Cross tries to pass the half guard into mount. Gabriel knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Gabriel is trying to control but can't.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Cross stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.
Cross tries to clinch there but Gabriel circles away.

Gabriel scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Cross is breathing heavily.
Cross is trying to get back to half guard.

Gabriel decides to stand up, so the ref orders Cross to his feet.
Cross tries to clinch there but Gabriel circles away.
The fight stays on the outside here - Cross looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Cross looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Gabriel is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Cross is controlling him.
Cross will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Gabriel looking for a sweep. Not yet Gabriel, not yet.
Gabriel is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Gabriel controls Cross momentarily but Cross frees himself.
Cross knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Gabriel on the ground.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Gabriel is on top in guard.
Gabriel slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Gabriel advances position into side control!
Cross avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Gabriel.

Gabriel stands up and we're back to a striking position.
Gabriel throws a head kick but Cross moves out of range.
Cross tries to clinch but Gabriel is having none of it.
Cross fails in his attempt to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cross tries to clinch but Gabriel is having none of it.

Cross clinches with his opponent.
A right hook to the body lands for Cross.
Cross fails to pull guard.
Cross jumps guard but Gabriel stands there with Cross around his waist. Cross gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Donald Cross. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Cross prevents a body shot from Gabriel.
Gabriel drops down looking for an ankle pick but Cross pulls his leg out and moves away.

Cross clinches up with Gabriel and pushes him back against the ropes.
Cross wants to break free but Gabriel has control.
Gabriel wants to get back to striking at distance but Cross won't allow it.
Gabriel blocks an elbow strike from Cross.
Gabriel stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Gabriel tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Cross just stands there and leans against the ropes.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Cross prevents Gabriel from breaking the clinch.
Cross blocks an uppercut.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eli Gabriel dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Gabriel avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Cross tries to close the distance and clinch but Gabriel swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Cross tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Gabriel tries for a takedown but Cross circles away easily

and Cross counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Gabriel!
Cross looking to control but Gabriel is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Gabriel manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Gabriel regains full guard. Nicely done.
Gabriel tries to strike from the bottom.
Cross trying to control the position from guard on top but Gabriel is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Gabriel is edging up against the ropes. He's using the ropes to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.
Cross manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cross unloads a knee to the mid-section. Gabriel lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Cross is looking to control Gabriel's arms but Gabriel gets an underhook and turns him. Now Cross has his back to the ropes.
Gabriel tries to pull guard but Cross won't allow it.
Cross lands a damaging elbow.
Cross looking to slow down the pace here.
Cross tries for a takedown. No joy.
Cross tries to land a knee to the head but Gabriel blocks with his arms.
Gabriel tries to land knees in the clinch but Cross avoids the damage to the body.
Cross wants to stall.
Cross keeps control of Gabriel as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Gabriel drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Cross gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Donald Cross has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Eli Gabriel.
Cross fails to pull the fight into his guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Gabriel is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the ropes.
Cross lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Gabriel or not.
Cross works on Gabriel's body with a couple of short punches.
Cross fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Cross is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Gabriel drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Cross gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Cross tries to pull guard but Gabriel holds him up against the ropes and eventually Cross drops back down to his feet.

Gabriel has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Cross uses from the top position.
Gabriel tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Cross has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Cross decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Gabriel, up you get!

Gabriel feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Gabriel controlling from the top position.

Cross looking for a guillotine here but Gabriel defends easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cross wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Gabriel throwing strikes but missing.
Gabriel controlling from the top position.
Gabriel trying to control but Cross is working from the bottom.
Eli Gabriel has got the better of the ground game so far.
Gabriel showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Cross wants to sweep but no luck.

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

Cross is looking for a triangle but Gabriel pushes his legs off easily.
Gabriel missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Cross working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Gabriel.

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

Gabriel clinches up against the ropes.

Gabriel has moved round to his opponent's back and is looking for a suplex! Oh snap! He's tossed Cross clear over his head and slammed him to the mat!
Gabriel misses with a punch to the head.
Cross covering up well and avoiding damage.
Gabriel is trying to stick to Cross's back but Cross is turning into Gabriel. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Gabriel's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Cross.
Cross wanted to stand there but Gabriel had control of the position.
Cross looking to sit in guard and control but Gabriel gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Cross is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Gabriel is controlling him.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eli Gabriel showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Gabriel with a lazy takedown attempt

and Cross counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Cross wanted to stand there but Gabriel had control of the position.
Cross trying to control but Gabriel is working from the bottom.
Cross wants to stand but Gabriel has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Cross is stalling in the full guard.
Gabriel is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Cross is controlling him.
Cross slips nicely into half guard.
Gabriel regains full guard. Nicely done.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cross wants to get up but he can't break Gabriel's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Cross trying to control but Gabriel is working from the bottom.
Gabriel trying to keep a closed guard but Cross is proving a slippery customer.
Gabriel has a closed guard, preventing Cross from standing up.
Cross slips nicely into half guard.

Cross decides to return to a standing position.
Cross wants to clinch

and Gabriel counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Gabriel.
Gabriel content to stall in guard here.
Cross keeping moving, preventing Gabriel from controlling successfully.
Cross is trying to keep Gabriel in close.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gabriel is pushing down on Cross's leg trying to pass to half guard. Cross is fighting to maintain full guard but Gabriel has managed to sneak the leg through.
Gabriel content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

Gabriel is trying to work for a kimura but Cross is defending well.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Gabriel is trying to control the action in half guard but Cross is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gabriel throwing shots but Cross is blocking nicely.
Cross looks like he's trying to stand up.
Cross is trying to get back to full guard.
Gabriel is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Cross wants to get back to his feet.
Gabriel wants to pass to mount but Cross is defending the position.

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

Cross clinches up with Gabriel and pushes him back against the ropes.
Cross lands a nice knee to the body.
Gabriel wants to get back to striking at distance but Cross won't allow it.
Cross prevents Gabriel from breaking the clinch.

Gabriel ties up his opponent against the ropes and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Gabriel no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.

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.
Gabriel is pulling down on Cross's head to control his posture.
Gabriel tries to strike from the bottom.
Cross wants to stand but Gabriel has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

Gabriel wriggles free and stands up.
Gabriel misses with a takedown

and Cross counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Cross tries to stand and escape but Gabriel is controlling the position.
Gabriel wants to get back to his feet.
Cross tries to pass to full mount but Gabriel defends it.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Gabriel makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Gabriel.
Cross trying to control but Gabriel is working from the bottom.

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 Donald Cross.
I think Gabriel has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Jorge Garcia scores the fight for Eli Gabriel!
Judge David Schapiro scores the fight for Eli Gabriel!
Judge Eddie Farnsworth scores the fight for Eli Gabriel!

Eli Gabriel wins by unanimous decision!