PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Tomislav Vukovic (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Benedict Cruz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Vukovic's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Rammstein - Feuer Frei! . Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Vukovic
vs
Cruz

190 cm
25
220 lbs
15 - 6 - 0

193 cm
25
222 lbs
12 - 7 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Rebel Pride Clothing. (Death Before Dishonor) $8 S

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 15 - 6 - 0, fighting out of New York, Tomislav Vukovic!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 7 - 0, fighting out of New York, Benedict Cruz!
The judges for this bout are Jorge Garcia, Franklyn Lucas and Joseph Jones.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A solid leg kick lands there for Cruz.
Cruz misses with a kick to the body.
Cruz connects with a jab.
Vukovic cracks the inside of Cruz's front leg.
Cruz misses with a body kick.
Cruz bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Cruz tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Vukovic checks a leg kick nicely.
Nice body punch from Vukovic.
Cruz lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Cruz lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Cruz avoids the body shot from Vukovic.
Cruz misses with the body kick
and Vukovic counters with a lovely straight right hand!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vukovic uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Cruz.
Cruz misses with a body shot
and Vukovic counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Cruz throws a nice looking combination but Vukovic bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Cruz throws a jab but it's blocked by Vukovic.
The fighters circling - Vukovic throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Cruz misses with a body shot.
Cruz misses with a straight left.
Cruz fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Vukovic.
Vukovic takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Cruz throws a leg kick but Vukovic moved away.
Cruz misses with a low kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cruz scores with a leg kick.
Vukovic throws a chopping leg kick but Cruz manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Cruz fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Vukovic checks it well.
Vukovic takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Cruz lands a jab to Vukovic's midsection.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Cruz throws a looping overhand right but Vukovic ducks down to avoid it.
Benedict Cruz seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Cruz looks for the body kick but Vukovic saw that one coming.
Vukovic takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
A looping hook to the body misses from Cruz. Vukovic does a little dance to reset his feet.
Some wild striking there from Cruz.
Cruz throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vukovic paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Vukovic throws a leg kick which misses Cruz's front leg but catches the back leg as Cruz tries to avoid it.
Vukovic avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
A nice inside leg kick there by Cruz. That's going to slow Vukovic down.
Cruz throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Cruz looks to score with a jab to the body but Vukovic is just out of range.
Vukovic avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Cruz slips a jab from Vukovic.
Vukovic avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Cruz looks to land a right hand but Vukovic moved out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cruz scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Vukovic doesn't seem bothered though.
The fight stays on the outside here - Cruz looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Cruz throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Vukovic on the side of the head.
Cruz misses with an uppercut
and Vukovic counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Vukovic ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Cruz tries to land a front kick but Vukovic steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Cruz swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Vukovic ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
A head kick misses from Cruz.
A head kick misses from Cruz.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Benedict Cruz dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Cruz connects with a body shot that sends Vukovic's belly button to the back.
Cruz throws a leg kick but Vukovic moved away.
Vukovic dips to his left and cracks Cruz with an uppercut!
Cruz jabs Vukovic right on the nose. Vukovic blinks but takes it well.
Cruz throws a quick inside leg kick.
Cruz fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Cruz scores with a hook to the body. Vukovic takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Vukovic misses the shot to the body.
A chopping leg kick lands by Cruz.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
A looping hook to the body misses from Vukovic. Cruz does a little dance to reset his feet.
Cruz cracks Vukovic with a right hand to the side of the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vukovic uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Cruz.
Cruz moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.

It looks like Tomislav Vukovic has been cut.
Cruz swings for the body but Vukovic moves out of range.
Cruz throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Vukovic counters with a straight right hand.
Cruz misses with a head kick.
Cruz pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Vukovic moves away from the strike by Cruz.
Cruz scores with a jab to the head.
Cruz takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Cruz misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Vukovic.
Vukovic blocks a jab.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cruz throws the left hand but Vukovic avoids the punch easily.
Vukovic fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Cruz manages to avoid it.
Cruz fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Vukovic manages to avoid it.
A big right from Cruz misses.
Vukovic takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Cruz is looking to land body kicks.
Vukovic takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Cruz bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Vukovic moves away from the strike by Cruz.
Cruz misses with a leg kick
and Vukovic counters with a nice uppercut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fighters circling - Vukovic throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Jab by Cruz.
Benedict Cruz seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Vukovic scores with the left hand. Cruz knows he should have avoided that one.
This entire fight has taken place on the feet so far and you wonder whether Vukovic might be better served trying to take this one to the ground because he's losing the standup battle so far.
Cruz throws a right and a left that both miss.
Cruz moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Vukovic pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
An inside leg kick lands from Cruz.
Vukovic ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Cruz moves away.
Vukovic throws out a loose jab but Cruz uses good head movement to avoid it.
Vukovic throws a series of punches but Cruz moves out of range.
Cruz throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Vukovic throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
A head kick misses from Cruz.
A lazy left from Cruz finds it's target.
Good leg kick by Vukovic there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Vukovic looks to land a right hand but Cruz moved out of range.
Vukovic defending well as Cruz loads up on a big left hand.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Cruz misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Vukovic.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Cruz lands an overhand right.
Cruz walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Cruz looks to score with a jab to the body but Vukovic is just out of range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Benedict Cruz showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Tomislav Vukovic's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Cruz scores with a jab.
Vukovic avoids the head kick by Cruz.
Vukovic misses with a hook
and Cruz counters with an outside leg kick.
Cruz lands with a straight right. Vukovic didn't see that one coming.
Cruz swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Cruz lands a nice hook to Vukovic's body. Vukovic takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
We are yet to see a takedown attempt from Cruz in the fight. On paper you would think he is the more dominant ground fighter so let's see if these unusual tactics pay off.
No joy there for Vukovic, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Cruz throws a head kick that Vukovic semi-blocks.
Cruz defending well as Vukovic loads up on a big left hand.
Cruz fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Vukovic checks it well.
A swing and a miss from Cruz.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vukovic checks a leg kick.
Cruz blocks a jab.
Vukovic throws a hook to the side of Cruz's head but Cruz sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Cruz throws a sloppy head kick
and Vukovic counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
An inside leg kick lands from Vukovic.
Vukovic ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Cruz takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Vukovic tries to bum rush Cruz with a series of wild strikes but Cruz uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
A good leg kick by Cruz.
Vukovic moves forwards but Cruz connects with a nice, crisp jab.
A slow jab from Cruz misses its intended target.
Tomislav Vukovic has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cruz moves away from the strike by Vukovic.
Vukovic on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
A lazy body kick from Cruz
and Vukovic counters with a stiff right hand.
Cruz bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.

Oooooh!!! Cruz has knocked Vukovic down with a huge combo! Cruz steps away and waves a wobbly Vukovic back to his feet! This one might not go much longer!

Vukovic is rocked!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Cruz throws a series of punches but Vukovic moves out of range.
Oh Vukovic is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Vukovic uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Cruz.
Vukovic jabs Cruz to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Cruz throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Cruz throws an overhand right that lands on Vukovic's shoulder, as Vukovic tries to avoid the shot.
Nice defenses there by Vukovic.
Vukovic seems to have got his legs back now.
Cruz tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Benedict Cruz is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Vukovic checks a leg kick.
Vukovic misses with a hook
and Cruz counters with an inside leg kick.
Cruz swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Vukovic counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Vukovic steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Cruz.
Cruz throws a lazy right hand but Vukovic sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Cruz scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Cruz swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Vukovic looks to throw the jab but Cruz is out of range.
Vukovic throws a nice looking combination but Cruz bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Cruz misses with the body kick
and Vukovic counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cruz throws a low kick but Vukovic avoids it.
The fighters circling - Vukovic throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Vukovic jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Cruz blocks a jab.
Cruz has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Cruz misses with a two punch combination.
Vukovic throws a hook but Cruz avoids it easily.
Vukovic misses with a hook to the body
and Cruz counters with an inside leg kick.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Cruz connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Cruz looks for the body kick but Vukovic saw that one coming.
Vukovic is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Cruz fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Vukovic manages to avoid it.

And that's the end of the fight!
Benedict Cruz comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Cruz has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 27:30
Judge Franklyn Lucas scores the fight 27:30
Judge Joseph Jones scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Benedict Cruz!
During a confident post fight interview, Benedict Cruz thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.