PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Felipe Cruz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rui Salsep (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Salsep has chosen Cameo Lover - Kimbra as his entrance music. Felipe Cruz could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Rui Salsep's chin.

Cruz
vs
Salsep

177 cm
19
140 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

150 cm
19
135 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Tends to cut

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 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Felipe Cruz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rui Salsep!
The judges for this bout are Seu Braga, Edson Gomes and Emerson Jorge.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cruz is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Cruz shoots in for a takedown but Salsep shows good takedown defense.
Salsep should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
Salsep tries for a takedown but Cruz sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Cruz tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Salsep paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Cruz really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

Cruz pushes Salsep up against the cage in a clinch.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Salsep as Cruz tries to tie him up.
Cruz is looking to break free of the clinch but Salsep has double underhooks.
Cruz gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Salsep.
Salsep is trying to drag Cruz to the mat but Cruz just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Felipe Cruz has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rui Salsep.
Cruz is looking for a takedown.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Salsep wants a takedown.
Salsep tries for a takedown. No joy.
Cruz wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Cruz wants a takedown.

Salsep turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!
Salsep wants to control but Cruz is keeping him busy.
Cruz regains half guard there - taking advantage of Salsep's attempt to lay and pray for a moment.

Cruz looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Salsep controlling the action here.
Salsep is keen to just control but Cruz is a slippery customer.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Salsep prevents Cruz from improving his position.
Salsep tries to pass the half guard into mount. Cruz knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Salsep is looking to take a break and control but Cruz is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Salsep wants to free his trapped foot but Cruz is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Cruz holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Cruz moves into full guard.
Salsep wants to pass the guard but Cruz is keeping the position.
Cruz looking to hit a scissor sweep but Salsep is one step ahead there.
Salsep trying to control the position from guard on top but Cruz is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Salsep pushing down on Cruz's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Salsep tries to pass the half guard into mount. Cruz knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Cruz is looking to control Salsep's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Cruz avoid being mounted?
Cruz won't allow Salsep to pass to mount.
Cruz is staying active underneath Salsep, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Salsep is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.

Cruz looking for submissions off his back.
Salsep trying to control the action but Cruz is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cruz is looking to control Salsep's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Cruz avoid being mounted?
Salsep stops Cruz from getting back to his feet.
Cruz is refusing to be controlled, as Salsep sits in half guard.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Rui Salsep hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Cruz.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Salsep fails with an attempt to clinch.
Cruz shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Salsep as he avoids it easily.
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!
Cruz shoots for a takedown but Salsep saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Rui Salsep will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Cruz rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Salsep moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Salsep looks to clinch

and Cruz counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Cruz tries to pull guard but Salsep forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
We're hearing some news coming in from back stage. It's official - Salsep has eaten all the pies!
Cruz tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Cruz working hard to break the clinch.
Cruz tries a body shot but Salsep blocks it.
Cruz is trying to break free.

Cruz escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Cruz throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Salsep.
Cruz shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Salsep as he avoids it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Felipe Cruz. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Cruz with a poor takedown

and Salsep counters with a nice double leg into guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Salsep slips nicely into half guard.
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!
Salsep frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Salsep wants to control the pace but Cruz is squirming around nicely.
Salsep prevents Cruz from getting the reversal.
Salsep looking to control and managing it successfully.
Salsep is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Salsep lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Salsep controlling from the full mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Salsep looking to control but Cruz is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

Cruz somehow manages to escape the mount and get back to his feet!
Cruz tries to clinch up

and Salsep counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Cruz is not content to let Salsep control the position.
Salsep works his way into side control.
Cruz is not content to let Salsep control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Salsep might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Cruz kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
The referee asks Salsep politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Salsep prefers to stall for the moment though.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Rui Salsep hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.

Cruz rushes Salsep and presses him up against the cage.
Salsep wants a takedown but no success here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A short right from Cruz on the inside.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Cruz scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Salsep has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Cruz is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Cruz landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Salsep is looking to take this one to the mat.
Cruz is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Cruz lands an elbow inside that Salsep shrugs off.

It looks like Rui Salsep has been cut.
Cruz lands a nice knee to the body.
Cruz with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
This has been an exciting period of action!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Cruz breaks the clinch.
Salsep defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Cruz.

Cruz closes the distance and clinches.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rui Salsep showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Rui Salsep's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Cruz shoots in looking for a takedown but Salsep manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Cruz's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Cruz tries to clinch but Salsep is having none of it.
Cruz is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Cruz fails with the takedown.
Cruz wants to clinch.

Salsep clinches.
Salsep has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Cruz after a bit of a struggle.

Cruz jumps into guard, dragging Salsep to the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Salsep sitting in guard here, content to control.
Salsep trying to control the position from guard on top but Cruz is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Salsep stopping the sweep attempt from Cruz.
Salsep trying to control the position from guard on top but Cruz is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Rui Salsep was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Salsep tries to clinch up but Cruz circles away and keeps his distance.
Cruz tries to clinch there but Salsep circles away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cruz tries to clinch there but Salsep circles away.
Cruz shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Salsep but Salsep pushes him off and we're back to square one.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Felipe Cruz. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Cruz pushes Salsep up against the cage in a clinch.
Cruz looking to slow down the pace here.
Salsep wants a takedown but no success here.
Cruz is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Salsep drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Salsep takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Salsep is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Cruz is defending well.
Cruz lands an elbow inside.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Salsep tries to score a body lock takedown but Cruz shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Salsep is looking to take this one to the mat.

Cruz pulls guard effortlessly.
Salsep stopping the sweep attempt from Cruz.
Salsep is fighting to break Cruz's control of his arms but Cruz is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Cruz is looking to stand up but Salsep isn't so interested in that idea.
Cruz bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Salsep's guard.

Salsep kicks Cruz off and gets to his feet.
Cruz has his takedown stuffed

and Salsep counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Salsep.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
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!
Cruz manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Salsep manages to get himself to full guard.
Cruz wants to control from the top but Salsep keeps moving.

Salsep has his feet on Cruz's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.
Cruz lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Cruz throws a sloppy head kick and Salsep moves out of range easily.
Cruz moves in looking to clinch but Salsep pushes him off.

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 Felipe Cruz.
I think Salsep 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 Seu Braga scores the fight 28:29
Judge Edson Gomes scores the fight 28:29
Judge Emerson Jorge scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rui Salsep!
A determined Rui Salsep didn't want to dwell on this fight in his post fight interview. Instead he was more keen to state he wants a title shot. Let's see if he gets it!