PBP Commentary

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

Cruz
vs
Pacweather Jr

171 cm
25
147 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

225 cm
25
145 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

Good takedowns
Basic striking
Cuts easily

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Diego Cruz !
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Floynny Pacweather Jr!
The judges for this bout are Yasuomi Hirokawa, Ren Mimura and Tatsuya Matsuyama.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Cruz scores with a takedown into Pacweather Jr's guard.
Pacweather Jr keeping moving, preventing Cruz from controlling successfully.
Cruz stands and throws Pacweather Jr's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Cruz lands a nice forearm strike.
Cruz working the ground and pound.
Cruz wants to lay and pray for a moment but Pacweather Jr keeps working.
Cruz throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Sloppy strikes there by Cruz .
Pacweather Jr managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Cruz .

That's one minute gone in the round.

Cruz is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Pacweather Jr has escaped the position, nice work there.
Cruz is looking to take a break and control but Pacweather Jr is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Cruz throws an elbow but Pacweather Jr slips to the side and avoids it well.
Pacweather Jr tries to strike from the bottom but misses.
Cruz scoring with punches and elbows.
Pacweather Jr is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Cruz trying to control the position but Pacweather Jr is working away.

Cruz is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Pacweather Jr is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cruz is looking to take a break and control but Pacweather Jr is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Cruz is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Pacweather Jr knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Cruz 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.
Cruz throws an elbow but Pacweather Jr slips to the side and avoids it well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pacweather Jr is looking for a sweep.
Cruz looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Pacweather Jr is avoiding damage well.
Cruz sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Pacweather Jr is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Cruz throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Cruz tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Cruz misses with the ground and pound.

Cruz tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
You can see the frustration on Pacweather Jr's face as Cruz controls the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pacweather Jr tries to buck Cruz off but Cruz is having none of it.
Cruz postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Pacweather Jr throwing some weak shots from the bottom that do no damage.
Cruz laying and praying for a moment but Pacweather Jr takes advantage and regains half guard.

Cruz is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Cruz missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Diego Cruz dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Cruz decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

Cruz seems to be looking for submissions.

Pacweather Jr looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Pacweather Jr is staying active underneath Cruz , who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Cruz missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Cruz is trying to control. Pacweather Jr wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Cruz landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.

Cruz is looking for a kimura but Pacweather Jr is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Cruz to get the leverage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Well, if Cruz is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Cruz has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Cruz trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Cruz with good strikes from the mount here!
Cruz in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Pacweather Jr wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Cruz .

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pacweather Jr can't escape the position.

Cruz is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Pacweather Jr can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Cruz throwing strikes here but Pacweather Jr is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Cruz can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Pacweather Jr is looking to escape.
Pacweather Jr flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz raining down hammerfists from mount.
Diego Cruz overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Cruz wants to finish this one by submission but Pacweather Jr is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Cruz .
Cruz punishing his opponent with strikes.
BOOM! Cruz connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Pacweather Jr is squirming around, avoiding Cruz 's attempts to control the action.
Cruz scores with a couple of good head shots there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Cruz lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Cruz putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!

Cruz is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Pacweather Jr is surviving well by controlling Cruz 's body position as best he can.

Cruz looking to secure an arm triangle but Pacweather Jr defends it well.
Pacweather Jr is breathing heavily.
Pacweather Jr taking shots to the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Diego Cruz dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Cruz fails with the takedown

and Pacweather Jr counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Cruz !
Cruz tries to hold on but Pacweather Jr postures up.
Cruz tries to improve his position but instead Pacweather Jr has taken his back!
Cruz looking to stop the rear naked choke attempt by controlling the hands.
Cruz trying to control the hands but Pacweather Jr breaks the grip.
Cruz rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.
Cruz is trying to maintain the position but Pacweather Jr is very close to passing his half guard.
Cruz regains full guard. Nicely done.
Cruz is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Cruz is really struggling to control Pacweather Jr but he's trying to hold on to the position.
Diego Cruz is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Cruz has control of Pacweather Jr's left arm, preventing Pacweather Jr from doing any damage.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Diego Cruz just wasn't active enough.

Cruz closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Pacweather Jr's guard.
Cruz wants to pass the guard but Pacweather Jr is keeping the position.
Pacweather Jr throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Cruz controls from within his opponent's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Diego Cruz .
Cruz tries for a takedown but Pacweather Jr sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

Pacweather Jr looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Cruz !
Cruz tries to lock up and control but Pacweather Jr gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pacweather Jr prevents Cruz from getting the reversal.
Cruz is working hard here to advance position.
Pacweather Jr can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Cruz is looking to escape.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Cruz tries to hold on but Pacweather Jr pushes him away.

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 Diego Cruz .
Well Cruz has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight for Diego Cruz !
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight for Diego Cruz !
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight for Diego Cruz !

Diego Cruz wins by unanimous decision!
In his post fight interview, Diego Cruz started talking himself up. Luckily his charisma kept the crowd on side and gave him a good reception.