PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Damien Penn (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Diego Cruz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Damien Penn could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Diego Cruz 's chin.

Penn
vs
Cruz

168 cm
18
154 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

171 cm
26
147 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Counter striker
KO power

Good takedowns
Basic striking
Determined

Brute

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the featherweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Damien Penn!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Diego Cruz !
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Fujiwara, Yuuki Gou and Ren Mimura.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Cruz decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Penn blocking the ground and pound attempt from Cruz .
Penn wants to control but Cruz is keeping busy.
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 fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Cruz lands strikes from half guard.

Penn looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Cruz is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.

Penn looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Cruz missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Cruz looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.

Cruz looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Cruz trying to mount his opponent but Penn defends it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Penn wants to improve his position but Cruz is controlling well.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Cruz not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Penn is looking to control Cruz 's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Penn avoid being mounted?
Cruz throws a strike but Penn avoids it easily and moves to full guard.

Cruz drops back looking for a leg! Penn is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Penn manages to kick Cruz off! Cruz jumps back into Penn's guard.
Penn keeping moving, preventing Cruz from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Penn is trying to control the position but Cruz postures up.

Penn had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Cruz defends it easily.
Cruz trying to control the position from guard on top but Penn is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Cruz must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Cruz passes easily into side control. Nice work.

Cruz is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Penn has escaped the position, nice work there.
Penn tries to buck Cruz off but Cruz is having none of it.
Cruz wants to lay and pray for a moment but Penn keeps working.
Penn on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Cruz lands a decent elbow from side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Cruz is trying to get an arm triangle but Penn is defending well.
Penn is trying to get back to half guard.
Cruz cracks Penn with a big right hand but Penn just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Cruz trying to control the action but Penn is working from the bottom.
Penn defending against the ground and pound.
Cruz wants to lay and pray for a moment but Penn keeps working.
Penn is trying to control Cruz 's posture but Cruz avoids it.

Cruz is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Penn knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Penn can't do much from the bottom here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Penn manages to work his way to half guard, despite Cruz 's best efforts.
Cruz tries to pass to full mount but Penn defends it.

Cruz is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Penn is trying to control but can't.
The fighters are battling for position here. Penn manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Penn keeping full guard, as Cruz tries to pass.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Cruz trying to control the position from guard on top but Penn is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Penn working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Cruz doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Cruz manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Cruz throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Penn tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Cruz is in Penn's guard.
Penn being controlled here, momentarily.
Penn working a defensive guard here.
Cruz working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

Penn throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Cruz got a little sloppy there for a moment and Penn has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Cruz has managed to get both his arms back between Penn's legs - danger averted.
Cruz lands a couple of elbows.
Penn preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz chips away with some ground and pound.
Penn keeping moving, preventing Cruz from controlling successfully.

Penn looks to be working for a triangle here. Oh, it looks like he might have it! Cruz has picked Penn up and slammed him! Penn can't keep hold of the triangle and Cruz manages to pass to side control!
Cruz tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Penn takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Cruz with the ground and pound but Penn regains half guard under the barage of strikes.
Penn is refusing to be controlled, as Cruz sits in half guard.
Penn manages to get to full guard.
Cruz is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Cruz stands and throws Penn's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Cruz tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cruz wants to lay and pray for a moment but Penn keeps working.
Cruz tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Cruz is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Penn knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Penn is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Diego Cruz has got the better of the ground game so far.
Cruz trying to mount his opponent but Penn defends it.
Cruz trying to control the action but Penn is working from the bottom.
Cruz seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Penn is refusing to be controlled, as Cruz sits in half guard.
Penn trying to hold on to Cruz 's head to control him but Cruz postures up.

Cruz is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Penn is just riding it out for now. Cruz eventually gives up the hold.
Cruz trying to mount his opponent but Penn defends it.
Cruz is thwarting Penn's attempts to control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cruz trying to control the action but Penn is working from the bottom.

Cruz is working for a submission of some sort.

Penn looking for submissions off his back.
Cruz blocks the strikes from Penn.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Cruz looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Penn with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Penn trying to control from the bottom.
The fighters are battling for position here. Penn manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Cruz postures up and lands a big shot to Penn's brow.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Diego Cruz showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Cruz looking to score a takedown here. Penn is defending well but Cruz drives through and ends up in Penn's guard.

Cruz drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Cruz jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Cruz postures up.
Cruz trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Cruz throwing strikes but missing.

Penn looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Cruz with a flurry of punches that miss.

Penn throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Cruz lands a couple of elbows.

Cruz avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Penn working a defensive guard here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz throws a big right hand that misses.
Cruz with a flurry of punches that miss.
Cruz wants to control from the top but Penn keeps moving.
Penn trying to control the position.
Cruz sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Cruz wants to pass the guard but Penn is keeping the position.
Penn trying to keep a closed guard but Cruz is proving a slippery customer.

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.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Cruz throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Penn was covering up waiting for the punch and Cruz finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Cruz postures up.

Penn is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Cruz defends well.
Cruz throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Cruz advances position into side control!
Penn sneaks back into half guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Penn gets full guard.
Cruz advances position into side control!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz trying to control the action but Penn is working from the bottom.
Penn is looking to reverse the position.
Cruz lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Penn down.
Cruz connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Penn some visible discomfort.
You can see the frustration on Penn's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Cruz wants to control but Penn is keeping him busy.
Penn is trying to improve his position.

Cruz is trying to get an arm triangle but Penn is defending well.
Penn wants to control but Cruz postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cruz wants to lay and pray for a moment but Penn keeps working.
Cruz in side control lands a decent elbow.
Penn manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Cruz makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Cruz .
Cruz not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Penn trying to control the position from guard on top but Cruz is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Cruz drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Penn is trying to control the position but Cruz postures up.
Cruz throws a big elbow that misses.

Penn is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Cruz defends well.

Cruz is posturing up here but Penn has hold of an arm and he's gone for an armbar! Cruz tries to roll out but it's too tight and Cruz has to tap! Slick submission there by Penn!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:50 of round 4, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Damien Penn!
Damien Penn retains his featherweight title!
After winning the bout, Damien Penn thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.