PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between TJ Dela Cruz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Valentino Soto (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Dela Cruz might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Masquenada. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Dela Cruz
vs
Soto

193 cm
21
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

183 cm
19
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Determined

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, TJ Dela Cruz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Valentino Soto!
The judges for this bout are Paulo Santos, Matheus Silva and Emerson Jorge.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Soto instigates a clinch.
Dela Cruz tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Soto smiles and moves away.
Dela Cruz tries a head kick but it misses.
Valentino Soto seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Soto shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Dela Cruz counters with a one-two to the body.

Soto closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Dela Cruz quickly recovers to half guard.
Dela Cruz wants to get back to full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Soto in particular looking to stall.
Soto wants to pass to mount but Dela Cruz is defending the position.
Dela Cruz is staying active underneath Soto, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Dela Cruz has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Soto is working away from the top position though.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Dela Cruz connects with a leg kick. Soto looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Dela Cruz misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Soto will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Soto shoots in looking for a takedown. Dela Cruz tries to sprawl out of it but Soto keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Dela Cruz manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
TJ Dela Cruz has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Valentino Soto.
Dela Cruz shoots in for a takedown but Soto shows good takedown defense.
Soto fails with a takedown attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Soto fails with the takedown
and Dela Cruz counters with a series of strikes. Soto will be more careful next time no doubt.
A head kick misses from Dela Cruz.

Dela Cruz shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Soto napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Dela Cruz landing a few strikes.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Soto is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Dela Cruz wants to control but Soto is keeping him busy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Soto tries to escape but Dela Cruz is in control.
Soto tries to buck Dela Cruz off but Dela Cruz is having none of it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Dela Cruz advances to mount.
Dela Cruz lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Soto hang on?
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Dela Cruz trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Soto is trying to escape the mount.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Dela Cruz working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Dela Cruz tries to control but Soto wriggling away.
Soto really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

TJ Dela Cruz dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Dela Cruz shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Soto pinned against the cage. Soto gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

Soto moves into range and clinches up with Dela Cruz.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dela Cruz has had enough of the clinch but Soto keeps him there for the moment.
Dela Cruz wants a takedown.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Soto has hold of one of Dela Cruz's legs. Dela Cruz is fighting the takedown attempt but Soto gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
TJ Dela Cruz overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Dela Cruz wants to control the position but Soto says "no thanks buddy" and passes to half guard.

Soto decides to stand up.
Dela Cruz throws a head kick but Soto moves out of range.
Dela Cruz slaps away a takedown attempt from Soto, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Soto with a poor takedown
and Dela Cruz counters with an outside leg kick.
Soto takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Soto fails with the takedown
and Dela Cruz counters with a series of strikes. Soto will be more careful next time no doubt.
TJ Dela Cruz has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Valentino Soto.
Dela Cruz fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Soto tries for a takedown but Dela Cruz circles away easily
and Dela Cruz counters with a big head kick but Soto shrugs it off.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Soto avoids a kick to the body.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Dela Cruz is defended easily by Soto.
Dela Cruz throws a sloppy head kick and Soto moves out of range easily.
Dela Cruz leaves Soto with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.

Dela Cruz closes the distance and clinches.
Dela Cruz gets underhooks to prevent Soto's takedown attempt.
Dela Cruz is trying to pull guard but Soto turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Soto is looking for a takedown.
Dela Cruz fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Soto changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Dela Cruz fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Soto takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that TJ Dela Cruz will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Nice sprawl there from Dela Cruz as Soto shoots in.
Dela Cruz tries to clinch there but Soto circles away.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Soto is defended easily by Dela Cruz.
Dela Cruz pulls out of a head kick attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dela Cruz stuffs the takedown.
TJ Dela Cruz has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Valentino Soto.
Soto shoots for a takedown but Dela Cruz saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Soto fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Soto doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Dela Cruz counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Dela Cruz is looking to stand up but Soto won't let him.

Soto looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Soto takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dela Cruz wants to control from the top but Soto keeps moving.
Dela Cruz with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Soto keeping moving, preventing Dela Cruz from controlling successfully.
Dela Cruz has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Soto escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Dela Cruz gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Dela Cruz trying to control the position from guard on top but Soto is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Soto working for a triangle but Dela Cruz defends it easily.
Dela Cruz is stalling in the full guard.
Valentino Soto has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Dela Cruz got a little sloppy there for a moment and Soto has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Dela Cruz has managed to get both his arms back between Soto's legs - danger averted.
Dela Cruz passes Soto's left leg - he's now in half guard.

Soto looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Soto is staying active underneath Dela Cruz, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dela Cruz is nestled in close to Soto, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Dela Cruz scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Dela Cruz is trying to control. Soto wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Dela Cruz working the head and body with strikes.
Dela Cruz wants to take a breather but Soto is having none of it.

Soto looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Dela Cruz working Soto over with strikes.
TJ Dela Cruz is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Dela Cruz works his way into full mount!

And that's the end of the fight!
TJ Dela Cruz showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Dela Cruz, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Paulo Santos scores the fight 30:27
Judge Matheus Silva scores the fight 29:28
Judge Emerson Jorge scores the fight 30:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... TJ Dela Cruz!
TJ Dela Cruz looked relieved post fight as he said the following; 'I love you all, GOD , And my family Say thank you first thing to do my very best so that I will be the next CHAMPION.....HEY CHAMPION I'm COMING FOR YOU'.