PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Junior Cruz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Joe Jay (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Cruz
vs
Jay

173 cm
19
145 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

170 cm
20
160 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Junior Cruz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Joe Jay!
The judges for this bout are Donatello Bradman, Hugh Johnson and Damien Edna.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Jay fails to land with a series of punches.
Jay throws a leg kick which misses Cruz's front leg but catches the back leg as Cruz tries to avoid it.
Jay is trying hard to land a takedown here. Cruz sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Cruz shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Jay displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Cruz.
Horrible takedown by Jay or perhaps it was just good defense by Cruz which made him look bad.
Cruz circles away from the clinch attempt

and Cruz counters with a nice double leg into guard.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Jay looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Jay is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Cruz trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Jay manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Cruz tries to get back to half guard but can't.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz is working hard here to advance position.
Cruz wants to hold on but Jay pushes him away.
Cruz blocking the ground and pound.
Jay punching from mount but Cruz doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Jay content just to control the position here.
Cruz wants to control but Jay is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cruz tries to control the position but Jay now has his back.
Cruz is in bad spot here.
Jay somehow managing to miss with a strike from the back.
Cruz is breathing heavily.

Cruz defending nicely against the rear naked choke attempt.

Jay is working for the rear naked choke. He has one arm under the chin but Cruz has hold of the other arm. A bit of a stalemate here.
Cruz covering up well under a barage of strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Jay is looking to finish the fight by rear naked choke. Cruz knows exactly what he's got planned though, so he's defending well. Maybe a few strikes would soften Cruz for a finish.

Jay is looking for the choke from the back position but Cruz is controlling his hands well.
Jay controls the action.
Jay has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Cruz can't escape the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Jay has good solid back control here.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Jay missing with punches from the back.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Joe Jay dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Jay throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Cruz misses with a two punch combination.

Jay rushes Cruz and presses him up against the cage.
Cruz tries to pull guard but Jay forces him back to his feet, against the cage.

Cruz pulls guard.
Jay trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Cruz trying to control the position.
Cruz wants to sweep here but Jay controlling him for the moment.
Jay is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jay won't allow Cruz to get back to his feet.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Joe Jay was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Jay fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Cruz stuffs the takedown.
Junior Cruz is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Cruz stuffs the takedown.
Cruz avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Jay closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Cruz has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Jay after a bit of a struggle.
Jay slowing the pace effectively.
Jay drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Junior Cruz has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Joe Jay.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cruz tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Jay avoids it.
Cruz is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Jay is defending well.
Cruz is trying to break the clinch but Jay has him pressed against the cage.
Jay gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Cruz.
Jay lands a body shot.
Jay lands a nice elbow.
Jay scores with a nice hook to the head.
Cruz stops a takedown attempt from Jay.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jay landing knees to the body.

Jay breaks the clinch.

Jay has Cruz up against the cage in a clinch.
Jay has Cruz pressed against the cage, preventing Cruz from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Jay lands a good knee to the midsection. Cruz won't want to take too many of those.

Jay pulls Cruz into guard.
Jay is adopting a defensive guard.

Jay 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.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Jay doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.

Jay pushes Cruz off and scrambles back to his feet.
Jay looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Cruz is fending him off so far but Jay persists. Nope, Cruz circles away and we're back to standing.
Jay connects with an inside leg kick.
Cruz is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Jay.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Jay swats away the attempt to clinch by Cruz.
Cruz defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Jay.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Cruz has a takedown stuffed.
Jay shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Cruz as he jumps to the side.
Jay is looking to clinch but Cruz is avoiding it.
Cruz moves in looking to clinch but Jay pushes him off.

Cruz closes the distance and clinches.
Jay is pressed up against the cage. Cruz has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Jay down to the mat. Jay avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

Jay clinches with his opponent.
Cruz has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Jay is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Junior Cruz. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Cruz fails to pull guard.
Cruz is trying to pull guard but Jay turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Cruz is trying to break free.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jay working Cruz over with knees to the body.
Jay pushes Cruz back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Jay looking for a takedown.

Jay escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Jay fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Cruz, pushing him back against the cage.
Jay using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.

Jay's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Jay gets a clinch.
Jay lands an elbow just above Cruz 's eye.
Jay lands a shoulder strike.

Jay breaks the clinch.
Jay leaves Cruz with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Jay fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Cruz, pushing him back against the cage.
Jay unloads a knee to the mid-section. Cruz lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Jay lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Jay avoiding damage.
Joe Jay seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Jay unloads a knee to the mid-section. Cruz lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Jay lands an elbow inside that Cruz shrugs off.
Jay is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Jay obliges.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jay lands a good knee to the midsection. Cruz won't want to take too many of those.

Jay pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Cruz has a takedown stuffed.
Jay lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Cruz stuffs the takedown attempt from Jay. Jay gets slowly back to his feet.
Jay shoots in for a takedown but Cruz shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.

Cruz closes the distance and clinches.
Cruz blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Jay lands an elbow inside that Cruz shrugs off.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Jay is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Cruz is defending well for now.
Jay lands a good knee to the midsection. Cruz won't want to take too many of those.

Cruz breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Cruz fails to land the takedown.
Jay fails in his attempt to clinch.

Jay takes the fight into the clinch.
Jay leaning his opponent against the cage.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Jay landing some nice looking knees to the body.

And that's the end of the fight!
Joe Jay comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Jay 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 Donatello Bradman scores the fight for Joe Jay!
Judge Hugh Johnson scores the fight for Joe Jay!
Judge Damien Edna scores the fight for Joe Jay!

Joe Jay wins by unanimous decision!