PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Ilias Iliadis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dominick Cruz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Iliadis comes to the cage accompanied by Until it sleeps. Ilias Iliadis looks tired to me. Hopefully he has got enough gas left in the tank to put in a good performance.

Iliadis
vs
Cruz

186 cm
23
140 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

172 cm
25
143 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Big heart

Powerful takedowns
Brawler
Powerful

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 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Ilias Iliadis!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Dominick Cruz!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, Jack Bonds and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cruz is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Iliadis closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Iliadis lands in his opponent's guard.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Iliadis advances position into side control!
Cruz is looking to regain half guard here but Iliadis keeps moving and retains side control.
Iliadis prevents Cruz from escaping the position.
Cruz stops Iliadis from passing to mount.
Iliadis is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Cruz will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz is looking to reverse the position.

Iliadis decides to stand back up. Iliadis steps back and let's Cruz get back to his feet.
Cruz tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Iliadis counters by moving into the clinch.
Iliadis has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Cruz after a bit of a struggle.
Iliadis is breathing heavily.
Iliadis goes for a takedown attempt but Cruz pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Cruz tries to clinch but Iliadis is having none of it.
Iliadis has his takedown stuffed
and Cruz connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ilias Iliadis. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Cruz looking to score a takedown here. Iliadis is defending well but Cruz drives through and ends up in Iliadis's guard.
Cruz wants to control from the top but Iliadis keeps moving.
Cruz is in close to Iliadis's body, working some short punches and elbows.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Cruz looking to pass the guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Iliadis keeping moving, preventing Cruz from controlling successfully.
Cruz is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Cruz wants to stand but Iliadis has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz trying to control the position from guard on top but Iliadis is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Dominick Cruz.
Iliadis throws a body kick, spinning off balance

and Cruz counters with a shoot takedown. Iliadis fights it but they end up in guard.
Cruz would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Iliadis keeping moving, preventing Cruz from controlling successfully.
Iliadis 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 wants to pass the guard but Iliadis is keeping the position.
Cruz trying to control the position from guard on top but Iliadis is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Cruz working some strikes from top position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cruz is looking to work some ground and pound but Iliadis has wrist control.
Cruz wants to control from the top but Iliadis keeps moving.
Iliadis will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Dominick Cruz.
A jab from Cruz finds it's way through Iliadis's defenses.
Iliadis swats away the attempt to clinch by Cruz.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dominick Cruz dominated that round.
That's time! Iliadis's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Cruz gets the takedown into side control.
Cruz is looking to take a break and control but Iliadis is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Cruz tries to advance to mount but can't.
Cruz scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Iliadis to see if he's OK.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
Iliadis is not content to let Cruz control the position.
Cruz tries to move to mount but Iliadis blocks the move with his legs.

Cruz tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Cruz has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Iliadis keeping his opponent close.
Cruz wants to lay and pray for a moment but Iliadis keeps working.
Cruz tries to move to mount but Iliadis blocks the move with his legs.
Cruz trying to control the action but Iliadis is working from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz tries to stand but Iliadis is controlling his head.
Cruz wants to lay and pray for a moment but Iliadis keeps working.
Iliadis tries to buck Cruz off but Cruz is having none of it.
Cruz sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Iliadis is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Cruz working the body and head with strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cruz wants to control but Iliadis is keeping him busy.

Cruz is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Iliadis has escaped the position, nice work there.
Iliadis is trying to get back to half guard.
Cruz tries to move to mount but Iliadis blocks the move with his legs.
Cruz is looking to take a break and control but Iliadis is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dominick Cruz showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Cruz wants to clinch up but Iliadis keeps it at a distance.

Cruz is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Iliadis's half guard.
Cruz wants to control but Iliadis is keeping him busy.
Cruz is taking a breather. Iliadis says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Iliadis blocking the ground and pound attempt from Cruz.
Cruz tries to pass the half guard into mount. Iliadis knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Cruz wants to take a breather but Iliadis is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Dominick Cruz.
Cruz shoots in but no luck this time.
Cruz shoots in and drives through. Iliadis sprawls well.
Cruz will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Ilias Iliadis has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Dominick Cruz.

Iliadis fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Cruz sprawls well initially but Iliadis persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Iliadis is thwarting Cruz's attempts to control the position.

Iliadis decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Iliadis enables Cruz to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Iliadis manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Iliadis keeping moving, preventing Cruz from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Iliadis seems keen to control Cruz's posture.
Cruz wanted to stand there but Iliadis had control of the position.

Dominick Cruz has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Cruz.
Iliadis thows a body shot but no joy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz swats away the attempt to clinch by Iliadis.

Cruz darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Iliadis tries to get to full guard but Cruz has control of the leg.
Ilias Iliadis has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Iliadis is refusing to be controlled, as Cruz sits in half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Dominick Cruz.

Cruz decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Cruz is looking to take a break and control but Iliadis is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Iliadis has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Cruz is working away from the top position though.
Cruz is keen to just control but Iliadis is a slippery customer.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Dominick Cruz is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Dominick Cruz wasn't active enough on the ground.
Cruz wants to clinch
and Iliadis counters with a right hand to the body.

And that's the end of the fight!
Dominick Cruz comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Cruz winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 27:30
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 27:30
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Dominick Cruz!