PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Dick Taylor (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Roger Ruiz (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.

Taylor
vs
Ruiz

193 cm
24
120 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

175 cm
22
130 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Hates pizza

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Tends to cut

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Dick Taylor!
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, Roger Ruiz!
The judges for this bout are Alexandre Firmino, Thiago Cunha and Edson Gomes.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ruiz swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Taylor misses with a series of wild punches.
Taylor fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Taylor really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Ruiz throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Taylor counters by moving into the clinch.

Ruiz breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
A combination from Ruiz does no damage.
Ruiz keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Taylor looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Dick Taylor. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Ruiz throws a combination that misses

and Taylor counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Ruiz is looking to break free of the clinch but Taylor has double underhooks.
Taylor tries to pull guard but Ruiz won't allow it.
Taylor tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Ruiz smiles and moves away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Taylor fails with a takedown attempt.
Taylor shoots in but Ruiz avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Taylor is trying hard to land a takedown here. Ruiz sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Ruiz falls off balance throwing a combination

and Taylor counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Taylor drops down looking for an ankle pick but Ruiz pulls his leg out and moves away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ruiz jabs Taylor right on the nose. Taylor blinks but takes it well.
A right-left combo lands from Ruiz.
Ruiz fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Ruiz scores with a nice head shot.
Taylor dives in for a single leg takedown but Ruiz sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Ruiz prevents Taylor from breaking the clinch.

Ruiz pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Taylor shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Ruiz swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Taylor.
Taylor dodges the punch combination from Ruiz.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ruiz throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Taylor counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Taylor shoots for a double leg takedown but Ruiz sprawls well. He's pushed Taylor's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Taylor is breathing heavily.
Ruiz misses with the combination.
Dick Taylor seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Ruiz misses with a jab, cross combination.
Ruiz throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Taylor holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

Ruiz breaks from the clinch.
Ruiz throws a right hand that misses
and Taylor counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Ruiz throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Roger Ruiz is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Ruiz swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Taylor counters with a two punch combo.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Taylor changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Ruiz tries to avoid it but Taylor manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Ruiz to the ground. Ruiz escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Ruiz moves out of range of the body kick from Taylor.
Taylor throws a head kick that misses.
Ruiz throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Taylor.
Taylor shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Taylor throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Taylor closes the distance and clinches up with Ruiz, looking for a takedown. Taylor pushes Ruiz against the cage but Ruiz circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Ruiz looks to land a combination but Taylor avoids it well.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Ruiz lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Ruiz displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Taylor.
Some wild striking there from Ruiz.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Roger Ruiz will probably get the nod.
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.

Taylor slips a jab and a cross from Ruiz.
Ruiz misses with a combination

and Taylor counters by moving into the clinch.
Taylor stalling.

Ruiz breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Ruiz lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Taylor circles away quickly and effectively.
Ruiz avoids a kick to the body.
The fight stays on the outside here - Taylor looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Dick Taylor is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Ruiz takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ruiz misses with a wild combination.
Taylor wants to clinch.
Horrible takedown by Taylor or perhaps it was just good defense by Ruiz which made him look bad.
No joy there for Ruiz, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Taylor moves in looking to clinch but Ruiz pushes him off.
Taylor wants to clinch.
Taylor shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Ruiz pinned against the cage. Ruiz gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ruiz misses with a double jab.
Ruiz stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Ruiz wants it to stay on the feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Dick Taylor. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A combination from Ruiz does no damage.
Ruiz looks to land a combination but Taylor avoids it well.
Ruiz throws a series of punches but Taylor moves out of range.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Taylor is defended easily by Ruiz.
Ruiz will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ruiz throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Taylor counters with a left and a right that stings Ruiz.
Ruiz misses with a few strikes there.
Ruiz throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Taylor tries to clinch there but Ruiz circles away.
A combination from Ruiz does no damage.
Ruiz throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Taylor.
Ruiz is breathing heavily.
Taylor wants to clinch.
Taylor slips a jab and a cross from Ruiz.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Taylor slips a straight right by Ruiz.
Taylor has a takedown stuffed.
Ruiz misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Ruiz throws a left and a right that both miss
and Taylor counters with a stiff right hand.
Ruiz throws a right and a left that Taylor avoids nicely.
Ruiz misses with a combination
letting Taylor counter with a right hand.
Ruiz defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Taylor.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Roger Ruiz will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Nice sprawl there from Ruiz as Taylor shoots in.
Taylor fails with the takedown.
Roger Ruiz seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Ruiz throws a series of punches but Taylor avoids them all with ease.
A left and a right from Ruiz both land. Nice combination.
Taylor slips a jab and a cross from Ruiz.
Taylor looks for a takedown but Ruiz sprawls well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Dick Taylor. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Taylor uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Ruiz.
Ruiz swats away the attempt to clinch by Taylor.
Ruiz lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Taylor backs up against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
No joy there for Ruiz, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Taylor showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Ruiz.
Taylor shoots for a takedown but Ruiz saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Ruiz misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Taylor.
Taylor tries to score a power double leg takedown but Ruiz sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Taylor somewhat.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Ruiz checks a leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Taylor slips a jab and a cross from Ruiz.
Taylor moves to clinch but Ruiz breaks away
and Ruiz counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Ruiz circles away from the clinch attempt.
Ruiz will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Taylor tries to clinch but Ruiz moves out of range.
Taylor shoots in looking for a takedown but Ruiz manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Taylor's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Taylor shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Ruiz but Ruiz pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Ruiz misses with a two punch combination.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ruiz misses with a combination

and Taylor counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Taylor fails to pull guard.
Taylor drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Ruiz manages to break the clinch.
Ruiz misses with a series of wild punches.
Taylor with a lazy takedown attempt
and Ruiz counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ruiz throws a left and a right that both miss
and Taylor connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Ruiz looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Ruiz tries to bum rush Taylor with a series of wild strikes but Taylor uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Taylor fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Ruiz misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Taylor tries to clinch but Ruiz moves out of range.
Ruiz misses with a few strikes there.
Ruiz leaves Taylor with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Ruiz looks to land a combination but Taylor avoids it well.

And that's the end of the fight!
Roger Ruiz comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Ruiz 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 Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 27:30
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 27:30
Judge Edson Gomes scores the fight 28:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Roger Ruiz!