PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Katsu Laoka (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and John Kruger (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Laoka comes to the cage accompanied by The Bell Tolls. Kruger is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Tnt. Both fighter's entrance songs getting the crowd jumping here.

Laoka
vs
Kruger

188 cm
25
202 lbs
10 - 3 - 1

187 cm
35
197 lbs
24 - 15 - 1

Good wrestling
World class MT
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Good low kicks
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 10 - 3 - 1, fighting out of New York, Katsu Laoka!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 24 - 15 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, John Kruger!
The judges for this bout are Joseph Jones, Franklyn Lucas and Bruno Lombardi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Laoka lands a really nice looking cross but Kruger seems unphased.
A kick lands to the mid section there for Kruger.
Laoka slips under a jab from Kruger.
Kruger throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Laoka on the side of the head.
Laoka avoids the head kick by Kruger.
Kruger will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Laoka throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Kruger.
Laoka keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Kruger scores with a hook.
Laoka bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Kruger has done a lot of speed work in the buildup to this fight.
Kruger uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Laoka.
Laoka gets off balance looking for a body kick

and Kruger counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Laoka keeping full guard, as Kruger tries to pass.
Kruger throws a strike but Laoka rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Kruger wants to control but Laoka passes easily into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kruger tries to roll over but Laoka keeps him under control.
Laoka stalling.
Laoka is thwarting Kruger's attempts to control the position.
Kruger is trying to get back to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Laoka sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Laoka's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Laoka prevents Kruger from improving his position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kruger is trying to control but can't.
Kruger wants to get back to full guard.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Laoka not doing much here.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Laoka misses with a kick to the body.
Kruger misses the jab.
Kruger misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Laoka wants to clinch up but Kruger keeps it at a distance.

Laoka takes the fight into the clinch.
Laoka putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Kruger in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Kruger lands a left hand that snaps the head of Laoka backwards.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Laoka tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
I was talking to Laoka's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Kruger lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Laoka throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Kruger blocks it with crossed arms.

Kruger turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Kruger manages to end up in side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Laoka sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Laoka has hold of Kruger's hands but Kruger slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Kruger throwing shots but Laoka is blocking nicely.
Kruger not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Kruger throws a strike but Laoka avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Kruger trying to control but Laoka is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Kruger dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Kruger avoids the body shot from Laoka.
Laoka lands with a kick to the temple. Kruger shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Kruger throws a sloppy head kick and Laoka moves out of range easily.
Kruger moves out of range as Laoka throws a body kick.
Kruger checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.

Kruger shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Laoka is trying to defend but Kruger finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Kruger missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kruger working Laoka over with strikes.
Kruger is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Laoka is working to get back to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kruger looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Kruger throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Laoka because Kruger loaded up on that one.
Kruger throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Kruger working the ground and pound effectively.
Kruger trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Kruger sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kruger landing strikes, looking to finish!
Laoka regains half guard.

Kruger is looking for a kimura here.
Kruger is nestled in close to Laoka, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Kruger looks to land a strike but Laoka avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
Laoka utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kruger trying to control the position from guard on top but Laoka is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Kruger looking to pass the guard.
Kruger is looking to pass into half guard but Laoka pushes him away with his feet and jumps on top - now Laoka is in guard.

Kruger not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Kruger has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

Kruger looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

Kruger looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Kruger wants to improve his position but instead Laoka has moved into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kruger is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Kruger has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Laoka is working away from the top position though.
Kruger gets full guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Kruger looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Kruger showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Kruger swats away the attempt to clinch by Laoka.
Kruger displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Laoka throws out the jab.
Kruger keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Laoka.
Laoka throws a hook but Kruger blocks it.
Kruger walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Kruger lands a leg kick that knocks Laoka off balance momentarily.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Kruger.
Kruger lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.

Kruger gets tackled into the cage by Laoka. Laoka maintains the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Laoka prevents Kruger from breaking the clinch.
Kruger throws a head punch that misses.
Laoka misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Kruger.
Kruger is trying to break the clinch but Laoka is controlling him.
Laoka tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Laoka lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Kruger breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Laoka uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Kruger.
Kruger misses with an uppercut.
Laoka tries to score with a low kick but Kruger moves his leg out of the way.
Kruger works the jab nicely.
Laoka throws a body shot but no joy.
Kruger takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Laoka enables Kruger to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Laoka manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Laoka utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Kruger throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Laoka works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Laoka keeping moving, preventing Kruger from controlling successfully.
Kruger tries to free his leg and advance position but Laoka is retaining full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kruger trying to control the position from guard on top but Laoka is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Kruger with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Kruger looking to pass the guard.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Katsu Laoka seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Laoka misses with a wild body shot.
John Kruger seems to be getting the better of the standup.

Laoka clinches up with Kruger and pushes him back against the cage.
Laoka keeps control of Kruger as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Laoka tries to land knees in the clinch but Kruger avoids the damage to the body.
Kruger working aggressively here.
Kruger is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Laoka pulls him back up using the underhooks.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Kruger takes a knee to the side of the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kruger avoiding damage as Laoka throws knees to the body.
Laoka misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Kruger.
Kruger misses with a body punch.
Laoka trying to land knees to the body.
Laoka lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Kruger makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Kruger prevents a body shot from Laoka.
Laoka putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Kruger in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Kruger takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Laoka with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Laoka digs a right hand underneath Kruger's ribcage. Kruger let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Laoka misses with a knee strike.
Laoka lands a nice knee to the body.
Laoka lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Laoka unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Laoka landing knees to the head.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Laoka missing with knees to the body.
Kruger takes a knee to the side of the body.
Kruger on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Kruger escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
John Kruger is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Laoka fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Kruger checks it well.
Katsu Laoka has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Laoka throws a lazy head kick

and Kruger counters with a nice double leg into half guard.

Kruger is looking for a kimura but Laoka is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Kruger to get the leverage.
Laoka is refusing to be controlled, as Kruger sits in half guard.
Kruger is looking to stall here but Laoka recovers full guard.
Kruger trying to control the position from guard on top but Laoka is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

And that's the end of the fight!
Katsu Laoka showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Kruger has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Joseph Jones scores the fight 28:29
Judge Franklyn Lucas scores the fight 28:29
Judge Bruno Lombardi scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... John Kruger!
During a confident post fight interview, John Kruger thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.