PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ted Cruz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Danny Darkside (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Cruz
vs
Darkside

194 cm
27
215 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

186 cm
20
209 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Good chin

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Solid chin

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 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Ted Cruz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Danny Darkside!
The judges for this bout are David Schapiro, Franklyn Lucas and Bruno Lombardi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cruz misses the jab.
Darkside keeps the fight on the outside.
Cruz tries to close the distance and clinch but Darkside swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Cruz throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Cruz moves in looking to clinch but Darkside pushes him off.
Cruz misses with a body shot.
Darkside moves away from the strike by Cruz.
Cruz takes one to the chin there.
Cruz throws an ugly left hook that misses

and Darkside counters with a single leg into guard. Cruz didn't expect that.
Cruz has momentary wrist control but Darkside slips an elbow through the middle.
Darkside postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Darkside is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Darkside keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Cruz's head.
Darkside won't allow Cruz to get back to his feet.
Darkside postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Darkside postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Cruz on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Cruz tries to get out of the position.
Cruz wants to stand and escape but Darkside is having none of it.
Darkside postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Darkside wants to control from the top but Cruz keeps moving.
Cruz knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Darkside on the ground.
Darkside lands a couple of elbows.
Darkside prevents Cruz from getting back to his feet.
Cruz keeping moving, preventing Darkside from controlling successfully.

Cruz manages to wriggle out and sneak his way back up to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched up against the cage.
Darkside misses with a short punch on the inside.

Darkside breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Cruz throws a low kick but it's checked well by Darkside.
We can't be sure of the tactics at this early stage but we have heard that Darkside has been working on his takedowns a lot in the buildup to the fight and we can only assume he's going to look to take this to the mat.
Darkside throws a jab when Cruz was well out of range.
Darkside moves away from the strike by Cruz.
Darkside now looks to counter with a shot at the body.
Darkside misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Cruz throws a leg kick which misses Darkside's front leg but catches the back leg as Darkside tries to avoid it.
Ted Cruz is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Cruz misses with an uppercut. Darkside saw that one coming.
Darkside scores with a head kick. Cruz tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.
Ted Cruz seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Darkside slips under a jab.
It seemed like Darkside was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Darkside has a takedown stuffed.

Cruz rushes Darkside and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Darkside misses with a punch to the body.
Cruz pressing his opponent against the cage.
Cruz lands a left hand that snaps the head of Darkside backwards.
Cruz tries to throw a body punch but Darkside avoids it by throwing Cruz back against the cage.
Cruz throws a punch but it's blocked by Darkside.
Cruz misses with a short punch on the inside.
Cruz displaying some good clinch control by pressing Darkside up against the cage.
Cruz slows down the pace here.
The crowd are getting pretty annoyed with Cruz for his constant stalling in the clinch and are voicing their displeasure.
Darkside tries to break free but Cruz pushes him back against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz lands a shot to the body.
Cruz softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Cruz lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Darkside drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Cruz gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Cruz taking a breather.
Darkside blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Cruz misses with a hook to the ribs.
Darkside tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Cruz lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.

Darkside drags the fight down to the ground.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Cruz trying to stand up but can't free himself from Darkside's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cruz missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Cruz wants to control from the top but Darkside keeps moving.
Darkside is pulling down on Cruz's head. It's preventing any offense from Cruz, at least for the moment.
Darkside can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Cruz controls the pace.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Ted Cruz will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Cruz moves in looking to clinch but Darkside pushes him off.
Cruz throws out a loose jab but Darkside uses good head movement to avoid it.

Cruz clinches with his opponent.

Darkside breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Cruz throws a jab when Darkside was well out of range.
Darkside pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Darkside displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Cruz throws out the jab.
Cruz throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Darkside sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Darkside flicks out a counter leg kick but Cruz steps away.
Darkside throws a nice head kick!
Cruz tries to close the distance and clinch up but Darkside swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Cruz scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Darkside thumps Cruz with a low kick.
The fight stays on the outside here - Cruz looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cruz throws a hook but Darkside avoids it easily.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Cruz checks a leg kick.
Cruz throws a low kick but it's checked well by Darkside.
Cruz avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Cruz throws out a loose jab but Darkside uses good head movement to avoid it.
Cruz misses with a looping left.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Darkside wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Darkside throws a head kick but Cruz moves out of range.
Cruz tries to clinch there but Darkside circles away.
Cruz fails in his attempt to clinch.
Darkside keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Cruz moves out of range of the leg kick from Darkside.
Darkside connects with a leg kick. Cruz looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Darkside uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Cruz.
Darkside fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Cruz looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Cruz tries to move into range but Darkside moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Cruz misses with a body kick.
Darkside takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Darkside dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Cruz. That did some damage!
Cruz fails in his attempt to clinch.
Darkside misses with a low kick as Cruz jumps back.
Cruz misses with a wild body shot.
Darkside throws a chopping leg kick but Cruz manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Cruz swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Darkside.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Cruz tries to clinch up but Darkside circles away and keeps his distance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Darkside.
Darkside circles away from the clinch attempt.
Cruz tries to close the distance and clinch but Darkside swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Cruz lands a jab to the nose.
Cruz is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Cruz throws a front kick aimed at Darkside's knee but Darkside avoids it well.
Cruz takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Cruz tries to close the distance and clinch up but Darkside swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Cruz avoids the head kick by Darkside.
Cruz misses with a series of wild punches.
Darkside steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Cruz.
Cruz throws a right and a left that both miss.
A solid leg kick lands there for Darkside.
A nice leg kick lands there from Darkside.
Cruz fails with an attempt to clinch.
Cruz throws a shot from downtown. Darkside moves away and avoids it.
Darkside moves out of range of the strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Darkside scores with a push kick.
Cruz tries to clinch but Darkside moves out of range.
Darkside fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Cruz is out of range.
Darkside throws a nice inside leg kick.
Darkside throws a leg kick but Cruz moved away.
Darkside throws a nice inside leg kick.
Darkside fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Cruz is out of range.
Cruz wants to clinch.
Cruz tries to close the distance and clinch up but Darkside swats him away and circles back towards the center.
A chopping leg kick lands by Darkside.
Cruz tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Darkside counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Darkside scores with a nice body kick.
Darkside has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Cruz.
Cruz takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Cruz checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Cruz tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Darkside paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Cruz jabbing away but nothing is landing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Nice takedown defense from Cruz. No joy for Darkside on that attempt.
Darkside throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Cruz is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Darkside scores with a shot to the body.
Darkside avoids the body shot from Cruz.
Darkside drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Cruz defends it well.
Cruz on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Cruz wants to clinch up but Darkside keeps it at a distance.
Cruz checks the leg kick.
Cruz misses with a hook. Darkside ducked under it nicely.
Darkside scores with a kick to the body.
Cruz takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Cruz blocks a leg kick.
Darkside tries to land a leg kick but Cruz saw it coming and moves away.
Darkside throws a leg kick but Cruz sees it coming and moves out of range.
Darkside misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Darkside lands a front kick.
Cruz lands a jab to the head.
Cruz tries to clinch but Darkside is having none of it.
Darkside misses with a kick to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Danny Darkside showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Cruz tries to close the distance and clinch up but Darkside swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Darkside was about to counter that last move with a leg kick but changes his mind.

Cruz has closed the distance and engaged Darkside in a clinch.
Darkside swings wildly with an uppercut but Cruz uses good head movement to avoid it.
Cruz scores with a hook to the body.
Darkside tries to break free but Cruz pushes him back against the cage.
Darkside tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Cruz smiles and moves away.
Cruz misses with a wild body shot.
Cruz throws a big shot that misses.
Darkside throws a body punch but Cruz moves out of range.
Cruz tries to clinch up but Darkside circles away and keeps his distance.
Cruz fails with an attempt to clinch.
Darkside let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cruz takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Darkside dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Cruz. That did some damage!
Cruz misses with an uppercut
and Darkside counters with a nice body kick.
Good standup being displayed there by Darkside as he connects with a hook.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Darkside.
Cruz tries to counter with a takedown but Darkside is quick to defend against it.
Darkside checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
A head kick misses from Darkside.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Darkside tries to keep at a distance but Cruz has taken the fight into the clinch.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Cruz.

Darkside manages to break the clinch.
Darkside scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Cruz tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Nice shot lands for Cruz.
Cruz wants to clinch up but Darkside keeps it at a distance.
Cruz fails in his attempt to clinch.
Darkside misses with a body kick.
Cruz will be looking to protect his midsection after taking some solid kicks to the body.

Cruz instigates a clinch.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Cruz.
Cruz is leaning against Darkside and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Cruz slows down the pace here.
Darkside blocks a body shot from Cruz.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Good body shot from Cruz.
A short right from Cruz on the inside.

Darkside has Cruz pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Darkside pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Cruz tumbling to the mat - Darkside dives into Cruz's guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Cruz wants to stand up but Darkside is controlling him.
Darkside landing with the ground and pound.
Darkside won't allow Cruz to get back to his feet.
Darkside with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Darkside passes into half guard.
Darkside working Cruz over with strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Darkside working over Cruz with some ground and pound. Cruz looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Cruz is refusing to be controlled, as Darkside sits in half guard.
Cruz has hold of Darkside's hands but Darkside slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Darkside prevents Cruz from standing back up.
Darkside keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Darkside prevents Cruz from standing back up.
Darkside scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Cruz is trying to stand up here but Darkside is controlling him well.
Darkside is nestled in close to Cruz, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Darkside wants to lay and pray for a moment but Cruz keeps working.
Cruz avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Darkside.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Darkside throws a low kick but Cruz moves out of range easily.
Darkside throws a wild body kick that Cruz sees coming a mile off.

Cruz closes the distance and pushes Darkside back into the cage.
Darkside has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Cruz tries to work over Darkside's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Cruz throws a head punch that misses.
I was talking to Cruz's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Darkside is trying to push Cruz away but Cruz has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Darkside fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Cruz lands a right hand.
Cruz tries to throw a body punch but Darkside avoids it by throwing Cruz back against the cage.
Cruz misses with a punch to the body.

Darkside breaks from the clinch.
Cruz tries to clinch but Darkside moves out of range.
A looping hook to the body misses from Cruz. Darkside does a little dance to reset his feet.
Cruz misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Darkside counters with a low kick, right behind Cruz 's knee.

Cruz rushes Darkside and presses him up against the cage.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Danny Darkside.
I think Darkside 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 David Schapiro 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... Danny Darkside!