PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Abel Cruz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jeffrey Molina (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Cruz
vs
Molina

171 cm
23
145 lbs
3 - 3 - 0

168 cm
22
150 lbs
10 - 3 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Basic striking
Very strong

Good wrestler
Counter fighter
Determined

Big Bear Nutrition 160Q

Urban Fighter

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Abel Cruz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Jeffrey Molina!
The judges for this bout are Reed Andrews, Chad Campbell and John Roberts.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cruz fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Cruz.
A nice side step and Molina releases a counter shot to the body, but it doesn't find it's home.
Cruz shoots in and drives through. Molina sprawls well.
Cruz throws a combination that misses

and Molina counters with a shoot takedown. Cruz fights it but they end up in guard.
Molina scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Molina preventing the sweep.
Cruz is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Molina controls from within his opponent's guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Molina postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Molina controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Molina has been taking part in the yoga sessions down at The Factory. Presumably he's going to look for a slick submission... Or maybe he's looking to avoid one.
Molina won't allow Cruz to sweep him here.
Cruz wants to stand and escape but Molina is having none of it.

Cruz has his foot on Molina's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Molina works his way back into a safe position though.
Molina not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Molina wants to control from the top but Cruz keeps moving.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Molina stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Molina wants it to stay on the feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Abel Cruz. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Cruz dives in for a single leg takedown but Molina sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Horrible takedown attempt by Cruz or perhaps it was just good defense by Molina, which made it look bad.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Molina misses with a body kick.
Cruz fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Molina checks it well.
Cruz throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Cruz looks to score with a jab to the body but Molina is just out of range.

Cruz looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Cruz in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Molina pulls Cruz in close to prevent any damage.
Molina lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz wants to sweep but no luck.
Cruz is working hard here to advance position.
Molina lands a couple of elbows.
Cruz trying to control the position.
Cruz is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Molina is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Cruz working a defensive guard but Molina passes into half guard.
Cruz has hold of Molina's hands but Molina slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Cruz tries to kick Molina off but Molina keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cruz is trying to maintain the position but Molina is very close to passing his half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Cruz wants to get back to full guard.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Molina seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Cruz tries to get to full guard but Molina has control of the leg.

Cruz actively working from the bottom here.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Molina content to control rather than advance.
Cruz is looking to control Molina's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Cruz avoid being mounted?

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jeffrey Molina dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Cruz looks for a takedown but Molina sprawls well.
Molina is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.
Cruz is looking to clinch.
Molina tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Cruz missing with a left hand there. Molina was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.

Molina shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Cruz is trying to defend but Molina finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Cruz wants to control but Molina is keeping busy.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cruz wants to improve his position but Molina is controlling well.
Still in half guard, Molina seems content to control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz tries to roll over but Molina keeps him under control.
Cruz trying to hold on to Molina's head to control him but Molina postures up.
Molina has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Cruz tries to get to full guard but Molina has control of the leg.
Cruz is looking to control Molina's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Cruz avoid being mounted?
Cruz wants to get back to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Cruz trying to hold on to Molina's head to control him but Molina postures up.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

Molina closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Cruz quickly recovers to half guard.
Cruz trying to hold on to Molina's head to control him but Molina postures up.
Cruz is controlling Molina's trapped leg to prevent Molina from advancing to side control.
Cruz trying to control from the bottom.
Molina prevents Cruz from improving his position.
Cruz trying to control from the bottom.
Cruz tries to get to full guard but Molina has control of the leg.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz moves into full guard.
Cruz being controlled here, momentarily.
Cruz wants to control but Molina passes easily into half guard.
Molina content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Molina seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Cruz does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

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.
Cruz controlling the position for now.
Molina wants to stand but Cruz has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Cruz misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Molina drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Cruz defends it well.
Cruz throws a combination that misses

and Molina counters with a takedown into side control.
Molina working the head with strikes.
Molina gets to mount! Cruz was on the offensive and wasn't defending properly.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Molina content just to control the position here.
Cruz working to try and regain half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jeffrey Molina showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Molina stuffs the takedown attempt from Cruz. Cruz gets slowly back to his feet.
Nice takedown defense from Molina. No joy for Cruz on that attempt.
Molina drops his hands momentarily and Cruz takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Cruz tries to clinch but fails miserably

so Molina counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Cruz is trying to control the position but Molina postures up.

Cruz escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Molina gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Cruz looking to hit a scissor sweep but Molina is one step ahead there.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Molina content to stall in guard here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz trying to keep a closed guard but Molina is proving a slippery customer.
Cruz tries to land a sweep but no joy.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Cruz has momentary wrist control but Molina slips an elbow through the middle.
Jeffrey Molina has got the better of the ground game so far.
Molina is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Cruz seems to have improved his submission grappling technique since last time we saw him. Let's see if he can pull off a submission.
Cruz wants to sweep but no luck.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Cruz throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Jeffrey Molina is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Molina slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Cruz fails to land the takedown.
Molina drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Cruz defends it well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Abel Cruz. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Cruz shoots in looking for a takedown but Molina manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Cruz's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.

Molina shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Cruz punching from the bottom.
Molina perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Cruz trying to control from the bottom.

Cruz looking for submissions off his back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz pushes Molina off looking to stand but Molina dives back in and keeps control.
Molina controlling the pace.
Cruz trying to hold on to Molina's head to control him but Molina postures up.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

Cruz clinches with his opponent.
Cruz is looking to take this one to the mat.

Molina has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Cruz is trying to keep an underhook but Molina manages to get the takedown into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cruz has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Molina is working away from the top position though.
Molina controlling the pace.
Cruz is looking for a sweep. Molina is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Abel Cruz has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Molina performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Cruz is looking to improve his position.
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 fight!
Jeffrey Molina comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Molina 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 Reed Andrews scores the fight 27:30
Judge Chad Campbell scores the fight 27:30
Judge John Roberts scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jeffrey Molina!
Jeffrey Molina seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.