PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Cris Cyborg (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Neal Ward (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Cris Cyborg has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Cyborg
vs
Ward

172 cm
25
150 lbs
7 - 3 - 0

175 cm
25
150 lbs
5 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Experienced

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter fighter
Powerful

GREEN!160

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 7 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Cris Cyborg!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Neal Ward!
The judges for this bout are Reed Andrews, Russell Pearce and Eddie Farnsworth.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ward misses with a telegraphed body shot
enabling Cyborg to counter with a crisp jab.
Cyborg fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Ward throws a shot from downtown. Cyborg moves away and avoids it.
Nice defenses there by Ward.
Ward throws a lazy uppercut
and Cyborg counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Cyborg scores with a one two! Ward had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Jab, jab by Cyborg - just one landing.
Cyborg scores with a jab. Ward acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Cyborg waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Ward.
Ward darts in trying to clinch
and Cyborg connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ward tries to clinch up but Cyborg circles away and keeps his distance.
Cyborg lands a jab to Ward's midsection.
Ward misses with a hook. Cyborg ducked under it nicely.
Cyborg digs a good body shot into Ward's ribs.
Cyborg scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Cyborg ducks under a wild hook from Ward.
Cyborg went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
Ward wants to clinch up but Cyborg keeps it at a distance.
Cyborg is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Ward misses with a body punch
and Cyborg counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cyborg paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Cyborg throws a hook but Ward avoids it easily.
Ward avoids a punch combination nicely.
Ward wants to clinch up but Cyborg keeps it at a distance.
Ward throws a body shot but no joy.
Nice shot by Cyborg.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Ward tries to clinch up
and Cyborg counters with a right hand to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ward takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Good shot there by Cyborg.
Cyborg lands with a straight right. Ward didn't see that one coming.
Ward on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Ward misses with an uppercut
and Cyborg cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Cyborg is really peppering his opponent's head with punches.
The fight stays on the outside here - Ward looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Ward slips a jab from Cyborg.
Cyborg sizes up Ward with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ward misses with a hook.
Ward throws a right hand that misses
and Cyborg counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Ward thinking.
Ward throws a jab but it's blocked by Cyborg.
Cyborg is looking to counter punch.
Ward moves forwards but Cyborg connects with a nice, crisp jab.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Ward takes a swing at Cyborg's ribcage but misses.
Ward tests Cyborg's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Cyborg throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Cyborg keeps the fight on the outside.
A slow jab from Cyborg misses its intended target.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Cris Cyborg dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Cyborg throws a body shot but no joy.
Cyborg lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Ward swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
A counter left hand to the body from Cyborg misses its target.
Cyborg slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Ward moves in looking to clinch but Cyborg pushes him off.
Ward walks into a straight right hand from Cyborg.
Ward wants to clinch but Cyborg slips to the side
and Cyborg counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Ward thinking.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ward misses the shot to the body.
Ward tries to clinch there but Cyborg circles away.
An attempted straight right counter from Cyborg misses the target.
Ward tries to clinch up.
Cyborg throws a big counter combination but Ward scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ward is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Cyborg.
Ward fails in his attempt to clinch.
Ward tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Cyborg manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Cyborg scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Ward throws a hook but Cyborg avoids it easily.
Ward tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Cyborg manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Cyborg lands a nice shot to the body.
Ward is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cyborg looks to score with a jab to the body but Ward is just out of range.
Ward moves in looking to clinch but Cyborg pushes him off.
Cyborg lands a slapping body shot.
Cyborg keeps the fight on the outside.
Cyborg is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Cyborg bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Cyborg staying out of range there.
Ward looks to score with a jab to the body but Cyborg is just out of range.
Cyborg swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Ward fails with an attempt to clinch.
Cris Cyborg is winning the standup battle so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ward throws a looping overhand right but Cyborg ducks down to avoid it.
Ward takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Ward looks to throw the jab but Cyborg is out of range.
Cyborg throwing a counter right hand but Ward manages to avoid it.
Ward tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Cyborg manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Cyborg thuds a left hand into Ward's body.
Cyborg lands a jab to Ward's midsection.
Ward swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Cyborg cracks a nice hook into Ward's ribs.
Cyborg uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Ward.
Neal Ward seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Ward throws a lazy uppercut
and Cyborg counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cyborg throws the left hand but Ward avoids the punch easily.
Cyborg getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
A punch combination from Cyborg misses.
Both these guys seem content to just stand up and trade with eachother but Ward might want to think about changing up his gameplan a bit because over the course of the fight, Cyborg has got the better of the exchanges.
Cyborg connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
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!
A punch combination from Cyborg misses.
Cyborg sets himself, and Ward steps forward looking for the clinch! Cyborg avoids it this time.
Cyborg avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Ward misses with a wild body shot.
Cyborg scores with a nice strike.
Cyborg throws a series of punches but Ward moves out of range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Cris Cyborg dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Cyborg throws a body punch but Ward moves out of range.
Ward tries to clinch up.
Cyborg throwing a counter right hand but Ward manages to avoid it.
Ward tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Cyborg manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Cyborg misses with a wild combination.
Ward throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cyborg keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Ward.
Ward moves in looking to clinch but Cyborg pushes him off.
Ward closes the distance but Cyborg moves to the side
and Cyborg counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ward wants to clinch but Cyborg slips to the side
and Cyborg connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Ward feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Cyborgs jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!

It looks like Cris Cyborg has been cut.
Cyborg thuds his right hand into Ward's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Cyborg misses with a double jab.
Cyborg is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Ward can do to turn this around?
Cyborg looks to score with a jab to the body but Ward is just out of range.
Ward wants to clinch but Cyborg slips to the side
and Cyborg counters with a stiff right hand.
Ward takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
A shot to the body from Ward misses
enabling Cyborg to counter with a crisp jab.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cyborg lands a two punch combo.

Ward is rocked!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
A slow jab from Ward misses its intended target.
Ward is still on wobbly legs! Can Cyborg finish him?
Cyborg throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Ward tries to clinch but Cyborg is having none of it.
Ward tries to clinch there but Cyborg circles away.
Ward seems to have recovered his senses.
Ward tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Cyborg manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Ward fails with an attempt to clinch.
Cyborg works the jab nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ward thows a left - swing and a miss!
Ward misses with a body shot
and Cyborg makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Ward uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Cyborg.
Some wild striking there from Cyborg.
Cris Cyborg is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Ward moves in looking to clinch but Cyborg pushes him off.
Cyborg moves out of range as Ward strikes.
Ward closes the distance looking to clinch
and Cyborg counters with a lovely straight right hand!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cyborg feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Wards jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Ward misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Cyborg.
Cyborg swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Good exchange - Ward coming out on top.
Neal Ward has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Cyborg connects with a looping right hand.
Cyborg scores with a jab to the head.
Ward lands with a right hand.
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!
Ward walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Ward throws a hook to the side of Cyborg's head but Cyborg sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.

And that's the end of the fight!
Cris Cyborg showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Cyborg has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 for Cris Cyborg!
Judge Russell Pearce scores the fight for Cris Cyborg!
Judge Eddie Farnsworth scores the fight for Cris Cyborg!

Cris Cyborg wins by unanimous decision!
A very excited looking Cris Cyborg made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.