PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Gary Ridgway (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rafael Santa Cruz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Santa Cruz's choice of entrance music: 50 cent P.I.M.P. Buckle up people - heeeeeeeeeere we go!

Ridgway
vs
Santa Cruz

169 cm
28
175 lbs
10 - 2 - 0

180 cm
36
170 lbs
29 - 24 - 2

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Granite chin

Excellent grappler
World class MT
Granite chin

Museum of Monsters & Madmen

GREEN!160

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 10 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Gary Ridgway!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 29 - 24 - 2, fighting out of Los Angeles, Rafael Santa Cruz!
The judges for this bout are Frank Antenori, and Jack Bonds.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Santa Cruz takes a swing at Ridgway's ribcage but misses.
Santa Cruz takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
Santa Cruz stuns Ridgway with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Ridgway throws a left and a right that both miss
and Santa Cruz counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Santa Cruz uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Ridgway.
We've been hearing reports that Ridgway has been drilling takedowns in recent sessions so let's see if that has an impact on the result of this fight.
Ridgway tries to score a power double leg takedown but Santa Cruz sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Ridgway somewhat.
Santa Cruz cracks the inside of Ridgway's front leg.
Nice sprawl there from Santa Cruz as Ridgway shoots in.
Santa Cruz moves out of range of the leg kick from Ridgway.
Santa Cruz throws out a counter right but Ridgway avoids it with no problem.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Decent striking displayed by Santa Cruz there.
Gary Ridgway seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Ridgway tries to bum rush Santa Cruz with a series of wild strikes but Santa Cruz uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Santa Cruz scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Ridgway on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Santa Cruz misses with a kick to the body.
Ridgway throws a poor cross that misses
and Santa Cruz finishes the little exchange by landing a big kick to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santa Cruz scores with a body shot.
Santa Cruz lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Santa Cruz listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Santa Cruz fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Ridgway on the side of the head.
Santa Cruz sizes up Ridgway with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Santa Cruz moves into range and connects with a jab.
Ridgway just misses with a punch to the body.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.

Santa Cruz jumps guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Ridgway wants to control from the top but Santa Cruz keeps moving.
Santa Cruz is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Ridgway with a flurry of punches that miss.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Santa Cruz controls Ridgway momentarily but Ridgway frees himself.
Ridgway showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Santa Cruz wants to stand but Ridgway is controlling the position.
Ridgway trying to control the position from guard on top but Santa Cruz is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Santa Cruz has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Ridgway is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Santa Cruz.
Ridgway lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Santa Cruz down.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santa Cruz is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Santa Cruz is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Ridgway blocks the strikes from Santa Cruz.

Ridgway is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Santa Cruz defends it well.
Santa Cruz blocking the ground and pound attempt from Ridgway.

Santa Cruz actively working from the bottom here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Santa Cruz trying to hold on to Ridgway's head to control him but Ridgway postures up.

That's four 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.

Ridgway is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Santa Cruz is trying to maintain the position but Ridgway is very close to passing his half guard.
Santa Cruz wants to get back to his feet.
Ridgway wants to lay and pray for a moment but Santa Cruz keeps working.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Santa Cruz throws a nice inside leg kick.
Ridgway dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rafael Santa Cruz dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Ridgway looks for the body kick but Santa Cruz saw that one coming.
Santa Cruz looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Santa Cruz is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Ridgway misses with a combination
and Santa Cruz counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Ridgway avoids the body shot from Santa Cruz.
Ridgway fails in his attempt to clinch.

Santa Cruz feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.

Ridgway pushes Santa Cruz off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Santa Cruz has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
That kick from Ridgway tenderised Santa Cruz's leg. Santa Cruz is trying to keep his angry face on.
Ridgway scores with the left hand. Santa Cruz knows he should have avoided that one.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Ridgway displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Santa Cruz throws out the jab.
Santa Cruz fails with an attempt to clinch.
Some wild striking there from Santa Cruz.
Ridgway misses with a wild combination.
Ridgway throws a sloppy head kick and Santa Cruz moves out of range easily.
Decent striking displayed by Ridgway there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A chopping leg kick lands by Ridgway.
Santa Cruz takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Ridgway throws a leg kick but Santa Cruz checks it.
Left hook, right uppercut from Ridgway.
Decent striking displayed by Santa Cruz there.
Ridgway tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Santa Cruz was well out of range. Poor timing from Ridgway.
Ridgway throws a solid leg kick but Santa Cruz takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Ridgway.
Santa Cruz appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
Santa Cruz takes one to the side of the head.
Ridgway connects with a good right hand that stumbles Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz circles away out of range and recomposes himself.

Santa Cruz is rocked!
Santa Cruz walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Ridgway checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Santa Cruz is still on wobbly legs! Can Ridgway finish him?
The fighters circling - Santa Cruz throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Ridgway.
Santa Cruz is breathing heavily.
Both fighters step back and shake their arms out. Ridgway engages and cracks Santa Cruz with a massive lead left hook - Santa Cruz tumbles to the floor, out cold! What a shot! Ridgway is delighted - all that hard work in training paid off!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:42 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Gary Ridgway!
Our winner, Gary Ridgway, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.