PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Ichirai Hoshi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Vince Cruise (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Vince Cruise acknowledges the crowd's support as he enters the ring.

Hoshi
vs
Cruise

190 cm
22
170 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

183 cm
18
175 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Brawler
Prefers ground

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

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 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Ichirai Hoshi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Vince Cruise!
The judges for this bout are Sosuke Kotani, Yasuomi Hirokawa and Tatsuya Matsuyama.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Cruise gets a clinch.
Cruise misses with some punches.
Hoshi's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Nice body punch from Cruise - that landed with a thud.
Hoshi wants a takedown but no success here.
Hoshi keeps control of Cruise as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Cruise stalling the fight.
Cruise misses with a hook from the clinch.

Cruise breaks the clinch.

Hoshi closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Hoshi lands in his opponent's guard.
Cruise really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Hoshi. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Cruise wants to stand and escape but Hoshi is having none of it.
Hoshi not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

Hoshi drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Hoshi jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruise looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Hoshi decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Cruise, up you get!
Cruise avoids the head kick by Hoshi.
Cruise connects with a good right hand that stumbles Hoshi. Hoshi circles away out of range and recomposes himself.

Cruise closes the distance and clinches.
Still in the clinch, Cruise scores with a nice short uppercut.
Cruise is looking to break free of the clinch but Hoshi has double underhooks.
Cruise is trying to drag Hoshi to the mat but Hoshi just about manages to keep his footing. He used the ropes to his advantage there.
Cruise looking for a takedown.
Cruise working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Hoshi blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Cruise wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cruise avoiding damage as Hoshi throws knees to the body.
A looping hook to the body misses from Hoshi. Cruise does a little dance to reset his feet.
Cruise keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Hoshi fails to land the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ichirai Hoshi. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Hoshi tries to close the distance and clinch up but Cruise swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Cruise shoots in and bounces Hoshi off the ropes to secure the takedown into guard.

Cruise stands up and waves to Hoshi to follow him.
Hoshi misses with a jab, cross combination.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruise clinches but Hoshi breaks the clinch
and Hoshi counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Hoshi closes the distance looking to clinch

and Cruise counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Cruise.

Cruise's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Hoshi drives through and clinches with Cruise against the ropes.
Hoshi tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Cruise's elbow.
A battle for position here, against the ropes.
Cruise has Hoshi pushed against the ropes.
Hoshi wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Cruise has him pressed against the ropes.
Hoshi prevents Cruise from breaking the clinch.
A short right from Cruise on the inside.

Cruise breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Cruise attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Cruise is looking to clinch but Hoshi is avoiding it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nice cross by Cruise.
Hoshi lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Hoshi tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Hoshi with a lazy takedown attempt

and Cruise holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Hoshi.
Hoshi stops a takedown attempt from Cruise.

Cruise breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Vince Cruise seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Cruise tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Hoshi paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Cruise rushes Hoshi and presses him up against the ropes.

Cruise manages to break the clinch.
Cruise looks gassed!

Hoshi gets a clinch.
Hoshi wants to get back to striking at distance but Cruise won't allow it.
Cruise looking for a takedown.

Cruise has picked Hoshi up - he's going for a ride! Cruise dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Hoshi punching from the bottom.
Hoshi makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Hoshi.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vince Cruise dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the ring so we can get back down to business.

Cruise tries to clinch

and Hoshi counters with a nice double leg into guard.

Hoshi decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Hoshi misses with a takedown attempt

and Cruise decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Hoshi's guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Hoshi seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Hoshi is trying to keep Cruise in close.
Cruise wants to stand and escape but instead Hoshi has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Cruise is breathing heavily.
Hoshi trying to control but Cruise is working from the bottom.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruise wants to get back to his feet but Hoshi is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

Hoshi postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Cruise is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Hoshi, into his guard.
Hoshi looking for a sweep. Not yet Hoshi, not yet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Cruise trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Cruise is looking to stand up but Hoshi won't let him.
Cruise passes into half guard under a barage of strikes.
Hoshi moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Cruise must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hoshi trying to control the position.
Vince Cruise has got the better of the ground game so far.
Hoshi throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Hoshi really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Hoshi is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Cruise working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Hoshi manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
A nice elbow there by Hoshi.
Hoshi looking to control but Cruise is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Ichirai Hoshi will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Hoshi tries for a takedown but Cruise sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Cruise tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Hoshi counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Cruise tries to kick Hoshi off in order to stand up. Hoshi Avoids the leg push though and dives into side control.
Hoshi takes a little break here. Cruise wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.
Hoshi looking to control but instead Cruise has slipped a leg in, to regain half guard.

Cruise looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruise wants to get back to his feet.
Hoshi thows a huge punch but Cruise dodges it nicely.
Cruise won't allow Hoshi to pass to mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Hoshi is looking to take a break and control but Cruise is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Hoshi sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Cruise defending well though.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Hoshi wants to clinch

and Cruise counters by moving into the clinch.
Cruise is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Cruise misses with a short punch on the inside.
Hoshi tries for a takedown. No joy.
Cruise gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Hoshi.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ichirai Hoshi. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Cruise cracks Hoshi with a nice body shot.

Cruise manages to break the clinch.
Cruise is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruise clinches but Hoshi breaks the clinch

and Hoshi counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Cruise takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Hoshi stands up from guard. Let's bang!

Cruise rushes Hoshi and pushes him back against the ropes in a clinch.
Hoshi is trying to drag Cruise to the mat but Cruise just about manages to keep his footing. He used the ropes to his advantage there.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Hoshi as Cruise tries to tie him up.
Hoshi fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Hoshi blocks the elbow strike.
Hoshi tries for a takedown. No joy.
Cruise slows down the pace here.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Cruise.
Hoshi tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Cruise just stands there and leans against the ropes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hoshi wants to break the clinch but can't.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Cruise.
Hoshi avoiding damage as Cruise throws knees to the body.
A short left from Cruise.
Cruise has Hoshi pushed against the ropes.
Cruise scores with a nice hook to the head.

Hoshi decides to pull guard.

Hoshi has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Cruise can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Hoshi avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Cruise tries to stand but Hoshi is controlling from the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ichirai Hoshi showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Hoshi has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 29:28
Judge Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 29:28
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ichirai Hoshi!