PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Luciano Maciel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ricardo Cruz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Luciano Maciel had real problems making weight for this fight. After initially coming in at 156.3lbs, he had two hours to make the official fight weight. He made it but it will have taken a lot out of him to cut those extra few pounds. Ricardo Cruz will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Maciel
vs
Cruz

177 cm
23
165 lbs
12 - 9 - 0

181 cm
25
165 lbs
6 - 2 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Brawler
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent knees
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Luciano Maciel!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Ricardo Cruz!
The judges for this bout are Matheus Silva, Alexandre Firmino and Emerson Jorge.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cruz avoids a punch combination nicely.

Cruz gets a clinch.
Cruz wants a takedown.

Maciel pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Maciel falls off balance throwing a combination

and Cruz moves into the clinch.
Cruz working Maciel over with knees to the body.
Come on Cruz - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Cruz misses with a body punch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Maciel on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Come on Cruz - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Cruz stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Maciel can't break the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Maciel is defending well for now.
Maciel blocking some punches.
Cruz lands a hook that snaps the head of Maciel backwards.

Maciel escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Cruz is looking to clinch.
Maciel circles away from the clinch attempt.
Cruz wants to clinch up but Maciel keeps it at a distance.
Maciel attempts a counter takedown but Cruz avoids it well and moves away.

Maciel gets tackled into the cage by Cruz. Cruz maintains the clinch.
Maciel tries to break the clinch but Cruz is controlling the position.
Maciel blocking some punches.
Maciel tries to break the clinch but Cruz is controlling the position.
A right hook to the body lands for Cruz.
Maciel is breathing heavily.
Cruz tries to land knees in the clinch but Maciel avoids the damage to the body.
Cruz digs a right hand underneath Maciel's ribcage. Maciel let out a lung full of air as it connected.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maciel is trying to push Cruz away but Cruz has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Cruz struggles to land a body shot inside as Maciel controls his hands.
Knees in the clinch landing for Cruz.
Cruz taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Cruz tries a knee to the head but Maciel blocks it.
Cruz misses with a knee strike.
Cruz lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Cruz lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Maciel wants to break the clinch but can't.
Cruz keeps control of Maciel as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Maciel managing to block the knees to the body from Cruz.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Cruz fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Cruz has been looking to improve his clinch game in recent weeks. Maciel seems to have the measure of him in the clinch so far, so let's see if Cruz can turn it around.
Maciel is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Maciel managing to block the knees to the body from Cruz.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Cruz is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Cruz looking to throw knees to the head but Maciel is blocking nicely.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Cruz.
Cruz working aggressively here.
Cruz misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Maciel.
Cruz misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Cruz connects with a nasty looking knee right to Maciel's face.

Maciel's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Maciel fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Cruz fails in his attempt to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Maciel tries to bum rush Cruz with a series of wild strikes but Cruz uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

Cruz closes the distance and clinches.
Maciel takes a knee to the side of the body.
Cruz lands an elbow inside.
Cruz content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Cruz tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Maciel's elbow.
Cruz can't find room to land a body shot as Maciel controls the action.
Knees to the body from Cruz.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Cruz has Maciel pushed against the cage.
Cruz trying to land knees to the body.
Cruz just leaning against Maciel, taking a breather.
Maciel tries to break free but Cruz pushes him back against the cage.
Cruz missing with knees to the body.
Cruz using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ricardo Cruz dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Cruz pushes Maciel up against the cage in a clinch.
Cruz doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Cruz keeps control of Maciel as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Maciel is looking to break free of the clinch but Cruz has double underhooks.
Cruz stalling in the clinch.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Cruz obliges.
Cruz stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Cruz.
Cruz cracks Maciel with a nice body shot.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cruz tries a knee to the head but Maciel blocks it.
Cruz prevents Maciel from breaking the clinch.
Ricardo Cruz seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Cruz manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Cruz effectively controlling the action here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz wants a takedown.
Cruz displaying some good clinch control by pressing Maciel up against the cage.
Nice body punch from Cruz.
Cruz stalling in the clinch but Maciel improves position.
Cruz keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Maciel's efforts to push away.
Maciel wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

Cruz breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Cruz tries to close the distance and clinch up but Maciel swats him away and circles back towards the center.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Maciel keeps the fight on the outside.
Maciel blocks a head kick by Cruz.

Cruz drives through and clinches with Maciel against the cage.
Maciel wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Cruz unloads a knee to the mid-section.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Cruz creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Cruz with an attempt at a knee that misses.
A right hand to the body from Cruz.
Cruz tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Maciel blocks a body shot from Cruz.
Cruz misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Maciel.
Maciel has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Cruz using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Maciel has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Maciel wants to break free but Cruz has control.
Cruz misses with a knee to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz has Maciel pressed against the cage, preventing Maciel from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Cruz tries to land knees in the clinch but Maciel avoids the damage to the body.
Cruz crunches a lovely knee into Maciel's ribcage.
Cruz tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Knees in the clinch landing for Cruz.
Cruz using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Cruz drops down looking for an ankle pick but Maciel pulls his leg out and moves away.

Maciel has closed the distance and engaged Cruz in a clinch.
Cruz crunches a lovely knee into Maciel's ribcage.
Cruz looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Maciel managing to block the knees to the body from Cruz.
Cruz pressing his opponent against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cruz is pushing Maciel up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Cruz tries a knee to the head but Maciel blocks it.
Cruz landing knees to the body.
Cruz softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Cruz struggles to land a body shot inside as Maciel controls his hands.
Maciel blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Maciel takes a knee right on the jaw!
Cruz tries to land knees in the clinch but Maciel avoids the damage to the body.
Cruz misses with a hook from the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ricardo Cruz showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Maciel throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

Cruz gets in close and instigates a clinch.
A short left from Cruz.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Cruz lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Cruz is working for takedown but Maciel is calmly controlling the position for now.
Knees to the body from Cruz.
Cruz lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Cruz lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Cruz lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Cruz using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Maciel has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Cruz can't find room to land a body shot as Maciel controls the action.
Maciel wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Cruz has him pressed against the cage.
Cruz misses with an elbow over the top.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maciel is trying to break the clinch but Cruz has him pressed against the cage.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Cruz obliges.

Cruz breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Maciel takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Cruz is looking to slow Maciel down with leg kicks.
Maciel throws a right and a left that Cruz avoids nicely.

Cruz darts in and clinches Maciel up against the cage.
Cruz throws a knee to the head but misses.
Maciel blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Cruz throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Maciels head.
A right hook to the body lands for Cruz.
Cruz misses with a short punch on the inside.
Cruz misses with a body punch.
Maciel takes a knee right on the jaw!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maciel wants to get back to striking at distance but Cruz won't allow it.
Cruz is stalling here.
Cruz tries to land knees in the clinch but Maciel avoids the damage to the body.
Maciel working hard to break the clinch.
Cruz tries to work over Maciel's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Maciel blocks an elbow strike from Cruz.
Cruz throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Maciel blocks it with crossed arms.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Cruz tries a knee to the head but Maciel blocks it.
Maciel on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Cruz is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Cruz scores with a hook to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz lands a good knee to the midsection. Maciel won't want to take too many of those.
Cruz misses with a knee strike.
Cruz pushes off an throws an elbow but Maciel leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.

Cruz escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Cruz has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Maciel throws a series of punches but Cruz moves out of range.

Maciel gets tackled into the cage by Cruz. Cruz maintains the clinch.
Cruz landing knees to the head.
Cruz is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
A body shot lands from Cruz.
Maciel blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Cruz.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cruz scores a nice knee to the body.
Cruz connects with a knee to the head.
Cruz tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Maciel avoids it.
Knees in the clinch landing for Cruz.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Maciel avoiding damage as Cruz throws knees to the body.
Cruz goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Cruz lands a good knee to the midsection. Maciel won't want to take too many of those.
Cruz with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Maciel blocks an uppercut.
A bit of stalling here from Cruz.
Cruz tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Luciano Maciel has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Ricardo Cruz is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Cruz is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ricardo Cruz comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Cruz 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 Matheus Silva scores the fight 25:30
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 25:30
Judge Emerson Jorge scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ricardo Cruz!