PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Bill Love (ranked 24353 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jose Delacruz (ranked 6301 p4p, 0 weight class). Jose Delacruz told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Love
vs
Delacruz

180 cm
24
140 lbs
1 - 2 - 1

152 cm
22
135 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Hates pizza

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Inexperienced

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 1, fighting out of Los Angeles, Bill Love!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Jose Delacruz!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, Don Winkell and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Delacruz closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Love is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.
An elbow from Delacruz crashes against the mat.
Delacruz wants to control but Love is keeping him busy.
Love really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Delacruz working away.
Love pushes Delacruz away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Delacruz gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.

Delacruz has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.

Love gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Delacruz to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Love trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Love will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Delacruz trying to control but Love is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Delacruz won't allow Love to get back to his feet.
Love trying to keep a closed guard but Delacruz is proving a slippery customer.
Love looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Delacruz loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Delacruz wants to control from the top but Love keeps moving.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Delacruz stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Love swivels though and keeps the full guard.

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

Delacruz feints and as Love raises his hands in defense, Delacruz changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Delacruz wants to pass the guard but Love is keeping the position.
Delacruz wants to control from the top but Love keeps moving.
Delacruz prevents Love from getting back to his feet.
Delacruz pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Love is keeping the position for now.
Delacruz stops Love from standing up.
Delacruz trying to control but Love is working from the bottom.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Love is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Delacruz is controlling him.

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

Delacruz shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Delacruz was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Love wants to control but Delacruz postures up.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Delacruz is looking to take a break and control but Love is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Love can't do much from the bottom here.
Love is trying to get back to his feet.
Love is trying to control Delacruz's posture but Delacruz avoids it.
Delacruz is looking to take a break and control but Love is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Love wants to get back to his feet but Delacruz drags him back down.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Love wants to control but Delacruz postures up.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Love fails with the takedown.
Love checks the leg kick.
Love seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Love 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.

Delacruz pushes Love off and scrambles back to his feet.
Delacruz should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.

Delacruz fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Love to the ground. Delacruz is now in Love's guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Delacruz shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Love's guard.
Delacruz stops Love from standing up.
Love looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Delacruz won't allow Love to sweep him here.

Love pushes Delacruz off and scrambles back to his feet.

Delacruz shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Love is staying active underneath Delacruz, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Delacruz controlling the action here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Love is trying to stand.
Love makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Love.
Jose Delacruz has got the better of the ground game so far.
Delacruz prevents Love from getting back to his feet.
Delacruz not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Love looking to hit a scissor sweep but Delacruz is one step ahead there.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Love working a defensive guard here.

Love working for a triangle but Delacruz defends it easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Love wants to stand and escape but Delacruz is having none of it.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Bill Love is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Love is defended easily by Delacruz.

Delacruz manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Love on his heels. He'll look to pass Love's guard now, I'm sure.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Delacruz trying to control the position from guard on top but Love is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Delacruz has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Love is proving hard to escape from.
Love keeping moving, preventing Delacruz from controlling successfully.
Delacruz pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Love is keeping the position for now.
Delacruz throwing strikes from guard but Love blocks nicely.
Delacruz trying to control the position from guard on top but Love is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Delacruz has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Delacruz looking to pass the guard.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Delacruz trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

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

Delacruz shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Love napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Delacruz is looking to take a break and control but Love is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Love is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.
Love manages to get back to half guard.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Love is trying to stand.
Love is staying active underneath Delacruz, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Jose Delacruz will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Love scores with a takedown into Delacruz's guard.
Delacruz is looking to stand back up... there's a bit of a scramble and Love dives into side control.

Delacruz is looking for a sweep.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Delacruz tries to control but Love manages to take his back.
Love lands an elbow to the side of the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Love is working the ground and pound here and the referee is taking a close look at Delacruz. He must escape soon or this one will be stopped.
Good control from Love.
Love looking to soften up his opponent with punches.
Love lands punches and elbows.
Love softening up his opponent with strikes here.
Delacruz looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.
Can Delacruz hold on?! Love is landing more strikes to his hapless foe.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Love lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Love scores with punches and elbows.
Love connects with a big shot to the side of Delacruz's head.
Love slows the pace down here. Having a little breather whilst he's in a dominant position, looking to rest and regain some energy, ready to go for the finish.
Love punches Delacruz on the ear.
Delacruz tries to roll but Love sticks to his back.
Love has his opponent trapped and is landing shots. Not a good position for Delacruz.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Delacruz covers up after that shot from Love.
Love lands a shot to the head.
Delacruz wants to control his opponent's hands but Love gets his hands free.
Delacruz takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Delacruz covers up after taking a massive shot to the side of the head.
Delacruz grimaces as he takes a shot to the body.
Love punishes Delacruz with strikes from the back mount.

Delacruz is rocked!
Love looking to soften up his opponent with punches.
Delacruz is still in real trouble! Can Love finish him?
Love lands a good shot there. Delacruz covers up! Love smells blood and goes for the finish - the referee warns Delacruz to improve his position but he's not intelligently defending himself and the referee has no choice but to step in and end the fight! Love jumps to his feet and celebrates the important win with his cornermen!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:59 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Bill Love!