PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Masada The Zealot (ranked 3227 p4p, 315 weight class) and Paul Kruger (ranked 4346 p4p, 414 weight class). Kruger is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Fire and Fury. Paul Kruger is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

The Zealot
vs
Kruger

190 cm
29
162 lbs
5 - 3 - 0

182 cm
37
165 lbs
19 - 8 - 1

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Dangerous knees
Good gas tank

Fanatic Inc.
IniTech Nutrition

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 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Masada The Zealot!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 19 - 8 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Paul Kruger!
The judges for this bout are Dillan Fox, Ian Loll and Yves DeLean.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kruger tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. The Zealot manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Kruger is looking to clinch.
The fighters circling - Kruger throws out the jab but it was never going to land.

Kruger closes the distance and clinches.
The Zealot takes an elbow to the temple.
We can't be sure of the tactics at this early stage but we have heard that Kruger has been working on his takedowns a lot in the buildup to the fight and we can only assume he's going to look to take this to the mat.
The Zealot blocks a punch to the side of the head.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Kruger just misses with a elbow thrown towards The Zealot's brow.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, The Zealot creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Kruger tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Kruger tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Kruger scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Kruger connects with a nasty looking knee right to The Zealot's face.
Kruger scores with a nice hook to the head.
The Zealot swings wildly with an uppercut but Kruger uses good head movement to avoid it.
The Zealot working aggressively here.
Kruger with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
The Zealot lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
The Zealot's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Kruger tries to throw a body punch but The Zealot avoids it by throwing Kruger back against the cage.
Kruger lands a damaging elbow.
Good body shot from The Zealot.
Kruger has a couple of punches blocked by The Zealot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The Zealot lands a right hand that snaps the head of Kruger backwards.
The Zealot lands with a short head shot on the inside.
The Zealot misses with a short punch on the inside.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Kruger.
Kruger swings away with an uppercut that misses.
A right hook to the body lands for The Zealot.
Kruger misses with a short punch on the inside.
The Zealot fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
The Zealot has a couple of punches blocked by Kruger.
The Zealot lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Kruger fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
The Zealot scores with a shot to the side of Kruger's head.
Kruger blocks a punch to the side of the head.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for The Zealot.
The Zealot tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Kruger.
The Zealot tries to work over Kruger's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
The Zealot tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Kruger's elbow.
The Zealot avoids a wild elbow strike from Kruger.
The Zealot really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
The Zealot tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
The Zealot tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
The Zealot tries a body shot but Kruger blocks it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The Zealot misses with the head strike.
Kruger throws an elbow but it misses.
Kruger tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
The Zealot blocks an uppercut.
Still in the clinch, Kruger scores with a nice short uppercut.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Kruger obliges.
Kruger stalls.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Kruger wants to stall.
The Zealot misses with a hook to the ribs.
Kruger is pushing The Zealot up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
A short right hand to the side of the head by The Zealot.
Kruger blocks a punch to the side of the head.
The Zealot has a couple of punches blocked by Kruger.
The Zealot blocks a body shot from Kruger.
Kruger pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Kruger dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A left hand lands to the body for The Zealot.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Kruger.
Kruger trying to land knees to the body.
The Zealot tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Kruger lands a left hand that snaps the head of The Zealot backwards.
The Zealot lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Kruger swings wildly with an uppercut but The Zealot uses good head movement to avoid it.

Kruger escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Kruger walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Kruger tries to clinch but The Zealot is having none of it.
Kruger tries to clinch up but The Zealot circles away and keeps his distance.
The Zealot scores with a three punch combo!

It looks like Paul Kruger has been cut.
Kruger is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
The Zealot listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.

Kruger is rocked!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Kruger staying out of range there.
Kruger doesn't manage to clinch there - The Zealot circles away.
Nice cross by Kruger.
Kruger is looking to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The Zealot lands with a good body shot.
The Zealot lands with an uppercut that bounces Kruger off the cage and back into range.
Kruger is still on wobbly legs! Can The Zealot finish him?
Kruger uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by The Zealot.
Kruger seems to have recovered his senses.
Kruger wants to clinch up but The Zealot keeps it at a distance.

The Zealot gets tackled into the cage by Kruger. Kruger maintains the clinch.
The Zealot working some nice short punches in the clinch.

Kruger breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
The Zealot swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
The Zealot comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.

Kruger clinches.
The Zealot tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Kruger with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Kruger lands a shoulder strike.
Kruger lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Kruger throws a head punch that misses.
Kruger lands a good knee to the midsection. The Zealot won't want to take too many of those.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
A nice right hand lands inside from Kruger.
Kruger misses with a knee to the head.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Kruger.
A right handed body shot lands from The Zealot.
Kruger is working The Zealot over against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Masada The Zealot will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Paul Kruger's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Kruger clinches with his opponent.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
The Zealot throws a head punch that misses.

Kruger breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
The Zealot misses with a double jab
and Kruger counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Kruger tries to clinch but The Zealot is having none of it.
The Zealot will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
The Zealot takes a head kick and shrugs it off.

Kruger has The Zealot up against the cage in a clinch.
The Zealot tries to throw a body punch but Kruger avoids it by throwing The Zealot back against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
The Zealot lands a right hand that snaps the head of Kruger backwards.
Kruger is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Kruger scores with a shoulder strike.
The Zealot lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
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!
Kruger blocks a punch to the side of the head.
The Zealot lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Kruger backwards.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kruger with a knee to the head.
The Zealot working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Kruger prevents a body shot from The Zealot.
Kruger misses with a punch to the body.
The Zealot on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
The Zealot misses with a punch to the body.
I was talking to The Zealot's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
The Zealot scores with a shoulder strike.
A head punch on the inside from The Zealot fails to land.
The Zealot lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Kruger.
Kruger misses with a body punch.
The Zealot digs a right hand into Kruger's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Kruger's gas tank.
Kruger blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

Kruger manages to break the clinch.
The Zealot swinging wildly here.
Kruger wants to clinch.

Kruger takes the fight into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A short right hand to the side of the head by The Zealot.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
The Zealot lands with a right to the head.
Kruger working The Zealot over with knees to the body.
Kruger is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
The Zealot tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Kruger's elbow.
The Zealot misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Kruger is looking to control The Zealot's arms but The Zealot gets an underhook and turns him. Now Kruger has his back to the cage.
The Zealot lands a right hand.
A quick uppercut on the inside from The Zealot.
Kruger goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Kruger misses with a hook from the clinch.
The Zealot tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Paul Kruger seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Kruger creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Kruger blocking some punches.
Kruger blocks a punch to the side of the head.
The Zealot throws a head punch that misses.
Kruger tries to land knees in the clinch but The Zealot avoids the damage to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kruger blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Kruger is trying to maintain a safe position but The Zealot gets an underhook and turns Kruger into the cage.
Kruger slowing the pace effectively.

Kruger breaks the clinch.
Masada The Zealot is winning the standup battle so far.
The Zealot connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Kruger's hands.

Kruger clinches up with The Zealot and pushes him back against the cage.
The Zealot lands with a light punch inside.
The Zealot unloads with a big right hand that wobbles Kruger! He's leaning against the cage trying to keep his feet but The Zealot is unloading with more strikes now! Kruger drops to his knees and the referee stops the fight for a TKO!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:32 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Masada The Zealot!
During a confident post fight interview, Masada The Zealot thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.