PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Erin Riley (ranked 25143 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jonathon Cruz (ranked 5936 p4p, 0 weight class). Erin Riley has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Riley
vs
Cruz

167 cm
19
177 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

193 cm
24
170 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Solid 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 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Erin Riley!
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, Jonathon Cruz!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, Don Winkell and Jack Bonds.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Cruz closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Riley is trying to pull guard but Cruz has him pressed against the cage.
Riley fails to pull guard.
Riley is trying to break the clinch but Cruz is controlling him.
Riley tries to pull guard but Cruz won't allow it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Erin Riley. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Riley pulls guard.

Cruz drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Cruz jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Cruz not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Riley looking for subs off his back but Cruz has passed one foot through into half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Riley pushes Cruz off but Cruz dives into side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Riley is looking for a sweep.
Riley being controlled for a moment.
Riley could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Riley is trying to get back to half guard.
Riley is trying to escape the position but Cruz is controlling the position.
Cruz misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.

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.
Riley wants to control but Cruz postures up.
Cruz controlling from side mount.
Riley is trying to get back to his feet.

Cruz decides to stand back up.
Erin Riley is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
A low kick from Riley is predictable there

and Cruz counters with a crisp one two that drops Riley! Cruz thinks about following him to the mat for a moment but instead steps back and waves Riley to his feet! Riley is in big trouble!

Riley is rocked!
Cruz fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Riley pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.

Cruz has closed the distance and engaged Riley in a clinch.
Riley is trying to break the clinch but Cruz has him pressed against the cage.
Cruz drops down looking for an ankle pick but Riley pulls his leg out and moves away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Cruz darts in and clinches Riley up against the cage.

Cruz breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Cruz moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
A head kick misses from Cruz.
Cruz tries to clinch up but Riley circles away and keeps his distance.
Riley tries to counter by clinching up but Cruz breaks away and moves out of range.
Riley fails in his attempt to clinch.
Cruz fails with a takedown attempt.
Cruz looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
No luck for Cruz with that takedown attempt.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Cruz.
Cruz looks winded!
Cruz steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Riley. That one must have hurt.
Cruz circles away from the clinch attempt.
Riley misses with a body kick.
Cruz is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Riley with a body shot.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Cruz looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Riley is fending him off so far but Cruz persists. Nope, Riley circles away and we're back to standing.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Riley lands with a shot to the body.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Riley explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jonathon Cruz dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Riley misses with a kick to the body.
Cruz goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Riley lands a nice shot to the body.
Cruz throws a right and a left that Riley avoids nicely.
Riley throws a shot to the body.
Cruz is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

Cruz drives through and clinches with Riley against the cage.
Riley fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Riley tries to break free but Cruz pushes him back against the cage.

Riley breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cruz misses with a head kick.
Cruz fails with a takedown attempt.
Jonathon Cruz seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Cruz doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Riley counters with a left to the body.
Cruz is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Riley tries to bum rush Cruz with a series of wild strikes but Cruz uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Cruz fails in his attempt to clinch.
Riley throws a body kick that misses.

Cruz moves into the clinch.
Cruz has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Cruz drops down looking for an ankle pick but Riley pulls his leg out and moves away.
Erin Riley has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jonathon Cruz.

Cruz drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Cruz won't allow Riley to get back to his feet.

Riley pushes Cruz off and scrambles back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Riley comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Cruz fails with an attempt to clinch.
Riley tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
An inside leg kick lands from Riley.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Cruz takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Jonathon Cruz is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Riley swings for the body but Cruz moves out of range.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Cruz is defended easily by Riley.
A looping hook to the body misses from Riley. Cruz does a little dance to reset his feet.
Cruz tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz fails with a takedown attempt.
Riley tried to counter with a leg kick but Cruz avoided it.
Riley blocks a head kick by Cruz.
Riley is looking to wear down Cruz with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Riley tries to land a front kick but Cruz steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Cruz with the counter takedown but Riley avoids it easily.
Cruz doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Riley throws the kick towards the body but Cruz avoids it.
Riley rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Cruz moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Riley misses with a body kick.
Riley doesn't manage to clinch there - Cruz circles away.
Cruz fails with a takedown attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Riley stuffs the takedown.
Riley throws a body punch but Cruz moves out of range.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Cruz! But no joy.
Cruz looks to score with a jab to the body but Riley is just out of range.
Riley is looking to counter with a body kick.
Cruz on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Cruz shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Riley sprawls well. Riley wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Cruz gets slowly back to his feet.
Riley throws a half hearted mid kick.
Cruz throws out a counter right but Riley avoids it with no problem.
Riley throws a wild body kick that Cruz sees coming a mile off.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Erin Riley dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Horrible takedown attempt by Cruz or perhaps it was just good defense by Riley, which made it look bad.
Riley is trying to close the distance and clinch up, after that failed offence from Cruz.
Cruz scores with a jab.

Riley closes the distance and pushes Cruz back into the cage.
A short right from Cruz on the inside.
Riley lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Riley is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Cruz to keep the fight standing.

Cruz escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cruz shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Riley as he jumps to the side.
Riley throws a head kick that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Riley takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Riley with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Nice sprawl there from Riley as Cruz shoots in.
Erin Riley has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jonathon Cruz.
Cruz takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Riley misses with an attempted mid kick.
Riley just misses with a punch to the body.
Riley lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Riley misses with a body shot.
Cruz keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Cruz misses with a two punch combination.
Cruz misses with a takedown
and Riley counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Cruz will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Riley appears to be looking for a counter takedown.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Riley misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

Cruz shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
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!
Cruz prevents Riley from improving his position.

Cruz is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Riley tries to kick Cruz off but Cruz keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

Cruz moves into side control, avoiding a weak kimura attempt from Riley.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Riley is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Riley tries to wriggle free to get back to his feet but he's given up his back! Oops.
Cruz biding his time, controlling Riley.
Riley tries to escape the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Cruz controlling from the back.

Riley defends a rear naked choke attempt by controlling one of Cruz's arms.
Cruz is hanging on to Riley's back as he tries to escape.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Riley is trying to get back to his feet but he's not managed it yet.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Jonathon Cruz.
I think Cruz has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 28:29
Judge Don Winkell scores the fight 28:29
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 28:29

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