PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Holt Dennis (ranked 1197 p4p, 132 weight class) and Dominick Bruise (ranked 5367 p4p, 409 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Dennis
vs
Bruise

175 cm
23
155 lbs
6 - 0 - 0

173 cm
24
142 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

IniTech Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Holt Dennis!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Dominick Bruise!
The judges for this bout are Phil Schofield, James Atkins and Colin Fotheringham.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Bruise tries to keep at a distance but Dennis has taken the fight into the clinch.

Dennis breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Bruise connects with a nice looking jab.
Dennis tries to clinch up but Bruise circles away and keeps his distance.
Bruise misses with an uppercut.
Bruise looks to score with a jab to the body but Dennis is just out of range.
Dennis appears to be looking for a big counter.
Bruise misses with a double jab.
Bruise lands a nice looking body shot.
Bruise swats away the attempt to clinch by Dennis.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Bruise closes the distance and clinches.
Dennis is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Bruise connects with a knee to the head.

It looks like Holt Dennis has been cut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dennis stalling.
Bruise taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Bruise throws a knee to the head but misses.

Dennis pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Dennis slips a straight right by Bruise.
Bruise waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Dennis.
A decent looking cross lands there for Bruise.

Dennis moves into the clinch.
Bruise looking to slow down the pace here.
Bruise tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Bruise misses with a knee strike.
Dennis leaning his opponent against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bruise trying to land knees to the body.
Bruise missing with knees to the body.
Bruise stalling the fight.
Bruise managing to block the knees to the body from Dennis.

Dennis breaks from the clinch.
Bruise is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Dennis darts in trying to clinch
and Bruise counters with a nice uppercut.
Bruise slips a jab and a cross from Dennis.
Bruise looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.

Dennis moves into the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dennis managing to block the knees to the body from Bruise.
Dennis avoiding damage as Bruise throws knees to the body.
Bruise tries to land a knee to the head but Dennis blocks with his arms.
Dennis on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Bruise keeps control of Dennis as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Bruise just leaning against Dennis, taking a breather.

Dennis's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Dennis moves away from the strike by Bruise.
Nice shot lands for Bruise.
Bruise throws the left hand but Dennis avoids the punch easily.
Bruise pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Dennis fails to land with a series of punches.
A jab from Bruise misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dennis tries to clinch up.
Dennis tries to clinch but Bruise is having none of it.
Bruise lunges at Dennis with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Dennis's hand.

Dennis instigates a clinch.
Bruise stalling against the cage.
Bruise just leaning against Dennis, taking a breather.
Dennis with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Bruise throws a knee to the head but misses.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Bruise will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Dennis up against the cage.
Bruise throws an elbow that misses.
Dennis stalling in the clinch but Bruise improves position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dominick Bruise dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Holt Dennis's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

Dennis misses with an uppercut
and Bruise counters with a nice uppercut.
A looping hook to the body misses from Bruise. Dennis does a little dance to reset his feet.
Dennis tries to clinch but Bruise moves out of range.
A countering left hand to the body from Bruise misses.
Bruise circles away from the clinch attempt.

Bruise closes the distance and pushes Dennis back into the cage.
Bruise pressing his opponent against the cage.
Bruise tries a knee to the head but Dennis blocks it.
Dennis blocking some punches.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bruise with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Bruise is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Dennis is defending well for now.
Bruise has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

Bruise escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Bruise connects with a looping right hand.
Holt Dennis seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Dennis instigates a clinch.
Bruise with an attempt at a knee that misses.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Bruise takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Bruise trying to stall but Dennis improves his position.
Dennis is looking to break free of the clinch but Bruise has double underhooks.
Bruise misses with a knee to the head.
Dennis wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Bruise using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Dennis has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

Dennis pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Dennis clinches up against the cage.
Dennis is looking to break free of the clinch but Bruise has double underhooks.
Bruise tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Dennis avoids it.
Bruise is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Bruise looking to stall.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dennis tries to stall but Bruise uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Bruise using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Dennis has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Bruise misses with an elbow strike.
Dennis avoiding damage.
Bruise looking to throw knees to the head but Dennis is blocking nicely.
Dennis has had enough of the clinch but Bruise keeps him there for the moment.
Bruise dodges an elbow strike from Dennis.
Bruise misses with a knee strike.
Bruise tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Dennis blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Dennis trying to stall but Bruise improves his position.
Bruise misses with a knee to the head.

Dennis breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Dennis misses with a lunging right hand
and Bruise counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Holt Dennis is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dennis on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Dennis fails in his attempt to clinch.
Dennis closes the distance but Bruise moves to the side
and Bruise counters with a straight right hand.
A big right from Bruise misses.
Dennis connects with the punch.
Dennis throws a body kick that misses

and Bruise counters with a takedown into side control.
Dennis is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.
Dennis bucks up and tries to throw Bruise off but instead Bruise has got his back!
Dennis wants to get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Dennis is being controlled on the ground here - he must escape this position otherwise surely the end is near.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dominick Bruise showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Holt Dennis'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. This is the final round!

Dennis tries to clinch up.
Dennis tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Bruise paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Bruise might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
Dennis gets off balance looking for a body kick
and Bruise counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Dennis tries to clinch but Bruise moves away
letting Bruise counter with a right hand.
Dennis misses the shot to the body.
Dennis tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Bruise manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Bruise shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Dennis but Dennis pushes him off and we're back to square one.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dennis moves out of range of the strikes.
Bruise misses with the combination.
Dennis tries to clinch up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dennis is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Bruise swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Dennis throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Bruise is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Dennis.
Bruise jabbing away but nothing is landing.
It looked like Dennis was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Dennis fails with an attempt to clinch.
Bruise swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Dennis dodges the punch combination from Bruise.
Bruise misses with a looping right.
Dennis moves out of range as Bruise strikes.
Holt Dennis is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Dennis moves to clinch but Bruise breaks away
and Bruise counters with a nice uppercut.
Dominick Bruise is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dennis tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Bruise gets tackled into the cage by Dennis. Dennis maintains the clinch.
Bruise displaying some good clinch control by pressing Dennis up against the cage.
Dennis wants to get back to striking at distance but Bruise won't allow it.

Bruise's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Dennis steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Bruise.

Dennis has managed to clinch.
Bruise misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Dennis.
Dennis has Bruise pushed against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dennis softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Bruise misses with a knee strike.
Dominick Bruise seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Bruise keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Dennis's efforts to push away.
Dennis looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Dennis.
Dennis stalling in the clinch.
Dennis taking a breather.
Dennis can't break the clinch.
Bruise's coach down at VEGAS Top Team [$699/week] was telling us pre-fight that they have been working on Bruise's balance. Obviously they view that as a key factor in the outcome of this fight.
Dennis blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A knee to the head by Bruise.
Bruise blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Dennis is trying to push Bruise away but Bruise has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Bruise misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Dennis.
Dennis is trying to stall.
A knee to the head by Bruise.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Bruise leaning against his opponent.
A frustrated look appears on Dennis's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Holt Dennis has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Knees in the clinch landing for Bruise.

And that's the end of the fight!
Dominick Bruise comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Bruise has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Phil Schofield scores the fight 27:30
Judge James Atkins scores the fight 27:30
Judge Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Dominick Bruise!