PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ricardo Cruz (ranked 4087 p4p, 93 weight class) and Harold Harmbe (ranked 1860 p4p, 49 weight class). Harmbe is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Boosie Badazz - No Juice. Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Cruz
vs
Harmbe

181 cm
29
165 lbs
9 - 6 - 0

196 cm
32
229 lbs
17 - 11 - 1

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Dangerous knees
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, for the super heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Ricardo Cruz!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 17 - 11 - 1, fighting out of New York, Harold Harmbe!
The judges for this bout are , Frank Antenori and Timothy Bukovac.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cruz slips under a jab.
Harmbe misses with a right hand
and Cruz connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Cruz defending well as Harmbe loads up on a big left hand.
Cruz throws a head kick but Harmbe moves out of range.

Harmbe moves into the clinch.
Harmbe misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Cruz.
Cruz with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Cruz.
Harmbe makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Cruz is looking to break free of the clinch but Harmbe has double underhooks.

Cruz successfully pulls guard.
Cruz controls Harmbe momentarily but Harmbe frees himself.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Harmbe in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Cruz is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Harmbe not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harmbe prevents Cruz from getting back to his feet.
Cruz might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Harmbe tries to free his leg and advance position but Cruz is retaining full guard.
My spies in Touch Of Death Combat Academy inform me that Harmbe has been getting involved in the gym's BJJ sparring sessions. Let's see whether that pays dividends!
Harmbe working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Cruz is looking to stand up but Harmbe isn't so interested in that idea.
Harmbe stands up over Cruz, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Cruz is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Harmbe distracts Cruz with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Harmbe is working Cruz over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Harmbe scoring with punches to the head and body.
Harmbe cracks Cruz with a solid left hand.
Harmbe scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Cruz utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Cruz is on top in guard.

Cruz throwing strikes from guard but Harmbe blocks nicely.
Cruz working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Cruz has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Harmbe trying to control the position here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz postures up in Harmbe's guard and throws a big left but Harmbe blocks it.

Harmbe looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Cruz wants to control from the top but Harmbe keeps moving.
Harmbe trying to control the position.
Cruz throwing strikes from guard but Harmbe blocks nicely.
Harmbe avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

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.
Harmbe is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Harmbe fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Cruz on the side of the head.
A big left from Cruz misses.
It seemed like Harmbe was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.

Cruz closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Harmbe tries to bench press Cruz off him but Cruz keeps the position.
Cruz misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Cruz wants to lay and pray for a moment but Harmbe keeps working.
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 Ricardo Cruz will probably get the nod.
That's time! Cruz's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Harmbe throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Cruz avoids the body shot from Harmbe.
Harold Harmbe seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Sloppy strikes from Cruz. Those never looked like landing.

Cruz shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Harmbe napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Harmbe tries to improve position but can't.
Cruz trying to control the action but Harmbe is working from the bottom.
Harmbe manages to work his way to half guard, despite Cruz's best efforts.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Harmbe is looking for a sweep. Cruz is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Harmbe keeps trying to improve his position.
Cruz missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harmbe has his hands clasped together around Cruz's back. He's all about the action.
Cruz seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Harmbe does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Harmbe is trying to get back to full guard.
Harmbe makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Harmbe.
Harmbe wants to sweep but no luck.
Harmbe not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Harmbe bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Cruz's guard.

Harold Harmbe has got the better of the ground game so far.
Harmbe is in close to Cruz's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Harmbe slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Harmbe wants to control from the top but Cruz keeps moving.
Cruz trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Harmbe is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Cruz looking for a sweep. Not yet Cruz, not yet.
Harmbe is looking to work some ground and pound but Cruz has wrist control.
Harmbe is stalling in the full guard.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz avoids a lazy jab quite easily.

Harmbe gets caught flat footed, as Cruz shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.

Harmbe working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Cruz doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Cruz manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Harmbe looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Cruz has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Harmbe is proving hard to escape from.

Harmbe looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Cruz passes into side control.
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 four minutes gone in the round.
Cruz wants to control but Harmbe is keeping him busy.
Cruz connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Harmbe some visible discomfort.
Cruz lands an elbow.
Cruz throws an elbow but Harmbe slips to the side and avoids it well.
Harmbe is looking to regain half guard here but Cruz keeps moving and retains side control.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Ricardo Cruz will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Harmbe blocks a head kick by Cruz.
We've been told by Cruz's head coaches at Roosters Coop that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.

Harmbe shoots in for a takedown and gets it.

Cruz actively working from the bottom here.
Harmbe prevents Cruz from improving his position.

Cruz pushes Harmbe off and gets back to his feet.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Harmbe fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.

Harmbe shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Cruz is trying to defend but Harmbe finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Harmbe stops Cruz from getting back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Harmbe lands a nice short elbow.
Harmbe prevents Cruz from improving his position.
Cruz gets back to full guard.
Harmbe lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Harmbe slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Harmbe trying to control the position from guard on top but Cruz is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Cruz pushes Harmbe off and gets back to his feet.
Harmbe misses with the combination.

Cruz drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Harold Harmbe has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Cruz has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
Harmbe lands an overhand right.

Cruz shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Harmbe's guard.
Cruz is fighting to break Harmbe's control of his arms but Harmbe is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harmbe tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Harmbe has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Cruz trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Harmbe keeping moving, preventing Cruz from controlling successfully.
Harmbe utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Cruz trying to control the position from guard on top but Harmbe is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Cruz working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Cruz trying to control the position from guard on top but Harmbe is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's four 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.
Cruz looking to pass the guard.
Harmbe keeping moving, preventing Cruz from controlling successfully.
Cruz wants to pass the guard but Harmbe is keeping the position.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Danga de danga de dang - Cruz scores with a four punch combination!
Harmbe misses with a body shot.
Ricardo Cruz is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
A big left from Harmbe misses.
Harmbe looks to throw the jab but Cruz is out of range.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ricardo Cruz showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Cruz, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 28:29
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 29:28
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Ricardo Cruz!
Ricardo Cruz is the new super heavyweight champion!
The defeated Harold Harmbe had this to say: 'ill be here till i m 35'.