PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Magnus Pyke (ranked 1472 p4p, 1123 weight class) and Ricardo Cruz (ranked 195 p4p, 151 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Pyke
vs
Cruz

190 cm
35
193
21 - 10 - 0

190 cm
25
198
9 - 4 - 0

Good wrestling
Lethal high kicks
Cardio machine

Excellent grappler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Sydney Fight Gear (London Rebirth)

UnderGround Supplements
Ma Balls Is Hot Clothing

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 21 - 10 - 0, fighting out of London, Magnus Pyke!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Ricardo Cruz!
The judges for this bout are Donald Grub, Daniel Bishop and James Ackerman.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cruz darts in looking for a takedown but Pyke gets double underhooks and turns Cruz into the ropes.
Pyke stuffs the takedown attempt from Cruz. Cruz gets slowly back to his feet.
Pyke was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Cruz will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Magnus Pyke has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ricardo Cruz.
Pyke misses with an uppercut.
Pyke throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Cruz has been working on his striking defense in training and it's paying off as Pyke is landing a low percentage of strikes.
Cruz checks a leg kick nicely.
Cruz looks for a takedown but Pyke sprawls well.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cruz fails with the takedown

and Pyke moves into the clinch.
Cruz blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

Pyke lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz tries to get to full guard but Pyke has control of the leg.
Cruz is refusing to be controlled, as Pyke sits in half guard.
Cruz trying to control but Pyke postures up.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Cruz works his way to full guard. Good work.
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.

Cruz is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Pyke is aware though and is defending well.

Cruz looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Pyke trying to control but Cruz is working from the bottom.
Cruz looking for a sweep. Not yet Cruz, not yet.

Cruz escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Pyke gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

Cruz isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Pyke stacks Cruz on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Pyke!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pyke advances nicely into full mount.
Cruz tries to reverse the position but Pyke maintains control.
Pyke scoring with strikes but Cruz is staying in there.
Cruz is trying desperately to improve position.
Cruz is squirming around, avoiding Pyke's attempts to control the action.
Cruz can't escape the position.
Cruz is still trying to improve position.
Pyke cracks Cruz with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Cruz is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Cruz is in all sorts of trouble here.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Cruz is squirming around, avoiding Pyke's attempts to control the action.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pyke is really struggling to control Cruz but he's trying to hold on to the position.
Cruz tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Pyke raining down hammerfists from mount.
Pyke controlling the pace for now.
The referee warns Cruz that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.

Pyke is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Cruz can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Pyke dominating with strikes here.
Pyke can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Cruz is looking to escape.
Cruz is trying desperately to improve position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pyke controlling the pace for now.
Pyke wants to control the pace but Cruz is squirming around nicely.
Cruz sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
The fighters are battling for position here. Cruz manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Pyke stopping the sweep attempt from Cruz.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Cruz is on top in guard.

Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Pyke keeping moving, preventing Cruz from controlling successfully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Magnus Pyke dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Pyke misses with a wild combination.
Cruz feints the counter takedown.
Pyke ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Cruz moves away.
Cruz tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Cruz shoots for a double leg takedown but Pyke sprawls well. He's pushed Cruz's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Cruz shoots in for a takedown but Pyke shows good takedown defense.
Cruz gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Pyke counters with a nice uppercut.
Magnus Pyke has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ricardo Cruz.

Cruz shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Pyke manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Pyke is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Cruz can do to turn this around?
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cruz throws a big elbow that misses.
Cruz wants to control from the top but Pyke keeps moving.

Pyke has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Cruz can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz looking to pass the guard.
Cruz wants to control from the top but Pyke keeps moving.
Pyke tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Cruz is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Cruz works over Pyke with some ground and pound from guard.
Cruz pushing down on Pyke's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Cruz is keen to just control but Pyke is a slippery customer.

Pyke is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Cruz pulls his head out easily.
Pyke trying to control but Cruz postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Cruz is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Pyke doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Cruz.
Pyke slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Cruz trying to control but Pyke is working from the bottom.
Cruz lands a couple of elbows.
Cruz tries to free his leg and advance position but Pyke is retaining full guard.
Cruz distracts Pyke with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Pyke wants to sweep here but Cruz controlling him for the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pyke trying to keep a closed guard but Cruz is proving a slippery customer.
Cruz postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Cruz pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Pyke is keeping the position for now.

Cruz content to sit in guard, stalling... Great. Oh but he could get punished here because Pyke has locked up a guillotine! Pyke's face is contorted as he sqeezes tight on the submission attempt - will he finish? Cruz is holding on here and Pyke must be using up a lot of energy. Cruz has gone limp! He's out! He's out cold! Pyke gets to his feet, tossing aside his stricken foe. Arms raised, he milks the applause from the crowd. Great submission!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:42 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Guillotine). Magnus Pyke!
In his post fight interview, Magnus Pyke started talking himself up. Luckily his charisma kept the crowd on side and gave him a good reception.