PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Jose Santa Cruz (ranked 3413 p4p, 4848 weight class) and Khabib Ferguson (ranked 355 p4p, 478 weight class). Both fighters look pumped up here. Let's hope this is a good fight!

Santa Cruz
vs
Ferguson

190 cm
19
280
2 - 0 - 0

200 cm
21
275
4 - 3 - 1

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Jose Santa Cruz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 3 - 1, fighting out of Amsterdam, Khabib Ferguson!
The judges for this bout are William Peck, Trevor Gratis and Alec Ball.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Santa Cruz fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Ferguson manages to avoid it.
Ferguson with the counter takedown but Santa Cruz avoids it easily.
Ferguson uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Santa Cruz.
Santa Cruz lands a jab to the head.
Santa Cruz throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Ferguson stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Ferguson takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Ferguson misses with a looping right.
A shot to the liver by Santa Cruz. Beautiful body shot.
A decent looking cross lands there for Santa Cruz.
Ferguson keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Santa Cruz keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Ferguson.
Ferguson connects with the punch.
Santa Cruz jabs Ferguson to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Santa Cruz defending well as Ferguson loads up on a big left hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ferguson's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Ferguson duly obliges.
The crowd cheers as Santa Cruz lands an impressive looking overhand right. Ferguson doesn't seem phased though.
Santa Cruz stuns Ferguson with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Santa Cruz listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Ferguson sizes up Santa Cruz with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Ferguson throws a head kick but Santa Cruz moves out of range.
Ferguson's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Santa Cruz connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Ferguson scrambles back to his feet.
Ferguson misses with an attempted mid kick.
Santa Cruz keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Ferguson.
Ferguson displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Santa Cruz throws out the jab.
It looks like Santa Cruz has been trying to sharpen up his punching technique, as it looks crisper than last time we saw him.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Santa Cruz ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Santa Cruz moves out of range of the strikes.
A counter left hand to the body from Santa Cruz misses its target.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ferguson misses with a looping right.
A little feinted left hand from Santa Cruz on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Santa Cruz digs a good hook to Ferguson's body.
Ferguson misses with a straight right.
Santa Cruz misses with a looping left.
Ferguson takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Santa Cruz just misses with a punch to the body.
Ferguson drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Santa Cruz defends it well.
Santa Cruz throws a hook but Ferguson avoids it easily.
A shot to the liver by Santa Cruz. Beautiful body shot.
Santa Cruz misses with a straight left.
Ferguson misses with a looping right.
Ferguson keeps the fight on the outside.
Ferguson throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Santa Cruz.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santa Cruz moves out of range as Ferguson strikes.
Ferguson moves out of range as Santa Cruz strikes.
Santa Cruz feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Fergusons jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Ferguson misses with a straight left.
Ferguson fails to land with a series of punches.
Santa Cruz swings for the body but Ferguson moves out of range.
Ferguson circles away from the clinch attempt.
Santa Cruz takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Ferguson throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Santa Cruz sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Ferguson throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
A swing and a miss from Santa Cruz.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ferguson throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Santa Cruz looks to land a left hand but Ferguson moved out of range nicely.
Santa Cruz works Ferguson's body with a nice hook.
A shot to the liver by Santa Cruz. Beautiful body shot.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Ferguson breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Santa Cruz throws a jab but it's blocked by Ferguson.
Ferguson wants to counter the offense by Santa Cruz and move into the clinch position.
Ferguson misses the shot to the body.
Santa Cruz throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Santa Cruz throws a hook but Ferguson blocks it.
Ferguson closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Ferguson swats away the attempt to clinch by Santa Cruz.
Ferguson wants to counter with a clinch but Santa Cruz pushes him away.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Jose Santa 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.

Ferguson misses with a lunging right hand
and Santa Cruz counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
The fighters circle momentarily. Santa Cruz darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
A jab from Ferguson misses.
Santa Cruz is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Ferguson moves forwards but Santa Cruz connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Santa Cruz misses with a body shot.
Ferguson lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.

Santa Cruz has Ferguson up against the cage in a clinch.
Ferguson misses with a body punch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Santa Cruz looking to slow down the pace here.
Santa Cruz tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Ferguson wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Santa Cruz has him pressed against the cage.
Santa Cruz tries to work over Ferguson's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.

Ferguson ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Ferguson no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.

Ferguson working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Santa Cruz doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Oh but Ferguson is tightening it up a little... Santa Cruz has to be careful here... He's got his foot tucked under now, this looks tight! Santa Cruz reacted too slowly and this one could be over in a matter of seconds! YES! Santa Cruz taps out! Nice BJJ there by Ferguson!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:55 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle Choke). Khabib Ferguson!
Khabib Ferguson decided to go for the less than humble approach in his post fight interview, telling everyone how he is going to conquer the world. The crowd seemed to like it when really that sort of approach could have gone either way.