PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Lukas Chomsli (ranked 1335 p4p, 1111 weight class) and Matt Cruz (ranked 186 p4p, 155 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Chomsli might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Tapout. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Chomsli
vs
Cruz

180 cm
31
170
12 - 8 - 1

175 cm
21
170
8 - 3 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Voodoo Nutrition
Brooklyn Apothecary

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 12 - 8 - 1, fighting out of Amsterdam, Lukas Chomsli!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 3 - 0, fighting out of New York, Matt Cruz!
The judges for this bout are Ben Hemmingworth, Ben Watson and Damien Edna.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Chomsli shoots and misses
and Cruz counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Chomsli digs a good body shot into Cruz's ribs.

Chomsli fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Cruz sprawls well initially but Chomsli persists and gets the takedown into half guard.

Chomsli is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Cruz is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Chomsli wants to lay and pray for a moment but Cruz keeps working.
Chomsli is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Cruz is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Cruz felt the need to train up his defensive grappling in the buildup to the fight. Presumably he was expecting to be in a difficult position like this, so let's see if he can get out of it.
Cruz is looking for a sweep. Chomsli is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Chomsli looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Cruz slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Chomsli passes Cruz's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Chomsli has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.

Chomsli is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Cruz defends it well.
Cruz is looking to improve his position.
Cruz manages to get to full guard.
Cruz tries to land a sweep but no joy.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Cruz looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Chomsli chips away with some ground and pound.
Chomsli wants to pass the guard but Cruz is keeping the position.
Cruz looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Chomsli trying to control but Cruz is working from the bottom.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Chomsli distracts Cruz with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Cruz wants to sweep here but Chomsli controlling him for the moment.

Cruz is looking for a triangle but Chomsli pushes his legs off easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cruz looking to hit a scissor sweep but Chomsli is one step ahead there.
Chomsli trying to control the position from guard on top but Cruz is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Cruz looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Chomsli passes into half guard.
Cruz is not content to let Chomsli control the position.

Chomsli is looking for a kimura here.
Chomsli wants to control but Cruz is keeping him busy.
Chomsli prevents Cruz from improving his position.

Cruz with the active half guard here but Chomsli passes nicely into side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Chomsli working the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Chomsli has knee on belly and moves into mount.
Chomsli wants to control the pace but Cruz is squirming around nicely.
Cruz sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Chomsli lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Cruz is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Chomsli is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Chomsli wants to control but Cruz is keeping him busy.
Cruz tries to get to full guard but Chomsli has control of the leg.
Cruz keeps trying to improve his position.
Chomsli tries to pass the half guard into mount. Cruz knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Chomsli lands a nice short elbow.
Cruz is staying active underneath Chomsli, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

Chomsli seems to be looking for submissions.
Chomsli seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Cruz does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Cruz is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Chomsli scores with a couple of nice shots.
Chomsli has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Chomsli trying to control but Cruz is having none of it.
Chomsli pushing the pace here, looking to move to his opponents back and work for a finish.
Both fighters have adopted an aggressive gameplan on the ground!
Cruz is squirming around, avoiding Chomsli's attempts to control the action.
Cruz slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.

Chomsli is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Cruz tries to get to full guard but Chomsli has control of the leg.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Lukas Chomsli dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Cruz cracks a nice hook into Chomsli's ribs.
Chomsli takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Lukas Chomsli seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Chomsli jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Cruz misses with an uppercut.
Chomsli misses with a hook. Cruz ducked under it nicely.
Cruz is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Chomsli with a body shot.
Chomsli tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Cruz swivels and escapes.
Cruz fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Cruz scores with a decent looking hook.
Cruz circles away from the clinch attempt.
Chomsli 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.
Chomsli misses with a takedown attempt
and Cruz counters with a nice uppercut.
Cruz scores with a jab to the jaw.
Chomsli swings for the body but Cruz moves out of range.
Chomsli drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
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 looks to score with a jab to the body but Chomsli is just out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Chomsli shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
enabling Cruz to counter with a crisp jab.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Lukas Chomsli. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Chomsli fails with the takedown.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Cruz! But no joy.
Cruz circles away from the clinch attempt.
Chomsli tries to clinch up.
Cruz throws a jab when Chomsli was well out of range.
Chomsli keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Chomsli half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Chomsli is looking to clinch but Cruz is avoiding it.
A nice side step and Cruz releases a counter shot to the body, but it doesn't find it's home.
Cruz connects with a good right hand that stumbles Chomsli. Chomsli circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Chomsli.
Cruz swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Cruz throws a big shot that misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Chomsli fails with a takedown attempt.
Chomsli misses with a lunging right hand
and Cruz counters with a nice uppercut.
Cruz dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Chomsli looks for a takedown but Cruz sprawls well.
Chomsli shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Cruz counters with a nice uppercut.
Chomsli misses with a combination

and Cruz holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A quick uppercut on the inside from Cruz.

Chomsli has Cruz pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Chomsli pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Cruz tumbling to the mat - Chomsli dives into Cruz's guard.

Cruz working for a triangle but Chomsli defends it easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Cruz has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Chomsli can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Chomsli throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Cruz looking to hit a scissor sweep but Chomsli is one step ahead there.
Chomsli landing some decent shots from guard.
Cruz wants to sweep here but Chomsli controlling him for the moment.
Chomsli landing with the ground and pound.
Chomsli passes Cruz's left leg - he's now in half guard.

Chomsli is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cruz tries to get to full guard but Chomsli has control of the leg.
Cruz is pressing down on Chomsli's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Cruz looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Chomsli trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Chomsli passes Cruz's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Chomsli passes to side control.
Chomsli lands a few punches from side control.
Chomsli is looking to take a break and control but Cruz is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Cruz regains half guard.
Cruz is staying active underneath Chomsli, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Cruz is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Chomsli scores with a couple of nice shots.
Chomsli lands with a punch from half guard.
Lukas Chomsli overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Cruz gets full guard.
Chomsli working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Matt Cruz showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Cruz tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Chomsli was well out of range. Poor timing from Cruz.
Nice defenses there by Cruz.
Chomsli throws a body punch but Cruz moves out of range.
Cruz comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Chomsli misses with a combination
and Cruz counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Chomsli throws a poor cross that misses
and Cruz counters with a straight punch to the midsection.

Chomsli closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.

Chomsli is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Cruz is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Cruz is trying to get back to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Chomsli cracks Cruz with a big elbow.

Chomsli is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Cruz knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Cruz is looking for a sweep.
Cruz manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Chomsli is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Cruz!
Chomsli trying to control but Cruz is having none of it.
Chomsli landing shots from mount.
Cruz gets back to half guard.
Cruz moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Chomsli trying to control the position from guard on top but Cruz is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Cruz tries to land a sweep but no joy.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Chomsli distracts Cruz with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Chomsli stands and throws Cruz's legs to the side, diving into side control.
An elbow from Chomsli crashes against the mat.
Cruz tries to improve position but can't.
Cruz is not content to let Chomsli control the position.

Chomsli is trying to get an arm triangle but Cruz is defending well.

Chomsli tries for a kimura but Cruz is defending well.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Cruz is looking to regain half guard here but Chomsli keeps moving and retains side control.
Cruz on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Chomsli looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Chomsli lands a decent elbow from side control.
Chomsli tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
Cruz sneaks back into half guard.
Cruz tries to roll over but Chomsli keeps him under control.
Cruz is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Chomsli wants to lay and pray for a moment but Cruz keeps working.
Chomsli trying to control the pace.
Cruz tries to roll over but Chomsli keeps him under control.
Cruz gets back to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cruz looking to hit a scissor sweep but Chomsli is one step ahead there.

Cruz has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Chomsli can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Chomsli wants to control from the top but Cruz keeps moving.
Cruz keeping full guard, as Chomsli tries to pass.

Cruz is looking for a triangle but Chomsli pushes his legs off easily.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Cruz keeping moving, preventing Chomsli from controlling successfully.
Chomsli stands and throws Cruz's legs to the side, diving into side control.

And that's the end of the fight!
Lukas Chomsli showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Chomsli has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Ben Hemmingworth scores the fight 29:28
Judge Ben Watson scores the fight 29:28
Judge Damien Edna scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Lukas Chomsli!
After the fight, Lukas Chomsli was humble in paying tribute to his opponent but made it clear he wants to go on to bigger and better things. It seemed to go down well with the crowd who cheered him loudly.