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CWC 307 - Cruz vs Nickal PBP Commentary |
This TWGC bout is 1 fifteen minute round in the middleweight division. Introducing today's competitors. In the red corner, competing out of New York, with a TWGC record of 12 wins and 5 losses; Michael Cruz! And in the blue corner, fighting out of Helsinki, with a TWGC record of 17 wins and 9 losses; Bo Nickal!
The judges for this bout are Mauricio Rocha, Emerson Jorge and Felipe Paraventi.
The fighters connect hands in the middle of the mat and we are under way.
Cruz darts in and clinches Nickal up against the cage.
Cruz is working for takedown but Nickal is calmly controlling the position for now.
Cruz gets a trip takedown into half guard. Score +2 for takedown into guard / half guard: Cruz (2) vs (0) Nickal
Nickal is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Cruz wants to free his trapped foot but Nickal is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Cruz 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.
Nickal wants to get back to full guard.
Cruz looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nickal tries to roll over but Cruz keeps him under control.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Nickal wants to control the action here but instead Cruz manages to pass to full mount! Score +3 for passing guard: Cruz (5) vs (0) Nickal
Cruz controlling the pace for now.
Nickal wants to control but Cruz is having none of it.
Nickal is looking to get to half guard.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cruz fails to take his opponent's back.
Nickal is wriggling around trying to escape.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Cruz looking to control and managing it successfully.
Nickal regains half guard.
Cruz is looking to take a break and control but Nickal is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nickal holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.
Nickal is looking to control Cruz's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Nickal avoid being mounted?
Cruz trying to mount his opponent but Nickal defends it.
Nickal moves into full guard.
Cruz tries to free his leg and advance position but Nickal is retaining full guard.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cruz controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Nickal keeping moving, preventing Cruz from controlling successfully.
Nickal tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Cruz is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Nickal controlling Cruz's posture.
That's five minutes gone in the round.
Cruz not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Cruz wants to pass the guard but Nickal is keeping the position.
Cruz trying to move into half guard but instead Nickal has managed to sweep! Score +2 for sweep to guard / half guard: Cruz (5) vs (2) Nickal
That's six minutes gone in the round.
Cruz tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Cruz bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Nickal's guard. Score +2 for sweep to guard / half guard: Cruz (7) vs (2) Nickal
Nickal is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Cruz is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
That's seven minutes gone in the round.
Nickal is controlling Cruz's posture.
Nickal 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.
We've been informed that Nickal has been working hard on his conditioning in the buildup to the fight.
Cruz's corner is telling him to maintain position.
That's eight minutes gone in the round.
Nickal looking for a sweep. Not yet Nickal, not yet.
Nickal controlling the position.
Cruz tries to free his leg and advance position but Nickal is retaining full guard.
Cruz slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
That's nine minutes gone in the round.
Cruz postures up.
Cruz sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Cruz won't allow Nickal to sweep him here.
Cruz engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
That's ten minutes gone in the round.
Cruz stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Nickal swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Cruz forces his way into half guard.
Nickal wants to get back to full guard.
Cruz is figuring out what he wants to do next.
That's eleven minutes gone in the round.
Nickal preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Cruz wants to pass to mount but Nickal is defending the position.
Cruz with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Cruz trying to mount his opponent but Nickal defends it.
That's twelve minutes gone in the round.
Cruz with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Cruz's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Cruz seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Nickal for as long as he can get away with.
Nickal wants to improve his position but Cruz is controlling well.
That's thirteen minutes gone in the round.
Cruz sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Nickal is looking for a sweep. Cruz is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Cruz is looking to take a break and control but Nickal is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Cruz content to control rather than advance.
That's fourteen minutes gone in the round.
Nickal wants to get back to full guard.
Cruz is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Cruz uses his free foot to push down on Nickal's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Nickal. Score +3 for passing guard: Cruz (10) vs (2) Nickal
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Nickal is working to get back to half guard.
Cruz tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
And that's the end of the fight!
Cruz takes the fight on points by 10 to 2.
Michael Cruz retains his middleweight title!
Michael Cruz seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website. |
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