PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Kale Cruz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ryan Martin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Cruz comes to the cage accompanied by Welcome to the Jungle. Martin has chosen Got Money by Lil Wayne as his entrance music. Kale Cruz has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Cruz
vs
Martin

168 cm
20
163 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

180 cm
21
165 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Likes ground

Green Spirit Supplements
Laumeke Fight Gear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Kale Cruz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Ryan Martin!
The judges for this bout are Robert Douchet, Steve Smith and Trevor Gratis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Martin tries to clinch up but Cruz circles away and keeps his distance.

Martin shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Martin preventing the sweep.
Cruz not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Martin looking to pass the guard.
Cruz throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Martin preventing the sweep.
Martin trying to control the position from guard on top but Cruz is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Cruz working a defensive guard here.
Martin trying to control the position from guard on top but Cruz is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Cruz misses with a takedown attempt

and Martin counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Martin.
Cruz tries to score a body lock takedown but Martin shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Martin scores a nice knee to the body.
Martin misses with a knee strike.
Cruz drops down looking for an ankle pick but Martin pulls his leg out and moves away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Kale Cruz. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Martin.
Martin wants to lay and pray for a moment but Cruz keeps working.
Cruz taking a bit of punishment here - Martin scoring with strikes.
Martin in side control, just content to control the action for now.
Cruz tries to control but Martin manages to take his back.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Martin has his opponent trapped and is landing shots. Not a good position for Cruz.
Cruz wants to control his opponent's hands but Martin gets his hands free.
Cruz is keeping busy.
Cruz just trying to survive but Martin is wriggling into a better position, looking to finish.
Cruz is breathing heavily.
Martin keeps control of the position easily here as Cruz tries to buck him off.
Martin wants to control but Cruz is keeping busy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
You can see the frustration on Cruz's face… He knows he is in trouble unless he improves his position sooner rather than later.
Cruz might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Cruz has his hands over his head blocking the strikes from Martin.
Cruz tries to roll but Martin sticks to his back.
Cruz avoids the strikes from Martin.
Martin controlling well, preventing Cruz from escaping the position.
Cruz trying to control the hands but Martin won't let him.
Martin controlling the position well here. Cruz rolled but Martin kept the hooks locked in and stayed in the dominant position.

That's four 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.
Martin struggling to keep hold of the position.
Cruz looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Martin is throwing strikes from the back here. Oh that last one was to the back of the head. Martin gets a warning from the referee. He throws another strike to the back of the head straight away though and the referee has seen enough. He breaks up the two fighters and stands them back up. Martin gets a real talking to here and is lucky not to get a point deducted. Martin apologises and we restart here on the feet.
Martin tries to clinch but Cruz is having none of it.
Martin wants to clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ryan Martin dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Cruz misses with a takedown

and Martin counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Cruz!
Cruz working to try and regain half guard.
Cruz tries to control the position but Martin now has his back.
Cruz is keeping busy.
Cruz just trying to survive but Martin is wriggling into a better position, looking to finish.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
A lull in the action here.
Martin cracks Cruz with a big shot to body and one to the head - really punishing Cruz from the back mount here, looking to soften him up.
Cruz wants to control his opponent's hands but Martin gets his hands free.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Martin is controlling the position but Cruz somehow manages to roll and ends up with half guard.
Cruz is trying to control but Martin manages to pass to mount!

Martin stands up from the dominant position. He obviously fancies his chances standing.
Cruz fails with the takedown

and Martin moves into the clinch.
Martin with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Martin is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Cruz is keeping busy.
Martin prevents the takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Kale Cruz. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Cruz fails to pull the fight into his guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Knees to the body from Martin.
Cruz has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Martin is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Cruz is working for takedown but Martin is calmly controlling the position for now.
Cruz wants a takedown.
Martin looking to stall.

Martin escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Martin fails to land the takedown.
Cruz circles away from the clinch attempt.

Martin gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Cruz lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

Martin has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Cruz off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Cruz fails with the takedown
and Martin counters with a solid body kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Martin closes the distance and clinches.
Martin tries for a takedown. No joy.

Martin has moved round to his opponent's back and is looking for a suplex! Oh snap! He's tossed Cruz clear over his head and slammed him to the mat!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Martin scores with a nice shot to the head of his opponent. Cruz is looking for a way out.
Martin not allowing Cruz to control his hands.
So, who will make the next big move? In this position it could be crucial.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cruz just trying to survive but Martin is wriggling into a better position, looking to finish.
So, who will make the next big move? In this position it could be crucial.
Ryan Martin has got the better of the ground game so far.
Cruz covering up well under a barage of strikes.
Cruz turns into Martin and is now in his guard.
Cruz is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ryan Martin showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Martin scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Cruz shoots and misses

and Martin moves into the clinch.

Martin breaks from the clinch.

Martin has taken the fight to the clinch.
Martin is pressed up against the cage. Cruz has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Martin down to the mat. Martin avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Martin lands with a kick to the ribs.
Cruz tries for a takedown but Martin circles away easily

and Martin counters with a single leg into guard. Cruz didn't expect that.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Kale Cruz. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Martin controlling from the top position.

Martin gets to his feet. Cruz looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
No joy there for Martin, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Cruz tries for a takedown but Martin circles away easily

and Martin counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Cruz's guard now.
Martin takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
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 keeping moving, preventing Martin from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Cruz is on top in guard.
Cruz trying to control but Martin is working from the bottom.
Cruz is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Cruz loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Cruz trying to control the position from guard on top but Martin is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

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.
Cruz showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Cruz stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Martin swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Martin works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Martin is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Cruz is controlling him.
Cruz is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Cruz wants to control from the top but Martin keeps moving.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Kale Cruz just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Cruz takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Cruz circles away from the clinch attempt.

Martin drives through and clinches with Cruz against the cage.
Cruz drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Martin gets the underhooks and prevents it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
A bit of stalling here from Martin.
Cruz goes for a takedown in the clinch but Martin prevents it.
Cruz has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Martin is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Martin tries to land knees in the clinch but Cruz avoids the damage to the body.
Cruz tries to score a body lock takedown but Martin shows good agility there to stay on his feet.

Martin has picked Cruz up - he's going for a ride! Martin dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Cruz wants to control but Martin is keeping busy.
Kale Cruz has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Well, if Martin is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ryan Martin comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Martin has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Robert Douchet scores the fight 27:30
Judge Steve Smith scores the fight 27:30
Judge Trevor Gratis scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ryan Martin!