PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ricardo Cruz (ranked 4679 p4p, 4020 weight class) and Rumsfeld Shart (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Cruz
vs
Shart

180 cm
20
210
1 - 1 - 0

190 cm
23
219
2 - 1 - 0

Good takedowns
Solid boxing
Likes comics

Good wrestler
Brawler
Good gas tank

Fantasy Threads

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Ricardo Cruz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Rumsfeld Shart!
The judges for this bout are Sam Margolis, Paul Tew and James Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cruz scores with a shot to the body.
Cruz fails with a takedown attempt.
Shart takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.

Cruz drives through with a takedown into Shart's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Shart wants to sweep but no luck.
Shart is still trying to improve position.
Shart keeping moving, preventing Cruz from controlling successfully.
Shart utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Cruz stands up from Shart's guard - Cruz perhaps looking for a knockout.

Cruz shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Shart napping and manages to drive through into side control!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Shart is trying to control Cruz's posture but Cruz avoids it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz looking to control but instead Shart has slipped a leg in, to regain half guard.
Still in half guard, Cruz seems content to control.
Shart regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Cruz.
Cruz trying to control the position from guard on top but Shart is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Cruz is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Cruz being controlled here momentarily.
Cruz is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Shart bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Cruz's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cruz is trying to control the position but Shart postures up.
Shart sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Cruz's guard.
Shart working the head and body with strikes.

Shart is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Cruz manages to get to full guard.
Cruz is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Shart trying to control but Cruz is working from the bottom.
Shart is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Cruz has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Cruz is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Cruz keeping full guard, as Shart tries to pass.
Shart keeps trying to improve his position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Cruz utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Shart trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Cruz is looking to stand back up but Shart counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Cruz.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Shart in particular looking to stall.
Shart not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Shart misses with a head shot. Cruz uses the momentum to regain guard.
Cruz looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Cruz looking to control but Shart passes into half guard.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Rumsfeld Shart will probably get the nod.
That's time! Cruz's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Cruz fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Shart takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Nice uppercut there from Cruz.
Cruz fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
A jab from Cruz finds it's way through Shart's defenses.

Shart shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Shart was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Cruz wants to control but Shart postures up.
A lull in the action here as Shart stalls from top position.
Cruz sneaks back into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz wants to get back to full guard.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Cruz wants to control but Shart is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Shart has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Shart punching from mount but Cruz doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Cruz tries to reverse the position but Shart maintains control.
Shart trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Cruz keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cruz tries to lock up and control but Shart gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Cruz tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Shart trying to control but Cruz is having none of it.
Shart throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Cruz because Shart loaded up on that one.
Cruz tries to reverse the position but Shart maintains control.
Cruz wants to control but Shart is having none of it.
Cruz really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Shart avoids the attempt from Cruz to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Shart is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Cruz trying to control here but he's found himself mounted! Oh no!

Shart has hold of Cruz's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Cruz manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Cruz is looking to improve his position but Shart isn't that keen on the idea.
Cruz is just holding on here. Shart manages to take his back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Shart working for the choke.
Cruz breaks Shart's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
Cruz trying to control but Shart is working from the bottom.

Shart throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Cruz loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Shart is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Shart wants to lay and pray for a moment but Cruz keeps working.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Rumsfeld Shart showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Cruz's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Cruz throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Shart stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Nice body punch from Cruz.
Ricardo Cruz seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Cruz throws a good cross that connects.
Shart tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Cruz paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Shart wants to clinch.
Cruz seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.

Shart shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Cruz manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cruz keeping moving, preventing Shart from controlling successfully.
Cruz working a defensive guard here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Shart in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Cruz is trying to keep Shart in close.
Cruz keeping moving, preventing Shart from controlling successfully.
Shart scoring with some ground and pound.
Cruz 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.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Shart's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Shart loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Shart working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Cruz seems to have improved his submission grappling technique since last time we saw him. Let's see if he can pull off a submission.
Shart pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Cruz is keeping the position for now.
Cruz wants to stand but Shart is controlling the position.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Cruz connects with a jab.
Rumsfeld Shart is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Cruz shoots in and bounces Shart off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Shart trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Shart looking to hit a scissor sweep but Cruz is one step ahead there.
Shart is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shart manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Cruz manages to get himself to full guard.

Shart has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Shart advances position into side control!
Shart laying and praying for a moment but Cruz takes advantage and regains half guard.
Shart missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Rumsfeld Shart has got the better of the ground game so far.
Shart slows the pace down in half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cruz trying to control from the bottom.
Cruz is pressing down on Shart's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Shart wants to control from the top but Cruz keeps moving.
Shart preventing the sweep.
Shart passes into half guard under a barage of strikes.
Cruz blocking the ground and pound attempt from Shart.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Cruz is looking for a sweep. Shart is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Ricardo Cruz has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Rumsfeld Shart is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Shart moves into side control, avoiding the strikes from Cruz.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Rumsfeld Shart.
I've got Shart winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Sam Margolis scores the fight 27:30
Judge Paul Tew scores the fight 27:30
Judge James Glass scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rumsfeld Shart!
Rumsfeld Shart gave a mention to The Huntington New Age Wellness Community in his post fight interview. That will please them (and hopefully generate some sales).