PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Cuba Gooding (ranked 1249 p4p, 1086 weight class) and Caleb Jones (ranked 140 p4p, 120 weight class). Gooding comes to the cage accompanied by Everything is Right (ft. Devilish Trio) - Skeler. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Gooding
vs
Jones

184 cm
23
167
2 - 5 - 0

179 cm
23
165
5 - 1 - 0

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Granite chin

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Bondi MMA 🏝️
Conquer

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 2 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Cuba Gooding!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Caleb Jones!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Bishop, Sam Margolis and James Atkins.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gooding works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Gooding throws a shot from downtown. Jones moves away and avoids it.
Jones let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.
Gooding clobbers Jones with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.

It looks like Caleb Jones has been cut.
Jones moves away from the strike by Gooding.
Jones is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Gooding with a body shot.
Gooding misses with a straight right.
Jones on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.

Jones gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Jones goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
I was talking to Gooding's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Gooding blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Jones lands with a short punch from the clinch.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Jones.
Gooding blocks an uppercut.
Jones blocking some punches.
Jones can't find room to land a body shot as Gooding controls the action.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Gooding.
Jones misses with a hook from the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jones tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Gooding struggles to land a body shot inside as Jones controls his hands.
Gooding blocks an uppercut.
Gooding tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Gooding tries a body shot but Jones blocks it.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Gooding.
Jones misses with the head strike.
Gooding throws a head punch that misses.
Jones lands with a short shot to the head.
Jones misses with a punch on the inside.
Jones misses with the head strike.
A nice left hand lands by Gooding.
Gooding has a couple of punches blocked by Jones.
Jones misses with the head strike.
Jones blocking some punches.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Jones.
Jones misses with a punch on the inside.
Jones cracks Gooding with a nice body shot.
Jones throws a head punch that misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Gooding.
Jones swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Gooding working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Jones tries to throw a body punch but Gooding avoids it by throwing Jones back against the cage.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Jones misses with a hook from the clinch.
Gooding blocks a body shot from Jones.
Jones working aggressively here.

Gooding breaks the clinch.
Jones scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Jones walks into a jab.
Gooding missing with a left hand there. Jones was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Jones lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Gooding connects with the punch.
Jones takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jones tries to clinch up but Gooding circles away and keeps his distance.
Gooding misses with an uppercut. Jones saw that one coming.
Jones looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Jones moves out of range of the strikes.
Gooding throws an off balance right hand
and Jones counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Jones tries to clinch but Gooding is having none of it.
Gooding was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Gooding moves out of range of the body kick.
Gooding appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Gooding will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Jones feints a counter leg kick.
Gooding circles away from the clinch attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gooding has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Jones.
Gooding scores with a jab to the body.
Gooding uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Jones has time to react.
Jones takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Gooding scores with a decent looking hook.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Jones is looking to slow Gooding down with leg kicks.
Jones looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Cuba Gooding seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Good exchange - Jones coming out on top.
Jones takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Jones takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Gooding is really peppering his opponent's head with punches.
Gooding misses with a right hand
and Jones counters with a straight right hand.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Cuba Gooding dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Caleb Jones's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Gooding displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Jones throws out the jab.
Gooding is looking to counter punch.
Gooding misses with a looping left.
Jones uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Gooding.
Gooding is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Jones can do to turn this around?
Gooding walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Jones tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Gooding manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Jones with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Jones looks to clinch
and Gooding cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gooding swings for the body but Jones moves out of range.
Jones swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Gooding counters with a straight right hand.
Gooding connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Gooding throws a lazy right hand but Jones sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jones scores with a push kick.
Jones connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Gooding's hands.

It looks like Cuba Gooding has been cut.
Jones misses with a double jab.
Jones tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Gooding is able to avoid easily.
Jones takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Gooding misses the jab.
Jones plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Gooding slips a jab from Jones.
Gooding throws a poor cross that misses
and Jones counters with a straight right hand.
Jones is looking to clinch but Gooding is avoiding it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gooding fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Jones looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Jab from Jones.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Jones moves out of range of the strikes.
Gooding has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Gooding there as he acknowledges the shot.
Gooding shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Jones but Jones pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Jones moves into range and connects with a jab.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Gooding checks a leg kick.
Jones lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A swing and a miss from Gooding.
Jones avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Jones moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Gooding slips a straight right by Jones.
Cuba Gooding is winning the standup battle so far.
Gooding misses with a hook. Jones ducked under it nicely.

Jones moves into range and clinches up with Gooding.
Jones lands an uppercut.

Gooding breaks the clinch.
Gooding pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Jones lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Jones lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
A shot to the body from Gooding misses
and Jones counters with a two punch combo.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Jones is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Gooding ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Jones moves away.
Gooding fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Jones scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Gooding swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Jones throws out a counter right but Gooding avoids it with no problem.
Gooding misses the shot to the body.
Gooding throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Jones counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Caleb Jones showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Jones clinches.
Jones tries to work over Gooding's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Jones's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Caleb Jones seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Jones fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Jones struggles to land a body shot inside as Gooding controls his hands.
Jones misses with a hook from the clinch.
Jones lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Gooding backwards.
Jones working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Jones has a couple of punches blocked by Gooding.
Jones working aggressively here.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Gooding.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Gooding blocks a body shot from Jones.
Gooding lands an uppercut.
Gooding blocks an uppercut.
Jones tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Gooding's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Jones blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

That's one minute gone in the round.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Jones.
Jones lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Jones misses with a punch on the inside.
Jones misses with some punches.
Jones swings wildly with an uppercut but Gooding uses good head movement to avoid it.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Gooding.
Jones has a couple of punches blocked by Gooding.
Jones lands a left hand that snaps the head of Gooding backwards.
Gooding tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Gooding.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Gooding.
Jones misses with a hook from the clinch.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Jones stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Jones swings wildly with an uppercut but Gooding uses good head movement to avoid it.
Jones misses with a hook to the ribs.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Jones blocks a body shot from Gooding.

Gooding breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Jones moves to clinch but Gooding breaks away
and Gooding counters with a lovely straight right hand!
A low kick from Jones misses
and Gooding counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

Gooding gets tackled into the cage by Jones. Jones maintains the clinch.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Jones.
A short left from Jones.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Jones.
Jones doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
A head punch on the inside from Jones fails to land.
Gooding blocking some punches.
Jones misses with a short punch on the inside.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gooding throws a head punch that misses.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Gooding.
Jones tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Gooding's elbow.
Jones throws a head punch that misses.
Gooding lands a nice uppercut.
Gooding fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Gooding working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Jones misses with some punches.
Gooding tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.

Gooding escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Gooding throws a lazy uppercut
and Jones counters with a stiff right hand.
Jones throws a hook to the side of Gooding's head but Gooding sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Jones has been working his punching technique in the buildup to the fight and it appears to be paying off.
The fight stays on the outside here - Jones looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Jones takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Gooding is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Jones slips a straight right by Gooding.
Jones tries to close the distance and clinch but Gooding swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Gooding throwing a counter right hand but Jones manages to avoid it.
Jones walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Jones tries to clinch up
and Gooding counters with a two punch combo.
Jones has a pretty nasty looking mouse under his right eye.
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!
A swing and a miss from Jones.
Gooding lands a glancing blow to the side of Jones's head.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Caleb Jones.
I think Jones has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Daniel Bishop scores the fight 28:29
Judge Sam Margolis scores the fight 29:28
Judge James Atkins scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Caleb Jones!