PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Jose Maria Olazabal (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ira Cruz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Jose Maria Olazabal could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Ira Cruz's chin.

Maria Olazabal
vs
Cruz

183 cm
21
169 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

180 cm
18
173 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Big right hand

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Tends to cut

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 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Jose Maria Olazabal!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Ira Cruz!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Olazabal is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
A shot to de liver by Cruz. Beautiful body shot.
Olazabal missing with a left hand there. Cruz was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Cruz fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Olazabal manages to avoid it.
A big right from Olazabal misses.
Cruz scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Cruz ducks under a wild hook from Olazabal.
Olazabal keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Cruz.
Olazabal punishes Cruz's body with a nice straight punch.
Cruz steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Olazabal.

Olazabal throws a big overhand right that connects, sending Cruz tumbling to the canvas!

Cruz is rocked!

It looks like Ira Cruz has been cut.
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Olazabal stands up from Cruz's guard - Olazabal perhaps looking for a knockout.
Olazabal throws a shot from downtown. Cruz moves away and avoids it.
Nice defenses there by Olazabal.
Cruz avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Cruz moves away from the strike by Olazabal.
Olazabal misses with a looping right.
Olazabal is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Olazabal shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Olazabal thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Olazabal has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

Olazabal stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.
Olazabal tries to work over Cruz's front leg with a kick but Cruz checks it.
Olazabal misses with a straight right.
Cruz throws a shot to the body.
Olazabal swats away the attempt to clinch by Cruz.
Olazabal doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Cruz takes one to the chin there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cruz blocks a jab.
Cruz fails with a takedown attempt.
Olazabal waving his hands out infront of him, looking to distract Cruz.
Cruz looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

Olazabal steps into range and cracks Cruz with a monster punch that buckles his knees! Cruz flops backwards and Olazabal dives into his guard looking to finish!
Cruz is still in real trouble! Can Olazabal finish him?
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Olazabal gets to his feet. Cruz looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Olazabal is breathing heavily.
Olazabal throws a jab when Cruz was well out of range.
Cruz seems to have recovered his senses.
Cruz slips under a jab from Olazabal.
A clash of legs there as Olazabal blocks the low kick.
Cruz throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Olazabal stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Cruz scores with a decent looking hook.
Olazabal keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Cruz.
Olazabal checks a low kick from Cruz.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Olazabal scores with a punch to the head.

That has opened up Ira Cruz's cut even more.
Cruz looks to throw the jab but Olazabal is out of range.
Olazabal moves away from the strike by Cruz.
Cruz is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Olazabal.
Cruz throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Cruz keeps the fight on the outside.
Olazabal fails with the takedown.
Olazabal throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Cruz sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Olazabal uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Cruz.
Olazabal takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Cruz connects with a good right hand that stumbles Olazabal. Olazabal circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Cruz uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Olazabal.
Cruz takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Cruz will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Cruz is looking to score with low kicks.
Olazabal misses with a looping left.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Olazabal slips a jab from Cruz.
Olazabal ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Olazabal tries to close the distance and clinch up but Cruz swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Cruz shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Cruz was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Olazabal is trying to escape but when you're mounted that's not too easy.
Cruz tries to control but Olazabal wriggling away.
Olazabal is trying to escape but when you're mounted that's not too easy.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Cruz sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jose Maria Olazabal dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Ira Cruz's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Cruz ducks under a wild hook from Olazabal.
Cruz throws out a loose jab but Olazabal uses good head movement to avoid it.
Cruz misses the jab.
Cruz lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Cruz keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Olazabal swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Cruz on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Cruz catches Olazabal with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Cruz paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Cruz scores with a crisp jab that stopped Olazabal in his tracks.
Jose Maria Olazabal is winning the standup battle so far.
Olazabal throws an overhand right that lands on Cruz's shoulder, as Cruz tries to avoid the shot.
Cruz misses with an uppercut. Olazabal saw that one coming.
Olazabal waving his hands out infront of him, looking to distract Cruz.
Jose Maria Olazabal seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Olazabal pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Olazabal is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Olazabal throws a solid leg kick but Cruz takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Olazabal.
Cruz throws a hook but Olazabal blocks it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz moves out of range as Olazabal strikes.
Olazabal throws out a loose jab but Cruz uses good head movement to avoid it.
Olazabal tries to clinch but Cruz moves out of range.
Cruz misses with a two punch combination.
Olazabal connects with a right hand. Cruz shakes it off.

The cut above Ira Cruz's eye is starting to cause him problems now.

Olazabal clinches with his opponent.

Olazabal successfully pulls guard.
Cruz won't allow Olazabal to get back to his feet.
Cruz trying to control but Olazabal is working from the bottom.
Olazabal wants to stand up but Cruz is controlling him.
Cruz tries to stand but Olazabal is controlling from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Olazabal pushes Cruz off and gets back to his feet.
Olazabal misses with a looping left.
Olazabal throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Olazabal takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Cruz avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Cruz misses with a hook.
Cruz scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Cruz lands a lovely overhand right.
Cruz misses with a looping left.
Cruz digs a good body shot into Olazabal's ribs.
Olazabal defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Cruz.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz connects with a body shot.
Cruz uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Cruz ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Olazabal misses with a straight left.
Cruz throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Olazabal stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Cruz ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Cruz steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Olazabal.
Cruz tries to clinch there but Olazabal circles away.

Olazabal moves into the clinch.

Olazabal pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Olazabal uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Cruz.
Cruz throws a hook but Olazabal avoids it easily.
Olazabal loads up on a big right hand but Cruz slips the punch.
Cruz jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Cruz takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Olazabal throws a jab when Cruz was well out of range.
Cruz fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cruz scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Cruz lands a right hook to the body.
Cruz misses with an uppercut.
Cruz lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Cruz.
Olazabal misses with an uppercut.
Olazabal fails with a takedown attempt.
Cruz scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
A right-left combo lands from Cruz.
Olazabal looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Olazabal keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.

Cruz rushes Olazabal and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Olazabal fails to pull guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jose Maria Olazabal. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Cruz looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Olazabal tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Cruz wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Olazabal has him pressed against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jose Maria Olazabal dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Ira Cruz's cut.
That's time! Olazabal's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Cruz scores with a shot to the body.
Cruz lands a glancing blow to the side of Olazabal's head.
Olazabal takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Cruz slips a straight right by Olazabal.
Cruz throws a hook but Olazabal blocks it.
Olazabal connects with a crisp jab.
Olazabal throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Cruz sees it coming and avoids it easily.

Olazabal shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Cruz really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Olazabal. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Cruz squirming around on the bottom, looking to escape.

Olazabal is working to isolate an arm here. It's a telegraphed submission attempt but he's gone for it anyway - and he's got it! Olazabal extends the arm and Cruz is forced to tap!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:53 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Jose Maria Olazabal!