PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Ron Burgundy (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jose Cruz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Cruz has chosen La Cuckoracha as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Burgundy
vs
Cruz

180 cm
18
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

170 cm
18
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Ron Burgundy!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Jose Cruz!
The judges for this bout are Summer Carpenter, Hugh Johnson and John Mangel.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Burgundy throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Burgundy throws a series of punches but Cruz moves out of range.
Burgundy swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Cruz throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Burgundy shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Cruz is trying to defend but Burgundy finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.

Burgundy postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Cruz to stand up.
Burgundy misses with a two punch combination.
Burgundy fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Ron Burgundy seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Cruz throws a one two combo.

It looks like Ron Burgundy has been cut.
Burgundy looks to land a right hand but Cruz moved out of range.
Cruz tries to close the distance and clinch but Burgundy swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Cruz closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.

Cruz thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Cruz taking a breather here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Burgundy is trying to improve his position.
Burgundy is breathing heavily.
Cruz connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Burgundy some visible discomfort.
Burgundy seems a little lost for a moment, as Cruz dominates the positioning.
Burgundy is not content to let Cruz control the position.
Burgundy controls the position for a moment.
Cruz throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Cruz landing strikes.

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.
Burgundy is working to avoid the ground and pound but Cruz connects with a decent elbow.
Cruz cracks Burgundy with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Cruz is looking to take a break and control but Burgundy is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Burgundy is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Cruz is working Burgundy over with some ground and pound from side control.
Burgundy is trying to improve his position.
Cruz lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
A control attempt from Burgundy but he's now mounted!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz looking to finish Burgundy with some ground and pound. This is bad for Burgundy!
BOOM! Cruz connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Cruz lands with some strikes.
Cruz lands with some strikes.
Burgundy taking shots to the head.
Cruz takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Cruz lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Cruz scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Burgundy?
Cruz punishing his opponent with strikes.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cruz connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Burgundy slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Burgundy is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Burgundy has hold of Cruz's hands but Cruz slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Cruz passes the guard and advances to mount!
Cruz is landing with some decent strikes but Burgundy is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Burgundy is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Cruz can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Burgundy is looking to escape.
Burgundy tries to reverse the position but Cruz maintains control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jose Cruz dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Ron Burgundy's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Burgundy gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Cruz sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Burgundy's guard.

Cruz is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Burgundy is not content to let Cruz control the position.
Burgundy trying to control here.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Burgundy desperately trying to maintain half guard.
Cruz prevents Burgundy from standing back up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Burgundy won't allow Cruz to pass to mount.
Cruz stops Burgundy from getting back to his feet.
Cruz not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Burgundy tries for a takedown but Cruz circles away easily

and Cruz counters with a single leg into guard. Burgundy didn't expect that.
Cruz's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Cruz working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Burgundy is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Cruz trying to control but Burgundy is working from the bottom.
Burgundy is trying to hold Cruz in close to prevent damage but Cruz has managed to pass into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cruz tries to pass to full mount but Burgundy defends it.
Burgundy is trying to get back to full guard.
Burgundy is not content to let Cruz control the position.
Jose Cruz has got the better of the ground game so far.
Cruz works his way into full mount!
Burgundy taking shots to the head.
Cruz can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Burgundy is looking to escape.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Cruz with the ground and pound from mount.
Cruz postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Burgundy looks a forlorn figure.
Cruz wants to control the pace but Burgundy is squirming around nicely.
Burgundy is desperately trying to improve his position but Cruz has a good base and remains in mount.
Burgundy wants to control but Cruz is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Burgundy is trying to escape the mount.
Cruz with the ground and pound from mount.
Cruz landing shots from mount.
Cruz landing strikes from the mount and Burgundy is in trouble!
Burgundy is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

Cruz jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Burgundy manages to avoid the submission attempt.
Cruz connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Burgundy some visible discomfort.
Cruz is pausing for a moment. What's he doing? It looks like he's clearing his nose. Oh dude! He's shot a load of snot all down Burgundy's shoulder. That is not cool.
Cruz's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Burgundy tries to buck Cruz off but Cruz is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jose Cruz showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Ron Burgundy's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Cruz tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Burgundy paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Burgundy is looking to clinch.
Burgundy looks to land a combination. Cruz sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.

It looks like Jose Cruz has been cut.
Burgundy keeps the fight on the outside.
A jab from Burgundy finds it's way through Cruz's defenses.
Cruz is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Burgundy has Cruz up against the cage in a clinch.

Burgundy breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Cruz drives through with a takedown into guard.
Cruz stays in close to Burgundy's body and controls the position.
Burgundy wants to stand and escape but Cruz is having none of it.
Burgundy is trying to keep Cruz in close.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Cruz keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Burgundy's head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Burgundy 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.
Cruz in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Burgundy can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Cruz controls the pace.
Burgundy tries to land a sweep but no joy.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Cruz shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Burgundy tries to hold on but Cruz postures up.
Burgundy is looking to improve his position but Cruz isn't that keen on the idea.
Cruz wants to control the pace but Burgundy is squirming around nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Burgundy wants to control but Cruz is having none of it.
Cruz trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Burgundy tries to hold on but Cruz pushes him away.
Cruz controlling from the full mount.

Cruz is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Burgundy can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Burgundy can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Burgundy tries to hold on but Cruz pushes him away.
Cruz dominating with strikes here.
Burgundy keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Burgundy wants to hold on but Cruz pushes him away.
Burgundy really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Cruz controlling from mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Cruz working Burgundy over with strikes here.
Burgundy tries to reverse the position but Cruz maintains control.
Burgundy is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Burgundy is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Cruz is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Cruz landing punches.
Burgundy wants to hold on but Cruz pushes him away.
Cruz working Burgundy over with strikes here.
Burgundy in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Cruz sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Burgundy keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jose Cruz comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Cruz 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 Summer Carpenter scores the fight 27:30
Judge Hugh Johnson scores the fight 27:30
Judge John Mangel scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jose Cruz!