PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Kale Cruz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sinhjo Babalu (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Cruz comes into the arena with Welcome to the Jungle blaring out of the sound system. I'm sure you'll be fascinated to know that I was talking to some pointless Z list celebrity before the fight and he thought that Sinhjo Babalu was going to win. Let's see if he was right.

Cruz
vs
Babalu

168 cm
28
163 lbs
21 - 11 - 0

168 cm
27
166 lbs
13 - 6 - 1

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Cardio machine

ADCC Champion
Excellent MT
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the lightweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 21 - 11 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Kale Cruz!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 13 - 6 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Sinhjo Babalu!
The judges for this bout are Alec Ball, Yves DeLean and Dillan Fox.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cruz misses with a body shot.
Cruz cracks Babalu with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Babalu fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Cruz manages to avoid it.
Babalu pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Babalu throws a body punch but Cruz moves out of range.
Babalu tries to close the distance and clinch up but Cruz swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Babalu shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Cruz pinned against the cage. Cruz gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Babalu tries to clinch up.
Babalu with a poor takedown
and Cruz counters with a stiff right hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Babalu closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Cruz's guard.
Babalu passes into half guard.
Babalu trying to control from half guard but Cruz is working away.
Cruz tries to roll over but Babalu keeps him under control.
Babalu is looking to pass Cruz's guard but actually Cruz recovers to full guard.
Babalu looking to pass the guard.
Babalu trying to control but Cruz is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cruz seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Babalu sitting in guard, not really doing much.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Cruz controlling Babalu's posture.

We're going to have a standup here because Kale Cruz wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Cruz gets cracked there but stands up to it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Babalu throws a head kick but Cruz moves out of range.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Babalu.
Jab, jab by Babalu - just one landing.
Babalu feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Cruz's calf.
Cruz fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Nice defenses there by Cruz.
Cruz connects with a body shot.
Cruz throws a hook but Babalu blocks it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Babalu will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Cruz throws a lazy uppercut
and Babalu counters with a body kick that stops Cruz in his tracks momentarily.
Babalu throws a lazy head kick
and Cruz counters with a nice uppercut.
Cruz has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Cruz there as he acknowledges the shot.
Babalu falls off balance throwing a combination
and Cruz cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Babalu shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Cruz counters with a crisp right hand that drops Babalu! Cruz lets Babalu back up to his feet, looking for a finish!

Babalu is rocked!
Kale Cruz has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Sinhjo Babalu.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Cruz misses with a body shot.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Cruz ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Babalu moves away.
Cruz swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Cruz comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Babalu slaps away a takedown attempt from Cruz, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Babalu throws a poor cross that misses
and Cruz counters with a straight right hand.
Kale Cruz is winning the standup battle so far.
Babalu tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

Cruz bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Cruz misses with the ground and pound.
Cruz lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Babalu down.
Cruz trying to control the position but Babalu is working away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Babalu tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Cruz lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Cruz throws an elbow but Babalu slips to the side and avoids it well.
Cruz working away.
Babalu tries to control but Cruz manages to take his back.
Babalu trying to control the hands but Cruz breaks the grip.
Cruz scores with punches and elbows.
Babalu trying to control the position but Cruz manages to sink in the hooks.
Babalu wants to escape the position.
Cruz is looking to finish with some ground and pound!
Cruz tries to get the hooks in deep but Babalu pushed the leg off.

Cruz working for a choke but Babalu is defending well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cruz avoiding Babalu 's attempts to control his hands.
Cruz lands a punch that was close to the back of the head but the ref thinks it's OK.
Will Cruz go for the finish here or will he try and keep control of the position?
Babalu is taking damage to the body and head.
Cruz avoiding Babalu 's attempts to control his hands.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Cruz lands a punch to the side of the head from the back.
Babalu wants to escape the position.
Cruz lands a shot to the body.
Cruz misses with punches from the back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Babalu looking very determined here, making life difficult for Cruz.
Babalu rolls, trying to escape but Cruz keeps control of the position.
Cruz trying to control.

Cruz has got one arm under Babalu's chin. This could be trouble... Babalu trying to control the other hand but Cruz gets it free and sqeezes tight - just a matter of time now! Yep, Babalu has tapped out! The fight is over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:37 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Kale Cruz!
Kale Cruz is the new lightweight champion!