PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Mike Ribeiro (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Hans Kruger (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Ribeiro might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Numéro 1. Kruger is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: American Idiot. Kruger has a pretty significant injury - he really shouldn't be fighting right now but he's a warrior and he's here none the less! Mike Ribeiro looks tired to me. Hopefully he has got enough gas left in the tank to put in a good performance.

Ribeiro
vs
Kruger

188 cm
28
208 lbs
11 - 4 - 0

188 cm
27
212 lbs
4 - 12 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

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 11 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Mike Ribeiro!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 12 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Hans Kruger!
The judges for this bout are Tiny Johnson, George Francis and Robert Twigg.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Some wild striking there from Ribeiro.
Ribeiro looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!
Some wild striking there from Kruger.
Kruger scores with a one two! Ribeiro had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
A punch combination from Kruger misses.

Ribeiro gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Ribeiro breaks the clinch.

Ribeiro takes the fight into the clinch.

Ribeiro breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Kruger throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Kruger moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Ribeiro misses with a two punch combination.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ribeiro swinging wildly here.
Kruger lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Ribeiro backs up against the cage.
Kruger scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Ribeiro scores with a body shot.
Ribeiro uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Kruger.
Sloppy strikes from Ribeiro. Those never looked like landing.

Ribeiro moves into the clinch.
Kruger goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Ribeiro keeps control of Kruger as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

Ribeiro's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Ribeiro clinches with his opponent.
Ribeiro landing knees to the body.
Knees to the body from Ribeiro.
Ribeiro connects with a nasty looking knee right to Kruger's face.
Ribeiro landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Kruger taking a breather.

Ribeiro manages to break the clinch.
Kruger misses with a two punch combination.
Kruger throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Kruger walks into a stiff left hand from Ribeiro.
Kruger tests Ribeiro's chin there with a solid looking shot.

Ribeiro forces Kruger back against the cage and clinches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Ribeiro escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Kruger looks to land a combination. Ribeiro sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Ribeiro throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Kruger misses with the combination.
Ribeiro lands with a straight right. Kruger didn't see that one coming.

Ribeiro instigates a clinch.

Ribeiro pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Ribeiro clinches with his opponent.
Ribeiro lands a good knee to the midsection. Kruger won't want to take too many of those.
Ribeiro landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.

Ribeiro breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Ribeiro throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Ribeiro throws a right and a left that both miss.
Kruger shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Sloppy strikes from Kruger. Those never looked like landing.
A big left from Kruger misses.
A nice combination there by Kruger.

Ribeiro has closed the distance and engaged Kruger in a clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Ribeiro lands a knee to the head.
Kruger takes a knee right on the jaw!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Ribeiro pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Kruger lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Ribeiro circles away quickly and effectively.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mike Ribeiro dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Hans Kruger's cut.
That's time! Ribeiro's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Kruger throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Ribeiro fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Ribeiro misses the shot to the body.
Kruger swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Ribeiro has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Ribeiro misses with a jab, cross combination.
Ribeiro throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
A looping hook to the body misses from Ribeiro. Kruger does a little dance to reset his feet.
Kruger misses with a two punch combination.
Kruger lands a slapping body shot.
Ribeiro on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Ribeiro throws a series of punches but Kruger avoids them all with ease.
Ribeiro is looking to wear down Kruger with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Nice body punch from Ribeiro.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ribeiro misses with a double jab.
Kruger throws a series of punches but Ribeiro avoids them all with ease.
Kruger fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Ribeiro looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.

Ribeiro closes the distance and pushes Kruger back into the cage.
A frustrated look appears on Kruger's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Kruger has had enough of the clinch but Ribeiro keeps him there for the moment.

Ribeiro manages to break the clinch.
Kruger thows a body shot but no joy.
Kruger throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Ribeiro takes one to the side of the head.
Ribeiro misses with a wild combination.
Ribeiro slips a jab and a cross from Kruger.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kruger misses with the combination.
Kruger misses with a wild combination.

Kruger tries to keep at a distance but Ribeiro has taken the fight into the clinch.

Ribeiro breaks from the clinch.
Jab from Kruger.

Kruger gets tackled into the cage by Ribeiro. Ribeiro maintains the clinch.

Ribeiro escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Ribeiro avoids a punch combination nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Ribeiro clinches with his opponent.

Ribeiro breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Kruger lands a body shot.
Ribeiro avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
A punch combination from Ribeiro misses.
Ribeiro throws a right hand that Kruger ducks under and follows up with a left that Kruger also avoids with ease.
Kruger throws a body punch but Ribeiro moves out of range.
No joy there for Kruger, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Kruger walks into a left hand.
Kruger will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kruger lands with a nice combination. Ribeiro backs away looking to recover.
Kruger connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Kruger scores with a one two! Ribeiro had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Kruger misses with a body shot.
Kruger's corner calls for a 1-2. Kruger obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Ribeiro throws a series of punches but Kruger moves out of range.

Ribeiro fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Kruger, pushing him back against the cage.
Kruger is trying to push Ribeiro away but Ribeiro has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Kruger tries to break free but Ribeiro pushes him back against the cage.
Ribeiro connects with a knee to the head.

Ribeiro breaks from the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Mike Ribeiro will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Hans Kruger's cut.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Kruger lands a nice looking body shot.
Ribeiro throws a right hand that Kruger ducks under and follows up with a left that Kruger also avoids with ease.
The fighters circling - Kruger throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Ribeiro scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Ribeiro misses with a series of wild punches.
Kruger thuds his right hand into Ribeiro's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Ribeiro throws a series of punches but Kruger avoids them all with ease.
Kruger misses with a wild combination.
Ribeiro avoids a punch combination nicely.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Ribeiro throws a right and a left that Kruger avoids nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ribeiro rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Kruger moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Kruger thows a body shot but no joy.

Ribeiro gets a clinch.

Ribeiro breaks the clinch.
Mike Ribeiro is winning the standup battle so far.
Kruger takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Kruger throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Kruger darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Mike Ribeiro is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Kruger looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
A shot to the liver by Kruger. Beautiful body shot.

Ribeiro closes the distance and clinches.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ribeiro putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Kruger in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Kruger is trying to break free.
Kruger is trying to break the clinch but Ribeiro has him pressed against the cage.

Ribeiro breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Kruger loads up on a big right hand but Ribeiro slips the punch.
Kruger misses with the combination.
Kruger scores with a body shot.
Kruger scores with a one two! Ribeiro had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Kruger thows a body shot but no joy.
A telegraphed right hand from Kruger misses the target.

Ribeiro has Kruger up against the cage in a clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ribeiro keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Kruger's efforts to push away.
Mike Ribeiro is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Ribeiro breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Ribeiro throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Kruger lands with a straight right. Ribeiro didn't see that one coming.
Kruger lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Kruger misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Kruger will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Kruger swinging wildly here.

Ribeiro rushes Kruger and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ribeiro landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Ribeiro landing knees to the head.
Kruger is trying to break the clinch but Ribeiro is controlling him.
Hans Kruger has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Ribeiro breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Kruger swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Kruger throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Kruger throws a series of punches but Ribeiro moves out of range.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Ribeiro closes the distance and clinches.
Kruger lands a left hand.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Mike Ribeiro.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Ribeiro, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Tiny Johnson scores the fight 29:28
Judge George Francis scores the fight 29:28
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mike Ribeiro!