PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Jose Aldo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dominick Cruise (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). This should be fireworks!

Aldo
vs
Cruise

167 cm
25
130 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

173 cm
18
140 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent elbows
Big right hand

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Jose Aldo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Dominick Cruise!
The judges for this bout are Alan Glass, Tiny Johnson and Robert Twigg.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Aldo forces Cruise back against the cage and clinches.

Aldo pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Aldo tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Aldo looks to land a combination. Cruise sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Aldo pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Aldo throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Cruise.
Aldo tests Cruise's chin there with a solid looking shot.

Aldo takes the fight into the clinch.

Aldo pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Cruise swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Aldo counters with a left and a right that stings Cruise.
Cruise fails in his attempt to clinch.

Aldo rushes Cruise and presses him up against the cage.

Aldo breaks from the clinch.
Cruise tries to clinch up but Aldo circles away and keeps his distance.
Aldo throws a right and a left that Cruise avoids nicely.
Dominick Cruise seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Cruise fails in his attempt to clinch.
Cruise fails with an attempt to clinch.
Aldo lands a head kick!
This has been an exciting period of action!

Aldo takes the fight into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A short body shot lands from Cruise as the two fighters clinch.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Cruise creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Cruise missing with knees to the body.

Aldo breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Jose Aldo is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Aldo shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Cruise eats them both and turns towards Aldo to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.

Cruise closes the distance and pushes Aldo back into the cage.
Cruise tries to land knees in the clinch but Aldo avoids the damage to the body.
Cruise working aggressively here.
Cruise swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Cruise lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Aldo backwards.
Aldo blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Aldo lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Cruise backwards.
Aldo lands a damaging elbow.
Aldo blocking some punches.
Cruise misses with the head strike.

Aldo breaks the clinch.
Cruise tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Aldo counters with a three punch combo that has Cruise backing up. Cruise nods at Aldo to acknowledge the strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cruise moves in looking to clinch but Aldo pushes him off.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Cruise fails with a takedown attempt.
Cruise tries to clinch but Aldo moves out of range.

Aldo clinches with his opponent.
Cruise misses with a punch on the inside.
Aldo throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Cruises head.
Aldo throws a head punch that misses.

Aldo breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Cruise misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Cruise is looking to clinch but Aldo is avoiding it.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Aldo lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Cruise backwards.
Cruise is trying to break the clinch but Aldo has him pressed against the cage.
Cruise works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Aldo breaks the clinch.
Cruise is looking to clinch but Aldo is avoiding it.
Aldo keeps the fight on the outside.
Aldo closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Aldo swinging wildly here.
Cruise doesn't manage to clinch there - Aldo circles away.
Aldo scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.

Cruise closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Aldo's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Cruise wants to slow Aldo down by chopping away at his legs.

Aldo darts in and clinches Cruise up against the cage.

Aldo breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Cruise closes the distance but Aldo moves to the side
enabling Aldo to counter with a crisp jab.
Aldo misses with a jab, cross combination.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cruise throws a body punch but Aldo moves out of range.
Cruise misses with a two punch combination.

Cruise fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Aldo, pushing him back against the cage.

Aldo breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Cruise throws a series of punches but Aldo avoids them all with ease.
Aldo dodges the punch combination from Cruise.
Cruise looks gassed!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Aldo avoids the head kick by Cruise.
Aldo misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Cruise closes the distance looking to clinch
and Aldo cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Aldo is working the combinations to good effect here.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
The fight stays on the outside here - Cruise looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
No luck for Cruise with that takedown attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jose Aldo dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Cruise swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Aldo counters with a three punch combo that has Cruise backing up. Cruise nods at Aldo to acknowledge the strikes.

Aldo moves into the clinch.

Aldo's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Aldo keeps the fight on the outside.

Aldo rushes Cruise and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Cruise misses with a short punch on the inside.
A shot in the inside from Aldo.

Aldo breaks from the clinch.
Cruise throws a series of punches but Aldo avoids them all with ease.
Cruise misses with a combination
and Aldo counters with a left and a right that stings Cruise.
Jose Aldo is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Aldo throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

Aldo closes the distance and pushes Cruise back into the cage.
Jose Aldo has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Cruise doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Aldo blocking some punches.

Aldo breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Cruise misses with a jab, cross combination.
Cruise is breathing heavily.
Cruise throws a body punch but Aldo moves out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A combination from Cruise does no damage.
Aldo throws a one two combo.

Cruise gets a clinch.
Cruise misses with some punches.

Aldo pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Aldo keeps Cruise at a distance using the push kick.
Cruise falls off balance throwing a combination
and Aldo connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Cruise throws a right and a left that Aldo avoids nicely.

Aldo clinches up against the cage.
Aldo lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Aldo lands a hook to the side of the head.

Aldo breaks the clinch.
Aldo connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
A punch combination from Aldo misses.
Cruise misses with a two punch combination.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Aldo closes the distance and pushes Cruise back into the cage.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A nice left hand lands by Aldo.
Cruise wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Cruise takes an elbow to the forehead.

Aldo breaks from the clinch.
Aldo throws a head kick but Cruise moves out of range.
Aldo pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Cruise back to the cage. Aldo follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.

Cruise darts in and clinches Aldo up against the cage.
Aldo lands a nice uppercut.
Aldo comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Cruise.
Aldo lands a hook that snaps the head of Cruise backwards.

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

Aldo closes the distance and pushes Cruise back into the cage.
Aldo lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
A nice left hand lands by Aldo.
Aldo lands a nice elbow from the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A nice left hand lands by Aldo.

Aldo breaks from the clinch.
Aldo scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Cruise is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Aldo circles away from the clinch attempt.

Aldo has taken the fight to the clinch.

Aldo breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Cruise looks to land a left hand but Aldo moved out of range nicely.

Aldo closes the distance and clinches.
With the fighters up against the cage, Cruise throws an elbow but misses.

Aldo breaks the clinch.
Cruise wants to clinch.
Aldo keeps the fight on the outside.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cruise gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Aldo.
Cruise throws a series of punches but Aldo moves out of range.
Cruise wants to clinch.
Cruise tries to clinch there but Aldo circles away.
Cruise doesn't manage to clinch there - Aldo circles away.
Cruise misses the jab.
Cruise is looking to clinch.
Jab by Aldo.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Aldo lands a jab-cross combination.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Aldo has closed the distance and engaged Cruise in a clinch.
Aldo working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Aldo misses with the head strike.

Aldo escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jose Aldo dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Cruise throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Aldo.
Good shot there by Aldo.
Cruise lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Aldo circles away quickly and effectively.
Aldo keeps the fight on the outside.
Cruise misses with a few strikes there.
Cruise doesn't manage to clinch there - Aldo circles away.

Aldo has Cruise up against the cage in a clinch.
Aldo blocks an uppercut.

Aldo manages to break the clinch.
Cruise lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Aldo keeps the fight on the outside.

Aldo clinches up with Cruise and pushes him back against the cage.

Aldo breaks the clinch.
Cruise takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Cruise takes a head kick and keeps coming.

Cruise has closed the distance and engaged Aldo in a clinch.
Aldo lands an elbow just above Cruise 's eye.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Aldo scores with a shoulder strike.

Aldo breaks from the clinch.
Aldo slips a jab and a cross from Cruise.
Cruise tries to clinch but Aldo moves out of range.
Danga de danga de dang - Cruise scores with a four punch combination!
Cruise tries to close the distance and clinch up but Aldo swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Cruise takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Cruise tries to clinch there but Aldo circles away.
Cruise has a pretty nasty looking mouse under his right eye.
Cruise is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Cruise moves to clinch but Aldo breaks away

and Aldo counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

Aldo escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
A left and a right from Aldo both land. Nice combination.
Danga de danga de dang - Aldo scores with a four punch combination!

Aldo instigates a clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cruise goes for a body shot but it's blocked.

Aldo breaks the clinch.
Aldo looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Cruise.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Aldo throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Aldo cracks a nice hook into Cruise's ribs.

Aldo moves into the clinch.
Cruise tries to land knees in the clinch but Aldo avoids the damage to the body.
Cruise swings wildly with an uppercut but Aldo uses good head movement to avoid it.

Aldo pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Cruise tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Aldo paws at him with a jab and circles away.
A combination from Aldo does no damage.
Cruise tries to bum rush Aldo with a series of wild strikes but Aldo uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Danga de danga de dang - Aldo scores with a four punch combination!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Aldo closes the distance and lands a one-two.

Cruise closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Aldo breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Aldo throws a head kick but Cruise moves out of range.
Cruise takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Aldo scores with a three punch combo!
Jose Aldo is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Cruise throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Cruise swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Aldo connects with a right hand. Cruise shakes it off.
Cruise throws a series of punches but Aldo moves out of range.
Dominick Cruise has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Cruise takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
Cruise fails with the takedown.
Aldo throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Aldo circles away from the clinch attempt.
Aldo lands with a kick to the temple. Cruise shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Cruise throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Aldo.
Cruise tries to close the distance and clinch up but Aldo swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Cruise showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Aldo.
A combination from Aldo does no damage.
Cruise tries to clinch up but Aldo circles away and keeps his distance.

Cruise fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Aldo sprawls well initially but Cruise persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Aldo is trying to stand.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

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 Jose Aldo.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Aldo, 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 Alan Glass scores the fight 30:27
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 30:27
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 30:27

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