PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Mark Cruz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Micheal Cushing (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Cruz comes to the cage accompanied by Alert to the armory. Micheal Cushing is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Cruz
vs
Cushing

184 cm
21
152 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

175 cm
26
130 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

Decent wrestler
Counter striker
Good in bed

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Mark Cruz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Micheal Cushing!
The judges for this bout are Vladimir Khabensky, Illya Tyunina and Fedor Mirinova.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Cushing moves into the clinch.
Cushing tries to circle away but Cruz has him pinned against the cage.

Cruz turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Cruz manages to end up in side control.
Cruz is working Cushing over with some ground and pound from side control.
Cruz 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.
Cushing tries to escape but Cruz is in control.
Cruz landing a few strikes.
Cushing is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Cruz has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Cruz is staying tight to Cushing's torso, preventing him from escaping.
Cruz lands a decent elbow from side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Cruz tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
Cruz landing strikes.
Cushing on the wrong end of some ground and pound.

Cushing is rocked!
Cruz just content to control the position.
Cushing is still in real trouble! Can Cruz finish him?
Cruz landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Cruz is staying tight to Cushing's torso, preventing him from escaping.
Cushing wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz happy to just control the position for now.
Cushing is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Cruz has just dragged him back down to the mat.
A lull in the action here.
Cushing seems to have recovered his senses.
Cushing is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Cruz has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Cushing looks gassed!
Cruz taking a breather here.
Cruz prevents Cushing from escaping the position.
Cruz works to advance to full mount. Cushing defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
Cruz working Cushing over with strikes here.
Cruz really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
A nice elbow there by Cruz.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Cruz looking to finish here with some ground and pound. He lands one big shot that has Cushing covering up... and two more big strikes land, forcing the referee to step in and put and end to proceedings! This fight is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:58 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Mark Cruz!
After winning the bout, Mark Cruz thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.