PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Jamie Cruz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jose Aldo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Cruz
vs
Aldo

171 cm
21
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

170 cm
25
145 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

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 Rio de Janeiro, Jamie Cruz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Jose Aldo!
The judges for this bout are Leandro Rodrigues, Mauricio Rocha and Thiago Cunha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cruz fails with a takedown attempt.

Aldo is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Cruz's half guard.
Cruz tries to kick Aldo off but Aldo keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Aldo really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Cruz. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Cruz moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Aldo must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Aldo is looking to stand up but Cruz won't let him.
Aldo being controlled here momentarily.
Cruz looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Aldo looking to pass the guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Aldo trying to control but Cruz is working from the bottom.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Jose Aldo.
Cruz scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Aldo throws a right and a left that both miss.
Aldo throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Cruz stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Cruz fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Aldo with a lazy takedown attempt

and Cruz counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Aldo's guard now.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Cruz wants to control from the top but Aldo keeps moving.
Aldo keeping full guard, as Cruz tries to pass.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Cruz decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Aldo, up you get!
Aldo moves in looking to clinch but Cruz pushes him off.
Cruz fails to land the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jamie Cruz. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Cruz scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Cruz is breathing heavily.
Cruz wants to control but Aldo is keeping him busy.
Cruz working the head and body with strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz in side control lands a decent elbow.
Cruz lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Aldo down.
Cruz working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Cruz wants to control but Aldo is keeping him busy.
Aldo struggling a bit here.
Cruz advances to mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Aldo is trying to escape the mount.
Cruz lands a nice shot to the head.
Aldo tries to reverse the position but Cruz maintains control.
Cruz wants to control the pace but Aldo is squirming around nicely.
Cruz lands a big elbow.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Cruz working away from the top, dropping strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jamie Cruz dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Aldo keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Cruz avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Aldo fails to land with a series of punches.
Cruz shoots for a double leg takedown but Aldo sprawls well. He's pushed Cruz's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Aldo tries to clinch but Cruz moves out of range.

Cruz shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Aldo napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Cruz is looking to take a break and control but Aldo is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Cruz advances nicely into full mount.

Cruz is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Aldo has managed to escape the submission attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz is landing with some decent strikes but Aldo is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Cruz thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Aldo can do anything to dispel that myth.
Cruz punching from mount but Aldo doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Cruz putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Cruz landing strikes, looking to finish!
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.
Cruz in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cruz avoids the attempt from Aldo to control.
Cruz with the ground and pound from mount.
Cruz fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Cruz lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Cruz controlling his opponent.
Cruz trying to control but Aldo is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz controlling his opponent.
Cruz landing shots from mount.
Cruz controlling the position easily from mount.
Aldo is bucking up trying to escape but Cruz cracks him with another couple of good strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Aldo is looking to get to half guard.
Cruz is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Cruz raining down hammerfists from mount.
Jamie Cruz overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Cruz looking to control and managing it successfully.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Cruz with a couple of short strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jamie Cruz dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Aldo shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Cruz sprawls well. Cruz wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Aldo gets slowly back to his feet.
Cruz shoots in but Aldo avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Aldo tries to clinch up but Cruz circles away and keeps his distance.
Cruz moves in looking to clinch but Aldo pushes him off.
Aldo has a takedown stuffed.
Cruz tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Aldo swivels and escapes.

Cruz changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Aldo looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.

Cruz wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Aldo, who protects the arm well.
Cruz remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Aldo is looking to get back to his feet here but Cruz is keeping cool and he's managed to take Aldo's back.
Will Cruz go for the finish here or will he try and keep control of the position?

Cruz has managed to slip his arm under Aldo's chin. This could be all over... yep, Aldo is tapping out! Submission win for Cruz.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:57 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Jamie Cruz!