PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Rene Croix (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Steven Flecher (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Croix comes into the arena with Edith Piaf - Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien blaring out of the sound system. I can't wait for this one - let's get the fighter introductions out of the way and get this one started!

Croix
vs
Flecher

170 cm
25
140 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

175 cm
25
152 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Cuts easily

Good takedowns
Brawler
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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Rene Croix!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, Steven Flecher!
The judges for this bout are John Roberts, Dean Styles and Columbo Gatti.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Croix gets a clinch.
Flecher fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Croix throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Flechers head.
Croix lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Flecher backwards.
Croix stalling against the cage.
Croix comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Croix lands an elbow that stopped Flecher in his tracks for a moment.
Croix taking a breather.
Flecher is trying to maintain a safe position but Croix gets an underhook and turns Flecher into the cage.
Croix lands a body shot.
Croix misses with a knee strike.
Croix has a couple of punches blocked by Flecher.
Croix lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Croix working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Croix lands a left hand that snaps the head of Flecher backwards.
Nice body punch from Croix.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Croix using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Flecher has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Flecher tries to break the clinch but Croix is controlling the position.
Croix lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Flecher backwards.
Croix scores a nice knee to the body.
Flecher trying to stall but Croix improves his position.
Croix just leaning against Flecher, taking a breather.
Croix scores with a shoulder strike.
A left hand lands to the body for Croix.
Croix scores with a shot to the side of Flecher's head.
Croix scores with a nice hook to the head.
Croix lands with a left to the head.

Croix pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
A big left from Croix misses.

Flecher tries to keep at a distance but Croix has taken the fight into the clinch.
Croix scores with a nice hook to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A nice right hand lands inside from Croix.
Croix with a knee to the head.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Croix creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.

Croix breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Flecher is trying hard to land a takedown here. Croix sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Flecher bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Croix is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Flecher controls the position.
Croix knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Flecher on the ground.
Croix is looking to regain half guard here but Flecher keeps moving and retains side control.
Croix dodges the ground and pound from Flecher.
Flecher is looking to take a break and control but Croix is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Steven Flecher has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Flecher moves out of range of the body kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Flecher takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Flecher sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Rene Croix seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Croix throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Croix swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Croix is breathing heavily.
Flecher is looking to clinch but Croix is avoiding it.
Croix throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Croix throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Croix goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.

Croix drives through and clinches with Flecher against the cage.
Flecher blocks a punch to the side of the head.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Croix scores with a hook to the body.
Croix tries to land a knee to the head but Flecher blocks with his arms.
Croix stalling against the cage.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Flecher takes a shot to the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Croix tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Flecher manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Croix.
Croix throws out a powerful jab.
Flecher blocks a head kick by Croix.
Croix swats away the attempt to clinch by Flecher.
Croix keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Flecher avoids the head kick by Croix.
Croix throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Flecher.
Flecher has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Croix.

Croix moves into the clinch successfully.
Croix has Flecher pressed against the cage.
Croix misses with the head strike.
Croix lands with a short punch from the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Croix manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Flecher's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Croix tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Flecher's elbow.
Croix scores with a nice hook to the head.
Croix throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Flecher blocks it with crossed arms.
Croix stalls.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Croix tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Croix lands a good knee to the midsection. Flecher won't want to take too many of those.
Flecher can't get the takedown.
Croix swings wildly with an uppercut but Flecher uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Flecher tries to work over Croix's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
A head punch on the inside from Croix fails to land.
Flecher tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Croix just stands there and leans against the cage.
Rene Croix has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Steven Flecher.
Flecher takes a shot to the head.
Croix throws a punch but it's blocked by Flecher.
Flecher wants to take the fight to the mat but Croix manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Croix scores with a shot to the side of Flecher's head.
Croix has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Flecher after a bit of a struggle.
Croix lands with a light punch inside.
Croix scores with a nice hook to the head.
Croix is struggling to control the position.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Croix prevents the takedown attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Croix lands an uppercut.
Flecher tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Flecher takes a knee to the side of the body.
Croix is looking for a takedown.
Flecher being controlled against the cage.
Flecher blocks an elbow strike.
Croix taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Croix lands a shoulder strike.
Croix works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Croix tries a body shot but Flecher blocks it.
Croix prevents Flecher from breaking the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Croix digs a right hand into Flecher's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Flecher's gas tank.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Flecher.
Rene Croix has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Flecher blocks an uppercut.
A bit of stalling here from Croix.
A right handed body shot lands from Croix.
Croix misses with a knee to the head.
Flecher jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Croix walks away with a smile on his face. Flecher gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Flecher throws a sloppy head kick and Croix moves out of range easily.
Croix throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
Croix misses with a leg kick.

Croix closes the distance and clinches.
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!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Nice body punch from Croix.
Flecher's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Croix is trying to stall.
Flecher tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rene Croix dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Croix throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Croix misses with a head kick.

Croix forces Flecher back against the cage and clinches.
Croix lands with a short shot to the head.
Croix lands with a light punch inside.
Croix throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Flechers head.
Flecher tries to stall but Croix uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Croix pushes Flecher back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Croix lands a right hand.
Flecher is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Croix is defending well.
Croix misses with a knee to the head.
Flecher looking for a takedown.
Croix makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
A short uppercut from Croix.
Flecher blocks a body shot from Croix.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Croix's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Steven Flecher is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Croix wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Flecher closes the distance and clinches up with Croix, looking for a takedown. Flecher pushes Croix against the cage but Croix circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Rene Croix has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Steven Flecher.
Croix throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Flecher keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Croix chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Croix throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Croix tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Croix misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Croix looks to land a body kick but Flecher moved away.
Flecher fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Flecher tries to clinch up but Croix circles away and keeps his distance.

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Flecher tries to pull guard but Croix forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Flecher working hard to break the clinch.
Flecher tries to score a body lock takedown but Croix shows good agility there to stay on his feet.

Croix has Flecher pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Croix pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Flecher tumbling to the mat - Croix dives into Flecher's guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Croix throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Flecher works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Croix throws a big right hand that misses.
Croix throws a strike but Flecher rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Croix is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Croix is looking to sweep but instead, Flecher has passed into half guard.
Flecher trying to control from half guard but Croix is working away.
Croix wants to get back to full guard but Flecher has passed into side control.
Rene Croix is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Flecher throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Flecher throws a strike aimed at the side of Croix's head but Croix avoids it well.

Flecher looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Croix is trying to control Flecher's posture but Flecher avoids it.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rene Croix showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Croix, 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 John Roberts scores the fight 30:27
Judge Dean Styles scores the fight 30:27
Judge Columbo Gatti scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rene Croix!
A very excited looking Rene Croix made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.