PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Ash Williams (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Erik Ruiz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighter's entrance songs getting the crowd jumping here.

Williams
vs
Ruiz

187 cm
18
188 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

187 cm
17
193 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Brawler
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Ash Williams!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Erik Ruiz!
The judges for this bout are Sergei Dronov, Ivan Kurochkin and Dmitry Maklakov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Williams misses with a double jab.
Ruiz is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Williams.
Ruiz dodges the punch combination from Williams.
Ruiz throws a right hand that Williams ducks under and follows up with a left that Williams also avoids with ease.
Williams changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Ruiz swats away the attempt to clinch by Williams.
Ruiz misses with a straight left.
Williams throws a body shot but no joy.
Williams ducks under a wild hook from Ruiz.
Williams dives in for a single leg takedown but Ruiz sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Ruiz stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Williams slips under a jab from Ruiz.
Williams slips a straight right by Ruiz.
Williams bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Ruiz scores with a shot to the body.

Williams decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Williams stops Ruiz from getting back to his feet.
Ruiz felt the need to train up his defensive grappling in the buildup to the fight. Presumably he was expecting to be in a difficult position like this, so let's see if he can get out of it.
Ruiz really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Williams. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Williams tries to pass the half guard into mount. Ruiz knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Ruiz is trying to stand back up but Williams is controlling him
Williams is looking to take a break and control but Ruiz is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Williams throws a leg kick but Ruiz moved away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Williams tries to move into range but Ruiz moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Ruiz throws a lazy right hand but Williams sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Williams throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Williams slips a straight right by Ruiz.
Ruiz smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Williams shoots in for a double leg but Ruiz sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Williams misses with a wild body shot.
Good standup being displayed there by Ruiz as he connects with a hook.
Williams moves away from the strike by Ruiz.
Williams takes a jab right on the kisser.
Ruiz looks to throw the jab but Williams is out of range.
Williams moves away from the strike by Ruiz.
Williams takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Williams slips a straight right by Ruiz.
Williams shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Ruiz as he avoids it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ash Williams. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Williams fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Ruiz sprawls well initially but Williams persists and gets the takedown into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Williams looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Williams stops Ruiz from getting back to his feet.
Williams not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Ruiz tries to kick Williams off but Williams keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Williams thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Ruiz's head.
Williams missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Williams wants to lay and pray for a moment but Ruiz keeps working.
Ruiz avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Williams.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Williams missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Williams throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Williams 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.
Ruiz keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Ruiz is trying to stand up here but Williams is controlling him well.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Williams is defended easily by Ruiz.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Erik Ruiz dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Ruiz throws the left hand but Williams avoids the punch easily.

Williams gets a double leg takedown into Ruiz's guard.
Ruiz wants to get back to his feet but Williams is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Ruiz keeping moving, preventing Williams from controlling successfully.
Ash Williams overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Williams won't allow Ruiz to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Williams wants to get up but he can't break Ruiz's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Williams wants to control from the top but Ruiz keeps moving.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Williams is looking to stand up but Ruiz won't let him.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Ruiz looks to land a right hand but Williams moved out of range.
Ruiz jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Ash Williams is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Williams uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Ruiz.

Williams shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Ruiz preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Williams won't allow Ruiz to get back to his feet.
Williams looking to pass the guard.
Williams wants to control from the top but Ruiz keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ruiz is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Williams is controlling him.
Williams throws a big right hand that misses.
Williams trying to control but Ruiz is working from the bottom.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Ruiz connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Ruiz with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Williams steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Ruiz.
Williams tries to counter by clinching up but Ruiz breaks away and moves out of range.
Ruiz comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ruiz misses the shot to the body.
Ruiz stuffs the takedown attempt from Williams. Williams gets slowly back to his feet.
A punch combination from Williams misses.
Ruiz might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
A jab from Ruiz misses.
Williams is trying to close the distance and clinch up, after that failed offence from Ruiz.
Erik Ruiz seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Ruiz loads up on a big right hand but Williams slips the punch.
Ruiz misses with a straight right.
Williams tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Ruiz manages to circle out of the way.
Williams tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Ruiz swivels and escapes.
Williams fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ash Williams. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Ruiz looks to throw the jab but Williams is out of range.
Williams changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Ruiz has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Ruiz scores with a sloppy right hand. Williams should have avoided that one.
Williams shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Ruiz defends it nicely.
Erik Ruiz is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ruiz keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Williams has a takedown stuffed.
Nice defenses there by Williams.
Ruiz ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Ruiz looks to score with a jab to the body but Williams is just out of range.
Williams tries to counter by clinching up but Ruiz breaks away and moves out of range.
Williams ducks under a wild hook from Ruiz.
Ruiz scores with a jab to the head.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Williams tries to close the distance and clinch but Ruiz swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Ruiz connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Williams tries to close the distance and clinch but Ruiz swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Ruiz throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
A swing and a miss from Ruiz.
A little feinted left hand from Williams on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Erik Ruiz showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Ruiz throws the left hand but Williams avoids the punch easily.
Ruiz throws a hook but Williams avoids it easily.
Williams throws a push kick but Ruiz slaps the foot to one side.
Ruiz misses with a two punch combination.
Ruiz throws the left hand but Williams avoids the punch easily.
Ruiz looks to throw the jab but Williams is out of range.
The fighters circling - Ruiz throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
As Ruiz tries to get set, Williams tries to push him back and clinch up but Ruiz manages to avoid the attempt.
Williams on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Williams walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Ruiz throws a hook to the side of Williams's head but Williams sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Ruiz looks to throw the jab but Williams is out of range.
Williams is looking for a counter combo.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Williams throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Ruiz clinches with his opponent.
Ruiz misses with a punch on the inside.
Williams blocking some punches.
Williams tries for a takedown. No joy.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Ruiz breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Ruiz fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.

Ruiz clinches with his opponent.
Ruiz misses with the head strike.
Ruiz misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Williams trying to control the position but instead, Ruiz has worked for underhooks and has pushed Williams into the cage.
Williams goes for a takedown attempt but Ruiz pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Ruiz misses with a hook.
Ruiz swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Ruiz misses with a wild body shot.
Williams shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Ruiz cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ash Williams. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Ruiz waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Williams.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Williams throws the kick towards the body but Ruiz avoids it.
Williams throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

Williams drives through with a takedown into guard.
Williams stops Ruiz from standing up.
Williams trying to control but Ruiz is working from the bottom.
Williams stops Ruiz from standing up.
Williams trying to control but Ruiz is working from the bottom.
Ruiz is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Ruiz is using up a lot of energy trying to get back to his feet. Perhaps he should improve his position first.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Williams pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Ruiz is keeping the position for now.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Williams swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Ruiz connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Williams shoots in looking for a takedown but Ruiz manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Williams's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Ruiz missing with a left hand there. Williams was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Williams moves out of range of the strikes.
And Williams counters with a quick kick to the body but Ruiz blocks it.
Ruiz looks to score with a jab to the body but Williams is just out of range.
Williams throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Ruiz waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Williams.
Williams attempts a counter takedown but Ruiz avoids it well and moves away.
Williams moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Williams slips a straight right by Ruiz.

Ruiz gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Williams wants to control from the top but Ruiz keeps moving.
Ruiz is looking to stand up but Williams isn't so interested in that idea.
Williams throwing strikes but missing.
Williams won't allow Ruiz to get back to his feet.

And that's the end of the fight!
Erik Ruiz comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Ruiz winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Sergei Dronov scores the fight 27:30
Judge Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 27:30
Judge Dmitry Maklakov scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Erik Ruiz!