PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Decebal Ionescu (ranked 6546 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ricardo Ruiz (ranked 25642 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters will be looking to make this an exciting fight for the fans, I'm sure!

Ionescu
vs
Ruiz

180 cm
25
145 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
21
130 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Determined

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Decebal Ionescu!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Ricardo Ruiz!
The judges for this bout are David Hoff, Winston Alpacca and Bart Greer.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ionescu scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.

Ionescu fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Ruiz, pushing him back against the cage.
Ruiz is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Ionescu to keep the fight standing.
Ionescu blocks an elbow strike from Ruiz.
Ruiz is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Ionescu slowing the pace effectively.
Ruiz changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Ionescu fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Ruiz scoring well with a low kick there.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ruiz tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Ionescu paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Ionescu moves into range and clinches up with Ruiz.
Ruiz tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Ionescu just stands there and leans against the cage.
Decebal Ionescu has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ricardo Ruiz.

Ruiz jumps into guard, dragging Ionescu to the mat.
Ionescu really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Ruiz is on top in guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ionescu pulls Ruiz in close to prevent any damage.

Ionescu is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Ionescu trying to strike off his back.
Ionescu looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Ionescu keeping moving, preventing Ruiz from controlling successfully.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Ionescu looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Ruiz's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Ionescu trying to control the position here.
Ionescu striking off his back but it's not causing Ruiz any problems.
Ruiz is looking to stand up but Ionescu won't let him.
Ionescu is trying to keep Ruiz in close.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Ruiz will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
A counter left hand to the body from Ionescu misses its target.
Ruiz throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Ionescu fails with the takedown.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ruiz tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Ionescu paws at him with a jab and circles away.
As Ruiz looks to move away, Ionescu throws a big counter combo but Ruiz just gets out of the way.
Ruiz walks into a jab.
Ruiz lands a body shot.
Ruiz changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Ionescu tries to avoid it but Ruiz manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Ionescu to the ground. Ionescu escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Ionescu is trying to close the distance and clinch up, after that failed offence from Ruiz.

Ruiz tries to keep at a distance but Ionescu has taken the fight into the clinch.

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

Ionescu clinches.

Ruiz breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Ruiz shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Ionescu defends it nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ruiz dives in for a single leg takedown but Ionescu sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Ionescu.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Ionescu tries to move to mount but Ruiz blocks the move with his legs.
Ruiz is looking for a sweep.
Ruiz can't do much from the bottom here.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Ionescu is working Ruiz over with some ground and pound from side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Decebal Ionescu dominated that round.
That's time! Ionescu's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

A nice combination there by Ionescu.
Ionescu ducks under a wild hook from Ruiz.
Ruiz tries to score a power double leg takedown but Ionescu sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Ruiz somewhat.
Ionescu is looking to counter punch.
No luck for Ruiz with that takedown attempt.
Ionescu is looking to counter the offense by Ruiz and move into the clinch.
Ionescu fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ionescu scores with a hook to the body. Ruiz takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Ruiz drops his hands momentarily and Ionescu takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.

Ruiz is rocked!

Ruiz fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Ionescu, pushing him back against the cage.
Ruiz is still on wobbly legs! Can Ionescu finish him?
Ruiz wants a takedown.
Ruiz seems to have recovered his senses.
Decebal Ionescu has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ricardo Ruiz.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ionescu keeps control of Ruiz as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

Ruiz manages to break the clinch.

Ionescu fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Ruiz to the ground. Ionescu is now in Ruiz's guard.
Ruiz wants to get back to his feet but Ionescu passes into half guard.
Ruiz is breathing heavily.

Ionescu is working for a kimura but Ruiz is defending it quite comfortably.
Ionescu with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Ionescu trying to control the action but Ruiz is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ionescu is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Ruiz in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Ionescu tries to control but Ruiz wriggling away.
Ionescu scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Ruiz?
Ionescu tries to control but Ruiz wriggling away.
Ionescu content just to control the position here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ionescu with shots to the head and body - Ruiz looks very uncomfortable down there.
Ruiz is desperately trying to improve his position but Ionescu has a good base and remains in mount.
Ruiz wants to control but Ionescu is having none of it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Ruiz is desperately trying to improve his position but Ionescu has a good base and remains in mount.
Ionescu sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Ruiz keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ionescu putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Ionescu looking to finish Ruiz with some ground and pound. This is bad for Ruiz!
Decebal Ionescu overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Ionescu working the ground and pound effectively.

Ionescu gets to his feet and calls his opponent to stand. Here come the fireworks!

Ionescu moves into the clinch.

Ionescu pulls guard effortlessly.
Ruiz wants to control from the top but Ionescu keeps moving.
Ruiz stopping the sweep attempt from Ionescu.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Decebal Ionescu 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!

Ionescu circles away from the clinch attempt
enabling Ionescu to counter with a crisp jab.
Ionescu shoots in but Ruiz avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Ruiz looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Ruiz looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
An inside leg kick from Ionescu misses.
Ionescu will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Ruiz shoots in looking for a takedown. Ionescu tries to sprawl out of it but Ruiz keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Ionescu manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Decebal Ionescu has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ricardo Ruiz.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ionescu stuffs the takedown attempt from Ruiz. Ruiz gets slowly back to his feet.

Ionescu closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Ruiz takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Ionescu passes to side control.
Ruiz gives up the full mount - oops, sloppy defensive grappling there!
Ionescu landing punches.
Ruiz gets back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Ruiz looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Ruiz is looking to improve his position.

Ionescu decides he's had enough of the ground and stands up.

Ionescu closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Ruiz's guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Ionescu gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.

Ionescu throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Ruiz was covering up waiting for the punch and Ionescu finishes the takedown easily into guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ionescu makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Ruiz is trying to keep Ionescu in close.

Ionescu gets to his feet - Ruiz follows without any prompting.
Ionescu shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Ruiz pinned against the cage. Ruiz gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Ionescu stuffs the takedown.
It appears Ionescu was looking to counter with a kick there.
Ionescu throws a nice outside leg kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Ionescu forces Ruiz back against the cage and clinches.
Ionescu wants a takedown but no success here.

Ionescu gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
Ionescu landing with the ground and pound.
Ionescu throws an elbow that misses. Ruiz uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Ionescu's guard. Nice move by Ruiz!

Ruiz preventing the sweep.
Ruiz trying to control the position from guard on top but Ionescu is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Ricardo Ruiz has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Decebal Ionescu is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Ionescu seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.

And that's the end of the fight!
Decebal Ionescu showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Ionescu has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 David Hoff scores the fight 30:27
Judge Winston Alpacca scores the fight 30:27
Judge Bart Greer scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Decebal Ionescu!