PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Raiam Dos Santos (ranked 1645 p4p, 203 weight class) and Ricardo Cruz (ranked 752 p4p, 104 weight class). This should be a great matchup!

Dos Santos
vs
Cruz

187 cm
30
195 lbs
13 - 12 - 0

190 cm
23
198 lbs
7 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Excellent grappler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

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 13 - 12 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Raiam Dos Santos!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Ricardo Cruz!
The judges for this bout are Patrick Alders, Nard Betker and Albert Achterberg.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cruz shoots and misses
and Dos Santos counters with a right hand to the body.
Cruz shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Dos Santos sprawls well. Dos Santos wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Cruz gets slowly back to his feet.

Cruz has Dos Santos up against the cage in a clinch.
Dos Santos is pressed up against the cage. Cruz has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Dos Santos down to the mat. Dos Santos avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Raiam Dos Santos has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ricardo Cruz.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cruz takes a shot right to the bread basket.
We've been told by Dos Santos's head coaches at Relentless Gym that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.
A shot to the liver by Dos Santos. Beautiful body shot.
Dos Santos misses with a straight right.
Dos Santos fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Cruz looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dos Santos takes a swing at Cruz's ribcage but misses.
Dos Santos closes the distance and lands a one-two.

It looks like Ricardo Cruz has been cut.
Dos Santos throws a combination that misses

and Cruz counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Cruz.

Dos Santos is scooting his butt against the cage and has managed to get back to his feet. Cruz presses him back against the cage, presumably looking to take the fight back to the mat.
Cruz drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Cruz breaks the clinch.
Cruz fails with the takedown
and Dos Santos counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Horrible takedown attempt by Cruz or perhaps it was just good defense by Dos Santos, which made it look bad.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Cruz is defended easily by Dos Santos.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Cruz rushes Dos Santos and presses him up against the cage.

Dos Santos breaks the clinch.
Raiam Dos Santos is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Dos Santos keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
No luck for Cruz with that takedown attempt.
Dos Santos misses the jab.
Cruz shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
enabling Dos Santos to counter with a crisp jab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Cruz.
Dos Santos wants to get back to his feet.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Cruz working his ground and pound in the gym. He isn't landing a great percentage of his ground strikes so far though.
Cruz just content to control the position.
Dos Santos wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Dos Santos gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Dos Santos keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

Cruz is working for a kimura but Dos Santos is defending it quite comfortably.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dos Santos works his way to full guard. Good work.
Dos Santos tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Dos Santos can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Cruz controls the pace.
Dos Santos keeping moving, preventing Cruz from controlling successfully.
Dos Santos wants to stand but Cruz is controlling the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Cruz not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Dos Santos looking to hit a scissor sweep but Cruz is one step ahead there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Raiam Dos Santos dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Ricardo Cruz's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Nice takedown defense from Dos Santos. No joy for Cruz on that attempt.
Dos Santos throws a series of strikes that have Cruz backpedaling.
No luck for Cruz with that takedown attempt.
Dos Santos is looking to wear down Cruz with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Cruz wants to clinch.
Dos Santos stuffs the takedown attempt from Cruz. Cruz gets slowly back to his feet.
Raiam Dos Santos has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ricardo Cruz.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dos Santos keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Cruz has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Dos Santos finds it's way round the side to connect with Cruz's head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz walks into a stiff left hand from Dos Santos.
Raiam Dos Santos is winning the standup battle so far.
Cruz doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Dos Santos cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Dos Santos lands with a hook. Cruz tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Dos Santos misses with a straight left.
Dos Santos misses with a wild body shot.
Cruz is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Dos Santos throws a hook but Cruz blocks it.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Cruz.
Dos Santos throws an ugly left hook that misses

and Cruz counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cruz stopping the sweep attempt from Dos Santos.
Cruz trying to control but Dos Santos is working from the bottom.
Dos Santos is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Cruz can do to turn this around?
Cruz tries to free his leg and advance position but Dos Santos is retaining full guard.

Dos Santos throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Dos Santos wants to sweep here but Cruz controlling him for the moment.
Cruz trying to control but Dos Santos is working from the bottom.
Cruz is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Dos Santos looking to hit a scissor sweep but Cruz is one step ahead there.
Cruz postures up.
Ricardo Cruz has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz landing some decent shots from guard.
Dos Santos keeping moving, preventing Cruz from controlling successfully.
Dos Santos being controlled here, momentarily.
Cruz stops Dos Santos from standing up.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Dos Santos looking to hit a scissor sweep but Cruz is one step ahead there.
Cruz trying to control the position from guard on top but Dos Santos is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Cruz fails to land the takedown.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
A looping hook to the body misses from Dos Santos. Cruz does a little dance to reset his feet.

Cruz throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Dos Santos tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Cruz is in Dos Santos's guard.
Cruz stops Dos Santos from standing up.
Cruz trying to control the position from guard on top but Dos Santos is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Cruz controls from within his opponent's guard.
Cruz works a leg free and moves into half guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Dos Santos is not content to let Cruz control the position.
Cruz seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Raiam Dos Santos dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Ricardo Cruz's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Cruz throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Dos Santos was covering up waiting for the punch and Cruz finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Cruz forces his way into half guard.
Dos Santos wants to get back to full guard.
Cruz wants to take a breather but Dos Santos is having none of it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dos Santos wants to control but Cruz is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Dos Santos looks like he's trying to stand up.
Dos Santos slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Cruz slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Cruz bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Dos Santos wants to get back to his feet but Cruz drags him back down.
Cruz is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Dos Santos will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.
Dos Santos knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Cruz on the ground.
Dos Santos is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.
Dos Santos is trying to get back to half guard.

Cruz tries for a kimura but Dos Santos is defending well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dos Santos is looking to regain half guard here but Cruz keeps moving and retains side control.
Dos Santos can't do much from the bottom here.
Cruz prevents Dos Santos from escaping the position.
Dos Santos trying desperately to get back to his feet here but he's not having any joy at all. He's going to tire himself out if he's not careful.

Cruz has an Americana. Dos Santos didn't react quickly enough there and he's in big trouble now! He tries to squirm out but is forced to tap! Cruz is delighted and gyrates in front of the ring girls. They seem to like the attention - it'll be interesting to see if Cruz hooks up with any of them at the after show party.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:59 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Americana). Ricardo Cruz!

C
A

C
B

energy
A | B

hype
A | B

pop
A | B

mgr
A | B

FIGHT
RATING
47%

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