PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Sebastiao Thomas (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mauricio Rua (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Thomas's entrance music is Hypnotize. A fine choice. Sebastiao Thomas could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Mauricio Rua's chin.

Thomas
vs
Rua

188 cm
20
240 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

187 cm
22
225 lbs
0 - 1 - 1

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Cuts easily

BJJ Purple Belt
Good kicks
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Sebastiao Thomas!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Mauricio Rua!
The judges for this bout are Seu Braga, Luis Engracia and Emerson Jorge.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Rua tries to keep at a distance but Thomas has taken the fight into the clinch.
Thomas missing with knees to the body.
Thomas on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Rua lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!

It looks like Sebastiao Thomas has been cut.
Rua throws a knee to the head but misses.
Thomas tries to pull guard but Rua holds him up against the cage and eventually Thomas drops back down to his feet.

Thomas escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Rua wants to clinch up but Thomas keeps it at a distance.
Rua swats away the attempt to clinch by Thomas.

Thomas fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Rua sprawls well initially but Thomas persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rua wants to get back to his feet.
Rua avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Thomas.
Rua tries to get to full guard but Thomas has control of the leg.
Rua looks gassed!

Thomas decides to return to a standing position.
Rua tries to clinch there but Thomas circles away.
Rua tries to clinch

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thomas 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.
Thomas is looking to advance position but Rua has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!
You get the feeling that Thomas really doesn't like being in this position too much.
Thomas wants to control but Rua is having none of it.

Rua goes for an armbar but Thomas turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from Thomas.
Thomas trying to control but Rua is working from the bottom.

Thomas decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Mauricio Rua seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Thomas circles away from the clinch attempt

and Thomas counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

Thomas is trying to work for a kimura but Rua is defending well.

Thomas is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
The fighters are battling for position here. Rua manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

Rua escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Thomas gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

Thomas stands up and waves to Rua to follow him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Thomas decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Thomas tries to stand but can't do so whilst Rua controls his leg.
Thomas could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.

Rua is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Thomas pulls his head out easily.
Thomas is keen to just control but Rua is a slippery customer.
Rua works his way to full guard. Good work.
Thomas has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Thomas trying to control but Rua is working from the bottom.

Rua looking for a guillotine here but Thomas defends easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Thomas trying to control the position from guard on top but Rua is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Rua escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Thomas gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

Thomas stands up from Rua's guard - Thomas perhaps looking for a knockout.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Rua looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Thomas is fending him off so far but Rua persists. Nope, Thomas circles away and we're back to standing.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sebastiao Thomas dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Sebastiao Thomas's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Rua shoots and misses

and Thomas counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Thomas.
Rua has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Thomas is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Thomas controlling the action here for a moment.

Thomas's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Thomas throws a head kick but Rua moves out of range.

Thomas shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Thomas showed some decent athleticism there.
Thomas perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Rua flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Sebastiao Thomas overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Rua is staying active underneath Thomas, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Rua blocking the ground and pound attempt from Thomas.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rua is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Rua is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

Thomas 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.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
A combination from Rua does no damage.

Thomas scores with a takedown into Rua's guard.
Rua keeping moving, preventing Thomas from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rua working a defensive guard here.
Rua keeping moving, preventing Thomas from controlling successfully.
Thomas stops Rua from standing up.
Rua is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Thomas wants to control from the top but Rua keeps moving.
Thomas wants to get up but he can't break Rua's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Thomas trying to control the position from guard on top but Rua is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Rua wants to clinch but Thomas slips to the side

and Thomas counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Rua's guard now.
Rua is trying to control the position but Thomas postures up.
Thomas is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Thomas stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Rua swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Thomas trying to control the position from guard on top but Rua is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Rua working for submissions but it's allowed Thomas to get to half guard.
Rua is trying to stand.
Rua moves into full guard.
Rua wants to stand up but Thomas is controlling him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Thomas trying to control but Rua is working from the bottom.
Thomas wants to stand but Rua is controlling his posture from full guard.
Rua keeping moving, preventing Thomas from controlling successfully.
Thomas throwing strikes but missing.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Thomas tries to clinch up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sebastiao Thomas dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Sebastiao Thomas's cut.
That's time! Thomas's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. And we move into the final round!

Thomas circles away from the clinch attempt.

Thomas closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Thomas lands in his opponent's guard.

Rua working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Thomas doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Thomas manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Thomas wants to pass the guard but Rua is keeping the position.

Rua looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Thomas passes into half guard.
Thomas stalling.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Rua trying to control here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Thomas throwing shots but Rua is blocking nicely.
Rua trying to hold on to Thomas's head to control him but Thomas postures up.
Rua gets full guard.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Thomas accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Thomas stands and throws Rua's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Thomas laying and praying for a moment but Rua takes advantage and regains half guard.
Rua avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Thomas.

That's two 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.
Rua wants to control but Thomas is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Rua wants to get back to full guard.
Rua is looking to control Thomas's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Rua avoid being mounted?
Thomas is stalling here. Rua is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Thomas seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Rua has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
Rua wants to stand but Thomas is controlling his arm.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Rua has his takedown stuffed

and Thomas counters with a single leg into guard. Rua didn't expect that.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Rua working for a triangle but Thomas defends it easily.
Thomas wants to control from the top but Rua keeps moving.
Rua throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Rua keeping moving, preventing Thomas from controlling successfully.

Rua looks to be working for a triangle here. Oh, it looks like he might have it! Thomas has picked Rua up and slammed him! Rua can't keep hold of the triangle and Thomas manages to pass to side control!
Rua can't do much from the bottom here.
Thomas working the ground and pound.
Mauricio Rua has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Thomas trying to control the position but Rua is working away.

Thomas tries for a kimura but Rua is defending well.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Rua closes the distance and clinches.

Thomas jumps into guard, dragging Rua to the mat.
Thomas looking for a sweep. Not yet Thomas, not yet.
Thomas has Rua pulled in close to control his posture.
Rua trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

Thomas had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Rua is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Thomas Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Rua's back instead.
Rua breaks Thomas's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Sebastiao Thomas showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Thomas, 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 Seu Braga scores the fight 30:27
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight 30:27
Judge Emerson Jorge scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Sebastiao Thomas!