PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Jack Rustoff (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Paulo Costa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Rustoff
vs
Costa

182 cm
18
200 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

181 cm
21
210 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Jack Rustoff!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Paulo Costa!
The judges for this bout are Steve Erwin, Skip Squint and Damien Edna.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Costa circles away from the clinch attempt.

Costa scores a takedown into full mount!
Costa fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Rustoff is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Costa looking to control and managing it successfully.
Rustoff wants to control but Costa is having none of it.
Costa prevents Rustoff from getting the reversal.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Costa working the ground and pound effectively.
Costa avoids the attempt from Rustoff to control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rustoff is working to get back to half guard.
Rustoff tries to lock up and control but Costa gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Costa controlling his opponent.
Costa avoids the attempt from Rustoff to control.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Costa cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Rustoff working to try and regain half guard.
Rustoff is working hard here to advance position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Costa controlling his opponent.
Rustoff is working to get back to half guard.
Costa trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Rustoff is trying to escape the mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Costa punishing his opponent with strikes.
Rustoff wants to hold on but Costa pushes him away.
Rustoff is trying to escape the mount.
Rustoff is breathing heavily.
Costa can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Rustoff is looking to escape.
Costa scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Rustoff?
Costa scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Rustoff?
Costa working the ground and pound effectively.
Costa putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Costa moves into side control, trying to work for a kimura. That looks painful! Will he finish!!?? No, Rustoff has worked his arm free - good work by Rustoff!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Costa tries to move into full mount but can't pass Rustoff's legs.
Costa postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Rustoff is trying to buck Costa off.

Costa is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Rustoff is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Costa wants to lay and pray for a moment but Rustoff keeps working.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Paulo Costa dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Costa tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

Costa shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Costa was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Costa working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Costa lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Costa looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Costa lands a nice shot to the head.
Rustoff tries to hold on but Costa pushes him away.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Costa working Rustoff over with strikes here.
Costa lands with some strikes.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Costa tries to control but Rustoff wriggling away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Costa scoring with strikes but Rustoff is staying in there.
Rustoff tries to hold on but Costa pushes him away.
Paulo Costa has got the better of the ground game so far.
Costa postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Rustoff looks a forlorn figure.
Rustoff is looking to get to half guard.
Rustoff tries to hold on but Costa postures up.
Costa lands with some strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Costa working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Rustoff is looking to get to half guard.
Costa with shots to the head and body - Rustoff looks very uncomfortable down there.
Costa content just to control the position here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rustoff keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Costa postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Rustoff looks a forlorn figure.
Costa content just to control the position here.
Costa is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Costa sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Costa lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Costa content just to control the position here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Paulo Costa 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. This is the final round!

Costa's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Costa duly obliges.
Costa fails to land the takedown.
No luck for Costa with that takedown attempt.
Horrible takedown by Costa or perhaps it was just good defense by Rustoff which made him look bad.
Jack Rustoff has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Paulo Costa.
Rustoff throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Costa's waist but Costa gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Rustoff off to one side.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Rustoff throws a lazy head kick

and Costa counters by moving into the clinch.
Costa jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Rustoff walks away with a smile on his face. Costa gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Costa tries to clinch up.
Rustoff tries to grapple but his opponent circles

so Costa counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Costa thows a big elbow that misses.
Rustoff avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Costa slips nicely into half guard, despite the strikes coming from Rustoff.
Costa stalling.
Rustoff is refusing to be controlled, as Costa sits in half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Rustoff wants to get back to his feet.
Costa has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Well, if Costa is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.

Despite being in the dominant position, Paulo Costa just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Costa shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Rustoff napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Rustoff tries to improve position but can't.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rustoff struggling a bit here.
Costa controlling from side mount.
Costa wants to lay and pray for a moment but Rustoff keeps working.
Costa working the ground and pound.
Costa in side control, throwing shots but Rustoff defends.
Rustoff tries to improve position but can't.
Costa lands a few punches from side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Costa tries to clinch but Rustoff is having none of it.
Costa lands a high kick!
Rustoff shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Costa holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Rustoff tries for a takedown. No joy.
Costa tries to pull guard but Rustoff won't allow it.
Costa is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.

Costa breaks the clinch.
Rustoff darts in trying to clinch

and Costa counters with a nice double leg into side control. Rustoff won't be happy with that.
Jack Rustoff has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Paulo Costa is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Costa happy to just control the position for now.

And that's the end of the fight!
Paulo Costa comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Costa has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Steve Erwin scores the fight 26:30
Judge Skip Squint scores the fight 26:30
Judge Damien Edna scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Paulo Costa!