PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ron Damon (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mauricio Rua (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both these guys have solid standup skills and neither is particularly fantastic on the ground, so let's hope for a nice standup war!

Damon
vs
Rua

190 cm
22
215 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

184 cm
18
214 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Heavy handed

HATE Technologies [MMABR]

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Ron Damon!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Mauricio Rua!
The judges for this bout are Felipe Paraventi, Mauricio Rocha and Alexandre Firmino.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Damon fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Damon lands a really nice looking cross but Rua seems unphased.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Rua avoids the body shot from Damon.
Rua fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Rua misses with a series of wild punches.

Rua scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Rua looks gassed!
Damon can't do much from the bottom here.
Rua prevents Damon from escaping the position.
Rua working away.
Damon is looking for a sweep.
Rua wants to stand but Damon is controlling his arm.
Damon tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Damon tries to escape but Rua is in control.
Damon wants to control but Rua postures up.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
A punch combination from Damon misses.
Rua scores with a jab to the head.
Damon bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Rua's head backwards.
Rua swinging wilding here.

Damon cracks Rua with an uppercut from hell and Rua crumples to the canvas, he's out! Oh no, he's recovered and he's grabbed one of Damon's legs and pulled him into guard. The ref thought about stopping it there but he's let it go - good reffing!

It looks like Mauricio Rua has been cut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rua wants to stand up but Damon is controlling him.
Damon works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Damon scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Damon missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Damon sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Rua defending well though.
Rua scrambles, trying to get to his feet, but Damon manages to mount him!
Damon postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Rua looks a forlorn figure.
Damon wants to control the pace but Rua is squirming around nicely.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Damon cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Damon postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Rua looks a forlorn figure.
Rua is bucking up trying to escape but Damon cracks him with another couple of good strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Damon working the ground and pound effectively.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Rua wants to get back to his feet.
Damon punishing his opponent with strikes.
Damon connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Damon with shots to the head and body - Rua looks very uncomfortable down there.
Damon lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
The referee warns Rua that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Damon looking to control but Rua is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Rua wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
Damon looking to control but Rua is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
BOOM! Damon connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Damon cracks Rua with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Damon avoids the attempt from Rua to control.
Rua is looking to improve his position but Damon isn't that keen on the idea.
Damon looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Damon is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Rua can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Damon prevents Rua from getting the reversal.
Rua is squirming around, avoiding Damon's attempts to control the action.
Rua wants to get back to his feet.
Damon trying to control but he's not successful this time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rua in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Damon working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Damon lands a big elbow.
Damon avoids the attempt from Rua to control.
Rua is in a horrible position here. Damon smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Damon in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Damon lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Damon looking to control and managing it successfully.
Rua is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Damon controlling his opponent.
Rua wants to try and get back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Rua throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

Damon rushes Rua and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Damon creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Damon.

Damon's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Damon throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Damon misses with a two punch combination.
Damon throws a jab but it's blocked by Rua.
Damon misses with a two punch combination.
Ron Damon is winning the standup battle so far.
Rua throws a one two combo.
Damon throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Rua scores with a nice right hand.
Damon throws an overhand right that lands on Rua's shoulder, as Rua tries to avoid the shot.
Damon slips under a jab from Rua.
Damon misses with a combination
and Rua counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Damon thinking.
Rua cracks Damon with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Damon avoids the body shot from Rua.
Damon jabs away that one connects to the head of his opponent.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Rua misses with the combination.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Damon thuds his right hand into Rua's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rua fails to land with a series of punches.
Rua connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Damon is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Rua can do to turn this around?
Damon looks to land a left hand but Rua moved out of range nicely.
Damon misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Damon dodges the punch combination from Rua.
Damon scores with a hook.
Damon ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Damon tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Rua paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Nice takedown defense from Rua. No joy for Damon on that attempt.
Rua lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Donk. Damon catches Rua right on the button with a cross.
Damon swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Rua lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.

Damon closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Rua did well to prevent Damon getting side control.
Rua wants to get back to his feet.
Rua trying to control here.
Damon prevents Rua from standing back up.
Damon 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.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Damon controlling the action here.
Damon wants to pass the guard but Rua is defending well.
Damon wants to take a breather but Rua is having none of it.
Damon trying to mount his opponent but Rua defends it.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Rua throws a left and a right that both miss
and Rua takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Rua throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Damon misses with a straight right.
Damon throws a right and a left that both miss.
Damon thows a body shot but no joy.
Rua ducks under a wild hook from Damon.
Rua punishes Damon's body with a nice straight punch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rua lands a nice looking body shot.
Rua lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Damon circles away quickly and effectively.
Rua tries to clinch but Damon moves away
and Damon counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Rua tries to bum rush Damon with a series of wild strikes but Damon uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Damon thows a left - swing and a miss!
A shot to de liver by Damon. Beautiful body shot.
Damon works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Rua cracks Damon with a right hand to the side of the head.
Rua on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Damon tries for a takedown but Rua circles away easily
and Rua counters with a straight right hand.
Rua connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Damon's hands.
A slow jab from Rua misses its intended target.
Damon throws a combination. Rua tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Rua throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Damon counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Rua fails to land with a series of punches.
Rua slips a jab and a cross from Damon.
Rua ducks under a wild hook from Damon.
Rua misses the shot to the body.
Damon listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rua moves forwards but Damon connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Rua throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Rua throws a nice looking combination but Damon bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Damon fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Rua manages to avoid it.
Damon looks to throw the jab but Rua is out of range.
Rua looks to land a combination. Damon sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Rua throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Damon fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Rua on the side of the head.
Rua on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Rua scores with a jab. Damon acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
No luck for Damon with that takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ron Damon. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rua lands with a nice combination. Damon backs away looking to recover.
Rua throws a lazy right hand but Damon sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Damon tries to close the distance and clinch but Rua swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Rua gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Damon moves into range and connects with a jab.
Damon waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Rua.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ron Damon dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Mauricio Rua's cut.
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!

Damon is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Rua.
Damon showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Rua.
Rua throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Damon misses with a looping right.
Damon misses with an uppercut. Rua saw that one coming.
Ron Damon is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
A jab from Damon misses.

Rua closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Rua lands in his opponent's guard.
Damon trying to control the position.
Damon is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Rua would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Rua is using up a lot of energy trying to get back to his feet. Perhaps he should improve his position first.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Damon is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

Rua stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Damon works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Rua gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.

Damon rushes Rua and presses him up against the cage.
Damon stalls.
Rua takes a shot to the head.
Damon taking a breather.
Damon lands with a left to the head.

Rua breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Damon showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Rua.

Damon gets in close and instigates a clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Damon pushes Rua back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Damon lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Rua wants to break the clinch but can't.
Rua is looking to break free of the clinch but Damon has double underhooks.
Damon lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Damon lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Damon lands a shoulder strike.
Damon lands a hook to the side of the head.
A short left from Damon.
Rua looking for a takedown.

Damon breaks from the clinch.
A combination from Rua does no damage.
Rua has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Damon finds it's way round the side to connect with Rua's head.
A cross from Damon lands.
Damon misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Rua.
Damon shoots in but Rua avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Damon throws a hook but Rua blocks it.

Damon pushes Rua up against the cage in a clinch.
Rua fails to pull guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A short left from Damon.
Rua goes for a takedown attempt but Damon pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Ron Damon has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mauricio Rua.
Rua misses with a double jab.
A slow jab from Rua misses its intended target.
Damon lands a right hook to the body.

Damon scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Rua is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Rua is pushing Damon's head away, looking to escape. Damon manages to hold on to the position though.
Mauricio Rua has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Damon moves into full mount!
Rua is trying to escape the mount.
Damon is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Damon fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rua is trying to stand.
BOOM! Damon connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Damon lands a big elbow.
Ron Damon overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
You get the feeling that Rua really doesn't like being in this position too much.
Damon breaks from Rua's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Damon trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Rua punching to the body and holding on for dear life.
Rua is looking to get to half guard.
Rua trying desperately to get to his feet.
Rua throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
Rua taking shots to the head.
Rua is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
A nice elbow there by Damon.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ron Damon showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Damon 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 Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 30:26
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 30:26
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 30:26

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ron Damon!