PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Marco Rua (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Daniel Santos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Rua might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to The Fight Song by Marilyn Manson. Both fighters really staring eachother down here, as Daniel Santos enters the cage!

Rua
vs
Santos

185 cm
20
205 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

188 cm
23
200 lbs
4 - 4 - 1

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

[MMABR]: TechNutri - Ensuring the quality

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 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Marco Rua!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 4 - 1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Daniel Santos!
The judges for this bout are Emerson Jorge, Thiago Cunha and Felipe Paraventi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rua misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Santos closes the distance and clinches up with Rua, looking for a takedown. Santos pushes Rua against the cage but Rua circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

Santos feints and as Rua raises his hands in defense, Santos changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Rua wants to stand and escape but Santos is having none of it.
Rua trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rua wants to stand and escape but Santos is having none of it.
Santos 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.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Santos's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Rua wants to get back to his feet but Santos passes into half guard.
Rua wants to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santos controlling the action here.
Rua misses with some strikes from the bottom.

Rua actively working from the bottom here.
Rua is trying to escape back to his feet but Santos uses the scramble to pass into side control.
Santos tries to move to mount but Rua blocks the move with his legs.
Rua tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Santos wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Rua is working hard here to advance position.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Santos shoots in for a double leg but Rua sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Rua leaves Santos with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Marco Rua has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Daniel Santos.
Santos changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Rua tries to avoid it but Santos manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Rua to the ground. Rua escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Santos looks gassed!
Rua dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Santos. That did some damage!
A solid body kick from Rua.
Rua throws a quick inside leg kick.
Rua tries to land a front kick but Santos steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Rua throws a nice outside leg kick.
Rua throws a nice outside leg kick.
Rua moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Rua tries to close the distance and clinch up but Santos swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Santos lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Rua circles away quickly and effectively.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Santos crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Rua - the referee stops the clock and Santos gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Rua. Santos manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
Santos blocks a head kick by Rua.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rua moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Rua throws a right and a left that Santos avoids nicely.
Rua pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Santos takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Rua throws a front kick that sends Santos stumbling back into the cage.
Rua pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Rua feints and then cracks Santos's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Santos down.
A nice leg kick lands there from Rua.

Rua moves into the clinch successfully.
Rua with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Rua lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Rua tries to land knees in the clinch but Santos avoids the damage to the body.
Rua misses with a knee strike.
Rua looking to throw knees to the head but Santos is blocking nicely.
Rua tries a knee to the head but Santos blocks it.
Rua gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Santos avoiding damage as Rua throws knees to the body.
Rua looks to throw an elbow but misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rua throws a knee to the head but misses.
Rua tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Rua tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Rua throws an elbow that misses.
Rua using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Santos has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Rua misses with an elbow strike.
Rua misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Santos.
Rua throws an elbow that misses.
Santos tries for a takedown. No joy.
Rua is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Rua with an attempt at a knee that misses.

Santos drags the fight down to the ground.
Santos utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Santos keeping full guard, as Rua tries to pass.
Santos looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Rua 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.
Santos is trying to control the position from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Marco Rua dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Rua with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Rua scores with a spinning back kick!

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

Rua throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Rua working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Santos doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Santos manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Rua is looking to sweep but instead, Santos has passed into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rua is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Santos's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Santos's back!
Santos wriggles onto his back under a barage of strikes.
Rua misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Rua misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Rua throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Santos wants to hold on but Rua pushes him away.
Rua looking to control but Santos is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Rua with shots to the head and body - Santos looks very uncomfortable down there.
Rua looking to control and managing it successfully.

Rua is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Santos has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Santos!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santos seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.

Rua has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Santos can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Rua tries to land a sweep but no joy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rua being controlled here, momentarily.

Rua is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Santos defends well.
Rua is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

Rua throws his legs up looking for a submission but Santos uses it to pass to side control.
Rua tries to slip a leg under to move to half guard but Santos presses down on the leg and jumps into full mount!
Santos controlling from mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rua working to try and regain half guard.
Rua wants to improve position but instead he's given up his back.
Rua tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Marco Rua will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Rua tries to clinch but Santos is having none of it.
Marco Rua is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Rua lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Santos thumps Rua with a low kick.
Santos's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Rua misses with an attempted mid kick.
Santos avoids the head kick by Rua.
A punch combination from Rua misses.
Santos avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Rua fails in his attempt to clinch.
Rua throws a right and a left that Santos avoids nicely.
Rua throws a head kick but Santos moves out of range.
Rua tries to clinch up but Santos circles away and keeps his distance.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rua falls off balance throwing a combination

and Santos counters with a takedown into side control.
Rua is trying to improve his position.
Santos scoring with punches from side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rua tries to improve position but can't.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Rua manages to work his way to half guard, despite Santos's best efforts.
Rua is trying to stand back up but Santos is controlling him
Rua is looking for a sweep. Santos is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Rua wants to get back to his feet.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Rua misses with a head kick.
Rua fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Santos checks it well.

Santos shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Rua's guard.

Santos drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Santos jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

Santos avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Rua throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Santos escapes and throws Rua's legs to the side, diving into side control!
Rua is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Santos has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Santos just content to control the position.
Rua tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Santos wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rua wants to get back to his feet.
Rua looks to move to half guard but instead Santos has passed into mount! Damn!
Santos prevents Rua from getting the reversal.
Santos content just to control the position here.
Rua manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Rua is staying active underneath Santos, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Rua is trying to get back to full guard.
Rua manages to get to full guard.
Santos controls from within his opponent's guard.
Rua tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Santos must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

Rua working for a triangle but Santos defends it easily.

Rua manages to escape and get back to his feet.

And that's the end of the fight!
Daniel Santos comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Rua has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Emerson Jorge scores the fight for Marco Rua!
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight for Marco Rua!
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight for Marco Rua!

Marco Rua wins by unanimous decision!