PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Maurice Rua (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Covalent Minibar (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Maurice Rua could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Covalent Minibar's chin.

Rua
vs
Minibar

185 cm
22
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

170 cm
21
150 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Maurice Rua!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Covalent Minibar!
The judges for this bout are Wagner Zegers, Saam Ante and Nard Betker.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Minibar slaps away a takedown attempt from Rua, before circling back to the center of the mat.

Rua decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Rua looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.

Rua is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Minibar has managed to free his arm - good work.
Rua perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Minibar is trying to maintain the position but Rua is very close to passing his half guard.
Rua will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Minibar is trying to stand back up but Rua is controlling him
Rua controlling the action here.

Minibar looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Minibar is trying to stand up here but Rua is controlling him well.
Rua knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Minibar on the ground.
Minibar tries to get to full guard but Rua has control of the leg.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Rua scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Rua wants to stand but Minibar has his arm trapped.
Rua is breathing heavily.
Minibar manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Rua is refusing to be controlled, as Minibar sits in half guard.
Rua wants to get back to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Minibar not landing any meaningful shots this time.

Minibar stands up out of the half guard.
Minibar avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Minibar misses with a head kick.
Minibar fails to land with a series of punches.
Minibar moves into range and lands a nice body kick.
Rua dives in and grabs Minibar's left leg, looking for a takedown. Minibar pushes down on Rua's head and hops out.
Minibar tries a head kick but it misses.
Minibar lands a nice shot that snaps Rua's head back.
Minibar misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Rua takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Minibar lands a high kick!
Minibar clobbers Rua with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Rua really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Minibar displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Minibar lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Rua takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Rua misses with a kick to the body
and Minibar counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Minibar's corner calls for a 1-2. Minibar obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.

Minibar closes the distance and clinches.
Rua jumps guard but Minibar stands there with Rua around his waist. Rua gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Maurice Rua. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Minibar is looking to control Rua's arms but Rua gets an underhook and turns him. Now Minibar has his back to the cage.
Rua tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Rua has Minibar pressed against the cage, preventing Minibar from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Minibar is looking to break free of the clinch but Rua has double underhooks.

Minibar has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Rua uses from the top position.

Minibar kicks Rua off and gets to his feet.
Rua slips a jab and a cross from Minibar.
Minibar fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Minibar throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Rua's head.
Minibar shoots and misses

and Rua counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Minibar is trying to control but can't.
Rua is pressing down on Minibar's thigh, looking to free his foot. Minibar is holding on for now.
Rua is trying to control. Minibar wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Rua throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Minibar has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Rua is working away from the top position though.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rua is looking for the mount but instead finds himself back in full guard.
Minibar wants to stand up but Rua is controlling him.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Covalent Minibar will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Minibar lands a high kick!
Rua tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Minibar swivels and escapes.
Minibar pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Minibar pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Rua shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Minibar makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Minibar.

Minibar is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Rua is aware though and is defending well.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Rua looking to pass the guard.
Minibar controls Rua momentarily but Rua frees himself.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Minibar looking for a sweep. Not yet Minibar, not yet.

Minibar is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Rua is aware though and is defending well.

Minibar kicks Rua off and gets to his feet.
Minibar lands with a slapping head kick.
Rua moves out of range of the body kick.
No joy there for Minibar, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Rua shoots in but Minibar avoids the takedown attempt easily.

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Minibar is trying to keep Rua in close.
Rua chips away with some ground and pound.

Minibar looking for subs off his back but Rua has passed one foot through into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Minibar is trying to get back to full guard.
Rua blocks the strikes from Minibar.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Minibar manages to escape and get back to his feet!
Minibar tries to clinch there but Rua circles away.

Rua closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Rua lands in his opponent's guard.
Minibar looking to control.
Rua passes into half guard.
Minibar trying to control here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rua tries to stand but his arm is trapped.
Rua lands strikes from half guard.
Rua trying to control from Minibar's half guard. Minibar has other ideas though and has regained full guard.
Rua has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Minibar wants to stand up but Rua is controlling him.
Minibar is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Rua looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Maurice Rua dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Rua takes a kick to the side of the head.

Rua looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Rua trying to control but Minibar is working from the bottom.
Minibar is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Rua wants to get back to full guard but Minibar has passed into side control.
Rua on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Rua tries to get out of the position.
Minibar misses with a head shot.
Rua is bucking up trying to escape but Minibar cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Minibar landing strikes from the mount and Rua is in trouble!
Minibar landing shots from mount.
Minibar landing strikes, looking to finish!
Minibar misses with a head shot.
Rua wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Minibar.
Minibar looking to control but Rua is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Rua wants to control but Minibar is having none of it.

Minibar looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Rua wants to hold on but Minibar pushes him away.
Minibar lands a big shot there that rocks Rua but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Rua tries to get back to half guard but can't.

Minibar working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Minibar looking to ground and pound but Rua is blocking nicely.
Minibar has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Rua's face.
Minibar throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rua is desperately trying to improve his position but Minibar has a good base and remains in mount.
Minibar avoids the attempt from Rua to control.
Rua is working to get back to half guard.
Minibar thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
Minibar punishing his opponent with strikes.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Minibar misses with a head shot.
Rua is squirming around, avoiding Minibar's attempts to control the action.
Minibar throws some wild stikes that Rua manages to avoid easily.
Rua is wriggling around trying to escape.
Minibar is in the full mount, landing strikes.

Minibar is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Rua is surviving well by controlling Minibar's body position as best he can.
Minibar has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Minibar wants to control the pace but Rua is squirming around nicely.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

And that's the end of the fight!
Covalent Minibar comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Minibar has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Wagner Zegers scores the fight 28:29
Judge Saam Ante scores the fight 28:29
Judge Nard Betker scores the fight 29:29

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Covalent Minibar!