PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Jin Kazama (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Matt Rugg (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Kazama
vs
Rugg

170 cm
21
142 lbs
6 - 4 - 1

174 cm
21
141 lbs
5 - 1 - 1

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Dangerous knees
Heavy handed

The Prototype's Nutrition Company
The Prototype's Nutrition Company

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 1 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 4 - 1, fighting out of London, Jin Kazama!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 1 - 1, fighting out of London, Matt Rugg!
The judges for this bout are Colin Fotheringham, Paul Tew and Donald Grub.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rugg tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Kazama paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Kazama avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Kazama swats away the attempt to clinch by Rugg.
Left hook, right uppercut from Kazama.
Kazama rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Rugg moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

Rugg has taken the fight to the clinch.
Kazama misses with an elbow over the top.
Kazama tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Kazama.
Kazama with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Kazama throws an elbow that misses.
Kazama tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Rugg lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Rugg scores with a knee to the head.
Rugg with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Rugg looking to throw knees to the head but Kazama is blocking nicely.
Kazama with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Rugg looking to throw knees to the head but Kazama is blocking nicely.
Rugg lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Kazama tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Kazama.
Rugg tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Knees in the clinch landing for Rugg.
Kazama trying to land knees to the body.
Rugg on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Kazama is breathing heavily.
Rugg with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rugg tries to land a knee to the head but Kazama blocks with his arms.
Rugg tries a knee to the head but Kazama blocks it.
Rugg misses with a knee to the head.
Rugg tries to land a knee to the head but Kazama blocks with his arms.
Rugg tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Rugg scores a nice knee to the body.
Rugg landing knees to the head.
Rugg using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Kazama has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Rugg connects with a nasty looking knee right to Kazama's face.
Kazama just leaning against Rugg, taking a breather.
Rugg tries to land a knee to the head but Kazama blocks with his arms.
Rugg is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Kazama creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Rugg's defenses.
Rugg wants to stall.
Rugg tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Kazama avoids it.
Rugg landing knees to the head.
Rugg tries to land a knee to the head but Kazama blocks with his arms.
Kazama lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Rugg avoids a wild elbow strike from Kazama.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Rugg just misses with a elbow thrown towards Kazama's brow.
Kazama utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Rugg throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Kazama landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Rugg is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rugg trying to land knees to the body.
Rugg throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Rugg with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Kazama tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Rugg misses with a knee strike.
Rugg blocks the elbow strike.
Kazama throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Kazama tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Rugg avoids it.

Kazama breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Rugg clinches with his opponent.
Rugg using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Kazama has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Rugg just misses with a elbow thrown towards Kazama's brow.
Rugg throws a knee to the head but misses.
Kazama using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Rugg has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Rugg misses with a knee to the head.
Rugg lands a knee to the head.
Kazama with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Rugg misses with a knee to the head.
Rugg taking a breather.
Rugg blocks an elbow strike.
Kazama tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Kazama tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Rugg pressing his opponent against the cage.
Knees in the clinch landing for Rugg.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rugg throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Kazama blocks it with crossed arms.

Kazama pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Kazama moves out of range of the body kick from Rugg.
Rugg tries to clinch but Kazama is having none of it.
Kazama lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Kazama keeps the fight on the outside.
Kazama clinches but Rugg breaks the clinch
and Rugg counters with a nice leg kick.
Rugg circles away from the clinch attempt
and Rugg makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Rugg wants to clinch
and Kazama counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
A head kick by Kazama misses

and Rugg counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Rugg.
Rugg stalling.
Rugg tries to land a knee to the head but misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kazama throws an elbow that misses.
Rugg displaying some good clinch control by pressing Kazama up against the cage.
Rugg lands a hook to the side of the head.
Rugg is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Rugg tries to land a knee to the head but Kazama blocks with his arms.
Kazama throws a knee to the head but misses.
Rugg landing knees to the head.
Kazama is pushing Rugg up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Rugg landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Rugg dodges an elbow strike from Kazama.
Rugg with a knee to the head.
Rugg throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Rugg holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Rugg misses with a knee to the head.
A shot in the inside from Rugg.
Rugg comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Kazama throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Rugg blocks it with crossed arms.
Rugg tries a knee to the head but Kazama blocks it.
Rugg lands a right hand.
Kazama wants to stall.

That's five minutes gone in the round.
Rugg tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Kazama with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Kazama tries a knee to the head but Rugg blocks it.
Rugg unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Rugg connects with a knee to the head.
A body shot lands from Rugg.
Rugg throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Kazamas head.
Kazama lands an elbow inside.
Kazama takes an elbow to the temple.
Rugg creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Kazama's defenses.
Kazama throws an elbow that misses.
Kazama tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Rugg avoids it.
Kazama with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Rugg using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Kazama has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Rugg with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Rugg lands a knee to the head.
Kazama with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Rugg landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Kazama takes a knee right on the jaw!
Rugg throws a knee to the head but misses.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Kazama.
Rugg misses with a knee to the head.
Kazama landing knees to the head.
Nice elbow from Rugg.

That's six minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Rugg tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Kazama.
Kazama tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Rugg.
A knee to the head by Rugg.
Kazama throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Rugg blocks it with crossed arms.
Kazama misses with a knee to the head.
Rugg scores with a shoulder strike.
Rugg connects with a knee to the head.
Rugg throws a knee to the head but misses.
Kazama blocks an elbow strike.
Rugg throws an elbow but it's blocked.
With the fighters up against the cage, Kazama throws an elbow but misses.
Kazama misses with a knee to the head.
Rugg lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Rugg tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Rugg with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.

Kazama pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Rugg avoids the head kick by Kazama.
Rugg scores with a jab to the head.

Rugg closes the distance and pushes Kazama back into the cage.
Rugg is stalling here.
Kazama tries a knee to the head but Rugg blocks it.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.
Rugg lands an elbow inside.
Rugg throws a knee to the head but misses.
Rugg working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Rugg misses with a knee to the head.
Kazama lands a damaging elbow.
Kazama tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Rugg tries to land a knee to the head but Kazama blocks with his arms.
Rugg with a knee to the head.
Kazama lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Rugg is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Rugg works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Rugg avoids a wild elbow strike from Kazama.
Rugg blocks an elbow strike from Kazama.
Kazama throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Rugg blocks it with crossed arms.
A hook to the body from Rugg.
Rugg just leaning against Kazama, taking a breather.
Kazama takes a knee to the side of the body.
Rugg pushes Kazama back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Kazama misses with an elbow over the top.
Rugg putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Kazama in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Kazama creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Kazama tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Rugg with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.

That's eight 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.
Rugg tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Rugg slowing the pace effectively.
Rugg throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Kazama blocks it with crossed arms.
Kazama with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Kazama is trying to break the clinch but Rugg is controlling him.
Kazama misses with an elbow strike.
Rugg misses with a knee strike.
Kazama missing with knees to the body.
Rugg landing knees to the head.
Rugg is stalling here.
Rugg tries a knee to the head but Kazama blocks it.
Kazama throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Rugg blocks it with crossed arms.
Rugg lands an elbow that stopped Kazama in his tracks for a moment.
Rugg lands a right hand that snaps the head of Kazama backwards.
Rugg lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Rugg using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Kazama has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Kazama throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Rugg stalling in the clinch but Kazama improves position.

Kazama pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Rugg fails with an attempt to clinch.
Rugg tries to clinch but Kazama moves out of range.
Kazama throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Rugg.

That's nine minutes gone in the round.

Rugg moves into range and clinches up with Kazama.
Kazama pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Kazama throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Rugg blocks it with crossed arms.
Stalling in the clinch from Rugg.
Kazama throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Rugg blocks it with crossed arms.
Kazama takes an elbow to the temple.
Kazama throws an elbow but it misses.
Nice elbow from Rugg.
Rugg landing knees to the head.
Rugg lands an elbow just above Kazama 's eye.
Rugg throws a knee to the head but misses.
Kazama misses with a knee to the head.
Kazama with an attempt at a knee that misses.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Rugg avoiding damage as Kazama throws knees to the body.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Rugg as Kazama tries to tie him up.
Rugg crunches a lovely knee into Kazama's ribcage.
Rugg tries to land a knee to the head but Kazama blocks with his arms.
A knee to the head by Kazama.
Kazama takes a knee right on the jaw!
Rugg lands an elbow that stopped Kazama in his tracks for a moment.
Rugg prevents Kazama from breaking the clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
Matt Rugg comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Rugg 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 1 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.

Judge Colin Fotheringham scores the fight for Matt Rugg!
Judge Paul Tew scores the fight for Matt Rugg!
Judge Donald Grub scores the fight for Matt Rugg!

Matt Rugg wins by unanimous decision!