PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Rodrigo Diaz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mauri Ruoska (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Diaz might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Sepultura - Refuse/Resist. Ruoska has chosen Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the devil as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Diaz
vs
Ruoska

172 cm
27
165 lbs
12 - 9 - 0

178 cm
22
169 lbs
6 - 2 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Rodrigo Diaz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Mauri Ruoska!
The judges for this bout are Trevor Gratis, Elvis Blanc and Alec Ball.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ruoska misses with a straight right.
Ruoska fails with an attempt to clinch.
Diaz blocks a head kick by Ruoska.
Ruoska misses with a looping right.
Diaz lands a glancing blow to the side of Ruoska's head.
Diaz misses with a straight left.
A punch combination from Ruoska misses.
Ruoska throws a looping overhand right but Diaz ducks down to avoid it.
Diaz swings for the body but Ruoska moves out of range.
Ruoska throws a series of punches but Diaz avoids them all with ease.
Ruoska rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Diaz moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Ruoska moves in looking to clinch but Diaz pushes him off.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ruoska walks into a jab.
Ruoska swinging wildly here.
Ruoska fails to land with a series of punches.
Ruoska misses with a body kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ruoska throws a body punch but Diaz moves out of range.
Ruoska uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Diaz.
A big right from Diaz misses.
Diaz throws the left hand but Ruoska avoids the punch easily.
Diaz moves out of range of the strikes.
Diaz dips to his left and cracks Ruoska with an uppercut!
Diaz misses with a straight left.

Ruoska moves into the clinch successfully.
Ruoska struggles to land a body shot inside as Diaz controls his hands.
Diaz will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Ruoska up against the cage.
Ruoska stalling in the clinch but Diaz improves position.
Ruoska working Diaz over with knees to the body.
Ruoska tries a body shot but Diaz blocks it.
Diaz fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Diaz lands a shoulder strike.
Ruoska blocks an uppercut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Diaz works on Ruoska's body with a couple of short punches.
Diaz dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Diaz lands with a right to the head.
Diaz slowing the pace effectively.
Ruoska is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Ruoska being controlled against the cage.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Rodrigo Diaz.
Ruoska throws a looping overhand right but Diaz ducks down to avoid it.
Mauri Ruoska is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Ruoska keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Ruoska tries to clinch there but Diaz circles away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ruoska tries to close the distance and clinch but Diaz swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Ruoska is looking to clinch.
Mauri Ruoska seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Nice jab there from Ruoska.
Diaz staying out of range there.
Ruoska tries to close the distance and clinch but Diaz swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Diaz shoots for a takedown but Ruoska saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Ruoska wants to clinch up but Diaz keeps it at a distance.
Ruoska tries to clinch but Diaz moves out of range.
Ruoska moves in looking to clinch but Diaz pushes him off.
A slow jab from Diaz misses its intended target.
Ruoska throws a body kick that misses.
A telegraphed right hand from Ruoska misses the target.
Ruoska keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Diaz.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ruoska swinging wildly here.
A looping hook to the body misses from Ruoska. Diaz does a little dance to reset his feet.
Decent striking displayed by Diaz there.
The fighters circling - Diaz throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Ruoska misses with a head kick.
Some wild striking there from Ruoska.
Jab, jab by Diaz - just one landing.
Diaz shoots for a takedown but Ruoska saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rodrigo Diaz. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Ruoska has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Nice uppercut lands for Ruoska. That snapped Diaz's head back.
Diaz connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Ruoska's hands.

Diaz scores a takedown into full mount!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Rodrigo Diaz will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Ruoska is looking to land body kicks.
Diaz missing with a left hand there. Ruoska was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Ruoska thows a body kick. Diaz tries to catch it but that hurt him.
Ruoska wants to clinch.
Ruoska uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Diaz.
Ruoska looks to land a left hand but Diaz moved out of range nicely.
Diaz misses with a takedown attempt - Ruoska sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Diaz uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Ruoska.
Ruoska is looking to clinch.
Ruoska throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Diaz cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ruoska misses with a double jab
and Diaz counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Ruoska misses with a combination

and Diaz counters with a single leg into guard. Ruoska didn't expect that.
Diaz loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Diaz 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.
Diaz trying to control but Ruoska is working from the bottom.
Diaz throws and elbow that misses. Ruoska uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Diaz's guard. Nice move by Ruoska!
Ruoska thows a big elbow that misses.
Ruoska slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Ruoska is fighting to break Diaz's control of his arms but Diaz is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Diaz is trying to keep Ruoska in close.
Diaz controlling the position.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Diaz has a closed guard, preventing Ruoska from standing up.
Ruoska is looking to work some ground and pound but Diaz has wrist control.

Diaz working for a triangle but Ruoska defends it easily.
Ruoska trying to control but Diaz is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ruoska stopping the sweep attempt from Diaz.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Diaz shoots in looking for a takedown. Ruoska tries to sprawl out of it but Diaz keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Ruoska manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Mauri Ruoska is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Nice defenses there by Ruoska.
Ruoska throws a combination that misses

and Diaz counters with a shoot takedown. Ruoska fights it but they end up in guard.
Ruoska tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Diaz trying to control but Ruoska is working from the bottom.
Ruoska wants to stand and escape but Diaz is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Diaz trying to control but Ruoska is working from the bottom.
Diaz trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Diaz trying to control the position from guard on top but Ruoska is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Diaz is in close to Ruoska's body, working some short punches and elbows.

Diaz got a little sloppy there for a moment and Ruoska has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Diaz has managed to get both his arms back between Ruoska's legs - danger averted.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Ruoska staying out of range there.
Diaz throws a jab but it's blocked by Ruoska.
Ruoska tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Diaz counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Diaz looking to sit in guard and control but Ruoska gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rodrigo Diaz dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Diaz ducks under a wild hook from Ruoska.
Diaz throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Diaz slips a jab from Ruoska.
Diaz misses the jab.
Diaz fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
A big left from Diaz misses.

Diaz shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Ruoska is trying to defend but Diaz finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Ruoska is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Diaz scores with a couple of nice shots.
Ruoska trying to control from the bottom.
Diaz throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ruoska is looking to get back to is feet but Diaz passes into side control.
Ruoska tries to bench press Diaz off him but Diaz keeps the position.
Diaz is looking to take a break and control but Ruoska is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Diaz moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.
Diaz tries to score with some ground and pound. Ruoska controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Ruoska is trying to control Diaz's posture but Diaz avoids it.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Ruoska falls off balance throwing a combination
and Diaz counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Diaz displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Ruoska throws out the jab.

That's two 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.
Ruoska swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
letting Diaz counter with a right hand.
Ruoska takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Diaz lands a jab to the head.
Ruoska looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Diaz closes the distance and clinches up with Ruoska, looking for a takedown. Diaz pushes Ruoska against the cage but Ruoska circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Ruoska clinches but Diaz breaks the clinch
and Diaz cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Diaz is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Diaz pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Diaz throws a hook to the side of Ruoska's head but Ruoska sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Diaz loads up on a big right hand but Ruoska slips the punch.

Diaz drives through with a takedown into guard.
Ruoska keeping moving, preventing Diaz from controlling successfully.
Diaz throwing strikes but missing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Diaz throwing strikes from guard but Ruoska blocks nicely.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Ruoska trying to keep a closed guard but Diaz is proving a slippery customer.
Diaz is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Diaz trying to control the position from guard on top but Ruoska is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Diaz wants to pass the guard but Ruoska is keeping the position.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Ruoska closes the distance looking to clinch

and Diaz decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Ruoska's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Diaz is looking to work some ground and pound but Ruoska has wrist control.
Rodrigo Diaz is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Ruoska keeping full guard, as Diaz tries to pass.
Diaz throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Ruoska works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Ruoska keeping moving, preventing Diaz from controlling successfully.

Diaz postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Ruoska is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Diaz, into his guard.
Mauri Ruoska has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Diaz trying to control the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rodrigo Diaz showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Diaz, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Trevor Gratis scores the fight 30:27
Judge Elvis Blanc scores the fight 30:27
Judge Alec Ball scores the fight 30:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rodrigo Diaz!