PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Alistair Rutten (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Joe Powell (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Powell is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Stepping Razor. This should be a great matchup!

Rutten
vs
Powell

185 cm
21
201 lbs
4 - 3 - 0

182 cm
24
200 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Good knees
Very quick

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Alistair Rutten!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Joe Powell!
The judges for this bout are Nard Betker, Radbod Blank and Paulsen Ambrosius.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Powell looks to throw the jab but Rutten is out of range.
Powell misses with a few strikes there.
Rutten chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Powell can pounce on him.
Powell swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Powell's corner calls for a 1-2. Powell obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Powell drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
No luck for Rutten with that takedown attempt.
Powell tries to land a front kick but Rutten steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Rutten lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Rutten looks for a takedown but Powell sprawls well.
Rutten goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Rutten shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Powell but Powell pushes him off and we're back to square one.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Alistair Rutten. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Powell throws a body punch but Rutten moves out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Powell moves out of range as Rutten strikes.
Powell takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Powell throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Powell!

It looks like Alistair Rutten has been cut.
Powell rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Rutten moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Powell is looking to score with low kicks.
Powell swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Powell lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Rutten circles away quickly and effectively.
Powell cracks Rutten with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Powell is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Rutten.
Rutten is looking to slow Powell down with leg kicks.
Powell rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Rutten moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Powell chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Rutten can pounce on him.
Powell lands a right hook to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rutten lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Nice defenses there by Powell.
Rutten throws out a loose jab but Powell uses good head movement to avoid it.
Rutten keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
A looping hook to the body misses from Powell. Rutten does a little dance to reset his feet.
Powell thows a left - swing and a miss!
A left and a right from Powell both land. Nice combination.
Powell waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Rutten.
Powell misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Rutten.
Rutten uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Powell.
Powell jabs at Rutten's body.
Powell bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.

Rutten scores with a takedown into Powell's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rutten throwing strikes from guard but Powell blocks nicely.
Powell working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Rutten.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rutten trying to control the position from guard on top but Powell is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rutten with a flurry of punches that miss.
Powell utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Rutten throws a strike but Powell rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Powell really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Rutten. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Rutten keeping moving, preventing Powell from controlling successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Rutten working a defensive guard here.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Powell takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Joe Powell seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rutten staying out of range there.
Powell lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Rutten circles away quickly and effectively.
A nice leg kick lands there from Powell.
Powell stalks Rutten and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Rutten's face. Rutten staggers backwards, shaken.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rutten uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Powell.
Rutten attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Powell on the wrong end of a nice hook.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Joe Powell dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Alistair Rutten's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Powell throws a low kick but Rutten avoids it.
Powell ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Rutten moves away.
Rutten shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Powell as he jumps to the side.
Powell uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Rutten.
Powell takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Rutten steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Powell.
Powell pivots, looking for a leg kick but Rutten is out of range and Powell settles back down.
Rutten scores with a nice body kick.
Rutten shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Powell pinned against the cage. Powell gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Powell takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
A swing and a miss from Powell.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Powell misses with a leg kick
and Rutten counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Powell misses with a hook to the body
and Rutten counters with a nice uppercut.
Powell throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Powell throws a leg kick that is checked
and Rutten counters with a stiff right hand.
Rutten scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Powell doesn't seem bothered though.
The fighters circle momentarily. Rutten darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Rutten misses with a hook to the body
letting Powell counter with a right hand.

Rutten throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Powell was covering up waiting for the punch and Rutten finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Rutten wants to control from the top but Powell keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rutten trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Rutten trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Powell keeping moving, preventing Rutten from controlling successfully.
Rutten trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Rutten is looking to work some ground and pound but Powell has wrist control.
Rutten throwing strikes from guard but Powell blocks nicely.
Rutten working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rutten content to stall in guard here.
Rutten's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Rutten trying to control the position from guard on top but Powell is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Rutten stopping the sweep attempt from Powell.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Powell can do anything to dispel that myth.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Powell utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Rutten being controlled here momentarily.
Rutten slips nicely into half guard.
Rutten throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alistair Rutten dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Alistair Rutten's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Powell slaps away a takedown attempt from Rutten, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Joe Powell seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Powell throws a left and a right that both miss
and Rutten counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Powell falls off balance throwing a combination
and Rutten counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Rutten will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Rutten closes this distance looking for a takedown but Powell circles away.
Powell thuds a left hand into Rutten's body.
Powell throws a right and a left that both miss.
Powell misses with a looping left.
Powell tries to bum rush Rutten with a series of wild strikes but Rutten uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

Rutten moves into the clinch.
Rutten dodges an elbow strike from Powell.
Powell is looking to break free of the clinch but Rutten has double underhooks.
Powell works on Rutten's body with a couple of short punches.
Powell looking to stall.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Rutten pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Powell swinging wildly here.
Rutten closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Rutten swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Powell misses with a body punch
enabling Rutten to counter with a crisp jab.
Powell connects with a nice looking jab.
Powell misses with a few strikes there.
Rutten takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Rutten moves out of range of the strikes.
Powell connects with a single shot there.
Rutten bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Powell bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Rutten's head backwards.
Rutten tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Rutten plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Good leg kick by Powell there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Powell fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Powell lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Joe Powell is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Rutten throws a leg kick that is checked
and Powell counters with a one-two to the body.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Powell with a hook.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Powell, right into the meat.
A nice inside leg kick there by Powell. That's going to slow Rutten down.
Rutten takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Rutten defending well as Powell loads up on a big left hand.
Rutten is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Powell throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Rutten takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Jab from Powell.
Powell misses with a double jab
and Rutten counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Rutten ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Rutten avoids the body shot from Powell.
Rutten shoots in and drives through. Powell sprawls well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Alistair Rutten. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Powell uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Rutten.
Powell misses with a body punch
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Powell dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Rutten takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Powell throws a quick inside leg kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
An inside leg kick lands from Powell.
Powell lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Powell tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Powell throws a nice outside leg kick.
Powell feints and then cracks Rutten's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Rutten down.
Powell throws a right and a left that both miss.
Powell throws a nice inside leg kick.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Powell fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Powell throws a good cross that connects.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Powell cracks Rutten with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Powell throws a shot to the body.
Powell connects with a good right hand that stumbles Rutten. Rutten circles away out of range and recomposes himself.

And that's the end of the fight!
Joe Powell comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Powell 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 Nard Betker scores the fight 28:29
Judge Radbod Blank scores the fight 28:29
Judge Paulsen Ambrosius scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Joe Powell!