PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Yossy Ruga (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jimmy Balmer (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Ruga
vs
Balmer

178 cm
24
166 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

178 cm
23
162 lbs
7 - 6 - 0

Good takedowns
Basic striking
Cuts easily

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Determined

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 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Yossy Ruga!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 6 - 0, fighting out of London, Jimmy Balmer!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Bishop, Donald Grub and William Gold.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Ruga looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Ruga tries to free his leg and advance position but Balmer is retaining full guard.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.

Balmer has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Ruga is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Balmer.
Balmer tries to improve position but can't.
Balmer is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Ruga tries to advance to mount but can't.
Ruga misses with the ground and pound.

Ruga thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

Ruga is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Balmer is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Balmer tries to bench press Ruga off him but Ruga keeps the position.
Ruga tries to move to mount but Balmer blocks the move with his legs.
Balmer is looking for a sweep.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Ruga trying to control the position but Balmer is working away.
Balmer tries to buck Ruga off but Ruga is having none of it.

Ruga is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Balmer is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Balmer is trying to improve his position.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Balmer fails with the takedown

and Ruga counters with a nice double leg into half guard.

Balmer looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Balmer has a hand on Ruga's thigh, trying to get back to full guard. Ruga takes advantage of the position though and mounts him!
Balmer is trying to escape the mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Balmer bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Balmer throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Balmer looking to pass the guard.
Ruga is trying to control the position but Balmer postures up.
Ruga pulls Balmer in to control the position.
Ruga'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.
Balmer passes Ruga's left leg - he's now in half guard.

Balmer is working for a kimura but Ruga is defending it quite comfortably.
Balmer looks gassed!
Ruga works his way to full guard. Good work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Balmer postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Ruga is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Balmer, into his guard.
Ruga throws a big right hand that misses.
Ruga forces his way into half guard.
Ruga trying to control from half guard but Balmer is working away.

Balmer actively working from the bottom here.

Ruga is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Balmer is staying active underneath Ruga, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Balmer looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

Ruga is looking for a kimura here.
Balmer works his way to full guard. Good work.

Balmer working for submissions but it's allowed Ruga to get to half guard.
Ruga trying to control the pace.

Ruga is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Ruga passes to full mount!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yossy Ruga dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Ruga closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Ruga lands in his opponent's guard.

Balmer looking for a guillotine here but Ruga defends easily.
Ruga wants to pass the guard but Balmer is keeping the position.

Balmer is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

Balmer is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Balmer is breathing heavily.

Ruga got a little sloppy there for a moment and Balmer has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Ruga has managed to get both his arms back between Balmer's legs - danger averted.
Ruga postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ruga slips nicely into half guard.
Balmer is not content to let Ruga control the position.

Balmer is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Ruga pulls his head out easily.
Ruga passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Balmer!
Ruga can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Balmer is looking to escape.

Ruga wants to finish this one by submission but Balmer is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Ruga.
Balmer has given up his back. Will we see Ruga going for some submissions?

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Ruga is persistently looking for the submission but Balmer is defending it well.
Ruga controlling well, preventing Balmer from escaping the position.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!

Ruga is looking for the choke from the back position but Balmer is controlling his hands well.
Balmer tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Balmer is looking to get to half guard.
Poor strikes thrown by Ruga there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!
Balmer is trying to escape the mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balmer is squirming around, avoiding Ruga's attempts to control the action.

Ruga is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Balmer is surviving well by controlling Ruga's body position as best he can.
Balmer is working to get back to half guard.
Balmer regains half guard.

Balmer looking for submissions off his back.
Ruga works his foot free and advances to mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ruga can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Balmer is looking to escape.
Ruga prevents Balmer from getting the reversal.
Yossy Ruga overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Balmer has given up his back - I don’t know if this is a deliberate ploy to try and escape or if he is just struggling down there.
Balmer is in a world of trouble here. He's outmatched on the ground here and he'd better get Ruga off his back sharpish unless he wants to be submitted.

Ruga is working for the choke. He's slipped one arm under the chin. Balmer has to defend the other arm for all he's worth... but Ruga has managed to get that arm free too and he's tightening the choke! Balmer taps out and looks absolutely disgusted with himself. Ruga doesn't care though - he's delighted!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:48 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Yossy Ruga!