PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Apollo Creed (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mano daRua (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying daRua's choice of entrance music: Swedish House Mafia - 'One' (Instrumental Version) Official Video (HD). The key to victory for Apollo Creed has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Creed
vs
daRua

188 cm
25
195 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

188 cm
23
190 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

Good takedowns
Brawler
Solid chin

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 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Apollo Creed!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Mano daRua!
The judges for this bout are Alexandre Firmino, Thiago Cunha and Matheus Silva.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Creed throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Creed fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

daRua shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Creed tries to hold on but daRua postures up.
daRua can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Creed is looking to escape.
daRua won't let Creed get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.
Creed is working to get back to half guard.

daRua get's back to his feet.
Nice sprawl there from Creed as daRua shoots in.
Creed cracks a nice hook into daRua's ribs.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from daRua.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Creed wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Creed fakes high and swings low for a body shot but daRua manages to avoid it.
Creed swinging wildly here.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Creed.
Creed throws a strike aimed at the side of daRua's head but daRua avoids it well.
Creed fails to land a wild elbow strike.

Creed working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
daRua is trying to control Creed's posture but Creed avoids it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Creed throws a strike aimed at the side of daRua's head but daRua avoids it well.

Creed is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but daRua is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Creed misses with the ground and pound.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
daRua is looking to reverse the position.
daRua dodges the ground and pound from Creed.
Creed misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Creed creates some space and throws a big elbow, but daRua sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
daRua pushes Creed away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Creed gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Creed sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but daRua is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
daRua regains half guard.
Creed 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.
Creed thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed daRua's head.
daRua looks like he's trying to stand up.
Creed thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Creed seems to be working for a kimura but daRua defends the submission attempt.
Creed passes to full mount!
Creed throwing strikes but daRua recovers to half guard. A much better position.
daRua keeps control of the position for the meantime.

Creed is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
daRua misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Creed thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Creed prevents daRua from standing back up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Creed moves nicely into side control.
daRua is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

Creed thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Creed throwing strikes but missing, from side control.

Creed tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if daRua can do anything to dispel that myth.
daRua is looking for a sweep.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Apollo Creed dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

No joy there for Creed, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
daRua misses the shot to the body.
daRua on the wrong end of a nice hook.

daRua darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
daRua is taking a breather. Creed says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
daRua's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Creed wants to get back to his feet.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Mano daRua.
Creed jabs at daRua's body.
A punch lands to the side of daRua 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Creed looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Creed lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Creed throws a one two combo.
Creed works over daRua's head and body with a nice combination.
daRua tries to close the distance and clinch up but Creed swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Creed lands a slapping body shot.

daRua is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Creed's half guard.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with daRua in particular looking to stall.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Creed has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. daRua is working away from the top position though.
daRua is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Creed wants to control but daRua is keeping busy and won't allow it.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Creed is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Creed throws a hook but daRua avoids it easily.
Apollo Creed is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Creed looks to land a combination. daRua sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
daRua looks to land a body kick but Creed moved away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
No joy there for Creed, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Good work by Creed as he checks the leg kick.
Creed throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Creed misses the shot to the body.
Creed uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before daRua has time to react.
Creed misses with a jab, cross combination.
Creed fails with the takedown

and daRua counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by daRua.
daRua controlling from the top position.
Creed wants to sweep but no luck.
daRua looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Creed wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and daRua is now in half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Creed is trying to stand.
daRua controlling the action here.
daRua thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Creed's head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mano daRua showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Creed tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but daRua was well out of range. Poor timing from Creed.
daRua is looking to clinch.
Creed throws a hook but daRua blocks it.
Creed fails to land with a series of punches.
Creed cracks daRua with an open hand slap.
Creed throws a right and a left that daRua avoids nicely.
daRua takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Creed slaps away a takedown attempt from daRua, before circling back to the center of the mat.
A shot to the liver by Creed. Beautiful body shot.
Creed scores with a body shot.
Creed lands with a shot to the body.
Creed scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Creed scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Creed throws a one two combo.
Creed is looking to wear down daRua with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Creed keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Creed misses with a takedown attempt - daRua sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Creed.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Creed keeps the fight on the outside.
Creed lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.

Creed feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
daRua working a defensive guard here.
Creed is looking to work some ground and pound but daRua has wrist control.
Creed passes daRua's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Creed wants to pass the guard but daRua is defending well.

Creed seems to be looking for submissions.

Creed looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Creed stops daRua from getting back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
daRua trying to hold on to Creed's head to control him but Creed postures up.
Creed throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Creed thows a huge punch but daRua dodges it nicely.
Creed wants to free his trapped foot but daRua is holding on for dear life with his legs.
daRua is trying to stand up here but Creed is controlling him well.
Creed is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
daRua tries to hold on but Creed postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Creed looking to secure an arm triangle but daRua defends it well.
A nice elbow there by Creed.
daRua is wriggling around trying to escape.

Creed working for a submission but daRua is keeping him at bay.
daRua is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
daRua slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
daRua misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Creed trying to pass the guard but daRua defending well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Creed throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Creed thows a big elbow that misses, also allowing daRua to regain full guard.
daRua is looking to stand up but Creed isn't so interested in that idea.
daRua takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Creed slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
An elbow from Creed crashes against the mat.
Creed lands a decent elbow from side control.
daRua is in a bad spot here and he knows it... just holding on for now.

Creed looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
daRua tries to buck Creed off but Creed is having none of it.

And that's the end of the fight!
Apollo Creed showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Creed has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 29:28
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 29:28
Judge Matheus Silva scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Apollo Creed!