PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Strife Rua (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Alexi Laiho (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Laiho has chosen Children of Bodom - Are You Dead Yet? as his entrance music. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Rua
vs
Laiho

188 cm
20
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Very strong

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Strife Rua!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Alexi Laiho!
The judges for this bout are Mauricio Rocha, Alexandre Firmino and Leandro Rodrigues.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rua moves in looking to clinch but Laiho pushes him off.
Rua tries to close the distance and clinch but Laiho swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Rua looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.

Rua wants to work for an arm triangle but Laiho is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Laiho wants to get back to his feet.
Rua is keen to just control but Laiho is a slippery customer.
Laiho is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Rua takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rua is trying to control the action in half guard but Laiho is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Strife Rua just wasn't active enough.
Rua fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Laiho tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Rua on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Rua throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Laiho keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Laiho connects with a high kick.

It looks like Strife Rua has been cut.
Laiho blocks a head kick by Rua.
Rua swinging wildly here.
Rua showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Laiho.
Rua swinging wildly here.
Rua is looking to clinch.
Nice uppercut there from Laiho.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Laiho misses with an uppercut.
Laiho throws a head kick that misses.
Laiho throws a series of punches but Rua avoids them all with ease.
Rua tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Laiho was well out of range. Poor timing from Rua.
Laiho throws a head kick that misses.
Strife Rua seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rua doesn't manage to clinch there - Laiho circles away.
Rua throws a sloppy head kick and Laiho moves out of range easily.
Laiho swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Laiho misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Laiho.
Rua misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Rua jabs away that one connects to the head of his opponent.
Laiho slips a jab and a cross from Rua.
Laiho is looking to score with low kicks.
A big right from Rua misses.

Laiho moves into range and clinches up with Rua.

Laiho manages to break the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rua goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Laiho throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Laiho looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Rua scores with a three punch combo!
A leg kick checked by Rua.
Rua tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Rua.
Rua falls off balance throwing a combination
and Laiho counters with a straight right hand.
Laiho slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Laiho lands a nice shot to the body.
Rua falls off balance throwing a combination
and Laiho counters with a left and a right that stings Rua.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
A looping hook to the body misses from Rua. Laiho does a little dance to reset his feet.
Rua tries to clinch up

and Laiho counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rua is trying to maintain the position but Laiho is very close to passing his half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Laiho decides to stand up.
Laiho lands a head kick!

Laiho darts in and clinches Rua up against the cage.
Laiho keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Rua's efforts to push away.
Rua looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Laiho wants to stall.
Laiho wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Rua has him pressed against the cage.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Rua breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Rua throws a sloppy head kick
and Laiho counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Rua tries to score a power double leg takedown but Laiho sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Rua somewhat.

Laiho moves into range and clinches up with Rua.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alexi Laiho dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Strife Rua's cut.
That's time! Rua's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

A head kick misses from Laiho.
Rua throws a right and a left that both miss.
Rua moves in looking to clinch but Laiho pushes him off.
Rua tries to close the distance and clinch up but Laiho swats him away and circles back towards the center.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Rua throws a right and a left that both miss.
A head kick misses from Laiho.
Laiho takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Laiho tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Laiho moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Rua jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Laiho dips down and scores with a jab to the body.

Rua pushes Laiho up against the cage in a clinch.

Laiho pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Laiho throws a right hand that Rua ducks under and follows up with a left that Rua also avoids with ease.
Rua throws a head kick but Laiho moves out of range.
Rua wants to clinch
and Laiho counters with a stiff right hand.
Strife Rua is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Rua fails with an attempt to clinch.
Laiho is looking to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
No joy there for Rua, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Rua shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Laiho eats them both and turns towards Rua to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Laiho uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Rua.
Rua throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Laiho lands a head kick!
Rua with a poor takedown

and Laiho counters with a head kick that drops Rua to the mat! Rua scrambles across the canvas and gets back to his feet, still wobbly!

Rua is rocked!
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Rua gets tackled into the cage by Laiho. Laiho maintains the clinch.
Oh Rua is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Laiho throws a knee to the head but misses.
Rua wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Laiho has him pressed against the cage.
Rua seems to have got his legs back now.
Rua jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Laiho walks away with a smile on his face. Rua gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Rua tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Rua throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Rua tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Laiho manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Rua throws a sloppy head kick
and Laiho connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Rua just misses with a punch to the body.
Laiho lands a nice looking kick to the body. Rua takes a step back to recover.
Laiho lands with a shot to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rua lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Laiho circles away quickly and effectively.
Rua is looking to wear down Laiho with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Laiho throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Laiho 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.

Laiho gets to his feet. Rua looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Rua rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Laiho moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Laiho tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

Laiho gets a takedown into half guard.

Laiho stands, ready to strike. The ref makes him back up and allows Rua to get to his feet.
Rua takes a jab right on the kisser.

Strife Rua's cut is getting worse.
Rua throws a body kick despite being completely out of range
and Laiho counters with a stiff right hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Laiho lands a leg kick that knocks Rua off balance momentarily.
Laiho checks a leg kick nicely.
Laiho takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Rua tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Laiho counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Rua thinking.
Rua drops his hands momentarily and Laiho takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Laiho slips a jab and a cross from Rua.
Laiho moves away from the strike by Rua.
Laiho misses with a double jab.
Rua tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Laiho was well out of range. Poor timing from Rua.
Laiho has a takedown stuffed.
Laiho connects with a right hand. Rua shakes it off.
Rua takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Laiho jabs Rua to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Nice shot by Laiho.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Laiho throws a sloppy head kick and Rua moves out of range easily.
Laiho checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nice body punch from Laiho.
Laiho misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Alexi Laiho seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Rua is looking to clinch but Laiho is avoiding it.
A head kick by Rua misses
and Laiho counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Laiho misses with the combination.

Laiho lands a big head kick that sends Rua tumbling to the mat! Laiho takes a step backwards and waves Rua back to his feet - he wants the finish!
A lazy body kick from Rua

and Laiho counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Rua tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

Laiho breaks the clinch.
Laiho scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Laiho misses with a head kick.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Rua throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Laiho's waist but Laiho gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Rua off to one side.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Strife Rua. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Laiho lands a big head kick that sends Rua tumbling to the mat! Laiho takes a step backwards and waves Rua back to his feet - he wants the finish!

Strife Rua's cut is bleeding quite badly. He's got to try and protect it.
Laiho throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Laiho has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Laiho throws a right and a left that Rua avoids nicely.
Laiho slips a jab from Rua.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alexi Laiho showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Strife Rua's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Laiho cracks Rua with an open hand slap.
Rua looks for the body kick but Laiho saw that one coming.
A head kick by Rua misses
and Laiho counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Rua looks for a takedown but Laiho sprawls well.
Rua takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Rua throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Laiho tries to clinch but Rua moves out of range.
Decent striking displayed by Laiho there.
Rua misses with a double jab.
Laiho lands with an overhand left.
Laiho throws a front kick that sends Rua stumbling back into the cage.
Laiho throws an overhand right that has Rua reeling! Laiho follows up with more punches and Rua is out cold! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:48 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Punches). Alexi Laiho!