PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Ummer Iqbal (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mauricio Rua (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Iqbal comes to the cage accompanied by Run This Town. Rua has chosen Usher-More Remix as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Iqbal
vs
Rua

190 cm
23
150 lbs
10 - 5 - 0

181 cm
26
160 lbs
5 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

Fight Club Clothing™
Fight Club Clothing™

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 10 - 5 - 0, fighting out of London, Ummer Iqbal!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Mauricio Rua!
The judges for this bout are Chris Edwards, Steven Brown and William Gold.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Iqbal throws a head kick but Rua moves out of range.
Iqbal throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Rua ducks under a wild hook from Iqbal.
Iqbal throws an off balance right hand
and Rua cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Iqbal connects with a jab.

It looks like Mauricio Rua has been cut.
Iqbal throws a sloppy head kick and Rua moves out of range easily.
Iqbal throws a head kick but Rua moves out of range.
Rua throws a hook but Iqbal avoids it easily.
Iqbal rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Rua counters with a nice uppercut.
Rua avoids the head kick by Iqbal.
Iqbal misses with a lunging right hand
and Rua counters with a two punch combo.
Rua fails to land with a series of punches.
Iqbal really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Iqbal throws a poor cross that misses
and Rua counters with a one-two to the body.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Rua getting the better of the striking in that exchange.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Iqbal takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Rua throws a hook to the side of Iqbal's head but Iqbal sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Rua is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Iqbal.
Iqbal lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Iqbal throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Iqbal misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Rua walks into a jab.
Iqbal throws a hook to the side of Rua's head but Rua sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Iqbal throws a body punch but Rua moves out of range.
Rua throws a shot from downtown. Iqbal moves away and avoids it.
Iqbal misses with a right hand
and Rua counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Ummer Iqbal seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Iqbal tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Iqbal scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Rua scores with a nice right hand.
Rua misses with a jab, cross combination.
Iqbal swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Rua counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Iqbal rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Rua counters with a stiff right hand.
Iqbal fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Iqbal swings away with a body shot that misses
letting Rua counter with a right hand.
Iqbal misses with a head kick.
Iqbal is breathing heavily.
Iqbal throws a jab but it's blocked by Rua.
Iqbal throws a looping overhand right but Rua ducks down to avoid it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Iqbal uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Rua.
Iqbal misses with a body punch
and Rua counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Iqbal lands with a nice body punch.
Iqbal throws a head kick but Rua moves out of range.
Iqbal misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Rua counters with a two punch combo.
Iqbal tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
A slow jab from Rua misses its intended target.
Rua blocks a head kick by Iqbal.
Iqbal thows a left - swing and a miss!
Iqbal jabs Rua right on the nose. Rua blinks but takes it well.

That has opened up Mauricio Rua's cut even more.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Iqbal swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Iqbal misses with a double jab
and Rua counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Rua misses with the combination.
Rua might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
Iqbal misses with a right hand
and Rua counters with a two punch combo.
Iqbal throws a hook but Rua blocks it.
Rua is landing a lot of head punches in this opening round! Iqbal had better start moving his head a bit unless he wants his face to turn into pâté.
Iqbal misses with a body shot.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Iqbal misses with a head kick.
Rua misses with a hook. Iqbal ducked under it nicely.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Mauricio Rua will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Mauricio Rua's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Iqbal throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Iqbal thows a body shot but no joy.
Iqbal pulls out of a head kick attempt.
A combination from Iqbal does no damage.
Rua avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Iqbal misses with a wild combination.
Iqbal misses with a combination
and Rua counters with a straight right hand.
Mauricio Rua seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Iqbal on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Rua uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Iqbal.
Iqbal loads up on a big right hand but Rua slips the punch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Iqbal throws a sloppy body shot
and Rua counters with a stiff right hand.
Iqbal misses with a body shot.
Iqbal throws a body punch but Rua moves out of range.
Iqbal misses with a right hand
letting Rua counter with a right hand.
Mauricio Rua is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Rua scores with a hook.
Rua loads up on a big right hand but Iqbal slips the punch.
Iqbal scores with a head kick.
Rua throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Iqbal throws a lazy uppercut
and Rua connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Iqbal misses with a left hand
and Rua counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Iqbal tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Iqbal fails to land with a series of punches.
Rua fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Iqbal misses with a wild combination.
Iqbal misses with a wild body shot.
Rua lands a jab to the head.
Iqbal throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Iqbal throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Rua avoids the body shot from Iqbal.
Iqbal misses with a combination
and Rua counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rua throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Iqbal rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Rua counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Rua will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Iqbal throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Iqbal pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Rua throws a right hand that Iqbal ducks under and follows up with a left that Iqbal also avoids with ease.
Iqbal throws a head kick that misses.
Rua misses with a double jab.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Iqbal misses with a lunging right hand
and Rua cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Iqbal missing with a left hand there. Rua was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Rua misses with a straight right.
Iqbal misses with a wild body shot.
Rua ducks under a wild hook from Iqbal.
Iqbal misses with an uppercut
and Rua counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Iqbal throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Rua counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Iqbal throws a sloppy head kick and Rua moves out of range easily.
Iqbal misses with a hook to the body
and Rua counters with a series of strikes. Iqbal will be more careful next time no doubt.
Iqbal throws an overhand right that lands on Rua's shoulder, as Rua tries to avoid the shot.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mauricio Rua showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Mauricio Rua's cut.
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. This is the final round!

Iqbal throws a head kick but Rua moves out of range.
Iqbal waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Rua.
Iqbal stuns Rua with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Iqbal misses with a few strikes there.
Iqbal throws a left and a right that both miss
and Rua counters with a stiff right hand.
Iqbal misses with a shot to the body
and Rua counters with a straight right hand.
Iqbal misses with a left hand
and Rua counters with a left and a right that stings Iqbal.

Iqbal is rocked!
Iqbal keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Rua moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Iqbal misses with a left hand
and Rua counters with a three punch combo that has Iqbal backing up. Iqbal nods at Rua to acknowledge the strikes.
Oh Iqbal is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Iqbal misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Rua.
Iqbal seems to have got his legs back now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Iqbal throws a sloppy body shot
and Rua counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Iqbal throws a sloppy head kick and Rua moves out of range easily.
A shot to the body from Iqbal misses
and Rua counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Iqbal has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
No joy there for Iqbal, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
The fighters circle momentarily. Rua darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Iqbal throws a head kick but Rua moves out of range.
Iqbal takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Rua slips a jab from Iqbal.
Ummer Iqbal has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Iqbal darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Iqbal lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Rua will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Iqbal misses with a head kick.
Iqbal misses with a hook. Rua ducked under it nicely.
Iqbal misses with a double jab
and Rua counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Rua misses with a hook.
Iqbal connects with a high kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Iqbal on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Iqbal looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Iqbal avoids a punch combination nicely.
Rua misses with a straight left.
Iqbal lands with a good body shot.
Iqbal throws an off balance right hand
and Rua cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Iqbal swings for the body but Rua moves out of range.
Iqbal rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Rua counters with a three punch combo that has Iqbal backing up. Iqbal nods at Rua to acknowledge the strikes.
Rua avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Iqbal swings away with a body shot that misses
and Rua counters with a straight right hand.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rua bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Iqbal scores with a shot to the body.
Iqbal lands with a nice combination. Rua backs away looking to recover.

The cut above Mauricio Rua's eye is starting to cause him problems now.
Nice body punch from Iqbal.
Iqbal misses with a straight right.
A jab from Iqbal misses.
Rua avoids the head kick by Iqbal.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rua steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Iqbal.
Iqbal throws a poor cross that misses
and Rua connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Mauricio Rua is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Rua misses with a looping right.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Ummer Iqbal.
Well Rua has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Chris Edwards scores the fight 28:29
Judge Steven Brown scores the fight 27:30
Judge William Gold scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Mauricio Rua!