PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Pedro Rua (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Piston Honda (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rua kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Don't Talk To Strangers. Piston Honda told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Rua
vs
Honda

172 cm
26
165 lbs
11 - 2 - 1

176 cm
26
162 lbs
10 - 8 - 0

Good wrestling
Great elbows
KO power

BJJ Purple Belt
Good kicks
Determined

Bushido 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 11 - 2 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Pedro Rua!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Piston Honda!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, Gwen Towbar and Chris Downing.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Honda works Rua's body with a nice hook.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Honda, right into the meat.
Rua throws a head kick that half lands.
Honda throws a leg kick that is checked
and Rua counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

Rua instigates a clinch.
Rua lands a nice elbow.
Rua lands an elbow that stopped Honda in his tracks for a moment.
Rua is looking to control Honda's arms but Honda gets an underhook and turns him. Now Rua has his back to the cage.
Honda lands a body shot in the clinch.
Honda avoids a wild elbow strike from Rua.
Honda has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Rua managing to block the knees to the body from Honda.
Rua blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Rua creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Honda's defenses.
Honda is looking to break free of the clinch but Rua has double underhooks.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Rua leaning against his opponent.
Rua blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Rua misses with a knee to the head.
Rua misses with an elbow strike.
Honda blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Rua tries to land a knee to the head but Honda blocks with his arms.
Rua working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Rua has Honda pushed against the cage.
Honda tries to circle away but Rua has him pinned against the cage.
Rua on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Honda landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Rua lands with a short shot to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rua with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Rua scores with a nice hook to the head.
Rua with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Rua lands a shoulder strike.
Honda is trying to stall.
Honda blocking some punches.
Honda taking a breather.
Rua managing to block the knees to the body from Honda.
Honda has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Rua scores with a hook to the body.
Honda unloads a knee to the mid-section. Rua lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Rua blocks a body shot from Honda.
Rua lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Honda backwards.
Rua blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Rua pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Rua misses with an elbow over the top.
Rua lands a nice elbow.
Honda throws a head punch that misses.
Honda tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Rua avoids it.
Honda blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Rua creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Honda's defenses.
Honda looks gassed!
Knees to the body from Rua.
Rua prevents a body shot from Honda.
Rua landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Rua lands an elbow inside that Honda shrugs off.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rua lands a damaging elbow.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Rua obliges.
Rua using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Rua scores with a shoulder strike.
Honda takes an elbow to the temple.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Honda takes a knee right on the jaw!
Rua lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Rua lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Rua connects with a knee to the head.
Rua landing knees to the body.
Honda takes an elbow to the forehead.
Rua lands with a short shot to the head.
Honda takes an elbow to the forehead.
Rua lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Rua using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Rua gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Rua lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Good body shot from Rua.
Rua lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Rua lands an uppercut.
Rua stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Rua lands an elbow just above Honda 's eye.
A nice right hand lands inside from Rua.
Rua utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Rua works on Honda's body with a couple of short punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rua lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Honda takes an elbow to the forehead.
Rua unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Come on Rua - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Rua comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Honda throws a head punch that misses.
Rua prevents a body shot from Honda.
Knees in the clinch landing for Rua.
Rua lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Honda takes a knee right on the jaw!
Rua throws a knee to the head but misses.
Rua blocks an elbow strike from Honda.
Rua has Honda pressed against the cage.
Honda tries a body shot but Rua blocks it.
Rua working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Honda is trying to break the clinch but Rua is controlling him.
Rua working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Honda tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Rua's elbow.
Rua lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Rua gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Honda trying to land knees to the body.
Stalling in the clinch from Rua.
Honda tries to land knees in the clinch but Rua avoids the damage to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rua lands a nice knee to the body.
Rua blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Rua crunches a lovely knee into Honda's ribcage.
A knee to the head by Rua.
Honda misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Rua working Honda over with knees to the body.
Honda tries to break the clinch but Rua is controlling the position.
Rua unloads a knee to the mid-section.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Rua creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Rua lands a left hand.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Honda takes an elbow to the temple.
Honda is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Rua is defending well for now.
Honda takes a knee to the side of the body.
Honda tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Rua avoids it.
Good body shot from Rua.
Rua lands a nice knee to the body.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Knees in the clinch landing for Rua.
Knees to the body from Rua.
Honda tries to throw a body punch but Rua avoids it by throwing Honda back against the cage.
Honda working aggressively here.
Rua lands a left hand.
Nice body punch from Rua.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pedro Rua dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Rua looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Donk. Rua catches Honda right on the button with a cross.
Rua falls off balance throwing a combination
and Honda makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Rua throws a right and a left that both miss.
Pedro Rua is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Rua checks a low kick from Honda.
Both fighters circling a little - Rua finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Rua connects with a solid leg kick.
Rua scoring well with a low kick there.
Rua scores with a head kick. Honda tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.
Honda tries to clinch up.
Honda wants to clinch but Rua slips to the side

and Rua counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rua passes Honda's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Honda is breathing heavily.
Rua is figuring out what he wants to do next.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rua prevents Honda from standing back up.
Well, if Rua is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Honda is looking to escape.
Rua slips a nice elbow through Honda's hands, connecting with Honda's forehead.
Rua has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Rua controlling his opponent.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rua'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.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rua is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Honda can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Rua lands with some strikes.
Rua looking to control and managing it successfully.
Honda is trying to escape but when you're mounted that's not too easy.
Rua tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Pedro Rua just wasn't active enough.
Rua ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Rua moves into range and connects with a jab.
Honda throws a leg kick

and Rua counters with a single leg into guard. Honda didn't expect that.
Rua tries to free his leg and advance position but Honda is retaining full guard.
Honda being controlled here, momentarily.
Honda wants to stand up but Rua is controlling him.
Rua controlling from the top position.
Rua is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Honda can do to turn this around?
Rua pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Honda is keeping the position for now.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Pedro Rua.
Rua stuns Honda with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rua lets loose with a powerful body kick. Honda will feel that in the morning.
Rua lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Rua lands with a kick to the temple. Honda shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Honda on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Rua feints and then cracks Honda's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Honda down.
Rua with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Honda takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Honda throws a lazy body kick
and Rua counters with a head kick.

Honda is rocked!
Rua lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Honda is still on wobbly legs! Can Rua finish him?

Rua drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Honda wants to get back to his feet.
Honda seems to have recovered his senses.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Rua landing strikes.
Rua moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pedro Rua dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Rua throws a head kick that misses.
Rua throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Honda.
Rua scores with a punch to the head.
Honda moves out of range of the body kick from Rua.
No joy there for Rua, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Rua throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Honda's head.
Honda walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Rua checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Rua will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

Rua moves into the clinch.
Nice body punch from Rua.
Honda takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Honda takes a shot to the head.
Honda tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Rua misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Honda.
Honda takes an elbow to the forehead.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Rua takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Honda misses with a hook to the ribs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rua is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Honda trying to land knees to the body.
Rua lands a knee to the body.
Rua lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Rua lands a damaging elbow.
A right hook to the body lands for Rua.
Rua avoiding damage.
Rua seems to have come into the fight with the intention of avoiding any damage in the clinch, rather than actually showing any aggression.
Rua lands a damaging elbow.
Rua lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Rua tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Rua blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Rua lands an elbow that stopped Honda in his tracks for a moment.
Rua manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Rua lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Rua putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Honda in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Rua lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Rua.
Rua softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Rua is leaning against Honda and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Pedro Rua is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rua throws a knee to the head but misses.
Honda is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Rua stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Pedro Rua has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Honda takes a knee to the side of the body.
Rua lands an elbow just above Honda 's eye.
Honda is trying to maintain a safe position but Rua gets an underhook and turns Honda into the cage.
Rua working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Rua comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
A shot in the inside from Rua.
Honda looking to slow down the pace here.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Rua.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rua lands a damaging elbow.
Rua is working Honda over against the cage.
Rua working Honda over with knees to the body.
Honda wants to break the clinch but can't.
Rua looking to throw knees to the head but Honda is blocking nicely.
Honda tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Rua avoids it.
Rua lands an elbow that stopped Honda in his tracks for a moment.
Honda tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Rua avoids it.
Honda wants to get back to striking at distance but Rua won't allow it.
Rua lands with a short shot to the head.
Rua gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Rua lands an elbow inside that Honda shrugs off.

It looks like Piston Honda has been cut.
Rua misses with a knee strike.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Honda tries to break free but Rua pushes him back against the cage.
Honda takes an elbow to the temple.
Honda has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Honda misses with a hook to the ribs.
A short body shot lands from Rua as the two fighters clinch.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Honda wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Rua has him pressed against the cage.
Rua lands a nice knee to the body.
Rua blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Honda is trying to force a seperation but Rua has the dominant position.
Piston Honda has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Rua blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Rua throws a knee to the head but misses.
Rua lands with a light punch inside.
Honda trying to land knees to the body.
Honda takes an elbow to the temple.

And that's the end of the fight!
Pedro Rua showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Rua has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Daniel Franklin scores the fight 30:26
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 30:26
Judge Chris Downing scores the fight 30:26

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Pedro Rua!