PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Mauricio Rua (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Stephan Walter (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rua comes to the cage accompanied by Usher-More Remix. Mauricio Rua has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Rua
vs
Walter

181 cm
28
160 lbs
8 - 4 - 0

173 cm
26
181 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Big right hand

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 4 - 0, fighting out of London, Mauricio Rua!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, Stephan Walter!
The judges for this bout are Chris Edwards, James Ackerman and Richard Clark.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rua tests Walter's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Walter takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.

It looks like Stephan Walter has been cut.

Walter shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Walter was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Rua avoids a series of strikes thrown by Walter.
Walter throws a wild left hand from mount and Rua manages to wriggle his way back to half guard.
Walter throwing shots but Rua is blocking nicely.
Walter looks to land a strike but Rua avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
Rua wants to stand up but Walter is controlling him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Walter throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Rua works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Rua preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Rua preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Walter postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Walter scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Walter with a flurry of punches that miss.
Rua is breathing heavily.
Walter postures up in Rua's guard and throws a big left but Rua blocks it.
Walter loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Walter lands a couple of digs.
Walter throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Walter with a flurry of punches that miss.
Walter throwing strikes but missing.
Walter postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Walter throws a big right hand that misses.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Walter throwing strikes but missing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Walter postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Walter cracks Rua with a solid left hand.
Walter working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Walter trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Walter is looking to work some ground and pound but Rua has wrist control.
Walter missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Walter missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Walter chips away with some ground and pound.
Walter has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Walter is looking to work some ground and pound but Rua has wrist control.
Walter thows a big elbow that misses.
Rua preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Walter postures up in Rua's guard and throws a big left but Rua blocks it.
Walter is in close to Rua's body, working some short punches and elbows.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Walter with a flurry of punches that miss.
Walter is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Horrible takedown by Walter or perhaps it was just good defense by Rua which made him look bad.
Nice sprawl there from Rua as Walter shoots in.
No luck for Walter with that takedown attempt.
Mauricio Rua has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Stephan Walter.
Rua scores with a jab to the head.
Walter uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Rua.
Walter shoots in for a double leg but Rua sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Rua keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Walter is breathing heavily.
Rua swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Walter counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Rua is looking to escape.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Walter slips a nice elbow through Rua's hands, connecting with Rua's forehead.
Rua avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Walter.
Rua keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Walter missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Rua blocking the ground and pound attempt from Walter.
Walter lands strikes from half guard.
Walter landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Walter thows a huge punch but Rua dodges it nicely.
Walter not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Walter drops an elbow to the side of Rua's head.
Rua keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Walter throwing shots but Rua is blocking nicely.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Walter thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Rua's head.
Walter sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Rua defending well though.
Walter is nestled in close to Rua, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rua keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Walter throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Walter missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Walter throwing shots but Rua is blocking nicely.
Walter thows a huge punch but Rua dodges it nicely.
Walter lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Rua is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Walter scores with a couple of nice shots.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Walter throwing shots but Rua is blocking nicely.
Walter thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Rua's head.
Walter missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Walter sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Rua defending well though.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Nice strikes from Walter there.
Walter has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Rua taking some punishment here, with Walter in his half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Nice takedown defense from Rua. No joy for Walter on that attempt.
Rua lands with an uppercut that bounces Walter off the cage and back into range.
Walter fails with the takedown.
Walter shoots for a takedown but Rua saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Mauricio Rua has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Stephan Walter.
Walter looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Rua is fending him off so far but Walter persists. Nope, Rua circles away and we're back to standing.

Walter shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Rua manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Walter working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Walter trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Walter in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Walter accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Walter thows a big elbow that misses.
Rua avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Walter with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Walter is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Walter postures up in Rua's guard and throws a big left but Rua blocks it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Walter postures up in Rua's guard and throws a big left but Rua blocks it.
Walter throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Walter cracks Rua with a solid left hand.
Rua has momentary wrist control but Walter slips an elbow through the middle.
Walter postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Walter is in close to Rua's body, working some short punches and elbows.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Walter postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Walter is looking to work some ground and pound but Rua has wrist control.
Walter thows a big elbow that misses.
Stephan Walter has got the better of the ground game so far.
Rua working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Walter.
Walter working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Walter in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Rua preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Rua avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Walter forces his way into half guard.
Stephan Walter is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rua blocking the ground and pound attempt from Walter.
Walter takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Walter tries to pass the half guard into mount. Rua knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Walter is controlling the pace.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

And that's the end of the fight!
Stephan Walter comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Walter winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 27:30
Judge James Ackerman scores the fight 27:30
Judge Richard Clark scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Stephan Walter!
During a confident post fight interview, Stephan Walter thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.