PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Rickson Rua (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Arvi Rausku (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Rua might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to drop the world. Rausku is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Notkea Rotta - Taas Lähtee Taju . Arvi Rausku has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Rua
vs
Rausku

185 cm
25
200 lbs
6 - 6 - 0

182 cm
28
190 lbs
7 - 13 - 1

BJJ Brown Belt
Solid boxing
Very strong

BJJ Brown Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite 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 6 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Rickson Rua!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 13 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Arvi Rausku!
The judges for this bout are Roosa Järviläinen, Tarja Halkonen and Marco Blurström.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rua shoots in and drives through. Rausku sprawls well.

Rua scores a takedown into full mount!
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Rausku is really trying hard to get back to his feet.
Rausku working to try and regain half guard.
Rausku is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Rausku is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.
Rausku tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Rausku wants to get back to his feet.
Rua landing punches.

Rua working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Rua is working for a guillotine from mount but Rausku frees his head quite easily.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Rua working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rausku is in a horrible position here. Rua smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Rua lands with some strikes.
Rua with good strikes from the mount here!
Rua raining down shots from the mount!
Rua lands a nice shot to the head.
Rua lands a big elbow.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Rausku is looking to get to half guard.
Rua scoring with strikes but Rausku is staying in there.
Rausku is bucking up trying to escape but Rua cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Rausku is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rua putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Rua can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Rausku is looking to escape.
Rausku squirming around on the bottom, looking to escape.
Rausku is using up a lot of energy trying to get back to his feet. Perhaps he should improve his position first.
Rua is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Rausku looks gassed!
Rua lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Rua cracks Rausku with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Rausku wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
Rua tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Rua with shots to the head and body - Rausku looks very uncomfortable down there.
Rua with shots to the head and body - Rausku looks very uncomfortable down there.
Rua lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rausku is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Rua lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Rua lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Rausku is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Rua with shots to the head and body - Rausku looks very uncomfortable down there.

Rua jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Rausku manages to avoid the submission attempt.
Rausku pushes Rua away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Rua gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Rausku takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Rua cracks Rausku with a big right hand but Rausku just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Rausku is trying to get back to his feet.
Rua cracks Rausku with a big elbow.
Rua scores with punches from side control.
Rua scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Rausku to see if he's OK.
Rausku pushes Rua away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Rua gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Rua advances to mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Rua is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Rausku to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Rausku shrugs it off.
Rua has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Rausku's face.
Rua raining down hammerfists from mount.
Rua connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Rua is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Rausku in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.

Rua swings around for an armbar but it's a sloppy attempt and Rausku is now in Rua's guard. A big mistake from Rua there, giving up the dominant position!
Rua looking for a sweep. Not yet Rua, not yet.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Rausku makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Rua preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rickson Rua dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Rausku shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Rausku was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Rua is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Rausku can do to turn this around?
Rausku fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Rausku is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Rua can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Rausku fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!

Rausku looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
Rua is wriggling around trying to escape.
Rausku wants to control the pace but Rua is squirming around nicely.
Rausku prevents Rua from getting the reversal.
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 reaches up to try and control the position but Rausku seems to have an arm triangle now! Uh oh! Rua rolls and tries to escape and now Rausku has his back!
Rua tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rausku raining down shots from the mount!
Rua takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Rausku can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Rua is looking to escape.
Rausku raining down shots from the mount!
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Rausku cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!

Rausku stands up from the dominant position. He obviously fancies his chances standing.

Rausku closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Rua did well to prevent Rausku getting side control.
Rausku is breathing heavily.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
The fighters are battling for position here. Rua manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rua looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Rausku postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Rua is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Rausku, into his guard.
Rua loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

Rausku working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Rua has passed into half guard!
Rua lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Rua prevents Rausku from standing back up.
Rua scores with a couple of good hammerfists.

Rua is working for a submission of some sort.

Rua is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rausku is trying to stand.

Rua is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Rausku defends it well.

Rua is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Rausku is just riding it out for now. Rua eventually gives up the hold.
Rausku wants to get back to his feet.
Nice strikes from Rua there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rua works his way into full mount!
Rua scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Rausku?
Rausku is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.

Rausku somehow manages to escape the mount and get back to his feet!
Rausku misses with a double jab.

Rausku drives through with a takedown into Rua's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Rausku is looking to work some ground and pound but Rua has wrist control.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!

Rua is working actively from the bottom, looking for submissions. He's escaped his hips to the side and he's going for an armbar! Rausku has his hands clasped together but Rua extends an breaks Rausku's desperate grasp, forcing a tap out due to armbar! Nice BJJ displayed there by Rua.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:57 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Rickson Rua!