PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Mauricio Rua (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Athur Beetson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Athur Beetson has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Rua
vs
Beetson

187 cm
29
207 lbs
7 - 2 - 0

190 cm
22
215 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Mauricio Rua!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Athur Beetson!
The judges for this bout are Gwen Towbar, Stewart Dunkirk and Wesley Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Beetson throws a hook but Rua avoids it easily.
Beetson looks to land a left hand but Rua moved out of range nicely.
Rua uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Beetson.
Rua takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Rua slips a straight right by Beetson.
Beetson lunges at Rua with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Rua's hand.
Rua takes one on the button.
Rua pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Rua thuds his shin into the meat of Beetson's side.
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!
Beetson lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Beetson.
Rua takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
A bone on bone clash there as Beetson blocks the leg kick.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Beetson!
Athur Beetson seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rua throws out a leg kick but Beetson moves out of range and Rua only half commits.
Rua pushes Beetson away with a front kick.
Beetson looks gassed!

That's one minute gone in the round.

Rua drives through and clinches with Beetson against the cage.
Beetson letting Rua take a breather here.
Rua trying to land knees to the body.
Rua tries to land knees in the clinch but Beetson avoids the damage to the body.
Rua looking to throw knees to the head but Beetson is blocking nicely.
Rua has Beetson pressed against the cage, preventing Beetson from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Rua misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Beetson.
Beetson is trying to break free.
Beetson blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Beetson on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Rua tries to land a knee to the head but misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rua tries to land knees in the clinch but Beetson avoids the damage to the body.
Rua using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Beetson has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

Beetson breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Rua displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Beetson throws out the jab.
Beetson throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Rua fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Beetson is out of range.
A shot to the liver by Beetson. Beautiful body shot.
Rua finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Beetson lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
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!
A left lands for Beetson.
Rua ducks under a wild hook from Beetson.
Beetson misses with a wild combination.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Beetson looks to land a right hand but Rua moved out of range.
Beetson rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Rua counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Rua looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Rua buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Rua.
Rua fakes the leg kick and cracks Beetson in the body.
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 throws a leg kick which misses Beetson's front leg but catches the back leg as Beetson tries to avoid it.
Beetson misses with a body punch
and Rua makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. Beetson really felt that one!
Beetson chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Rua can pounce on him.
Rua tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Beetson misses with an uppercut. Rua saw that one coming.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Beetson misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Rua throws a series of punches but Beetson avoids them all with ease.
Beetson avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Beetson fails to land with a series of punches.
Rua lands with a kick to the temple. Beetson shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Rua tries to land a leg kick but Beetson saw it coming and moves away.
Rua moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
A solid leg kick lands there for Rua.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Rua takes a swing at Beetson's ribcage but misses.
Rua throws a head kick but Beetson moves out of range.
Rua displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Beetson throws out the jab.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mauricio Rua dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Rua throws the kick towards the body but Beetson avoids it.
Beetson throws an off balance right hand

and Rua moves into the clinch.
Rua with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Beetson takes a knee right on the jaw!
Rua with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Rua trying to land knees to the body.
Rua stalling.
Rua with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Rua landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Rua looking to throw knees to the head but Beetson is blocking nicely.
Rua misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Beetson.
Beetson pressing his opponent against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rua tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Rua using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Beetson has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Rua throws a knee to the head but misses.
Rua tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Beetson working hard to break the clinch.
Rua throws a knee to the head but misses.
Rua has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Beetson leaning against his opponent.
Rua with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Rua throws a knee to the head but misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rua misses with a knee strike.
Rua taking a breather.
Beetson tries to circle away but Rua has him pinned against the cage.
Rua using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Beetson has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Rua tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Beetson avoids it.
Rua trying to land knees to the body.
Beetson managing to block the knees to the body from Rua.
Rua with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Rua tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Beetson avoids it.

Beetson escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Rua takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Beetson connects with a crisp jab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Beetson misses with a double jab.
Danga de danga de dang - Beetson scores with a four punch combination!
Rua takes one on the button.
Beetson throws a right and a left that both miss.
Beetson throws a hook but Rua avoids it easily.
Beetson bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Rua's head.
Beetson will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Mauricio Rua is winning the standup battle so far.
Beetson throws a lazy right hand but Rua sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Athur Beetson is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Beetson feints with a jab and clips Rua right behind the ear with a massive overhand right! Rua is sent crashing into the canvas and Beetson leaps in for the kill! Rua tries to get to his feet but Beetson is just battering him from every conceivable angle. The ref decides that Rua is in need of a savior and steps in!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:56 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Athur Beetson!
A relieved looking Athur Beetson thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.