PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Luciano Rodrigues (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Felipe Rua (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Rodrigues
vs
Rua

211 cm
23
289 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

199 cm
18
275 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Luciano Rodrigues!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Felipe Rua!
The judges for this bout are Emerson Jorge, Mauricio Rocha and Seu Braga.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The fight stays on the outside here - Rua looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Rua looks for a takedown but Rodrigues sprawls well.
Rua throws a wild body kick that Rodrigues sees coming a mile off.
Rodrigues throws a chopping leg kick but Rua manages to avoid taking any serious damage.

Rodrigues tries to keep at a distance but Rua has taken the fight into the clinch.
Rodrigues lands an elbow that stopped Rua in his tracks for a moment.

It looks like Felipe Rua has been cut.

Rodrigues breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Rua shoots in but no luck this time.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Rua checks a leg kick.
Rodrigues checks the leg kick.
Rua fails with the takedown.
Luciano Rodrigues has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Felipe Rua.
Rua tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Rodrigues paws at him with a jab and circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Rodrigues darts in and clinches Rua up against the cage.
Rodrigues tries to pull guard but Rua holds him up against the cage and eventually Rodrigues drops back down to his feet.
Rodrigues working hard to break the clinch.
Rodrigues is breathing heavily.
Rodrigues effectively controlling the action here.
Rodrigues tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Rua smiles and moves away.
Rua shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Rodrigues as he avoids it easily.
Rodrigues displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Rua.
Rua shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Rodrigues but Rodrigues pushes him off and we're back to square one.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rodrigues avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Rodrigues stuffs the takedown attempt from Rua. Rua gets slowly back to his feet.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Rua.
Rua looks for a takedown but Rodrigues sprawls well.

Rodrigues gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Rodrigues stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.

Rodrigues manages to pull guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Rua stands up and waves to Rodrigues to follow him.
Rodrigues throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Rodrigues is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Rua misses with a wild combination.
Rodrigues will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Rua.
Rua misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rua shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Rodrigues tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Rua manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Rua tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Rodrigues walks into a stiff left hand from Rua.
Rodrigues blocks the body kick.
Rodrigues misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

Rodrigues gets tackled into the cage by Rua. Rua maintains the clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rodrigues avoiding damage as Rua throws knees to the body.
Rua drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Rodrigues gets the underhooks and prevents it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Felipe Rua will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Felipe Rua's cut.
That's time! Rodrigues's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Rua throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Rodrigues's waist but Rodrigues gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Rua off to one side.
Rodrigues dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Rua. That did some damage!
Luciano Rodrigues is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Rua misses with a series of wild punches.
Rua shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Rodrigues sprawls well. Rodrigues wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Rua gets slowly back to his feet.
Rodrigues leaves Rua with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Luciano Rodrigues has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Felipe Rua.
Rodrigues lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sloppy strikes from Rua. Those never looked like landing.
Rua tries to clinch but Rodrigues is having none of it.

Rodrigues closes the distance and clinches.

Rodrigues manages to break the clinch.
Rodrigues wants to clinch.
Rodrigues circles away from the clinch attempt.
Rua throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Rodrigues's waist but Rodrigues gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Rua off to one side.
Rua misses the shot to the body.
Rua slaps away a takedown attempt from Rodrigues, before circling back to the center of the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Rua instigates a clinch.
Rua stalling.
Rodrigues stalling in the clinch but Rua improves position.
Rua slows down the pace here.

Rua jumps guard.

Rua looking for subs off his back but Rodrigues has passed one foot through into half guard.
Rodrigues will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Rodrigues wants to take a breather but Rua is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rodrigues tries to pass the half guard into mount. Rua knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Rodrigues tries to stand and escape but Rua is controlling the position.

Rua pushes Rodrigues off and gets back to his feet.
Rua wants to clinch.
Rua stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Rua wants it to stay on the feet.
Rodrigues stuffs the takedown attempt from Rua. Rua gets slowly back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Rua has taken the fight to the clinch.

Rua pulls guard.
Rodrigues trying to control the position from guard on top but Rua is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rua is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Rua is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rodrigues preventing the sweep.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Felipe Rua will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Felipe 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!

Rodrigues is trying hard to land a takedown here. Rua sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Rodrigues misses with a wild body shot.

Rua gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Rodrigues is trying to pull guard but Rua has him pressed against the cage.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Rodrigues as Rua tries to tie him up.
Rodrigues keeps control of Rua as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Rua is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Rodrigues pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Rua has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Rodrigues avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Rodrigues is looking to break free of the clinch but Rua has double underhooks.
Rodrigues keeps control of Rua as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Rodrigues throws a knee to the head but misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rua tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Rodrigues smiles and moves away.
Luciano Rodrigues has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Felipe Rua.
Rua shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Rodrigues but Rodrigues pushes him off and we're back to square one.

Rua has managed to clinch.
Rua is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Rodrigues is defending well.
Rodrigues changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Rua fights it off and pushes away nicely.

Rua instigates a clinch.
Rua is trying to break the clinch but Rodrigues is controlling him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Rodrigues pulls Rua into guard.
Rua is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Rua trying to control but Rodrigues is working from the bottom.

Rodrigues has an active guard here but Rua has managed to pass into half guard.
Rua is taking a breather. Rodrigues says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rua trying to control the action but Rodrigues is working from the bottom.
Rodrigues is looking to control Rua's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Rodrigues avoid being mounted?
Rua prevents Rodrigues from improving his position.
Rodrigues is not content to let Rua control the position.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Felipe Rua hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Rua fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Rodrigues avoids it really well and circles away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rua tries to clinch but Rodrigues moves out of range.
Rodrigues stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Rodrigues wants it to stay on the feet.

Rodrigues gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Rodrigues breaks from the clinch.
Rua fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Rodrigues fails with a takedown attempt.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rua fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

And that's the end of the fight!
Felipe Rua comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
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 Emerson Jorge scores the fight for Felipe Rua!
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight for Felipe Rua!
Judge Seu Braga scores the fight for Felipe Rua!

Felipe Rua wins by unanimous decision!