PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Fedor Rua (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sato Kobayashi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Rua
vs
Kobayashi

183 cm
22
192 lbs
3 - 3 - 0

185 cm
22
180 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
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 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Fedor Rua!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Sato Kobayashi!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Fujiwara, Shigeki Sano and Hirohito Nitta.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rua shoots for a takedown but Kobayashi saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Kobayashi wants to clinch.
Rua shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Kobayashi as he avoids it easily.
Rua shoots in for a double leg but Kobayashi sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Fedor Rua. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rua misses with a takedown attempt - Kobayashi sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Kobayashi moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Kobayashi tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Rua darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rua throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

Rua seems to be working for a kimura but Kobayashi defends the submission attempt.
Kobayashi works his way to full guard. Good work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rua trying to control the position from guard on top but Kobayashi is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Rua looking to sit in guard and control but Kobayashi gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Kobayashi looking to pass the guard.
Kobayashi stays in close to Rua's body and controls the position.
Rua wants to control but Kobayashi passes easily into half guard.
Rua looks like he's trying to stand up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Rua throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Kobayashi not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Rua wants to sweep but Kobayashi has passed to side control!
Rua sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Rua is breathing heavily.
Kobayashi is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Rua moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Rua being controlled here, momentarily.
Let's hope that Kobayashi has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rua looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Rua looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Kobayashi puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rua is not content to let Kobayashi control the position.
Kobayashi is controlling the pace.

Kobayashi is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Rua is looking for a sweep. Kobayashi is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Rua is trying to maintain the position but Kobayashi is very close to passing his half guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Kobayashi keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Rua chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Kobayashi can pounce on him.
Rua misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Rua tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Kobayashi counters with a solid body kick.
Rua has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.

Rua closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Kobayashi to the mat! Kobayashi manages to get full guard.
Rua throws a big right hand that misses.
Rua passes easily into side control. Nice work.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sato Kobayashi dominated that round.
That's time! Rua's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Rua closes the distance but Kobayashi moves to the side
and Kobayashi counters with a two punch combo.

Kobayashi gets caught flat footed, as Rua shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Rua passes into half guard.
Kobayashi has hold of Rua's hands but Rua slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Kobayashi is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Rua throws a strike but Kobayashi avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Rua trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Kobayashi preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Kobayashi trying to keep a closed guard but Rua is proving a slippery customer.
Kobayashi is breathing heavily.
Kobayashi is controlling Rua's posture.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rua stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Kobayashi swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Rua throwing strikes from guard but Kobayashi blocks nicely.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Rua fails with a takedown attempt.
Rua shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Fedor Rua is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Rua closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Rua lands in his opponent's guard.
Rua postures up in Kobayashi's guard and throws a big left but Kobayashi blocks it.

Kobayashi has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Rua can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Kobayashi preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rua makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Rua in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Kobayashi avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Rua throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Kobayashi works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Rua distracts Kobayashi with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Rua wants to pass the guard but Kobayashi is keeping the position.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Rua throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Kobayashi's waist but Kobayashi gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Rua off to one side.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Fedor Rua. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A solid body kick from Kobayashi.

Rua closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Kobayashi to the mat! Kobayashi manages to get full guard.
Rua connects with a couple of short punches.
Rua missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rua cracks Kobayashi with a solid left hand.
Rua postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Rua missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Rua stands and throws Kobayashi's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Rua scores with punches from side control.
Rua trying to control the position but Kobayashi is working away.
Rua has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Sloppy strikes there by Rua.
Rua wants to control but Kobayashi is keeping him busy.
Kobayashi manages to get back to half guard.
Rua tries to pass to full mount but Kobayashi defends it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rua is tying to control. Kobayashi wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

Kobayashi pushes Rua off and gets back to his feet.
Kobayashi keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Kobayashi shoots for a double leg takedown but Rua sprawls well. He's pushed Kobayashi's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Rua.
You can see the frustration on Kobayashi's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Fedor Rua overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Rua throwing ground and pound but whilst doing so, he forgets to control position and Kobayashi works his way back to half guard. Good composure under pressure.
Rua not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Fedor Rua dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Rua takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Rua misses with an uppercut. Kobayashi saw that one coming.
Kobayashi tries to clinch but Rua moves away

and Rua counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Rua passes to full mount!
Kobayashi tries to hold on but Rua pushes him away.
Kobayashi is in all sorts of trouble here.
Rua in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Kobayashi is trying to escape the mount.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Rua thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Rua looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rua looking to finish Kobayashi with some ground and pound. This is bad for Kobayashi!
Rua with a couple of short strikes.
Kobayashi can't escape the position.
Kobayashi is in a horrible position here. Rua smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Rua is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Kobayashi is looking to improve his position but Rua isn't that keen on the idea.
Rua lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Kobayashi hang on?
Rua landing shots from mount.
A nice elbow there by Rua.
Rua sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Rua looking to finish with strikes here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kobayashi is squirming around, avoiding Rua's attempts to control the action.
Rua with the ground and pound from mount.
Rua controlling from mount.
Rua lands a nice shot to the head.
Rua working the ground and pound effectively.

Rua has control of Kobayashi's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Kobayashi regains control of the situation pretty easily.
Rua postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Kobayashi looks a forlorn figure.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kobayashi bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Rua is trying to keep Kobayashi in close.
Kobayashi not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Rua manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!

Rua moves into side control, trying to work for a kimura. That looks painful! Will he finish!!?? No, Kobayashi has worked his arm free - good work by Kobayashi!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rua throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Rua misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Rua tries to move to mount but Kobayashi blocks the move with his legs.
Rua throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Kobayashi is trying to control Rua's posture but Rua avoids it.
Kobayashi is not content to let Rua control the position.
Both fighters take a look at the clock.

And that's the end of the fight!
Fedor Rua showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Rua has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 29:28
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight 29:28
Judge Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 29:28

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