PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Wellington Costa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Duke Rufus (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Costa comes to the cage accompanied by "Deixa A Vida Me Levar" by Zeca Pagodinho. Both fighters really staring each other down here, as Duke Rufus enters the cage!

Costa
vs
Rufus

183 cm
18
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

191 cm
20
192 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Solid 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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Wellington Costa!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Duke Rufus!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Jab from Rufus.
The crowd cheers as Rufus lands an impressive looking overhand right. Costa doesn't seem phased though.
Rufus fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Costa has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Costa there as he acknowledges the shot.
Rufus scores with a punch to the head.
Costa throws a chopping leg kick but Rufus manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Costa throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Costa is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Rufus ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Costa moves away.
Costa misses with a body shot.

Costa moves into the clinch.
Costa stalls.
Costa unloads a knee to the mid-section.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rufus is trying to push Costa away but Costa has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Rufus has had enough of the clinch but Costa keeps him there for the moment.
Costa with a knee to the head.
Costa lands a good knee to the midsection. Rufus won't want to take too many of those.
Rufus avoiding damage as Costa throws knees to the body.
Costa unloads a knee to the mid-section. Rufus lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
A head punch on the inside from Costa fails to land.
Rufus looking to throw knees to the head but Costa is blocking nicely.
Costa tries to pull guard but Rufus won't allow it.
Costa has Rufus pressed against the cage, preventing Rufus from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Costa is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Rufus is trying to push Costa away but Costa has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Costa with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Costa pushes Rufus back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Costa working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Rufus is trying to break free.
Rufus wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Costa throws a knee to the head but misses.
Costa is pushing Rufus up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Rufus on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Costa scores with a knee to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Costa misses with a knee to the head.
Rufus is looking to break free of the clinch but Costa has double underhooks.
Costa tries to pull guard but Rufus holds him up against the cage and eventually Costa drops back down to his feet.
Costa jumps guard but Rufus turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Wellington Costa. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Costa jumps guard but Rufus stands there with Costa around his waist. Costa gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Costa blocks an uppercut.
Costa is trying to pull guard but Rufus has him pressed against the cage.
Costa throws a knee to the head but misses.
Costa swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Rufus is looking to break free of the clinch but Costa has double underhooks.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Costa missing with knees to the body.
Rufus fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Rufus.
Rufus tries to circle away but Costa has him pinned against the cage.
Costa misses with some punches.
Costa with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Costa lands a left hand.
Costa keeps control of Rufus as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Costa tries to land knees in the clinch but Rufus avoids the damage to the body.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Costa is trying to pull guard but Rufus has him pressed against the cage.
Costa is breathing heavily.
Rufus has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Costa with an attempt at a knee that misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Wellington Costa dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Rufus throws out a powerful jab.
Rufus tries to bum rush Costa with a series of wild strikes but Costa uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Rufus will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Costa has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Rufus finds it's way round the side to connect with Costa's head.
Costa throws a leg kick but Rufus sees it coming and moves out of range.
Costa on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Sloppy strikes from Rufus. Those never looked like landing.
Rufus swings for the body but Costa moves out of range.
Costa lands with a good body shot.
Costa tries to clinch but Rufus is having none of it.
Rufus has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Rufus throws a nice looking combination but Costa bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Rufus lands a jab-cross combination.
Costa throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Costa turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Duke Rufus seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Costa on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
A shot to the liver by Rufus. Beautiful body shot.
Rufus connects with a jab.
Rufus lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Rufus blocks a leg kick.
Nice shot lands for Rufus.
Rufus ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Costa moves away.
Costa misses with a telegraphed body shot
letting Rufus counter with a right hand.
Duke Rufus is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Costa misses with a hook.
Rufus avoids the body shot from Costa.
Rufus getting the better of the striking in that exchange.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rufus bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Costa's head backwards.
Rufus misses with a series of wild punches.
Costa lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Rufus misses with a series of wild punches.
Costa throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Rufus cracks Costa with a right hand to the side of the head.
Duke Rufus seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Rufus cracks Costa with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Costa slips a jab and a cross from Rufus.
Costa is looking to wear down Rufus with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Costa jabbing away but nothing is landing.
A looping hook to the body misses from Rufus. Costa does a little dance to reset his feet.
Rufus throws a right hand that Costa ducks under and follows up with a left that Costa also avoids with ease.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Costa throws a predictable looking body shot
and Costa takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Rufus comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Costa takes one to the chin there.
Rufus fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Costa blocks a jab.
Costa fails with an attempt to clinch.
Costa misses with a shot to the body
letting Rufus counter with a right hand.
Rufus throws a right and a left that both miss.
Costa throws a right and a left that Rufus avoids nicely.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Rufus connects with a single shot there.
Some wild striking there from Rufus.
Rufus throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Costa fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Rufus, pushing him back against the cage.
Rufus has had enough of the clinch but Costa keeps him there for the moment.
Costa lands a knee to the body.
Costa landing knees to the head.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Costa is trying to pull guard but Rufus has him pressed against the cage.
Costa is trying to maintain a safe position but Rufus gets an underhook and turns Costa into the cage.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Costa lands a nice uppercut.
Costa is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Rufus is defending well for now.
Costa landing knees to the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Duke Rufus showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Costa's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Costa is looking to chop away at Rufus's legs.

Rufus has Costa up against the cage in a clinch.
Rufus blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Costa misses with a knee to the head.
A frustrated look appears on Rufus's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Costa misses with a short punch on the inside.
Costa dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Costa fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Costa is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Rufus to keep the fight standing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rufus can't break the clinch.
Costa scores with a knee to the head.
Rufus wants to break free but Costa has control.
Costa fails to pull guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Costa crunches a lovely knee into Rufus's ribcage.
Costa with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Rufus managing to block the knees to the body from Costa.
Costa with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Costa tries a knee to the head but Rufus blocks it.
Rufus managing to block the knees to the body from Costa.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rufus is looking to break free of the clinch but Costa has double underhooks.
Rufus misses with a short punch on the inside.
A frustrated look appears on Rufus's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Rufus can't break the clinch.
Costa misses with a knee to the head.
Costa tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Rufus blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Rufus wants to break the clinch but can't.
Costa throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Rufus blocks it with crossed arms.
Costa tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Rufus avoids it.
A frustrated look appears on Rufus's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Costa lands a knee to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rufus on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Costa is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Rufus is defending well for now.
Rufus is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Costa is keeping busy.
Rufus pushes off an throws an elbow but Costa leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Rufus wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Wellington Costa has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Rufus has had enough of the clinch but Costa keeps him there for the moment.
Rufus tries to break free but Costa pushes him back against the cage.
Costa tries to land knees in the clinch but Rufus avoids the damage to the body.
Costa with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Costa lands with a short head shot on the inside.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Costa trying to control the position but instead, Rufus has worked for underhooks and has pushed Costa into the cage.
Rufus tries to break the clinch but Costa is controlling the position.
Costa will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Rufus up against the cage.
Rufus is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Rufus tries to break free but Costa pushes him back against the cage.
Rufus wants to get back to striking at distance but Costa won't allow it.

And that's the end of the fight!
Wellington Costa showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Costa 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 Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 29:28
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 29:28
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Wellington Costa!
Wellington Costa decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.