PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Bubba Rugowski (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Love-Hate Powell (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Love-Hate Powell has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Rugowski
vs
Powell

225 cm
44
277 lbs
47 - 24 - 1

200 cm
32
248 lbs
12 - 8 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Machine Fight Gear
SP Ultimate Nutrition

GREEN!160
Spartan Nutrition

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 47 - 24 - 1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Bubba Rugowski!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Love-Hate Powell!
The judges for this bout are Edson Gomes, Mauricio Rocha and Emerson Jorge.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rugowski chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Powell can pounce on him.
Powell throws a right and a left that Rugowski avoids nicely.
Powell takes a head kick and shrugs it off.

It looks like Love-Hate Powell has been cut.
Powell takes a jab right on the kisser.
Powell misses with a wild body shot.
Rugowski wants to clinch up but Powell keeps it at a distance.
Rugowski throws a head kick but Powell moves out of range.
Rugowski misses with a jab, cross combination.
Rugowski lands a jab to the head.
Powell punishes Rugowski's body with a nice straight punch.
Powell displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Rugowski throws out the jab.
Powell keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Rugowski.
Powell uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Rugowski.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Rugowski tries a head kick but it misses.
And Powell tries to counter it with a takedown but Rugowski pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Rugowski throws a hook but Powell blocks it.

Rugowski closes the distance and clinches.
Powell looking to stall.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Powell stalls.
Rugowski blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Powell blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Rugowski tries to work over Powell's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Powell tries to score a body lock takedown but Rugowski shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Rugowski misses with the head strike.
Rugowski prevents a body shot from Powell.
Powell holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Rugowski tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Rugowski avoiding damage as Powell throws knees to the body.

Powell pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Powell takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Rugowski uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Powell.
Rugowski uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Powell has time to react.

Rugowski drops Powell with a beautiful combination! Powell stares up at his opponent, who ushers him back to his feet - Rugowski is looking for the KO!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A clash of legs there as Powell blocks the low kick.
Powell throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Rugowski misses with a few strikes there.
Rugowski throws a body punch but Powell moves out of range.
Powell misses with an uppercut. Rugowski saw that one coming.
Rugowski was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Rugowski misses with a double jab.
A nice leg kick lands there from Powell.
Rugowski looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Powell throws out a leg kick but Rugowski moves out of range and Powell only half commits.
Rugowski throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Rugowski just misses with a punch to the body.
Rugowski swings widly with a right hand
and Powell counters with a three punch combo that has Rugowski backing up. Rugowski nods at Powell to acknowledge the strikes.
No joy there for Rugowski, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Rugowski tries a head kick but it misses.
Powell changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Powell lands a jab to the head.
Powell throws a body punch but Rugowski moves out of range.
Powell misses with a body kick.
Powell throws a chopping leg kick but Rugowski manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Powell lands with a thumping leg kick.
Rugowski uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Powell.
Rugowski checks the leg kick.
Rugowski is looking to counter with head kicks.
Powell throws a low kick but it's checked well by Rugowski.
Rugowski pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Rugowski connects with a body shot.
Powell misses with a wild body shot.
Powell has tried to improve his agility in the runup to this fight.

Rugowski drives through and clinches with Powell against the cage.

Powell breaks the clinch.
Powell throws a low kick but it's checked well by Rugowski.
Powell misses with a body kick.
Rugowski throwing a counter right hand but Powell manages to avoid it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rugowski uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.

Rugowski lands a big head kick that sends Powell tumbling to the mat! Rugowski takes a step backwards and waves Powell back to his feet - he wants the finish!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Rugowski looks for the body kick but Powell saw that one coming.
Rugowski swinging wildly here.
Rugowski really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Powell throws a nice outside leg kick.
Rugowski throws a left and a right that both miss
and Powell counters with a stiff right hand.
Powell just misses with a punch to the body.
Rugowski scores with a hook.
Rugowski throws a sloppy head kick and Powell moves out of range easily.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Powell moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Powell ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Rugowski blocks the body kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bubba Rugowski dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Love-Hate Powell's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Powell doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Powell throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Rugowski stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Powell turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Rugowski checks a leg kick nicely.
A looping hook to the body misses from Powell. Rugowski does a little dance to reset his feet.
Powell on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Powell scores with a push kick.
Powell avoids the head kick by Rugowski.
Rugowski is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Powell can do to turn this around?
Powell misses with a head kick.
Rugowski lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A shot to the body from Powell misses
and Rugowski counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Powell connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
A head kick misses from Powell.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Powell goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Rugowski.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Powell ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Rugowski swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Powell thumps Rugowski with a low kick.
Rugowski tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Powell misses with a kick to the body
and Rugowski counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Powell dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Rugowski. That did some damage!
Rugowski is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Powell throws a jab when Rugowski was well out of range.
Rugowski throwing a counter right hand but Powell manages to avoid it.
Rugowski is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Rugowski checks a low kick from Powell.
Powell scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
That kick from Powell tenderised Rugowski's leg. Rugowski is trying to keep his angry face on.
Decent striking displayed by Rugowski there.
Crunch! Rugowski slams his shin into Powell's torso.
Rugowski throws a head kick but Powell moves out of range.
Rugowski moves out of range of the strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
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!
Powell plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Powell ducks under a wild hook from Rugowski.
Rugowski throws a nice looking combination but Powell bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Bubba Rugowski is winning the standup battle so far.
Nice defenses there by Rugowski.
Powell checks a low kick from Rugowski.
Powell lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
The fighters circling - Rugowski throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Powell wants to counter with a clinch but Rugowski pushes him away.
Rugowski steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Powell. That one must have hurt.
Rugowski slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Rugowski misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Powell takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Rugowski cracks Powell with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Powell is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Rugowski rather than just go for the knockout.
The fighters circling - Rugowski throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Rugowski backing away here, and Powell unleashes a leg kick that just misses.
A telegraphed right hand from Powell misses the target.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rugowski delivers a nice body kick.
Powell misses with a wild body shot.
Powell tries to land a body kick
and Rugowski counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Powell fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Rugowski manages to avoid it.
Rugowski is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
Rugowski throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Powell sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Rugowski pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Powell slips a jab and a cross from Rugowski.
Powell uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Rugowski.
A solid leg kick lands there for Powell.
Rugowski keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Powell lands with a thumping leg kick.
Powell fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Rugowski is out of range.
Rugowski fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Powell clobbers Rugowski with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Rugowski paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
A punch combination from Powell misses.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Powell tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Powell wants to clinch.
A counter left hand to the body from Rugowski misses its target.
Rugowski throws a head kick that misses.
Rugowski blocks the body kick.
A little feinted left hand from Rugowski on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Powell tries to land a front kick but Rugowski steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Powell throws a chopping leg kick but Rugowski manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Powell misses with a low kick.
Rugowski throws a jab but it's blocked by Powell.
Rugowski takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Love-Hate Powell will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Love-Hate Powell's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Rugowski fails with an attempt to clinch.
Powell ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Rugowski moves away.
Powell goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
A thudding body kick lands there by Powell!
Rugowski looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Rugowski walks into a stiff left hand from Powell.
Rugowski throws a head kick that misses

and Powell counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Powell throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Powell accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Powell is looking to work some ground and pound but Rugowski has wrist control.
Powell working some strikes from top position.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Powell accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Powell keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Rugowski's head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Powell trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Rugowski keeping moving, preventing Powell from controlling successfully.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Rugowski is looking to slow Powell down with leg kicks.
Rugowski lands with an uppercut that bounces Powell off the cage and back into range.
A combination from Powell does no damage.
Rugowski pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Rugowski throws a jab when Powell was well out of range.
Powell feints the counter takedown.
Powell motions for Rugowski to come forward. Powell throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rugowski tries to close the distance and clinch up but Powell swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Powell throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Rugowski on the side of the head.
Powell cracks a nice hook into Rugowski's ribs.
Good standup being displayed there by Rugowski as he connects with a hook.
Rugowski lands a glancing blow to the side of Powell's head.
Powell throws a body kick that misses.
Powell fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Rugowski has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Rugowski lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Rugowski throws a sloppy head kick and Powell moves out of range easily.
Powell tries to score with a low kick but Rugowski moves his leg out of the way.
Powell with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Powell connects with a solid leg kick.
Good work by Rugowski as he checks the leg kick.
Rugowski lifts his leg as if looking to counter with a high kick.
Powell has a pretty nasty looking mouse under his right eye.
Powell bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rugowski looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Rugowski throws a shot from downtown. Powell moves away and avoids it.
Powell tries to counter by closing the distance.
A head kick from Rugowski lands but Powell takes it in his stride.
Powell getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Rugowski checks a leg kick.
Rugowski misses with a body kick.
Rugowski backing away here, and Powell unleashes a leg kick that just misses.
Rugowski misses with a head kick.
Powell throws a sloppy head kick and Rugowski moves out of range easily.
Powell connects with a high kick.
Powell moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Rugowski tries a head kick but it misses.
Rugowski feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Powells jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Powell scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Powell uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Rugowski.
Powell keeps Rugowski at a distance using the push kick.
Rugowski cracks Powell with a right hand to the side of the head.
Powell will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Powell throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
A chopping leg kick lands by Powell.
Rugowski throws a head kick but Powell moves out of range.
Rugowski misses with a lunging right hand
and Powell counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Rugowski waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Powell.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Rugowski.
Powell throws a sloppy head kick and Rugowski moves out of range easily.
Powell getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Powell throws a looping overhand right but Rugowski ducks down to avoid it.
Rugowski lifts his leg as if looking to counter with a high kick.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Love-Hate Powell.
I think Powell has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Edson Gomes scores the fight 28:29
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 28:29
Judge Emerson Jorge scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Love-Hate Powell!
Love-Hate Powell managed to slip a mention for his sponsors, Spartan Nutrition , into his post fight interview.