PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between John Paul Wani (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Timur Rubin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Wani comes to the cage accompanied by *South* Sudan. Timur Rubin told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Paul Wani
vs
Rubin

194 cm
26
240 lbs
9 - 2 - 0

190 cm
26
256 lbs
14 - 7 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Olympic wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

GREEN!160
MMA Hype Apparel

KAISER
GREEN!160

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, John Paul Wani!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 14 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Timur Rubin!
The judges for this bout are James Ackerman, Paul Tew and James Atkins.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A slow jab from Rubin misses its intended target.
Rubin lands a lovely overhand right.
Wani thows a body kick. Rubin tries to catch it but that hurt him.
Wani looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Rubin uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Wani.
Rubin ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Wani misses with a jab, cross combination.

Rubin shoots in for a takedown and gets it.

Wani manages to escape and get back to his feet!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Rubin misses with a jab to the body
and Wani counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Rubin thinking.
Rubin misses with a right hand
and Wani counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Rubin tries to clinch there but Wani circles away.
Wani throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Rubin shoots in looking for a takedown. Wani tries to sprawl out of it but Rubin keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Wani manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Wani takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Wani takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Wani swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Rubin tries to clinch there but Wani circles away.
Wani seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.
Wani throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Rubin has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.
Rubin lands a nice hook to Wani's body. Wani takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Rubin throws a body shot but no joy.
No joy there for Rubin, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Wani rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Rubin moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Wani takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Rubin keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Wani.
Wani misses with a looping right.
Rubin looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rubin misses with a straight left.
Rubin is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Rubin misses with a straight left.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Wani fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Rubin checks it well.
Wani dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Rubin pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Wani misses with a kick to the body.
Wani looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
That kick from Wani tenderised Rubin's leg. Rubin is trying to keep his angry face on.
Wani circles away from the clinch attempt.
An attempted straight right counter from Wani misses the target.
Wani avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Wani ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Rubin moves away.
Rubin feints the counter takedown.
Nice body punch from Wani.
John Paul Wani is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Wani takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
A low kick from Rubin misses
and Wani counters with an inside leg kick.
Rubin misses with a leg kick.
Wani misses the shot to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Wani scores with a kick to the body.
Rubin throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Rubin takes a head kick and shrugs it off.

It looks like Timur Rubin has been cut.
Rubin misses with a body punch
and Wani counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Wani lands a nice leg kick that just misses Rubin's sensitive parts.
Rubin looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Rubin misses the shot to the body.
It looked like Wani wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Wani takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
Wani looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Wani misses the jab.
Rubin throws a low kick but it's checked well by Wani.
Wani misses with a hook.
A solid leg kick lands there for Wani.
Wani works Rubin's body with a nice hook.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Wani lands a really nice looking cross but Rubin seems unphased.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rubin moves out of range of the body kick from Wani.
Wani avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Rubin steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Wani.
Rubin misses with a jab, cross combination.
Rubin looks to land a right hand but Wani moved out of range.
Wani tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Rubin was well out of range. Poor timing from Wani.
Wani throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Rubin on the side of the head.
Wani lands with a right hand.
Rubin swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Wani scores with a push kick.
Wani throws a looping overhand right but Rubin ducks down to avoid it.
Rubin throws a right and a left that Wani avoids nicely.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
A big left from Rubin misses.
Wani was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
Wani connects with a nice looking jab.
Timur Rubin seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rubin is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Rubin keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Wani.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Paul Wani dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Timur Rubin's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Rubin checks the leg kick.
Wani throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Rubin sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Rubin tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Wani manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Wani scores with a hook to the body. Rubin takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Rubin swings away with a body shot that misses
and Wani counters with a thumping low kick.
Rubin misses with a hook to the body
and Wani connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Wani takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Wani connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Rubin momentarily.
A nice inside leg kick there by Wani. That's going to slow Rubin down.
Rubin connects with a jab.
Rubin displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Wani throws out the jab.
A swing and a miss from Rubin.
The fighters circle momentarily. Wani darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
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!
Rubin misses the shot to the body.
Wani is looking to counter punch.
Rubin takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Rubin throws a body shot but no joy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Wani keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
John Paul Wani is winning the standup battle so far.
Wani connects with a solid leg kick.
Wani throws a body shot but no joy.
Wani lands with a thumping leg kick.
Rubin connects with a body shot.
Rubin ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Wani moves away.
Wani misses with a body shot.
The fighters circling - Rubin throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Rubin's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Rubin misses with a body shot.

Rubin drives through and clinches with Wani against the cage.

Wani pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Wani lands a jab to the nose.
Wani connects with a solid leg kick.
Rubin throws a right and a left that Wani avoids nicely.
Wani throws a big counter combination but Rubin scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.
Wani chopping away at his opponent's legs.

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!
Rubin misses with a straight right.
Wani blocks a low kick nicely.
Wani lands the left hand.
Wani misses with a low kick.
Wani bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Rubin's head.
Wani takes a swing at Rubin's ribcage but misses.
Nice defenses there by Wani.
Wani connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Wani is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.

Rubin bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rubin advances nicely into full mount.
Rubin scores with a couple of good head shots there.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Rubin throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Wani because Rubin loaded up on that one.
Wani wants to control but Rubin is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rubin punching from mount but Wani doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Wani tries to hold on but Rubin pushes him away.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rubin unloads with some vicious shots from mount and Wani wants out - he looks towards the referee who steps in to save him! Rubin celebrates on the cage and the crowd goes wild!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:39 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Timur Rubin!
Timur Rubin seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.