PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Ricardo Santos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Marcelo Rua (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Marcelo Rua is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Santos
vs
Rua

185 cm
18
187 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

187 cm
18
185 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

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 Rio de Janeiro, Ricardo Santos!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Marcelo Rua!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Cesar, Emerson Jorge and Felipe Paraventi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rua fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Santos looks to land a body kick but Rua moved away.
Rua misses with the body kick
and Santos counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

It looks like Marcelo Rua has been cut.
Rua throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Rua moves in looking to clinch but Santos pushes him off.
Santos feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Rua's calf.
Rua misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Santos wants to clinch but Rua slips to the side
and Rua counters with a head kick.
The fight stays on the outside here - Santos looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Rua shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Santos counters with a single leg into guard. Rua didn't expect that.
Ricardo Santos has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Marcelo Rua.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Santos would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Rua trying to keep a closed guard but Santos is proving a slippery customer.
Santos trying to control the position from guard on top but Rua is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santos prevents Rua from getting back to his feet.
Santos passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Santos tries to advance to mount but Rua instead regains half guard.

Santos is trying to work for a kimura. He's got his hands clasped together - this could be trouble! No, Rua has managed to free his arm - good work.
Rua is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Santos scores with a couple of nice shots.
Santos stops Rua from getting back to his feet.
Rua looks gassed!

Santos decides to stand and escape the position.
Rua shoots in and drives through. Santos sprawls well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rua throws a leg kick
and Santos counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Santos throws a combination. Rua tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Santos throws a series of punches but Rua avoids them all with ease.
Santos with a lazy takedown attempt

and Rua counters with a single leg into guard. Santos didn't expect that.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Santos looking for a sweep. Not yet Santos, not yet.
Rua has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Santos is proving hard to escape from.
Santos can't keep his opponent in guard - Rua advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rua lands with a punch from half guard.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Santos is looking to get full guard. It looks like he might be successful but at the last minute Rua jumps into side control!
Santos wants to get back to his feet.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Santos is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Rua stands up and beckons Santos to his feet.
Santos misses with a head kick.

That's four 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 goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Santos.
Rua tries to clinch but Santos moves away
and Santos counters with a slapping leg kick.
Rua tries for a takedown but Santos sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Santos shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Rua counters by clinching up.

Santos manages to break the clinch.
Santos misses with a takedown

and Rua counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Santos's guard now.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Santos working for a triangle but Rua defends it easily.
Rua is stalling in the full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Marcelo Rua will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Marcelo Rua's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Rua closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Rua lands in his opponent's guard.
Santos bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Rua's guard.

Rua wriggles free and stands up.
Rua looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Santos is fending him off so far but Rua persists. Nope, Santos circles away and we're back to standing.
Santos throws a lazy head kick
and Rua counters with a head kick.

Santos looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Santos tries to stand but can't do so whilst Rua controls his leg.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santos trying to control from Rua's half guard. Rua has other ideas though and has regained full guard.

Rua has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Santos off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Santos throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.

Rua has taken the fight to the clinch.
Rua dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Rua being controlled against the cage.
Santos is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Rua pulls him back up using the underhooks.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Rua breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Rua shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Rua was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Santos is squirming around, avoiding Rua's attempts to control the action.
Rua prevents Santos from getting the reversal.
Santos is working hard here to advance position.
Santos is trying to reverse the position but instead Rua has taken his back - oops!
Rua lands shots from the back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Rua looking for the choke but no joy.
Rua trying desperately to keep hold of the dominant position.
Marcelo Rua has got the better of the ground game so far.
Santos covers up after that shot from Rua.
Santos trying to control the position but Rua manages to sink in the hooks.
Santos is defending well here and trying to improve his position.
So, who will make the next big move? In this position it could be crucial.
Rua is punishing Santos with strikes - can he finish him?!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Santos rolls, trying to escape but Rua keeps control of the position.
Santos tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Santos keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Rua trying to control but Santos is having none of it.
Santos gets back to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Marcelo Rua showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Marcelo Rua's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Rua misses with a takedown

and Santos counters with a shoot takedown. Rua fights it but they end up in guard.
Santos tries to stand but Rua is controlling from the bottom.
Rua looking to control.

Santos stands and steps away. Rua gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Santos stuffs the takedown attempt from Rua. Rua gets slowly back to his feet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Rua has his takedown stuffed
and Santos counters with an inside leg kick.
Ricardo Santos has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Marcelo Rua.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santos closes the distance but Rua moves to the side

and Rua counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Santos gets full guard.

Santos 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.
Rua wants to stand but Santos has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Rua stands and throws Santos's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Santos tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Rua wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Santos can't do much from the bottom here.
Rua controls the position.
Santos gets back to half guard.
Santos slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Santos bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Rua's guard.

Santos drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Rua manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Santos has Rua in his guard.
Rua wants to control from the top but Santos keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos trying to keep a closed guard but Rua is proving a slippery customer.

Rua stands up from guard. Let's bang!

Rua rushes Santos and presses him up against the cage.
Santos tries for a takedown but Rua manages to get underhooks.

Santos escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Rua fails with an attempt to clinch.

Rua scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Santos is trying to get back to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rua is keen to just control but Santos is a slippery customer.
Rua sitting and controlling from the half guard.

Rua decides to stand up.
Santos throws a quick inside leg kick.
Ricardo Santos has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Rua closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.

Santos looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Marcelo Rua is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Santos looking for submissions off his back.

And that's the end of the fight!
Marcelo Rua comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Rua winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Daniel Cesar scores the fight 28:29
Judge Emerson Jorge scores the fight 27:30
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 27:30

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