PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Cain Ruttenum (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Javier Escuela (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ruttenum's entrance music is Lil Durk- Dis ain't what you want. A fine choice. Both these guys have solid standup skills and neither is particularly fantastic on the ground, so let's hope for a nice standup war!

Ruttenum
vs
Escuela

183 cm
26
274 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

170 cm
25
264 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

Voodoo Nutrition
Arcticus University: London

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 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Cain Ruttenum!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Javier Escuela!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Sano, Shigeki Fujiwara and Yuuki Gou.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ruttenum shoots in for a takedown but Escuela shows good takedown defense.
Escuela moves in looking to clinch but Ruttenum pushes him off.
As Escuela looks to move away, Ruttenum throws a big counter combo but Escuela just gets out of the way.
Escuela pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Ruttenum showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Escuela.
Escuela wants to clinch up but Ruttenum keeps it at a distance.
Escuela misses with a head kick.

Ruttenum changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Escuela looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Escuela is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Escuela sneaks back into half guard.
Escuela blocking the ground and pound attempt from Ruttenum.
Escuela keeps control of the position for the meantime.
Escuela is looking to improve his position.
Escuela regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Ruttenum.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Escuela pushes Ruttenum off and scrambles back to his feet.

Ruttenum moves into the clinch.
Ruttenum lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
I was talking to Ruttenum's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Escuela wants a takedown but no success here.

Ruttenum breaks the clinch.
Escuela throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.

Ruttenum has Escuela up against the ropes in a clinch.
Ruttenum lands a shoulder strike.
Escuela missing with knees to the body.
Ruttenum lands a good knee to the midsection. Escuela won't want to take too many of those.
Escuela looks winded!
Ruttenum connects with a nasty looking knee right to Escuela's face.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Escuela looking to stall.

Ruttenum has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Escuela uses from the top position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ruttenum looking to hit a scissor sweep but Escuela is one step ahead there.
Ruttenum is working hard here to advance position.
Escuela trying to control the position from guard on top but Ruttenum is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Escuela is looking to work some ground and pound but Ruttenum has wrist control.

Ruttenum escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Escuela gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Ruttenum is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Ruttenum is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Escuela is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Escuela wants to clinch up but Ruttenum keeps it at a distance.
Escuela stuffs the takedown attempt from Ruttenum. Ruttenum gets slowly back to his feet.
Escuela throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Escuela throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Javier Escuela is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Ruttenum blocks a head kick by Escuela.
Escuela tries to clinch up.
Ruttenum looks for a takedown but Escuela sprawls well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Cain Ruttenum. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Ruttenum shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Escuela lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Escuela tries to close the distance and clinch but Ruttenum swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Escuela fails in his attempt to clinch.

Escuela tries to keep at a distance but Ruttenum has taken the fight into the clinch.
Escuela tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ruttenum has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Escuela is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Ruttenum will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Escuela up against the ropes.
Ruttenum avoiding damage as Escuela throws knees to the body.
Ruttenum presses Escuela against the ropes and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Escuela drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Ruttenum escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Ruttenum has taken the fight to the clinch.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Ruttenum pulls guard.
Ruttenum looking for a sweep. Not yet Ruttenum, not yet.
Escuela trying to control the position from guard on top but Ruttenum is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Cain Ruttenum dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Escuela looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Ruttenum was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Ruttenum avoids the head kick by Escuela.
Escuela throws a right hand that Ruttenum ducks under and follows up with a left that Ruttenum also avoids with ease.

Ruttenum clinches with his opponent.
Escuela jumps guard but Ruttenum turns him against the ropes and keeps the fight standing.
A knee to the head by Ruttenum.

It looks like Javier Escuela has been cut.

Ruttenum successfully pulls guard.
Ruttenum tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Escuela with a flurry of punches that miss.
Escuela trying to control the position from guard on top but Ruttenum is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Ruttenum is scooting his butt against the ropes and has managed to get back to his feet. Escuela presses him back against the ropes, presumably looking to take the fight back to the mat.
Ruttenum utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Ruttenum is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A body shot lands from Ruttenum.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Escuela is fighting off a takedown attempt but Ruttenum is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Escuela to the mat. Escuela regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
Ruttenum knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Escuela on the ground.
Escuela is breathing heavily.
Ruttenum lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Cain Ruttenum overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Ruttenum throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Ruttenum keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Escuela's head.
Ruttenum with a flurry of punches that miss.
Ruttenum landing with the ground and pound.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Ruttenum accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Ruttenum trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Ruttenum accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Ruttenum throwing strikes from guard but Escuela blocks nicely.
Ruttenum lands a couple of digs.
Ruttenum trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Escuela wants to sweep but no luck.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ruttenum lands a couple of digs.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Ruttenum accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

Escuela had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Ruttenum defends it easily.
Ruttenum in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Ruttenum has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Escuela avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Ruttenum keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Escuela's head.
Ruttenum cracks Escuela with a solid left hand.
Ruttenum throws a big elbow that misses.
Ruttenum scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Ruttenum lands a couple of digs.
Escuela preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Ruttenum working some strikes from top position.
Ruttenum distracts Escuela with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ruttenum throws a big elbow that misses.
Ruttenum keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Escuela's head.
Ruttenum in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Escuela working a defensive guard here.
Ruttenum postures up in Escuela's guard and throws a big left but Escuela blocks it.
Ruttenum missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Ruttenum with a nice head shot there.
Escuela wants to sweep here but Ruttenum controlling him for the moment.
Ruttenum throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ruttenum postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Ruttenum postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Ruttenum content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Ruttenum lands a couple of digs.
Ruttenum won't allow Escuela to get back to his feet.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Ruttenum in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Ruttenum lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Ruttenum won't allow Escuela to sweep him here.
Ruttenum loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Escuela is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Ruttenum missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Ruttenum throwing strikes from guard but Escuela blocks nicely.
Ruttenum trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Cain Ruttenum dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Javier Escuela's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Ruttenum changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Escuela looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Ruttenum throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Escuela avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Ruttenum.
Escuela tries to bench press Ruttenum off him but Ruttenum keeps the position.
Ruttenum creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Escuela sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
Ruttenum will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Ruttenum creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
The strikes coming from Ruttenum are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Ruttenum lands an elbow.
The strikes coming from Ruttenum are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ruttenum working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Escuela takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Escuela tries to bench press Ruttenum off him but Ruttenum keeps the position.
Ruttenum working away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Escuela taking punishment in the form of punches.
Ruttenum is working Escuela over with some ground and pound from side control.

Escuela is rocked!
Ruttenum tries to advance position but instead Escuela slips a leg back in to half guard.
Escuela is still in real trouble! Can Ruttenum finish him?
Escuela taking some punishment here, with Ruttenum in his half guard.
Escuela is trying to get back to full guard.
Ruttenum landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Ruttenum lands a big elbow - Escuela is out of it! He's waving his arms around but his eyes are closed and he's not intelligently defending himself - the ref has no choice but to jump in and stop the fight! This one is in the books! A TKO win for Ruttenum!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:48 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Cain Ruttenum!
Cain Ruttenum took to the mic after the fight and begged the organizational hierarchy for a shot at the title.