PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Diego Rua (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ricardo Santos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Diego Rua could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Ricardo Santos's chin.

Rua
vs
Santos

186 cm
21
196 lbs
5 - 3 - 0

185 cm
18
189 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
KO power

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Determined

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 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Diego Rua!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Ricardo Santos!
The judges for this bout are Luis Engracia, Leandro Rodrigues and Thiago Cunha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Santos shoots in but Rua avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Rua misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Nice takedown defense from Rua. No joy for Santos on that attempt.
Santos tries a low kick but Rua avoids it.
Santos stuffs the takedown.
Rua shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Rua takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Diego Rua. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Santos wants to clinch up but Rua keeps it at a distance.
Santos shoots in for a double leg but Rua sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Santos looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Rua is fending him off so far but Santos persists. Nope, Rua circles away and we're back to standing.

Santos scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Santos thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Rua's head.

Rua looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

Rua looking for submissions off his back.

Rua actively working from the bottom here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santos looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Rua with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Rua is breathing heavily.
Santos is keen to just control but Rua is a slippery customer.
Rua has hold of Santos's hands but Santos slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Santos thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

Santos is looking for a kimura but Rua is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Santos to get the leverage.
Santos landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Rua is trying to maintain the position but Santos is very close to passing his half guard.
Rua knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Santos on the ground.

Rua is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Santos pulls his head out easily.
Santos lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Santos lands a nice short elbow.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Santos looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Santos has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

Rua looking for submissions off his back.
Rua is refusing to be controlled, as Santos sits in half guard.

Santos is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Rua doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Santos.
Santos is tying to control. Rua wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Rua actively working from the bottom here.
Rua blocking the ground and pound attempt from Santos.
Rua blocking the ground and pound attempt from Santos.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Rua shoots in for a takedown but Santos shows good takedown defense.
Diego Rua seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rua shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Santos pinned against the cage. Santos gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Rua shoots in looking for a takedown. Santos tries to sprawl out of it but Rua keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Santos manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Santos fails in his attempt to clinch.

Rua shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Rua showed some decent athleticism there.
Rua prevents Santos from improving his position.
Santos missing with punches from the bottom.
Santos works his way to full guard. Good work.

Rua drops back looking for a leg! Santos is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Santos manages to kick Rua off! Rua jumps back into Santos's guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ricardo Santos dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Rua scores a takedown into full mount!
Santos tries to hold on but Rua pushes him away.

Rua wants to finish this one by submission but Santos is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Rua.
Rua sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Santos wants to control but Rua is having none of it.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Santos is looking to get to half guard.
Santos is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santos tries to hold on but Rua pushes him away.
Santos is looking to improve his position but Rua isn't that keen on the idea.
Santos tries to hold on but Rua pushes him away.
Santos regains half guard.
Santos has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Rua is working away from the top position though.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Santos punching from the bottom.
Rua seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Santos does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Santos works his way to full guard. Good work.
Santos throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Santos trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Santos controls Rua momentarily but Rua frees himself.

Rua drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Rua jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Santos closes the distance and clinches up with Rua, looking for a takedown. Santos pushes Rua against the cage but Rua circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Santos shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Rua as he jumps to the side.
Santos misses with a series of wild punches.

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!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos is wriggling around trying to escape.
Rua looking to finish with strikes here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Santos throwing hammer fists to the chest of Rua. What's that going to do exactly?
Santos is in all sorts of trouble here.
A nice elbow there by Rua.

Rua is working for a guillotine from mount but Santos frees his head quite easily.
Santos tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Santos sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Diego Rua dominated that second round.
That's time! Rua's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Santos doesn't manage to clinch there - Rua circles away.
Santos shoots in for a takedown but Rua shows good takedown defense.
Rua shoots in for a takedown but Santos shows good takedown defense.
Santos shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Rua but Rua pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Diego Rua is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Rua shoots in for a takedown but Santos shows good takedown defense.

Rua drives through and clinches with Santos against the cage.

Rua has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Santos uses from the top position.
Santos cracks Rua with a solid left hand.
Santos wanted to stand there but Rua had control of the position.
Santos looking to sit in guard and control but Rua gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Santos wants to sweep here but Rua controlling him for the moment.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Santos controls Rua momentarily but Rua frees himself.
Rua looking to pass the guard.
Santos keeping busy, throwing shots from the bottom.
Santos wants to sweep here but Rua controlling him for the moment.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Rua shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Santos pinned against the cage. Santos gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Diego Rua. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Santos tries for a takedown but Rua sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Rua closes this distance looking for a takedown but Santos circles away.
Rua shoots in and drives through. Santos sprawls well.
Santos keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Santos looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

Rua has closed the distance and engaged Santos in a clinch.
Santos is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Rua tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Santos smiles and moves away.
Santos looks for a takedown but Rua sprawls well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Santos throws a leg kick that misses.
Santos shoots for a takedown but Rua saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Rua changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Santos tries to avoid it but Rua manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Santos to the ground. Santos escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Santos closes this distance looking for a takedown but Rua circles away.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Rua.
Rua shoots in for a double leg but Santos sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Rua misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Santos with a lazy takedown attempt

and Rua counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Santos is trying to keep Rua in close.
Santos throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Santos is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Santos manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
BOOM! Santos connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Rua is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Santos looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Santos is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Santos lands a heavy elbow.
Santos working Rua over with strikes here.
Santos with a couple of short strikes.

And that's the end of the fight!
Diego Rua showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Rua 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 Luis Engracia scores the fight for Ricardo Santos!
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight for Ricardo Santos!
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight for Diego Rua!

Ricardo Santos wins by split decision!