PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Rex Ruger (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Felix Jones (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighter's entrance songs getting the crowd jumping here.

Ruger
vs
Jones

169 cm
25
145 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

168 cm
26
144 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Brawler
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight 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, Rex Ruger!
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, Felix Jones!
The judges for this bout are Emerson Jorge, Paulo Santos and Felipe Paraventi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Jones bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
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The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Jones happy to just control the position for now.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Ruger is trying to control Jones's posture but Jones avoids it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Jones wants to lay and pray for a moment but Ruger keeps working.
A bit of a lull in the action here.

Jones stands up and we're back to a striking position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jones fails with the takedown.

Jones pushes Ruger up against the cage in a clinch.

Jones decides to pull guard.
Jones is controlling Ruger's posture.
Ruger postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Jones pulls Ruger in close to his closed guard and prevents Ruger from doing any damage or advancing position.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Ruger's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ruger is stalling in the full guard.
Jones preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Jones avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Jones wants to stand but Ruger is controlling the position.
Ruger trying to control but Jones is working from the bottom.

Jones throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Ruger connects with a couple of short punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ruger stands up over Jones, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Jones keeping moving, preventing Ruger from controlling successfully.
Ruger prevents Jones from getting back to his feet.
Ruger throws an elbow that misses. Jones uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Ruger's guard. Nice move by Jones!

Ruger wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Jones trying to control the position from guard on top but Ruger is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Jones throws a strike but Ruger rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Jones looking to control.
Ruger controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Ruger postures up.
Jones avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Jones keeping moving, preventing Ruger from controlling successfully.
Ruger with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Ruger landing with the ground and pound.
Ruger is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Rex Ruger will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Jones on the wrong end of a nice hook.

Ruger looking for a takedown here - he's got it.

Jones has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Ruger off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Ruger shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Jones as he avoids it easily.

Jones moves into range and clinches up with Ruger.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Ruger takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Ruger is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Jones is defending well.
Ruger wants to take the fight to the mat but Jones manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rex Ruger. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Ruger gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Jones regains guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Jones looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Ruger passes into side control.
Ruger in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jones is looking to reverse the position.
Ruger creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Ruger landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Jones parries the strikes from Ruger easily there. Ruger is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Jones to escape.
Jones manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Jones prevents Ruger from improving his position.
Ruger is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Jones scores with a couple of nice shots.
Ruger holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Jones trying to pass the guard but Ruger defending well.
Ruger works his way to full guard. Good work.
Jones preventing the sweep.
Jones postures up and lands a big shot to Ruger's brow.
Ruger is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Ruger wants to sweep but no luck.
Jones sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Jones stands and throws Ruger's legs to the side, diving into side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jones trying to control the action but Ruger is working from the bottom.
Ruger is trying to get back to his feet.

Jones decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Jones is looking to clinch.
Jones goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Ruger throws a big shot that misses.
Ruger shoots and misses
and Jones connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Jones shoots in for a takedown but Ruger shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Ruger closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Jones tries to buck Ruger off but Ruger is having none of it.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Jones can do anything to dispel that myth.
Ruger working away.
Rex Ruger overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
The ground and pound from Ruger seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Jones tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Ruger wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Jones on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Ruger lands a few punches from side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Felix Jones will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's time! Back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Jones throws a right and a left that Ruger avoids nicely.
Jones shoots in looking for a takedown but Ruger manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Jones's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.

Ruger closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Jones to the mat! Jones manages to get full guard.
Ruger keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Jones's head.

Jones looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Jones preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Ruger scoring with punches to the head and body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ruger lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Jones working a defensive guard here.
Jones controlling the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ruger working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Ruger trying to control the position from guard on top but Jones is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Ruger accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
We've been informed that Jones has been working hard on his conditioning in the buildup to the fight.
Jones is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Ruger keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Jones's head.
Jones working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Ruger.
Jones utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Jones looking to control.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

Ruger shoots in and gets a takedown into Jones's guard.
Jones looking to hit a scissor sweep but Ruger is one step ahead there.
Ruger trying to control the position from guard on top but Jones is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Ruger throwing strikes but missing.
Ruger with a nice head shot there.
Jones looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ruger lands a couple of digs.
Ruger loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Ruger trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Ruger throws a big elbow that misses.
Jones wants to sweep here but Ruger controlling him for the moment.
Ruger chips away with some ground and pound.
Ruger throwing strikes but missing.

Jones had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Ruger defends it easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Jones is adopting a defensive guard.
Ruger wants to control from the top but Jones keeps moving.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Jones tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
A head punch on the inside from Ruger fails to land.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rex Ruger showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Ruger 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 Emerson Jorge scores the fight 29:28
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 30:27
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 30:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rex Ruger!