PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Igor Puskin (ranked 5180 p4p, 528 weight class) and Trent Ruta (ranked 5083 p4p, 523 weight class). Puskin comes into the arena with Ready, Aim, Fire blaring out of the sound system. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Puskin
vs
Ruta

174 cm
25
155 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

167 cm
25
157 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Self confident

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Determined

Top Nutrition 160Q\250$ 140Q\150$ 100Q\50$

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Igor Puskin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Trent Ruta!
The judges for this bout are Alyssa Summers, Bruno Lombardi and David Schapiro.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Puskin drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Ruta tries to bench press Puskin off him but Puskin keeps the position.
Ruta can't do much from the bottom here.
Puskin scoring with punches and elbows.
Ruta is being controlled here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Ruta tries to get back to half guard but can't.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Puskin lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Puskin takes a little break here. Ruta wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.
Puskin sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Ruta is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ruta is trying to improve his position.
Puskin lands an elbow.
Puskin lands a decent elbow from side control.
The referee asks Puskin politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Puskin prefers to stall for the moment though.
Ruta takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Puskin postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Ruta trying to remain calm as Puskin controls from the top position.
Ruta takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Puskin is chipping away with strikes.
Puskin is looking to take a break and control but Ruta is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Puskin tries to score with some ground and pound. Ruta controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Puskin scores with punches from side control.
Ruta seems a little lost for a moment, as Puskin dominates the positioning.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Puskin landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Puskin scores with a couple of short elbows.
Puskin lands some shots froms side control.
Ruta can't do much from the bottom here.
Puskin wants to control but Ruta is keeping him busy.
Puskin tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Puskin has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Puskin slows the pace down.
Ruta is working to avoid the ground and pound but Puskin connects with a decent elbow.
Puskin has improved his flexibility recently so we will have to see if he can use that to his advantage.
Puskin looks up at the clock and then as Ruta takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Puskin smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Puskin working the head with strikes.
Puskin throws an elbow but Ruta slips to the side and avoids it well.
Puskin trying to control the action but Ruta is working from the bottom.
Puskin creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Ruta is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Puskin slows the pace down.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Puskin throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Ruta takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Puskin wants to control but Ruta is keeping him busy.
Puskin misses with the ground and pound.
Puskin landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
The strikes coming from Puskin are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Ruta is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Puskin asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Puskin is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Ruta will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Igor Puskin 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.

Ruta throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Puskin counters with a single leg into guard. Ruta didn't expect that.
Puskin cracks Ruta with a solid left hand.
Puskin works over Ruta with some ground and pound from guard.
Ruta is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Puskin postures up and lands a big shot to Ruta's brow.
Puskin sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Ruta's guard.
Nice strikes from Puskin there.
Puskin is controlling the pace.
Igor Puskin overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ruta taking some punishment here, with Puskin in his half guard.
Ruta has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Puskin is working away from the top position though.
Puskin sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Ruta defending well though.
Ruta has been taking part in the yoga sessions down at Vinny’s Gym. Presumably he's going to look for a slick submission... Or maybe he's looking to avoid one.
Nice strikes from Puskin there.
Puskin is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Ruta can do to turn this around?
Puskin lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Puskin wants to pass to mount but Ruta is defending the position.
Puskin throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Puskin seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Ruta has hold of Puskin's hands but Puskin slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ruta has hold of Puskin's hands but Puskin slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Puskin scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Puskin lands with a punch from half guard.
Puskin trying to control the pace.
Puskin throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Puskin controlling the action here.
Puskin missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Puskin thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Puskin looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Puskin seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Puskin lands a nice short elbow.
Puskin tries to pass to full mount but Ruta defends it.
Puskin is nestled in close to Ruta, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Puskin throws a strike but Ruta avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Puskin controlling from the top position.
Puskin postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Ruta is breathing heavily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Puskin postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Puskin is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Puskin wants to control from the top but Ruta keeps moving.
Ruta controls Puskin momentarily but Puskin frees himself.
Puskin is in close to Ruta's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Puskin is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Ruta utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Igor Puskin dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Puskin swats away the attempt to clinch by Ruta.

Puskin changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Ruta looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Ruta tries to wriggle free to get back to his feet but he's given up his back! Oops.
Puskin lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Puskin connects with a big shot to the side of Ruta's head.
Puskin lands a couple of good shots to his opponent's body and a final shot to the head. Good little attack there by Puskin.
Puskin lands a shot to the head.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Puskin cracks Ruta with a big shot to body and one to the head - really punishing Ruta from the back mount here, looking to soften him up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Puskin lands with a nice looking elbow that stuns Ruta.
Puskin throwing strikes from the back - he gets a warning from the referee for striking the back of the head but all these shots are hurting Ruta!
Ruta is trying to remain composed but Puskin is hammering down strikes to the side of his head.

Ruta is rocked!
Ruta takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Good control from Puskin.
Puskin lands shots from the back.
Ruta is still in real trouble! Can Puskin finish him?
Puskin punches Ruta on the ear.
Puskin is landing with strikes. Ruta can't take much more of this.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Puskin gets his hands free as Ruta looks to control.
Ruta is trying to stand back up.
Ruta seems to have recovered his senses.
What can Ruta do to escape this position? He's going to have to figure it out pretty quick if he wants to stay in the fight!
Ruta is trying to remain composed but Puskin is hammering down strikes to the side of his head.
Can Ruta hold on?! Puskin is landing more strikes to his hapless foe.
Ruta just trying to survive but Puskin is wriggling into a better position, looking to finish.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Puskin just keeping the dominant position. He can't wait too long though, otherwise the referee will stand them back up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Puskin is working the ground and pound. Can Ruta escape?
Puskin is landing with strikes from the back.
Ruta is very frustrated here, being controlled quite effectively by Puskin.
Igor Puskin is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
The referee is taking a good look at Ruta as he is on the wrong end of some big shots from Puskin!
So, who will make the next big move? In this position it could be crucial.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Trent Ruta has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Puskin's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.

And that's the end of the fight!
Igor Puskin showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Puskin has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Alyssa Summers scores the fight 30:26
Judge Bruno Lombardi scores the fight 30:25
Judge David Schapiro scores the fight 30:26

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Igor Puskin!
A victorious Igor Puskin thanked his army of followers in his post fight interview, telling people to make sure they follow him on Twitter.