PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Eugenio Antonio (ranked 369 p4p, 54 weight class) and Thomas Rutherford (ranked 184 p4p, 33 weight class). On his way into the cage it seems that Eugenio Antonio has been attacked by a crazed fan! It looks like it might have been the just bleed guy! Luckily Eugenio Antonio seems to be OK! I thought that lunatic was in prison!?

Antonio
vs
Rutherford

195 cm
31
195 lbs
18 - 8 - 0

187 cm
36
190 lbs
23 - 20 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Urban Fighter

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 18 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Eugenio Antonio!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 23 - 20 - 0, fighting out of New York, Thomas Rutherford!
The judges for this bout are Shirou Masuda, Ren Mimura and Shigeki Sano.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rutherford fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Antonio tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Rutherford paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Rutherford throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Rutherford lands a body shot.
Rutherford takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Rutherford feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Antonio's calf.
Antonio connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Rutherford's hands.
Antonio tries to clinch there but Rutherford circles away.
Rutherford swats away the attempt to clinch by Antonio.
Rutherford steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Antonio. That one must have hurt.
Antonio doesn't manage to clinch there - Rutherford circles away.

Antonio closes the distance and clinches.
Rutherford tries to break the clinch but Antonio is controlling the position.
Antonio misses with a body punch.
Antonio stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.

Rutherford breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Rutherford looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Antonio is trying to close the distance and clinch up, after that failed offence from Rutherford.

Antonio darts in and clinches Rutherford up against the cage.
Antonio throws a head punch that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Rutherford's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Rutherford throws a jab but it's blocked by Antonio.
No joy there for Rutherford, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Antonio tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Rutherford throws a low kick, looking for Antonio's leg but Antonio calmly moves out of range.
Antonio avoids a punch combination nicely.
Some wild striking there from Rutherford.
Rutherford tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Rutherford takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Antonio moves in looking to clinch but Rutherford pushes him off.
Rutherford was about to counter that last move with a leg kick but changes his mind.
Eugenio Antonio is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Antonio dips down and scores with a jab to the body.

Antonio clinches with his opponent.
Rutherford blocks a punch to the side of the head.

Rutherford manages to break the clinch.
Rutherford throws a quick inside leg kick.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Rutherford throws a body shot but no joy.
We've been told by Antonio's head coaches at Brazilian Elite Team that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.
Antonio takes a shot to the body in his stride.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Antonio is looking to clinch but Rutherford is avoiding it.
Eugenio Antonio seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Antonio with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Rutherford throws a head kick that misses.
Antonio tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Rutherford manages to circle out of the way.
Antonio connects with a good right hand that stumbles Rutherford. Rutherford circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Antonio tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Rutherford paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Antonio scores with a jab to the jaw.
Antonio throws a nice inside leg kick.
Antonio tries to clinch there but Rutherford circles away.
Antonio tries to clinch up.
Antonio lands with a nice body kick.
Antonio tries to close the distance and clinch but Rutherford swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Antonio throws a combination that misses
and Rutherford counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Antonio lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Rutherford gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Antonio.
Antonio delivers a nice body kick.
Antonio throws a leg kick that is checked

and Rutherford counters with a crisp one two that drops Antonio! Rutherford thinks about following him to the mat for a moment but instead steps back and waves Antonio to his feet! Antonio is in big trouble!
Rutherford has done a lot of speed work in the buildup to this fight.
Antonio tries to clinch but Rutherford is having none of it.
Antonio tries to close the distance and clinch up but Rutherford swats him away and circles back towards the center.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rutherford cracks the inside of Antonio's front leg.
Rutherford misses with a low kick as Antonio jumps back.
Antonio chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Rutherford attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Antonio tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Antonio moves into the clinch.
Antonio swings wildly with an uppercut but Rutherford uses good head movement to avoid it.
Antonio fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

Rutherford escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Rutherford lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Rutherford tries to score a power double leg takedown but Antonio sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Rutherford somewhat.
Antonio is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Antonio closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Rutherford breaks from the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Antonio tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Antonio is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Antonio misses with a straight right.
Antonio checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Rutherford looks to land a combination. Antonio sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Antonio tries to clinch there but Rutherford circles away.
Antonio avoids a kick to the body.
Rutherford misses with a low kick.
Antonio blocks the body kick.

Antonio forces Rutherford back against the cage and clinches.
Antonio managing to block the knees to the body from Rutherford.
Antonio works on Rutherford's body with a couple of short punches.
Antonio has a couple of punches blocked by Rutherford.

Rutherford manages to break the clinch.
Antonio blocks a head kick by Rutherford.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Antonio tries to clinch but Rutherford is having none of it.
Antonio tries to clinch but Rutherford is having none of it.
Rutherford now looks to counter with a shot at the body.
Antonio fails in his attempt to clinch.
It's a brutal combination of punches from Rutherford! Antonio is backing up but he can't get away as Rutherford lands with one final shot to the jaw that drops Antonio and ends the fight. Great knockout.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:59 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Punches). Thomas Rutherford!
Thomas Rutherford made sure to mention his sponsor, Riner Clothing Everything for 50$ only in his post fight interview.