PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Shotgun Rua (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Stephen Davis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Rua
vs
Davis

185 cm
21
205 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

191 cm
22
209 lbs
3 - 6 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Intelligent

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Shotgun Rua!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Stephen Davis!
The judges for this bout are Stewart Dunkirk, Wesley Smith and Chris Downing.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Davis misses with a jab, cross combination.
Shotgun Rua seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rua tries to clinch up.
Rua tries to clinch there but Davis circles away.

Davis decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Davis seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Davis trying to mount his opponent but Rua defends it.
Davis seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
The fighters are battling for position here. Rua manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Rua keeping moving, preventing Davis from controlling successfully.
Davis postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Davis must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Rua will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Rua bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Davis's guard.
Davis is controlling Rua's posture.
Rua wants to stand but Davis has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Rua being controlled here momentarily.
Rua pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Davis is keeping the position for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Rua stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Rua throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

Davis scores a takedown into full mount!

Rua somehow manages to escape the mount and get back to his feet!
Rua fails with an attempt to clinch.

Davis shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Davis was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Davis looks gassed!
Rua working to try and regain half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Davis controlling his opponent.
Rua is desperately trying to improve his position but Davis has a good base and remains in mount.
Rua trying desperately to get to his feet.
Davis lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Davis tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Rua is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Davis is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Davis lands a big shot there that rocks Rua but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Rua can't escape the position.
Rua is working hard here to advance position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A nice elbow there by Davis.

Davis with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Rua wants to try and get back to his feet.
Davis lands a big elbow.
Rua tries to reverse the position but Davis maintains control.
Rua in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Davis lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Rua is desperately trying to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Davis controlling from mount.
Rua sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Rua works his way to full guard. Good work.
Rua is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Davis is controlling him.

Davis stands and steps away. Rua gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Davis is looking to clinch but Rua is avoiding it.

Rua has managed to clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Stephen Davis dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Rua throws a head kick but Davis moves out of range.
Davis moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Rua throws a sloppy head kick and Davis moves out of range easily.
Davis misses with a few strikes there.
Rua tries to close the distance and clinch up but Davis swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Davis gets the takedown into side control.
Davis really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Rua. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Davis scores with a couple of short elbows.

Davis decides to stand back up.
Rua throws a series of punches but Davis avoids them all with ease.

Davis closes the distance and clinches.
Davis is looking to break free of the clinch but Rua has double underhooks.
A right hook to the body lands for Rua.
Rua crunches a lovely knee into Davis's ribcage.

Davis breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Rua tries to clinch up.
Rua with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Davis to score with a decent uppercut.
Davis fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Rua manages to avoid it.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Rua pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Davis looks to land a combination but Rua avoids it well.
Davis fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Davis blocks a head kick by Rua.
Davis looks for a takedown but Rua sprawls well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rua avoids a punch combination nicely.
Rua moves in looking to clinch but Davis pushes him off.

Rua has closed the distance and engaged Davis in a clinch.
Davis avoiding damage as Rua throws knees to the body.
Davis on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Davis with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Rua tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Knees in the clinch landing for Rua.
Rua landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Davis blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.

Davis manages to pull guard.

Davis uses the cage to get back to his feet.
Rua tries a head kick but it misses.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Rua throws a right hand that Davis ducks under and follows up with a left that Davis also avoids with ease.
Davis lands a jab-cross combination.
Davis scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Davis lands a jab to the nose.

Davis takes the fight into the clinch.

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rua tries to close the distance and clinch up but Davis swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Rua fails in his attempt to clinch.
Davis works over Rua's head and body with a nice combination.
Rua tries to close the distance and clinch but Davis swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Rua tries to close the distance and clinch but Davis swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Shotgun Rua is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Rua lands a jab.
Rua misses with a series of wild punches.
Rua wants to clinch.
Left hook, right uppercut from Davis.
Shotgun Rua is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Horrible takedown by Davis or perhaps it was just good defense by Rua which made him look bad.
Shotgun Rua has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Stephen Davis.
A jab from Davis misses.
Rua tries to clinch up but Davis circles away and keeps his distance.
Rua tries to clinch but Davis is having none of it.
Davis throws a right and a left that Rua avoids nicely.

Rua clinches up with Davis and pushes him back against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rua crunches a lovely knee into Davis's ribcage.
Rua tries to land a knee to the head but Davis blocks with his arms.

Rua is fighting off a takedown attempt but Davis is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Rua to the mat. Rua regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Davis slips nicely into half guard.
Rua wants to get back to his feet.
Rua wants to get back to full guard.
Davis is nestled in close to Rua, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Rua flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.

Rua has one foot on Davis's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.
Davis lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.

Davis looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Davis scoring with punches to the head and body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rua wants to stand up but Davis is controlling him.

Davis decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Rua tries to close the distance and clinch but Davis swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Rua scores with a sloppy right hand. Davis should have avoided that one.

Davis scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Davis tries to stand but can't do so whilst Rua controls his leg.
Davis lands strikes from half guard.
Rua wants to get back to his feet.
Davis is taking a breather. Rua says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Stephen Davis has got the better of the ground game so far.
Davis sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Rua defending well though.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Stephen Davis showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Davis misses with a takedown attempt - Rua sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Rua misses with a series of wild punches.
Rua tries to clinch up but Davis circles away and keeps his distance.
Rua fails in his attempt to clinch.

Davis moves into the clinch successfully.
Rua landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Rua landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Rua crunches a lovely knee into Davis's ribcage.

Davis gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Davis tries to stand but his arm is trapped.
Davis prevents Rua from standing back up.
Davis tries to stand and escape but Rua is controlling the position.
Rua is pressing down on Davis's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.

Rua uses the cage to get back to his feet.
Davis catches Rua with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Rua is looking to clinch but Davis is avoiding it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rua tries to close the distance and clinch up but Davis swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Rua avoids a punch combination nicely.

Davis has taken the fight to the clinch.
A knee to the head by Rua.

Davis breaks from the clinch.
A head kick misses from Rua.
Nice uppercut there from Davis.
Davis misses with a wild combination.
Rua ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Rua tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Davis misses with a series of wild punches.
Rua tries a head kick but it misses.
Rua dodges the punch combination from Davis.
Rua throws a sloppy head kick and Davis moves out of range easily.
Rua tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Davis paws at him with a jab and circles away.
A punch combination from Davis misses.
Rua is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Rua walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Rua keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Rua is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Rua throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Davis throws a series of strikes that have Rua backpedaling.
Rua fails to land with a series of punches.
Davis tries to close the distance and clinch but Rua swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Rua gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Davis with a nice head shot there.
Rua looking to hit a scissor sweep but Davis is one step ahead there.

Davis decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Rua, up you get!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rua tries to close the distance and clinch up but Davis swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Davis scores with a takedown into Rua's guard.
Rua throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Rua lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Davis!
Davis is trying desperately to improve position.
Davis wants to control but Rua is having none of it.
Rua scoring with strikes but Davis is staying in there.
Davis is working to get back to half guard.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Davis can do anything to dispel that myth.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rua looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Rua lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Davis wants to hold on but Rua pushes him away.
Davis avoids a series of strikes thrown by Rua.
Rua thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Shotgun Rua has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Davis gets back to half guard.
Davis keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Davis is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Rua not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Rua stops Davis from getting back to his feet.
Stephen Davis is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Rua slips a nice elbow through Davis's hands, connecting with Davis's forehead.
Rua prevents Davis from improving his position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Stephen Davis comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Davis winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 27:30
Judge Wesley Smith scores the fight 27:30
Judge Chris Downing scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Stephen Davis!