PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Rodney Pickard (ranked 4575 p4p, 452 weight class) and Bobby Rutten (ranked 6063 p4p, 518 weight class). Rutten is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Hail and Kill by Manowar. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Pickard
vs
Rutten

184 cm
18
208 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

185 cm
18
215 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Tends to cut

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Rodney Pickard!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Bobby Rutten!
The judges for this bout are Aleksei Zolotukhin, Igor Prikhodko and Illya Tyunina.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rutten takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Pickard misses with a head kick.
Rutten dives in for a single leg takedown but Pickard sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Rutten wants to clinch.
Rutten fails in his attempt to clinch.
Rutten tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Pickard manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Rutten has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Pickard finds it's way round the side to connect with Rutten's head.
Rutten dives in for a single leg takedown but Pickard sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rutten tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Pickard paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Pickard lands with a hook. Rutten tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
A decent looking cross lands there for Pickard.

Pickard gets in close and instigates a clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pickard tries to break the clinch but Rutten is controlling the position.
Rutten utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Rutten keeps control of Pickard as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

Rutten pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Rutten tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Pickard tries to counter by clinching up but Rutten breaks away and moves out of range.
Jab from Pickard.
Pickard throws a sloppy head kick and Rutten moves out of range easily.
Rutten feints the counter takedown.
Rutten throws a head kick but Pickard moves out of range.
Pickard has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Rutten.
Rutten fails in his attempt to clinch.
A little feinted left hand from Pickard on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rutten tries to clinch but Pickard is having none of it.
A punch combination from Rutten misses.
Pickard moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Rutten tries to land a front kick but Pickard steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Rutten just manages to avoid a counter high kick fromPickard.
Pickard moves into range and connects with a jab.
Rodney Pickard is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Pickard throws a hook to the side of Rutten's head but Rutten sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Rutten scores with a leg kick.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Rutten throws a nice outside leg kick.
Nice takedown defense from Pickard. No joy for Rutten on that attempt.
Pickard swung with a counter punch to the body but it didn't connect.
Rodney Pickard has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bobby Rutten.
Pickard throws a sloppy head kick and Rutten moves out of range easily.
Pickard keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Pickard is looking to counter punch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rutten takes a jab right on the kisser.
Rutten doesn't manage to clinch there - Pickard circles away.
Rutten looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Nice jab there from Pickard.
Rutten blocks a head kick by Pickard.
Pickard chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Rutten can pounce on him.
Rutten tries to close the distance and clinch up but Pickard swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Pickard quickly followed up with a counter body kick but doesn't connect.
Rutten is looking to slow Pickard down with leg kicks.
Pickard lands a jab.
Pickard catches Rutten with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pickard misses with a body shot.
Rutten tries to close the distance and clinch but Pickard swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Rutten misses with a kick to the body.

Rutten takes the fight into the clinch.
Rutten landing knees to the head.

It looks like Rodney Pickard has been cut.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Pickard is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Rutten tries to pull guard but Pickard holds him up against the cage and eventually Rutten drops back down to his feet.
Rutten tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Pickard just stands there and leans against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rodney Pickard dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Rodney Pickard's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Rutten slips a straight right by Pickard.
Rutten is looking for the big counter here.
Good standup being displayed there by Pickard as he connects with a hook.

Rutten rushes Pickard and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Rutten tries a body shot but Pickard blocks it.
Rutten is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Rutten looking to slow down the pace here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Pickard is trying to break free.
Rutten leaning his opponent against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Rutten breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Rutten avoids the head kick by Pickard.
Rutten slips under a jab from Pickard.
Pickard lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Pickard managing to block the knees to the body from Rutten.
Pickard wants to get back to striking at distance but Rutten won't allow it.
Rutten connects with a nasty looking knee right to Pickard's face.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Rutten.
Pickard on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

Rutten breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Rutten shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Pickard as he avoids it easily.
Rutten keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Pickard.
Pickard throws a big shot that misses.
Rutten tries to clinch there but Pickard circles away.
Pickard throws a looping overhand right but Rutten ducks down to avoid it.
Rutten wants to clinch.
Pickard is looking to counter the offense by Rutten and move into the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pickard throws the left hand but Rutten avoids the punch easily.
Rutten feints a counter leg kick.
Rutten fails with an attempt to clinch.
Pickard throws a head kick that misses.
Pickard throws a big shot that misses.
Pickard looks to throw the jab but Rutten is out of range.
Rutten tries to counter by closing the distance.
Pickard throws a big shot that misses.
Rutten tries to close the distance and clinch but Pickard swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Pickard is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Rutten can do to turn this around?
The fight stays on the outside here - Rutten looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Bobby Rutten is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Pickard avoids the head kick by Rutten.
The fight stays on the outside here - Rutten looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rutten tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Rutten tries to keep at a distance but Pickard has taken the fight into the clinch.
Rutten controlling the action here for a moment.
Pickard managing to block the knees to the body from Rutten.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Rutten's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Rutten.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Rodney Pickard will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Rodney Pickard's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Pickard stalks Rutten and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Rutten's face. Rutten staggers backwards, shaken.
Rutten misses with a head kick.
Rutten fails in his attempt to clinch.
Pickard lands a jab-cross combination.
Rutten uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Pickard.
A decent looking cross lands there for Pickard.

Rutten has closed the distance and engaged Pickard in a clinch.
Rutten has Pickard pressed against the cage, preventing Pickard from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Rutten pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Rutten fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Pickard throws a poor cross that misses
and Rutten counters with a nice kick to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pickard swings and misses with a hook to the body.

Rutten closes the distance and clinches.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Rutten can't find room to land a body shot as Pickard controls the action.
Pickard is looking to break free of the clinch but Rutten has double underhooks.
Pickard is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Rutten is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Rutten stalls.
Rutten is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Pickard is defending well for now.

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.
Pickard prevents a body shot from Rutten.
Bobby Rutten seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Pickard tries to break free but Rutten pushes him back against the cage.
Rutten tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Rutten stalling in the clinch but Pickard improves position.
Pickard blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Rutten has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Pickard avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Pickard wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Pickard has had enough of the clinch but Rutten keeps him there for the moment.

Rutten breaks from the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pickard looks to land a left hand but Rutten moved out of range nicely.
Rutten ducks under a wild hook from Pickard.
Rutten shoots in but Pickard avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Rodney Pickard has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bobby Rutten.
Rutten gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Rodney Pickard is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Pickard fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Rutten, pushing him back against the cage.
Pickard prevents a body shot from Rutten.
Rutten using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Pickard has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Pickard has Rutten pressed against the cage, preventing Rutten from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pickard looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Rutten looking to throw knees to the head but Pickard is blocking nicely.

Rutten breaks the clinch.
Rutten scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Rodney Pickard is winning the standup battle so far.
Rutten moves out of range as Pickard strikes.
Pickard catches Rutten with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Rutten moves out of range of the strikes.
Rutten throws a counter combo.
Pickard misses with an uppercut.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Pickard wants to slow Rutten down by chopping away at his legs.
Rutten moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Bobby Rutten has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Rutten takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rodney Pickard showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Pickard, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 30:27
Judge Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 30:28
Judge Illya Tyunina scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rodney Pickard!