PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Rupert Helenius (ranked 1865 p4p, 2963 weight class) and Rene Lafayette (ranked 247 p4p, 371 weight class). Lafayette has chosen Erasure - Always as his entrance music. On his way into the cage it seems that Rupert Helenius has been attacked by a crazed fan! It looks like it might have been the just bleed guy! Luckily Rupert Helenius seems to be OK! I thought that lunatic was in prison!?

Helenius
vs
Lafayette

185 cm
27
177
8 - 5 - 2

179 cm
27
170
20 - 11 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Paddy's Enhancing Drugs (160Q)
FF Gear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 5 - 2, fighting out of Amsterdam, Rupert Helenius!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 20 - 11 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rene Lafayette!
The judges for this bout are Yuuki Gou, Tatsuya Matsuyama and Taro Takaoka.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Lafayette gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Helenius counters with a nice uppercut.

Lafayette moves into range and clinches up with Helenius.
Helenius is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Helenius on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Helenius misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Helenius misses with a hook from the clinch.
Helenius has a couple of punches blocked by Lafayette.

Helenius breaks the clinch.
Lafayette moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Helenius has clasped his hands together around Lafayette's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Lafayette wants to control but Helenius postures up.
Lafayette is looking for a sweep.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Helenius scoring with punches and elbows.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lafayette tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Helenius wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Lafayette struggling a bit here.
Lafayette tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Lafayette is trying to control Helenius's posture but Helenius avoids it.
Helenius throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Lafayette is pushing Helenius's head away, looking to escape. Helenius manages to hold on to the position though.
Helenius has control of an arm but Lafayette manages to advance to Helenius's back!

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Lafayette is persistently looking for the submission but Helenius is defending it well.
Lafayette controls the position.
Helenius is in bad spot here.

Helenius showing good submission defense here.
Helenius trying to control the hands but Lafayette breaks the grip.
The crowd hopeful of a finish here - Lafayette's supporters are on their feet, screaming for him to go for the rear naked choke.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Helenius is really stuck here.
Helenius is working hard here to advance position.
Lafayette controls the action.
Helenius is keeping busy.
Lafayette slows the pace down here. Having a little breather whilst he's in a dominant position, looking to rest and regain some energy, ready to go for the finish.
Lafayette has the hooks in. Helenius is trying to push off one leg but he has to do so cautiously to avoid being submitted.
Helenius turns into Lafayette and is now in his guard.
Lafayette looking to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Helenius being controlled here momentarily.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Let's hope that Lafayette has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Rene Lafayette will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Helenius scores with a nice right hand.
Lafayette fails to land the takedown.

Lafayette looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Helenius being controlled here, momentarily.
Helenius bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Lafayette's guard.

We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lafayette keeping moving, preventing Helenius from controlling successfully.
Lafayette is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lafayette sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Lafayette looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Lafayette trying to control the action but Helenius is working from the bottom.
Lafayette is looking to stall here but Helenius recovers full guard.
Lafayette stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Helenius swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.

Helenius is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Lafayette defends well.
Lafayette trying to control but Helenius is working from the bottom.
Helenius looking to hit a scissor sweep but Lafayette is one step ahead there.
Lafayette wants to pass the guard but Helenius is keeping the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Helenius trying to control the position.
Helenius looking for a sweep. Not yet Helenius, not yet.
Lafayette wants to control from the top but Helenius keeps moving.
Helenius pulls Lafayette in close to his closed guard and prevents Lafayette from doing any damage or advancing position.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters, thinking about a standup.
Lafayette is looking to advance position but Helenius has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!

Helenius lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lafayette tries to reverse the position but Helenius maintains control.
Lafayette regains half guard.
Lafayette trying to control here.
Lafayette is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Lafayette is staying active underneath Helenius, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Rupert Helenius will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Helenius throws a body punch but Lafayette moves out of range.
Helenius throws a shot to the body.
Lafayette moves out of range of the leg kick from Helenius.
Lafayette walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
A big right from Helenius misses.
Lafayette tries to counter with a clinch but Helenius shakes him off and moves away.
Lafayette looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.

Helenius rushes Lafayette and presses him up against the cage.
Helenius misses with a hook from the clinch.

Lafayette ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Lafayette no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Helenius stopping the sweep attempt from Lafayette.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Lafayette is looking for a triangle here but Helenius uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
Helenius landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lafayette wants to control but Helenius postures up.
Lafayette trying to control but Helenius flips him over like a cheap hooker and has his back!
Lafayette trying to control but not successfully.
Helenius is looking to control Lafayette but Lafayette is wriggling around and keeping busy.
Helenius has the hooks in. Lafayette is trying to push off one leg but he has to do so cautiously to avoid being submitted.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Helenius doesn't have the hooks in and Lafayette manages to turn into his guard.
Helenius looking to hit a scissor sweep but Lafayette is one step ahead there.
Helenius working a defensive guard here.
Lafayette trying to control the position from guard on top but Helenius is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Helenius is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Lafayette defends well.
Lafayette tries to free his leg and advance position but Helenius is retaining full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Helenius is on top in guard.

Rene Lafayette has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Lafayette is pulling down on Helenius's head. It's preventing any offense from Helenius, at least for the moment.

Lafayette working for submissions but it's allowed Helenius to get to half guard.
Helenius wants to control but Lafayette is keeping him busy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lafayette throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Lafayette trying to get back to full guard but Helenius takes advantage of the position and moves to full mount!
We've been hearing that Helenius has been drilling a lot of ground and pound in training, so let's see if he get the finish.
Lafayette is trying desperately to improve position.
Lafayette wants to hold on but Helenius pushes him away.
Helenius blocks Lafayette's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Lafayette tries to hold on but Helenius pushes him away.
Helenius tries to control but Lafayette wriggling away.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rupert Helenius showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Helenius 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 Yuuki Gou scores the fight for Rupert Helenius!
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight for Rupert Helenius!
Judge Taro Takaoka scores the fight for Rupert Helenius!

Rupert Helenius wins by unanimous decision!
Rupert Helenius decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.