PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Kevin Rau (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and John Hunter (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Rau
vs
Hunter

190 cm
18
278 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

190 cm
22
230 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Kevin Rau!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, John Hunter!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hunter looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Rau is fending him off so far but Hunter persists. Nope, Rau circles away and we're back to standing.
Hunter throws a one two combo.

It looks like Kevin Rau has been cut.
Hunter closes the distance and clinches up with Rau, looking for a takedown. Hunter pushes Rau against the cage but Rau circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Rau could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.

Rau closes the distance and clinches.
Hunter tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Rau smiles and moves away.
Kevin Rau has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of John Hunter.
Rau throws a combination that misses
and Hunter counters with a stiff right hand.
Rau throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Rau fails to land with a series of punches.
Rau throws a left and a right that both miss

and Hunter counters with a takedown into side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for leaving it all in the cage!
Rau is not content to let Hunter control the position.
Rau is trying to get back to half guard.
Rau is working hard here to advance position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rau is trying to control Hunter's posture but Hunter avoids it.
Hunter wants to lay and pray for a moment but Rau keeps working.
Rau knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Hunter on the ground.

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.
Rau holds on to Hunter's head and controls the position momentarily.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Rau fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Rau tries to score with a low kick but Hunter moves his leg out of the way.
Hunter avoids the body shot from Rau.
Rau misses with a head kick.
Some wild striking there from Rau.
Rau is breathing heavily.
Rau misses with a wild body shot.
Rau throws a leg kick but Hunter moved away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rau tries a head kick but it misses.
Hunter wants to clinch but Rau slips to the side
and Rau counters with an outside leg kick.

Hunter shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Hunter landing strikes, looking to finish!
Rau is in a horrible position here. Hunter smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.

Hunter has hold of Rau's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Rau manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Hunter is dominating on the ground here - he's now on his opponent's back, looking to sink in the hooks. Rau is in real trouble.
Hunter lands with a couple of good shots - one to the side of the head and one questionable shot that could be viewed as to the back of the head but the referee lets it go.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hunter lands a shot to the body.
Will Hunter go for the finish here or will he try and keep control of the position?
Rau takes a big shot to the side of the head.

Rau is staying cool under pressure, defending well against the rear naked choke attempt from his opponent.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Rau is in bad spot here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Hunter dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Kevin Rau'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.

Rau tries for a takedown but Hunter sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
A big right from Rau misses.
Rau takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Rau fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Hunter manages to avoid it.
A head kick by Rau misses
letting Hunter counter with a right hand.
Rau circles away from the clinch attempt.
Hunter fails with the takedown
and Rau counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Rau misses with a double jab

and Hunter counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Rau looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Hunter puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Hunter is trying to control the action in half guard but Rau is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Hunter is breathing heavily.
Rau wants to improve his position but Hunter is controlling well.
Hunter wants to pass the guard but Rau is defending well.
The step up in weight doesn't seem to be a problem for Hunter. He's performing admirably here against the bigger man.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rau controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.
Rau slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

Rau has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Hunter off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Kevin Rau seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rau tries a head kick but it misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Hunter circles away from the clinch attempt.
Rau throws a head kick but Hunter moves out of range.
Hunter staying out of range there.
Rau looks frusrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Rau misses with a hook

and Hunter counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Hunter sitting in guard here, content to control.
Rau keeping moving, preventing Hunter from controlling successfully.
Rau not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rau keeping full guard, as Hunter tries to pass.
Hunter passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Hunter works to advance to full mount. Rau defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
Rau has given up his back here.
Rau is keeping busy.

Hunter working for a choke but Rau is defending well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hunter tries to keep control of the position but Rau is staying busy.
I would not like to be Rau right now.
Hunter struggling to keep hold of the position.

Hunter looking for the choke from the back.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Hunter tries to keep control of the position but Rau is staying busy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Hunter showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Kevin Rau's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Hunter fails to land the takedown.
Hunter swats away the attempt to clinch by Rau.
Rau is looking to land body kicks.
Rau throws the kick towards the body but Hunter avoids it.
Hunter tries to clinch up.
Horrible takedown by Hunter or perhaps it was just good defense by Rau which made him look bad.
Hunter looks frusrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Kevin Rau has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of John Hunter.
Hunter misses with a takedown

and Rau counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Rau breaks the clinch.
Hunter with a poor takedown
and Rau counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Hunter tries a head kick but it misses.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Hunter.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rau tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Rau keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Hunter shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Rau but Rau pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Hunter fails to land the takedown.
Hunter blocks a head kick by Rau.
Hunter looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Rau throws a body kick despite being completely out of range

and Hunter counters by clinching up.
Hunter tries for a takedown but Rau manages to get underhooks.
Hunter jumps guard but Rau stands there with Hunter around his waist. Hunter gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Rau can't break the clinch.
Rau wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Hunter has him pressed against the cage.

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.
Hunter has had enough of the clinch but Rau keeps him there for the moment.
Rau is pressed up against the cage. Hunter has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Rau down to the mat. Rau avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Rau misses with a left hand
and Hunter counters with a right hand to the body.
Rau does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Nice takedown defense from Rau. No joy for Hunter on that attempt.
Rau looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Hunter fails in his attempt to clinch.

Rau shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Rau was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Hunter tries to lock up and control but Rau gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Hunter is wriggling around trying to escape.
Hunter is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Hunter flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rau prevents Hunter from getting the reversal.
Rau throwing strikes here but Hunter is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Rau tries to control but Hunter wriggling away.
Hunter is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Rau looking to control but Hunter is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

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.
Rau misses with a head shot.
Rau misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Hunter is looking to improve his position but Rau isn't that keen on the idea.
John Hunter has got the better of the ground game so far.
Hunter tries to lock up and control but Rau gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Kevin Rau has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Hunter is trying desperately to improve position.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Rau unloading with bombs!

And that's the end of the fight!
Kevin Rau showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Hunter has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Andi Peters scores the fight 28:29
Judge Gordon Ramsey scores the fight 28:29
Judge Frank Skinner scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... John Hunter!