PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Mauricio Rua (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and John Cena (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.

Rua
vs
Cena

185 cm
22
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
18
200 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Self confident

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

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 Rio de Janeiro, Mauricio Rua!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, John Cena!
The judges for this bout are Seu Braga, Felipe Paraventi and Edson Gomes.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cena tries to clinch up.
Rua throws a sloppy head kick and Cena moves out of range easily.

Cena gets the takedown into side control.
Rua tries to escape but Cena is in control.
The referee asks Cena politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Cena prefers to stall for the moment though.
Rua sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Rua looks like he's trying to stand up.
Cena landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Cena trying to pass the guard but Rua defending well.

Rua is defending against the submission attempts here by Cena.
Cena controlling the action here.
Cena stops Rua from getting back to his feet.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cena lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Rua is refusing to be controlled, as Cena sits in half guard.
Rua is trying to stand.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Cena in particular looking to stall.
Cena trying to pass the guard but Rua defending well.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Cena content to control rather than advance.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Rua actively working from the bottom here.

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 is trying to stand up here but Cena is controlling him well.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Cena tries to clinch but Rua is having none of it.

Cena closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Rua is breathing heavily.
Rua wants to improve his position but Cena is controlling well.
Cena tries to pass to full mount but Rua defends it.
Rua is trying to stand up here but Cena is controlling him well.
Rua moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Cena seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.

Rua wriggles free and stands up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fight stays on the outside here - Cena looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Mauricio Rua is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Cena tries to clinch but Rua moves out of range.
Cena shoots in but no luck this time.
An inside leg kick lands from Rua.
Rua dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Cena. That did some damage!
Rua throws a nice outside leg kick.
An inside leg kick lands from Rua.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Rua, right into the meat.
Rua scoring well with a low kick there.
Cena steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Rua. That one must have hurt.
John Cena seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rua throws a quick inside leg kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rua scores with a head kick.
Cena is looking to clinch but Rua is avoiding it.
Cena fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Rua throws a nice head kick!
Rua goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Rua misses with a head kick.
Cena misses with a takedown attempt - Rua sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Mauricio Rua has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of John Cena.
A nice inside leg kick there by Rua. That's going to slow Cena down.
Rua feints and then cracks Cena's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Cena down.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Rua slaps away a takedown attempt from Cena, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Cena's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rua throws a nice inside leg kick.
Rua lands with a thumping leg kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mauricio Rua dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Rua with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Rua tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Rua throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
Rua misses with a low kick.
A head kick misses from Rua.
Rua throws a head kick that Cena semi-blocks.
A left and a right from Rua both land. Nice combination.

Cena feints and as Rua raises his hands in defense, Cena changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Cena is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Rua is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cena wants to control from the top but Rua keeps moving.
Rua looking to hit a scissor sweep but Cena is one step ahead there.
Cena is looking to stand up but Rua won't let him.
Rua keeping moving, preventing Cena from controlling successfully.
Rua is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Cena is controlling him.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Rua scoring well with a low kick there.

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.
Rua cracks the inside of Cena's front leg.
Rua closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Rua misses with a head kick.
Cena throws a head kick that misses
and Rua counters with a left and a right that stings Cena.
Cena doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Rua counters with a low kick, right behind Cena 's knee.
Rua throws a one two combo.
Rua scores to the head and body with a nice combination!

Cena moves into the clinch.
Rua is trying to force a seperation but Cena has the dominant position.
Rua is looking to break free of the clinch but Cena has double underhooks.

Cena manages to break the clinch.
Rua scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Rua misses with a head kick.
Cena wants to clinch up but Rua keeps it at a distance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rua tries a head kick but it misses.
Horrible takedown by Cena or perhaps it was just good defense by Rua which made him look bad.
A nice inside leg kick there by Rua. That's going to slow Cena down.

Cena shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Cena looking to control but Rua is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Cena controlling from mount.
Rua is desperately trying to improve his position but Cena has a good base and remains in mount.
Cena controlling the pace for now.
Rua gets back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rua is trying to stand up here but Cena is controlling him well.
Rua tries to roll over but Cena keeps him under control.

Rua looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Cena stalling.
Rua is trying to stand back up but Cena is controlling him
Rua is not content to let Cena control the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but John Cena will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's time! Back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Rua pulls out of a head kick attempt.
A head kick misses from Rua.
Cena closes the distance looking to clinch
and Rua counters with a low kick, right behind Cena 's knee.

Cena has taken the fight to the clinch.
Rua tries to circle away but Cena has him pinned against the cage.
Rua wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Cena has him pressed against the cage.
Rua wants to break the clinch but can't.
Rua being controlled against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rua is trying to break the clinch but Cena is controlling him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Rua wants to break free but Cena has control.
Rua blocks the elbow strike.
Rua tries to circle away but Cena has him pinned against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cena is trying to drag Rua to the mat but Rua just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Rua has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

Rua is fighting off a takedown attempt but Cena 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.
Rua is trying to keep Cena in close.
Cena must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Cena not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Cena trying to control but Rua is working from the bottom.
Rua is trying to keep Cena in close.
Cena wanted to stand there but Rua had control of the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Rua is looking for a triangle but Cena pushes his legs off easily.

Rua had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Cena defends it easily.

Rua looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Rua is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Cena won't allow Rua to sweep him here.
Cena controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

Rua uses the cage to get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cena misses with a takedown
and Rua counters with a head kick.
Rua throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Cena will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Mauricio Rua has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of John Cena.
Rua cracks the inside of Cena's front leg.
Cena checks a leg kick.
Cena has his takedown stuffed
and Rua counters with a leg kick.
Rua thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Cena if he has to take too many more of those.
Cena with a lazy takedown attempt
and Rua counters with a thumping low kick.
A head kick misses from Rua.
Rua throws a nice head kick!

That's four 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.
Rua throws a nice looking combination but Cena bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.

Cena looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Rua pushes Cena off looking to stand but Cena dives back in and keeps control.

Rua actively working from the bottom here.
Rua wants to get back to his feet.

Rua looking for submissions off his back.

Rua is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Cena pulls his head out easily.
Cena is trying to control the action in half guard but Rua is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Mauricio Rua.
I think Rua has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Seu Braga scores the fight 29:28
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 30:28
Judge Edson Gomes scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mauricio Rua!