PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Chris Rudd (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Abdullah Zaire (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rudd comes to the cage accompanied by Bob Marley - Get Up Stand Up. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Rudd
vs
Zaire

171 cm
25
176 lbs
9 - 8 - 0

182 cm
21
183 lbs
5 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Very strong

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Powerful

XTREME PWNAGE - Grand Opening!
:: Happy Pills ::

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 9 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Chris Rudd!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Abdullah Zaire!
The judges for this bout are Skip Squint, Donatello Bradman and Winston Howard.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Zaire misses with a few strikes there.
Rudd walks into a straight right hand from Zaire.

Zaire shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.

Rudd is defending against the submission attempts here by Zaire.
Zaire is pressing down on Rudd's thigh, looking to free his foot. Rudd is holding on for now.
Zaire is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Rudd!
Rudd in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Rudd really wants to buck Zaire off and get back to his feet.
Zaire moves to take his opponent's back.
Rudd has the hand control, trying to stop the rear naked choke.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rudd has his hands over his head blocking the strikes from Zaire.
Zaire misses with punches from the back.

Zaire working for a RNC but it's not happening just yet.
Rudd looking to stop the rear naked choke attempt by controlling the hands.

Rudd defending nicely against the rear naked choke attempt.
Zaire has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

Rudd is displaying good submission defense - not really looking in danger of submitting to the rear naked choke at the moment. That could change in an instant of course if Zaire gets his way!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Zaire looks gassed!

Zaire looking for the choke but no joy.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Zaire working for a choke but Rudd reverses nicely into Zaire 's guard.
Rudd has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Rudd drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Rudd jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Rudd is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Zaire looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Rudd puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rudd trying to control from half guard but Zaire is working away.
Zaire gets full guard.
Zaire tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Zaire keeping moving, preventing Rudd from controlling successfully.
Zaire seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Rudd postures up.

That's four 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.

Zaire is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Rudd defends well.

Rudd is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Zaire is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Zaire has escaped and now he's on top!
Zaire pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Rudd is keeping the position for now.

Rudd pushes Zaire off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Rudd takes one on the button.

Zaire shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Rudd manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Zaire wants to pass the guard but Rudd is keeping the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Abdullah Zaire dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

A combination from Rudd does no damage.
A slow jab from Zaire misses its intended target.
Zaire misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Rudd.
Zaire swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Rudd counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Zaire stuffs the takedown.
Rudd steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Zaire.
Zaire throws a combination that misses

and Rudd counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Rudd.
Zaire wants to sweep here but Rudd controlling him for the moment.
Rudd wants to control from the top but Zaire keeps moving.
Rudd is working Zaire over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Zaire looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Zaire trying to keep a closed guard but Rudd is proving a slippery customer.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zaire wants to sweep here but Rudd controlling him for the moment.

Zaire is looking for a triangle but Rudd pushes his legs off easily.
Zaire is breathing heavily.
Rudd landing with the ground and pound.
Rudd throwing strikes from guard but Zaire blocks nicely.
Rudd trying to control but Zaire is working from the bottom.
Zaire wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Zaire bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Rudd's guard.

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.
Zaire stops Rudd from standing up.
Abdullah Zaire has got the better of the ground game so far.

Rudd pushes Zaire off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Nice cross by Zaire.
Zaire fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Zaire loads up on a big right hand but Rudd slips the punch.
Zaire throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Zaire dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Zaire stuffs the takedown attempt from Rudd. Rudd gets slowly back to his feet.
Zaire slaps away a takedown attempt from Rudd, before circling back to the center of the mat.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Chris Rudd. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rudd throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zaire misses with a two punch combination.
Rudd bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Zaire scores with a hook.
Zaire is looking to clinch.
Nice takedown defense from Zaire. No joy for Rudd on that attempt.
Decent striking displayed by Zaire there.
Rudd fails with the takedown.
A jab from Zaire misses.
Zaire scores with a jab to the head.
Zaire darts in trying to clinch
letting Rudd counter with a right hand.
Zaire throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Rudd rushes Zaire and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Rudd is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Zaire pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Zaire misses with a hook from the clinch.
The referee calls for Zaire to work.

Rudd jumps into guard, dragging Zaire to the mat.
Rudd wants to stand and escape but Zaire is having none of it.
Zaire looking to pass the guard.
Zaire trying to control but Rudd is working from the bottom.
Zaire trying to move into half guard but instead Rudd has managed to sweep!
Zaire pulls Rudd in to control the position.
Rudd trying to control but Zaire is working from the bottom.

Rudd has gone for a leg lock! Zaire slips out almost immediately though and dives into Rudd's guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Chris Rudd dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Zaire lands a two punch combo.
Zaire fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Rudd slips a jab and a cross from Zaire.
Zaire keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Zaire tries to clinch up
and Rudd counters with a one-two to the body.
Zaire lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
A big right from Zaire misses.
A combination from Rudd does no damage.
Zaire stalks Rudd and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Rudd's face. Rudd staggers backwards, shaken.
Rudd tries to clinch up.
Zaire misses with a combination
and Rudd counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zaire moves away from the strike by Rudd.
Some wild striking there from Zaire.
Zaire misses with a combination
and Rudd counters with a left and a right that stings Zaire.
Zaire takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Zaire throws a left and a right that both miss

and Rudd counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Zaire is looking to control Rudd's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Zaire avoid being mounted?

Rudd is working for a submission of some sort.

Rudd seems to be looking for submissions.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Zaire is defending against the submission attempts here by Rudd.
Zaire gets full guard.
Zaire trying to control the position here.

Rudd thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Zaire not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Zaire has Rudd pulled in close to control his posture.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rudd tries to free his leg and advance position but Zaire is retaining full guard.
Zaire is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Zaire is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Rudd wants to control from the top but Zaire keeps moving.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Zaire leaves Rudd with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Zaire bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Zaire throws a hook to the side of Rudd's head but Rudd sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Zaire throws out a loose jab but Rudd uses good head movement to avoid it.
Zaire tries to close the distance and clinch up but Rudd swats him away and circles back towards the center.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
A left and a right from Zaire both land. Nice combination.
Zaire tries to clinch but Rudd moves out of range.
Rudd closes this distance looking for a takedown but Zaire circles away.
Rudd tries for a takedown but Zaire circles away easily
and Zaire counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Chris Rudd. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Zaire throws a left and a right that both miss
enabling Rudd to counter with a crisp jab.
Zaire walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Zaire changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Zaire shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Rudd but Rudd pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Rudd keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rudd looks to land a left hand but Zaire moved out of range nicely.
Zaire tries to clinch up.

And that's the end of the fight!
Chris Rudd showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Rudd 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 Skip Squint scores the fight 29:28
Judge Donatello Bradman scores the fight 29:28
Judge Winston Howard scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Chris Rudd!