PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Nicholas Rua (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nickolas Sanchez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both these guys have solid standup skills and neither is particularly fantastic on the ground, so let's hope for a nice standup war!

Rua
vs
Sanchez

185 cm
24
275 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

198 cm
25
260 lbs
4 - 3 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Very strong

BJJ White Belt
World class boxer
Powerful

PhoQus Sports Nutrition and Fund Transfer

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 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Nicholas Rua!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Nickolas Sanchez!
The judges for this bout are Matti Vanhoillinen, Arvi Lind and Tarja Halkonen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Sanchez crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Rua - the referee stops the clock and Sanchez gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Rua. Sanchez manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
Rua tries to clinch but Sanchez is having none of it.
Rua throws a wild body kick that Sanchez sees coming a mile off.
Rua tries to clinch but Sanchez is having none of it.
Rua lands a nice leg kick that just misses Sanchez's sensitive parts.
Sanchez looks gassed!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Sanchez lands a nice hook to Rua's body. Rua takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Sanchez fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Rua manages to avoid it.
Rua connects with a solid leg kick.
Rua misses with a body shot
and Sanchez counters with a one-two to the body.
Rua tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Rua tries to clinch but Sanchez moves out of range.
Sanchez takes a kick to the side of the head.
Nice body kick from Rua.

Rua moves into the clinch.
Rua has Sanchez pressed against the cage, preventing Sanchez from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Rua leaning his opponent against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Knees in the clinch landing for Rua.
Rua's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Rua gets a warning from the ref for wasting time.
Rua lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Sanchez backwards.
Rua using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Rua is stalling here.
Rua with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Rua connects with a nasty looking knee right to Sanchez's face.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rua with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Rua leaning against his opponent.
Sanchez wants to break free but Rua has control.
Rua misses with a knee strike.
Rua tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Rua tries a knee to the head but Sanchez blocks it.
Rua misses with a knee to the head.
Rua tries to land knees in the clinch but Sanchez avoids the damage to the body.
Rua taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Sanchez is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Sanchez tries to break the clinch but Rua is controlling the position.
Sanchez is trying to break the clinch but Rua is controlling him.
Sanchez tries to circle away but Rua has him pinned against the cage.
Sanchez on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Rua.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rua working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Rua leaning against his opponent.
Rua with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Rua misses with the head strike.
Rua will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Sanchez up against the cage.
Rua misses with a knee strike.
Sanchez wants to break free but Rua has control.
Rua taking a breather.
Rua tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Sanchez is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Sanchez tries to break free but Rua pushes him back against the cage.

That's four 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.
Sanchez can't break the clinch.
Rua landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Rua using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Sanchez has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Rua using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Sanchez wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Rua has him pressed against the cage.
Rua leaning against his opponent.
Rua tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Rua displaying some good clinch control by pressing Sanchez up against the cage.
Rua putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Sanchez in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Rua tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Sanchez avoids it.
Rua tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nicholas Rua dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Rua keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Sanchez bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Rua's head backwards.
Nickolas Sanchez is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Rua tries to clinch up but Sanchez circles away and keeps his distance.
Rua connects with a leg kick. Sanchez looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Rua misses with a body kick.
Rua lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Rua tries to land a leg kick but Sanchez saw it coming and moves away.
Both fighters circling a little - Rua finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Sanchez misses the shot to the body.
Rua is looking to clinch but Sanchez is avoiding it.
Rua throws the kick towards the body but Sanchez avoids it.
Sanchez lands a body shot.
Sanchez is breathing heavily.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Rua, right into the meat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sanchez swats away the attempt to clinch by Rua.
Rua dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Sanchez. That did some damage!
Rua is looking to clinch.
Sanchez keeps the fight on the outside.
Sanchez blocks a head kick by Rua.
Rua throws a sloppy head kick and Sanchez moves out of range easily.
Nicholas Rua seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rua connects with a high kick.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Sanchez checks a leg kick.
Sanchez avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Rua fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Sanchez has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Rua pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Rua throws a predictable looking body shot
and Sanchez counters with a lovely shot to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rua fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Sanchez.
Rua tries to clinch but Sanchez is having none of it.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Rua, right into the meat.
Rua lands with a nice body kick.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Rua tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Sanchez paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Sanchez goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Sanchez looks to score with a jab to the body but Rua is just out of range.
Rua lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
A head kick from Rua lands but Sanchez takes it in his stride.
Sanchez avoids the head kick by Rua.
Rua tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Sanchez counters with a right hand to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rua tries to close the distance and clinch up but Sanchez swats him away and circles back towards the center.
The fight stays on the outside here - Rua looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Rua misses with a body kick.
Rua lands a nice leg kick that just misses Sanchez's sensitive parts.
Sanchez moves out of range of the body kick.
Rua throws a sloppy head kick and Sanchez moves out of range easily.
Rua keeps Sanchez at a distance using the push kick.
Rua has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Rua tries to land a front kick but Sanchez steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Sanchez has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Rua.
Rua scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Rua is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Sanchez can do to turn this around?

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rua lands a nice leg kick that just misses Sanchez's sensitive parts.
Rua tries to clinch there but Sanchez circles away.
Rua fakes the leg kick and cracks Sanchez in the body.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Rua digs a good hook to Sanchez's body.
Rua connects with an inside leg kick.
Rua thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Sanchez if he has to take too many more of those.
Sanchez has developed a nice purple lump on his ribcage, as a result of some heavy body kicks from Rua.
A solid body kick from Rua.
A nice inside leg kick there by Rua. That's going to slow Sanchez down.
Rua throws a nice outside leg kick.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Rua is looking to slow Sanchez down with leg kicks.
Rua throws a wild body kick that Sanchez sees coming a mile off.
Rua is looking to clinch but Sanchez is avoiding it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nicholas Rua dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Rua tries to clinch there but Sanchez circles away.
A solid leg kick lands there for Rua.
Sanchez avoids the head kick by Rua.
Rua tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Sanchez thows a body shot but no joy.
Sanchez looks to score with a jab to the body but Rua is just out of range.
Rua bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.
Rua throws a nice outside leg kick.
Rua wants to clinch.
Sanchez's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Rua misses with a body shot
and Sanchez counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Rua tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Sanchez on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rua goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Rua lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Rua doesn't manage to clinch there - Sanchez circles away.

Rua gets a clinch.
Sanchez is trying to force a seperation but Rua has the dominant position.
Rua effectively controlling the action here.
Rua tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Rua tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Sanchez is trying to break the clinch but Rua is controlling him.
Sanchez takes a knee to the side of the body.
Nicholas Rua is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez tries to circle away but Rua has him pinned against the cage.
Rua tries to land knees in the clinch but Sanchez avoids the damage to the body.
Rua throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Sanchez blocks it with crossed arms.
Sanchez wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Sanchez is trying to break the clinch but Rua has him pressed against the cage.
Sanchez looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Sanchez tries to break free but Rua pushes him back against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez wants to get back to striking at distance but Rua won't allow it.
Rua tries a knee to the head but Sanchez blocks it.
Sanchez is trying to force a seperation but Rua has the dominant position.
Rua connects with a knee to the head.
Sanchez is trying to force a seperation but Rua has the dominant position.
Rua keeps control of Sanchez as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Rua working aggressively here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Rua keeps control of Sanchez as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
A short right from Rua.
Sanchez looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Rua tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Rua with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Rua tries to throw a body punch but Sanchez avoids it by throwing Rua back against the cage.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
A head punch on the inside from Rua fails to land.
Nickolas Sanchez has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
A bit of stalling here from Rua.

And that's the end of the fight!
Nicholas Rua showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Rua 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 Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 30:26
Judge Arvi Lind scores the fight 30:26
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 30:26

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