PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Brenno Penna (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Alex Rua (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Penna comes to the cage accompanied by APOCALYPSE NOW. Well, I have no idea who's going to take this one!

Penna
vs
Rua

172 cm
24
192 lbs
9 - 7 - 0

180 cm
24
199 lbs
11 - 6 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Solid boxing
Very quick

ADCC Champion
Excellent boxer
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Brenno Penna!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Alex Rua!
The judges for this bout are Wesley Smith, Gwen Towbar and Stewart Dunkirk.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rua throws a series of punches but Penna moves out of range.

Rua forces Penna back against the cage and clinches.
Rua gets underhooks to prevent Penna's takedown attempt.
Penna looking for a takedown.
Penna has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Rua is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Brenno Penna. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Rua breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Penna has managed to clinch.

Rua's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
A jab from Rua finds it's way through Penna's defenses.

Penna clinches up against the cage.
Penna tries to pull guard but Rua won't allow it.
Penna wants a takedown.
Rua scores with a nice hook to the head.
Penna is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Rua lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Penna backwards.
Rua scores with a nice hook to the head.

Penna is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. Rua can't fight it off and eventually Penna manages to take the fight to the floor. Rua looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Rua pulls Penna in close to prevent any damage.

Penna is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Rua is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Rua has escaped and now he's on top!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rua thows a big elbow that misses.
Rua trying to control but Penna is working from the bottom.
Rua postures up and lands a big shot to Penna's brow.
Rua trying to control but Penna is working from the bottom.
Penna looking for a sweep. Not yet Penna, not yet.
Rua thows a big elbow that misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Penna keeping moving, preventing Rua from controlling successfully.

Penna looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Rua passes into half guard.

Rua is looking for a kimura but Penna is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Rua to get the leverage.
Rua seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Penna does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Rua controlling the action here.
Penna scrambles, trying to get to his feet, but Rua manages to mount him!
Rua avoids the attempt from Penna to control.
Penna is working to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Penna is working hard here to advance position.
Rua fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Penna sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Penna moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.

Penna working for a triangle but Rua defends it easily.
Rua content to stall in guard here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rua is working Penna over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Penna looking to control.

Penna had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Rua defends it easily.
Penna keeping moving, preventing Rua from controlling successfully.
Rua trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Penna tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Rua wants to control from the top but Penna keeps moving.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alex Rua dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Rua tried to score with a low kick but Penna checks it.
Rua tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Penna paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Rua throws a head kick but Penna moves out of range.
Rua jabs Penna right on the nose. Penna blinks but takes it well.
Penna misses with a combination

and Rua holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Rua pushes Penna back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.

Rua breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Penna looks for the body kick but Rua saw that one coming.
Penna tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Rua swivels and escapes.

Rua drives through and clinches with Penna against the cage.
Rua lands with a short punch from the clinch.
A nice left hand lands by Rua.
Rua lands on the inside with an uppercut.
A right handed body shot lands from Rua.

Rua lands a takedown into guard.
Rua working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Penna's head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rua trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

Penna looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Rua passes into half guard.
Rua looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Penna tries to get to full guard but Rua has control of the leg.
Rua moves nicely into side control.

Rua is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Penna has escaped the position, nice work there.
Penna is trying to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Penna manages to get back to half guard.
Penna is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Penna trying to control but Rua postures up.
Rua not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Rua has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Rua seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rua is thwarting Penna's attempts to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Rua is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Penna defends it well.

Rua stands up out of the half guard.
Rua missing with a left hand there. Penna was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Penna shoots in for a takedown but Rua shows good takedown defense.
Penna closes this distance looking for a takedown but Rua circles away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Brenno Penna. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Penna closes the distance and clinches.

Rua breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
A jab from Rua does it's job there.

Penna closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Rua lands a shot to the body.
Penna tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Rua smiles and moves away.

Penna rushes Rua and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Penna has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Rua avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Penna can't get the takedown.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Penna successfully pulls guard.
Rua postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Rua sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Penna's guard.
Penna flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Penna is looking for a sweep. Rua is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Rua slips a nice elbow through Penna's hands, connecting with Penna's forehead.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Penna wants to improve his position but Rua is controlling well.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rua is trying to control the action in half guard but Penna is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Penna on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alex Rua showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Nice uppercut lands for Penna. That snapped Rua's head back.
Penna moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Horrible takedown by Penna or perhaps it was just good defense by Rua which made him look bad.
Rua attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Penna keeps the fight on the outside.
Penna throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Rua.
Rua wants to clinch up but Penna keeps it at a distance.
Brenno Penna is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Rua tries to land a front kick but Penna steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Nice uppercut lands for Rua. That snapped Penna's head back.

Rua tries to keep at a distance but Penna has taken the fight into the clinch.
Rua stalling.

Rua breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Rua wants to clinch up but Penna keeps it at a distance.
A jab lands there for Rua.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Rua instigates a clinch.
Penna tries for a takedown. No joy.
Rua scores with a shoulder strike.
Rua lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Penna tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Rua smiles and moves away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Brenno Penna. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Rua drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Penna working for a triangle but Rua defends it easily.
Penna controls Rua momentarily but Rua frees himself.

Rua drops back looking for a leg! Penna is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Penna manages to kick Rua off! Rua jumps back into Penna's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rua passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Alex Rua has got the better of the ground game so far.
Rua working the ground and pound.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Penna is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Rua wants to control but Penna is keeping him busy.

Rua is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Penna knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Rua in side control, throwing shots but Penna defends.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Penna is looking for a sweep.

Rua is trying to get an arm triangle but Penna is defending well.
Penna is looking for a sweep.
Brenno Penna has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Rua has worked his way into a potential kimura here. Penna is trying to get out of the position but his squirming has just got him deeper into trouble. Rua yanks on the arm and Penna is forced to tap due to a very painful looking submission! Nice work by Rua.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:20 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Alex Rua!