PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Mauricio Rua (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Thunder Lips (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Lips has chosen Burning down the House by Talking Heads as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Mauricio Rua had a look across the cage there at his opponent. He definitely means business

Rua
vs
Lips

194 cm
26
212 lbs
6 - 4 - 0

193 cm
22
220 lbs
4 - 4 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Very strong

Dangerous GnP
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

Balco Boys - Hilo

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 6 - 4 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Mauricio Rua!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 4 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Thunder Lips!
The judges for this bout are Ivan Kurochkin, Fedor Mirinova and Igor Prikhodko.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rua throws a low kick but it's checked well by Lips.
Lips moves away from the strike by Rua.
A looping hook to the body misses from Lips. Rua does a little dance to reset his feet.
Rua lands with a thumping leg kick.
Lips lands with a straight right. Rua didn't see that one coming.
Good exchange - Lips coming out on top.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Rua on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Lips lands a two punch combo.

It looks like Mauricio Rua has been cut.
Rua fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Lips avoids it really well and circles away.
Lips lands a nice hook to Rua's body. Rua takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Lips checks a leg kick.
Rua changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Lips tries to avoid it but Rua manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Lips to the ground. Lips escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Rua misses with a right hand
and Lips counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Lips lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Rua backs up against the cage.
Lips misses with a body kick.
Lips throws a jab when Rua was well out of range.
Rua displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Lips throws out the jab.
Rua throws a looping overhand right but Lips ducks down to avoid it.

Rua closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Lips did well to prevent Rua getting side control.
Rua throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Rua throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lips avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Rua.
Lips trying to hold on to Rua's head to control him but Rua postures up.
Lips is trying to avoid being dragged into an even worse position than he's already in but Rua is staying active.
Lips is in trouble now - Rua has advanced to mount!
Rua landing strikes from the mount and Lips is in trouble!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rua looking to finish with strikes here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rua punching from mount but Lips doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Rua punching from mount but Lips doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Rua unloads with some shots from mount but Lips bucks and avoids them well.
Rua looking to ground and pound but Lips is blocking nicely.
Lips is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Rua throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Lips because Rua loaded up on that one.
Rua controlling from the full mount.
Rua landing punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rua wants to control the pace but Lips is squirming around nicely.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Lips is in all sorts of trouble here.
Rua landing strikes from the mount and Lips is in trouble!
Rua breaks from Lips's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Rua controlling his opponent.
Lips wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Rua.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lips bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!

Rua had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Lips defends it easily.
Rua looking to hit a scissor sweep but Lips is one step ahead there.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Mauricio Rua will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Mauricio Rua'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.

Lips misses with an uppercut. Rua saw that one coming.

Rua shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Rua thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Lips's head.
Rua is just content to waste time from the top position. Lips takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.
Rua preventing the sweep.
Rua passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Rua has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rua throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Rua tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
The referee asks Rua politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Rua prefers to stall for the moment though.
Rua looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Lips is avoiding damage well.
Rua is chipping away with strikes.
Rua tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
Rua misses with an attempted head punch from side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lips is trying to get back to half guard.
Rua throwing strikes but Lips manages to buck up and roll into a nice reversal - now he's on top in side control!
Rua tries to improve position but can't.

Lips tries for a kimura but Rua is defending well.
Rua throws an elbow to the body but it doesn't land.
Lips taking a break here but Rua is having none of it and regains half guard.
Rua slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Lips got a little sloppy there for a moment and Rua has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Lips has managed to get both his arms back between Rua's legs - danger averted.
Lips looking to pass the guard.
Lips with a flurry of punches that miss.
Rua 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.
Rua working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Lips.
Rua looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

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.
Lips trying to control the position from guard on top but Rua is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Lips throwing strikes from guard but Rua blocks nicely.
Rua lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Lips!
Lips wants to hold on but Rua pushes him away.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Rua with the ground and pound from mount.
Mauricio Rua overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Lips is wriggling around trying to escape.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mauricio Rua dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Mauricio Rua's cut.
That's time! Rua's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Rua dives in and grabs Lips's left leg, looking for a takedown. Lips pushes down on Rua's head and hops out.
Rua throws an off balance right hand
and Lips counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Rua shoots in looking for a takedown. Lips tries to sprawl out of it but Rua keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Lips manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Rua misses with a takedown
and Lips counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mauricio Rua. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Lips scores with a nice strike.
Lips moves out of range as Rua throws a body kick.
Rua misses with a kick to the body.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Rua lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Lips has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Lips and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.

Rua gets a clinch.
Stalling in the clinch from Lips.
Rua goes for a takedown in the clinch but Lips prevents it.
Rua looking to throw knees to the head but Lips is blocking nicely.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Rua creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Rua tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Rua looking to throw knees to the head but Lips is blocking nicely.
Lips tries a knee to the head but Rua blocks it.
Rua with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.

Lips pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Mauricio Rua seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Lips fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Rua tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Lips is able to avoid easily.
Nice shot lands for Lips.
Lips misses with a straight left.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lips lands a jab to the head.
Rua ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Lips moves away.
Rua throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Rua throws an overhand right that lands on Lips's shoulder, as Lips tries to avoid the shot.
Rua missing with a left hand there. Lips was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Rua moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Lips misses with a body shot.
Danga de danga de dang - Lips scores with a four punch combination!
Lips tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Rua paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Rua defending well as Lips loads up on a big left hand.
Rua ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
A looping hook to the body misses from Lips. Rua does a little dance to reset his feet.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Lips checks a leg kick.
Rua looks to clinch
and Lips cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Lips moves out of range of the body kick from Rua.

Rua shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Lips is refusing to be controlled, as Rua sits in half guard.
Mauricio Rua is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lips tries to get to full guard but Rua has control of the leg.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rua controlling the action here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Mauricio Rua wasn't doing enough on the ground.
A looping hook to the body misses from Lips. Rua does a little dance to reset his feet.
Lips blocks the body kick.
Rua thows a leg kick but Lips checks it
and Lips connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Lips takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.

Rua throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Lips tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Rua is in Lips's guard.
Lips being controlled here, momentarily.
Lips working a defensive guard here.
Thunder Lips has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rua trying to control the position from guard on top but Lips is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Rua is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.

We're going to have a standup here because Mauricio Rua wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Lips throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Rua.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Thunder Lips.
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 Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 29:28
Judge Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 30:28
Judge Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 29:29

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