PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between James Bonde (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Cain Rua (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Bonde
vs
Rua

193 cm
18
205 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

190 cm
19
205 lbs
1 - 5 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, James Bonde!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Cain Rua!
The judges for this bout are Thiago Cunha, Alexandre Firmino and Felipe Paraventi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Rua moves into the clinch.
Bonde lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Rua holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Rua dodges an elbow strike from Bonde.
Rua looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Bonde stops a takedown attempt from Rua.
Rua trying to control the position but instead, Bonde has worked for underhooks and has pushed Rua into the cage.
Rua wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Bonde has him pressed against the cage.

Rua gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
Bonde is looking to stand up but Rua isn't so interested in that idea.
Rua wants to control from the top but Bonde keeps moving.
Rua tries to stand but Bonde is controlling from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rua advances position into side control!
Rua throws a strike aimed at the side of Bonde's head but Bonde avoids it well.
Rua tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rua prevents Bonde from escaping the position.
Bonde defending against the ground and pound.
Bonde is trying to control Rua's posture but Rua avoids it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bonde managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Rua.
Bonde gives up the full mount - oops, sloppy defensive grappling there!
Rua tries to control but Bonde wriggling away.
Rua working Bonde over with strikes here.
Rua tries to control but Bonde wriggling away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rua postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Bonde looks a forlorn figure.
Rua throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.

Rua goes for an armbar but Bonde turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from Bonde.

Bonde stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Rua fails with the takedown.
Bonde ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.

Rua clinches up with Bonde and pushes him back against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bonde leaning his opponent against the cage.
Bonde fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Bonde is breathing heavily.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Rua blocks the elbow strike.
Bonde scores with a knee to the head.
Rua wants to break the clinch but can't.
Bonde pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Rua is trying to pull guard but Bonde has him pressed against the cage.
James Bonde has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Cain Rua.
Bonde pushes off an throws an elbow but Rua leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.

Bonde's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Bonde gets tackled into the cage by Rua. Rua maintains the clinch.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Rua as Bonde tries to tie him up.

Bonde pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Rua pushes Bonde up against the cage in a clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Rua pushes Bonde up against the cage in a clinch.

Bonde drags the fight down to the ground.
Rua wants to control from the top but Bonde keeps moving.
Bonde has a closed guard, preventing Rua from standing up.
Rua stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Bonde swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Rua is looking to stand up but Bonde won't let him.
Cain Rua has got the better of the ground game so far.
Rua is standing up over Bonde. Bonde looks to escape but Rua dives into side control.

Rua looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Rua is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Bonde knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

Rua swings around for an armbar but Bonde sees it coming a mile off and turns beautifully into Rua's guard.
Bonde tries to stand but Rua is controlling from the bottom.
Bonde postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bonde wants to stand but Rua has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Rua had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Bonde defends it easily.
Rua is pulling down on Bonde's head. It's preventing any offense from Bonde, at least for the moment.

Rua has his foot on Bonde's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Bonde works his way back into a safe position though.
Bonde trying to control but Rua is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bonde wants to stand but Rua is controlling his posture from full guard.
Bonde prevents Rua from getting back to his feet.
Bonde postures up.
Rua keeping moving, preventing Bonde from controlling successfully.
Rua is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

We're going to have a standup here because James Bonde wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.

Rua forces Bonde back against the cage and clinches.
A frustrated look appears on Rua's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Rua looking to slow down the pace here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bonde landing knees to the body.
Bonde tries to land a knee to the head but Rua blocks with his arms.
A bit of stalling here from Bonde.
Rua is trying to maintain a safe position but Bonde gets an underhook and turns Rua into the cage.
Rua tries to pull guard but Bonde holds him up against the cage and eventually Rua drops back down to his feet.
Bonde is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Bonde lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Rua takes a knee to the side of the body.
Rua missing with knees to the body.
Bonde is pressed up against the cage. Rua has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Bonde down to the mat. Bonde avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

Rua has Bonde up against the cage in a clinch.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Bonde keeps control of Rua as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Bonde is pushing Rua up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Cain Rua showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Rua tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Bonde swivels and escapes.
Rua avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Rua changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Bonde tries to avoid it but Rua manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Bonde to the ground. Bonde escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Cain Rua seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Rua forces Bonde back against the cage and clinches.
Rua jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Bonde walks away with a smile on his face. Rua gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
James Bonde has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Cain Rua.
Rua misses with a two punch combination.

Rua gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Bonde manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Rua is looking to stand up but Bonde won't let him.
Rua takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Rua stops Bonde from standing up.
Rua trying to control the position from guard on top but Bonde is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bonde keeping full guard, as Rua tries to pass.
Bonde avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Rua lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Rua stands up over Bonde, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Rua's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Bonde is looking to stand up but Rua isn't so interested in that idea.
Rua pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Bonde is keeping the position for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Rua decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Bonde avoids the head kick by Rua.
Rua has a takedown stuffed.
Rua tries to score a power double leg takedown but Bonde sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Rua somewhat.

Bonde gets a clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rua fails to pull guard.
Rua goes for a takedown attempt but Bonde pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Rua circles away from the clinch attempt.

Rua moves into range and clinches up with Bonde.
Cain Rua seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Bonde is trying to stall.
Bonde looks to throw an elbow but misses.

Bonde breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Bonde pushes Rua up against the cage in a clinch.
Bonde lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Rua jumps guard but Bonde stands there with Rua around his waist. Rua gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Bonde prevents a takedown attempt there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bonde with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
A frustrated look appears on Rua's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Bonde lands an elbow inside that Rua shrugs off.
Rua blocks an elbow strike from Bonde.
Rua missing with knees to the body.
Bonde is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Cain Rua is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Rua is trying to break the clinch but Bonde is controlling him.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Bonde looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
The referee calls for Bonde to work.
James Bonde has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Bonde avoiding damage as Rua throws knees to the body.

And that's the end of the fight!
Cain Rua comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Rua winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Thiago Cunha scores the fight 27:30
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 27:30
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 27:30

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