PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Miroslaw Makuch (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bartek Rusinowski (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Makuch
vs
Rusinowski

168 cm
20
137 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

168 cm
21
137 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Self confident

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Miroslaw Makuch!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Bartek Rusinowski!
The judges for this bout are Josh West, Jeff Smith and Chris Saunders.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Makuch closes the distance and clinches up with Rusinowski, looking for a takedown. Makuch pushes Rusinowski against the cage but Rusinowski circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Makuch stuffs the takedown attempt from Rusinowski. Rusinowski gets slowly back to his feet.
Rusinowski fails with a takedown attempt.
Makuch shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Rusinowski but Rusinowski pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Makuch displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Rusinowski.
Miroslaw Makuch has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bartek Rusinowski.

Makuch looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Rusinowski trying to control but Makuch postures up.
Makuch wants to stand up but Rusinowski is controlling the position.
Rusinowski is trying to control but can't.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Makuch wants to control but Rusinowski is keeping him busy.
Rusinowski wants to sweep but Makuch has passed to side control!
Rusinowski tries to buck Makuch off but Makuch is having none of it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Makuch trying to control the action but Rusinowski is working from the bottom.
Makuch in the domination position with Rusinowski hanging on.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rusinowski manages to work his way to half guard, despite Makuch's best efforts.
Rusinowski really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Makuch. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Makuch is trying to control the action in half guard but Rusinowski is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Rusinowski is trying to get back to full guard.
Makuch is looking to take a break and control but Rusinowski is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Makuch prevents Rusinowski from improving his position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Miroslaw Makuch wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Makuch tries to clinch up but Rusinowski circles away and keeps his distance.

Rusinowski gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Rusinowski controlling the action here for a moment.

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

Rusinowski clinches up against the cage.
Rusinowski throws an elbow but it misses.
Rusinowski is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Makuch pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Rusinowski wants to break free but Makuch has control.
Makuch is looking to take this one to the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Rusinowski breaks from the clinch.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Rusinowski.
Makuch tries to clinch up but Rusinowski circles away and keeps his distance.
Makuch looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
No joy there for Makuch, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Makuch fails with a takedown attempt.
Rusinowski fails to land with a series of punches.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Rusinowski manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Makuch on his heels. He'll look to pass Makuch's guard now, I'm sure.
Makuch is breathing heavily.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Makuch not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Bartek Rusinowski will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Rusinowski circles away from the clinch attempt.
Rusinowski shoots in but no luck this time.
Makuch has a takedown stuffed.
Rusinowski will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

Rusinowski pushes Makuch up against the cage in a clinch.
Rusinowski will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Makuch up against the cage.
Rusinowski tries to score a body lock takedown but Makuch shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Miroslaw Makuch has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bartek Rusinowski.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Makuch on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Makuch wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Makuch manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Rusinowski wants to get up but he can't break Makuch's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Makuch working a defensive guard here.
Makuch is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Makuch trying to keep a closed guard but Rusinowski is proving a slippery customer.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Makuch trying to strike off his back.
Rusinowski wants to control from the top but Makuch keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Miroslaw Makuch.
Makuch shoots in but no luck this time.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Rusinowski fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Makuch looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Rusinowski tries for a takedown but Makuch sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Makuch looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Rusinowski is fending him off so far but Makuch persists. Nope, Rusinowski circles away and we're back to standing.
Rusinowski scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.

Rusinowski moves into the clinch successfully.
Rusinowski is trying to pull guard but Makuch has him pressed against the cage.
Makuch wants to break the clinch but can't.

Rusinowski successfully pulls guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Makuch wants to pass the guard but Rusinowski is keeping the position.
Makuch trying to control but Rusinowski is working from the bottom.
Rusinowski is controlling Makuch's posture.
Rusinowski keeping moving, preventing Makuch from controlling successfully.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Makuch wanted to stand there but Rusinowski had control of the position.

Miroslaw Makuch has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.

Rusinowski gets the takedown into side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rusinowski is working Makuch over with some ground and pound from side control.
Makuch tries to escape but Rusinowski is in control.
Rusinowski is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.
Rusinowski scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Makuch to see if he's OK.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Makuch prevents Rusinowski from moving into mount.
Rusinowski controlling the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bartek Rusinowski showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Rusinowski throws a nice head kick!

Rusinowski shoots in and gets a takedown into Makuch's guard.
Rusinowski wants to stand and escape but instead Makuch has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Makuch works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Makuch wants to pass to mount but Rusinowski is defending the position.
Rusinowski looks like he's trying to stand up.
Rusinowski takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Makuch throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Rusinowski is looking to control Makuch's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Rusinowski avoid being mounted?

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rusinowski is looking to escape.
Makuch is keen to just control but Rusinowski is a slippery customer.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Miroslaw Makuch just wasn't active enough.
Makuch moves in looking to clinch but Rusinowski pushes him off.

Rusinowski moves into range and clinches up with Makuch.

Makuch decides to pull guard.
Bartek Rusinowski has got the better of the ground game so far.
Rusinowski trying to stand up but can't free himself from Makuch's guard.
Makuch trying to control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rusinowski trying to control but Makuch is working from the bottom.
Rusinowski preventing the sweep.
Makuch is trying to control the position but Rusinowski postures up.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Makuch.
Makuch trying to control the action but Rusinowski is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rusinowski is trying to get back to half guard.

Makuch is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Rusinowski knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
You can see the frustration on Rusinowski's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rusinowski tries to improve position but can't.
Rusinowski is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Makuch is chipping away with strikes.
Rusinowski is not content to let Makuch control the position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rusinowski is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Miroslaw Makuch.
Well Rusinowski has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Josh West scores the fight for Bartek Rusinowski!
Judge Jeff Smith scores the fight for Bartek Rusinowski!
Judge Chris Saunders scores the fight for Bartek Rusinowski!

Bartek Rusinowski wins by unanimous decision!