PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Diego Rua (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tony Danza (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Danza has chosen Who's the Boss as his entrance music. Tony Danza has the eye of the tiger tonight.

Rua
vs
Danza

186 cm
21
196 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

180 cm
19
190 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
KO power

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

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 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Diego Rua!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Tony Danza!
The judges for this bout are Emerson Jorge, Luis Engracia and Matheus Silva.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rua stuffs the takedown.

Danza gets the takedown into side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Danza looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Rua is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Danza advances to full mount.

Danza looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.

Danza swings around for an armbar but it's a sloppy attempt and Rua is now in Danza's guard. A big mistake from Danza there, giving up the dominant position!
Rua has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Danza is looking for a triangle but Rua pushes his legs off easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rua postures up.
Rua missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Rua preventing the sweep.
Rua pushing down on Danza's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Danza wants to get back to full guard.
Danza tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.

Danza looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Danza looks gassed!

Danza is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Rua pulls his head out easily.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Rua gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Danza counters with a shoot takedown. Rua fights it but they end up in guard.
Rua trying to keep a closed guard but Danza is proving a slippery customer.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Rua had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Danza is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Rua Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Danza's back instead.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Rua controlling well, preventing Danza from escaping the position.

Rua is staying calm and holding on to the back position, whilst working on a rear naked choke. Danza is defending well though. Rua let's go of the attempt for now.
Rua is trying to stick to Danza's back but Danza is turning into Rua. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Rua's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Danza.
Danza trying to control but Rua is working from the bottom.
Danza loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Danza postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Danza shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Rua as he avoids it easily.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Danza.
Diego Rua has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Tony Danza.
Rua shoots and misses

and Danza decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Rua's guard.
Rua preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Danza postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Danza throwing strikes but missing.
Rua wants to stand and escape but Danza is having none of it.
Danza postures up and lands a big shot to Rua's brow.
Rua keeping moving, preventing Danza from controlling successfully.

Rua looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Danza passes Rua's left leg - he's now in half guard.

Danza is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Danza not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Danza is just content to waste time from the top position. Rua takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.

Danza is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Danza is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tony Danza dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Rua misses with a takedown attempt

so Danza counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Danza trying to control the position from guard on top but Rua is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Danza passes Rua's left leg - he's now in half guard.

Danza is looking for a kimura but Rua is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Danza to get the leverage.

Danza seems to be looking for submissions.
Rua wants to control the action here but instead Danza manages to pass to full mount!

Danza with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Danza throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Rua because Danza loaded up on that one.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Danza tries to control but Rua wriggling away.
Rua is just holding on here. Danza manages to take his back.
Danza lands a shot to the head.

Rua is displaying good submission defense - not really looking in danger of submitting to the rear naked choke at the moment. That could change in an instant of course if Danza gets his way!
Rua avoids the strikes from Danza.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Danza has both hooks in and is working for a choke. Rua is in real trouble here. Danza gets an arm under the chin and tightens the submission attempt... is this the end? Yes, Rua is tapping out! Danza wins by rear naked choke!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:19 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Tony Danza!