PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Tapater Rua (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and John Popper (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rua comes to the cage accompanied by Hordes Of Chaos. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Rua
vs
Popper

175 cm
24
140 lbs
7 - 6 - 0

170 cm
23
130 lbs
3 - 6 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Tapater Rua!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, John Popper!
The judges for this bout are Matheus Silva, Felipe Paraventi and Edson Gomes.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Popper shoots in and bounces Rua off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Rua lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Popper!
Rua avoids the attempt from Popper to control.
Popper regains half guard.
Popper avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Rua.
Popper trying to control but Rua postures up.
Rua not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Popper is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Rua wants to free his trapped foot but Popper is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Rua passes the guard and advances to mount!
Popper is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Poor strikes thrown by Rua there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!
Popper is trying desperately to improve position.
Popper wants to control but Rua is having none of it.
Rua throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Popper because Rua loaded up on that one.
Rua prevents Popper from getting the reversal.
Popper is squirming around, avoiding Rua's attempts to control the action.
Popper wants to control but Rua is having none of it.
Popper is mounted and he's throwing punches. Is that wise?

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Rua avoids the attempt from Popper to control.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Popper can't escape the position.
Popper tries to hold on but Rua postures up.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
A nice elbow there by Rua.
Popper looks gassed!
Rua throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.

Rua is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Popper has managed to escape the submission attempt.
Popper is working to get back to half guard.
Popper tries to hold on but Rua postures up.
Rua looking to finish with strikes here!
Popper is desperately trying to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Popper wants to hold on but Rua pushes him away.
Rua looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Rua postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Popper looks a forlorn figure.
Popper is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Popper wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Rua.
Popper tries to lock up and control but Rua gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Popper is bucking up trying to escape but Rua cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Popper can't escape the position.
Popper blocking the ground and pound.
Rua scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Popper wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Rua.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rua thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Popper wants to hold on but Rua pushes him away.
Rua throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Rua thowing shots but they're missing.
Rua wants to control the pace but Popper is squirming around nicely.
Popper tries to hold on but Rua postures up.
Rua throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Popper tries to lock up and control but Rua gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Rua with good strikes from the mount here!
Popper really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Popper tries to hold on but Rua pushes him away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tapater Rua dominated that round.
That's time! Rua's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Rua throws a sloppy head kick and Popper moves out of range easily.
A head kick from Rua lands but Popper takes it in his stride.
Rua tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Rua is pressed up against the cage. Popper has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Rua down to the mat. Rua avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Rua throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Popper drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Popper moves into full mount!

Popper swings around for an armbar but it's a sloppy attempt and Rua is now in Popper's guard. A big mistake from Popper there, giving up the dominant position!
Rua landing with the ground and pound.
Rua throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Popper works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rua throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Popper is controlling Rua's posture.
Popper is trying to hold Rua in close to prevent damage but Rua has managed to pass into half guard.
Rua is trying to control. Popper wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Popper on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Rua passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Popper!
Rua looking to control but Popper is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Popper working to try and regain half guard.
Rua misses with a head shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Rua lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Popper is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Popper really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Rua throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Rua sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Popper keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Rua blocks Popper's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Poor strikes thrown by Rua there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!
Rua lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Popper tries to lock up and control but Rua gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Popper avoids a series of strikes thrown by Rua.
Popper tries to lock up and control but Rua gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rua punching from mount but Popper doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Rua throwing strikes here but Popper is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Popper tries to hold on but Rua pushes him away.
Popper keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Rua misses with a head shot.
Rua throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.

Rua with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Rua looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Popper is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Rua throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Popper wants to control but Rua is having none of it.
Popper blocking the ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Popper working to try and regain half guard.
Rua throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Popper because Rua loaded up on that one.
Popper is trying desperately to improve position.
Rua throwing strikes here but Popper is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Popper wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Rua.
Rua unloads with some shots from mount but Popper bucks and avoids them well.
Popper regains half guard.
Rua missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
The fighters are battling for position here. Popper manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tapater Rua dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Rua gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Tapater Rua overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Popper slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Popper tries to free his leg and advance position but Rua is retaining full guard.
Popper trying to control but Rua is working from the bottom.
Rua is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Rua missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Rua working the head and body with strikes.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Rua missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Rua not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Popper blocking the ground and pound attempt from Rua.
Rua is trying to control the action in half guard but Popper is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rua wants to free his trapped foot but Popper is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Rua prevents Popper from improving his position.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Popper shoots in looking for a takedown. Rua tries to sprawl out of it but Popper keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Rua manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Rua throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
A kick lands to the mid section there for Rua.

Popper looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Rua is on top in guard.
Rua working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Popper is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rua passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Popper is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Rua off and has taken his back!
Popper trying to control momentarily.
Rua breaks Popper's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
Rua trying to control but Popper is working from the bottom.

Popper looking for a guillotine here but Rua defends easily.
Popper keeping full guard, as Rua tries to pass.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Popper is trying to control the position but Rua postures up.
Rua is looking to work some ground and pound but Popper has wrist control.
Rua tries to free his leg and advance position but Popper is retaining full guard.
Popper throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Rua wants to pass the guard but Popper is keeping the position.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Popper closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Popper lands in his opponent's guard.
Popper trying to control the position from guard on top but Rua is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Rua controls Popper momentarily but Popper frees himself.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Popper wants to control from the top but Rua keeps moving.

Rua had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Popper 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 Popper's back instead.
Rua doesn't have the hooks in and Popper manages to turn into his guard.
Rua keeping moving, preventing Popper from controlling successfully.

Rua looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
John Popper has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Tapater Rua is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Rua is trying to control the position but Popper postures up.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to John Popper.
Well Rua has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Matheus Silva scores the fight 29:28
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 29:28
Judge Edson Gomes scores the fight 29:28

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