PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Denny Prokopos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tapater Rua (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Prokopos's entrance music is Deep River Blues - Doc Watson. A fine choice. Rua is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Hordes Of Chaos. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Prokopos
vs
Rua

180 cm
24
142 lbs
10 - 2 - 0

175 cm
26
140 lbs
12 - 10 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent knees
Granite chin

Blitzkrieg Formula 5000
[MMABR] Klinch

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the bantamweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 10 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Denny Prokopos!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Tapater Rua!
The judges for this bout are Felipe Paraventi, Thiago Cunha and Paulo Santos.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rua has a takedown stuffed.
Prokopos gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Rua counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Rua tries to land a knee to the head but Prokopos blocks with his arms.
Rua fails to pull guard.
Rua with a knee to the head.
Rua with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Prokopos is trying to drag Rua to the mat but Rua just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Rua fails to pull guard.
Denny Prokopos has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Tapater Rua.
Rua lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Prokopos really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Rua connects with a knee to the head.
Rua tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Prokopos wants a takedown but no success here.
Rua throws a knee to the head but misses.
Prokopos is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Rua gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.

Prokopos gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Prokopos is trying to control the action in half guard but Rua is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Prokopos works his way into full mount!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Prokopos dominating with strikes here.
Rua is squirming around, avoiding Prokopos's attempts to control the action.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rua is looking to improve his position but Prokopos isn't that keen on the idea.
Prokopos controlling the position easily from mount.
Rua is trying to escape the mount.
Prokopos looking to control but Rua is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Prokopos scoring with strikes but Rua is staying in there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Prokopos tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Rua slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.

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

Prokopos is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Rua is just riding it out for now. Prokopos eventually gives up the hold.
Rua manages to get to full guard.
Prokopos passes Rua's left leg - he's now in half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Prokopos passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Rua!
Prokopos controlling from mount.
Prokopos trying to control but Rua is having none of it.
Rua throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Prokopos controlling the position easily from mount.
Rua regains half guard.
Rua is refusing to be controlled, as Prokopos sits in half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Denny Prokopos dominated that round.
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.

Prokopos shoots in for a double leg but Rua sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
The fight stays on the outside here - Rua looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Prokopos throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Prokopos doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Rua counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Rua loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Prokopos keeping moving, preventing Rua from controlling successfully.
Rua won't allow Prokopos to sweep him here.
Rua throwing strikes from guard but Prokopos blocks nicely.
Rua is looking to work some ground and pound but Prokopos has wrist control.
Prokopos has momentary wrist control but Rua slips an elbow through the middle.
Prokopos managing to control the position.

Prokopos had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Rua defends it easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Prokopos 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 looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Prokopos is trying to control. Rua wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Rua punching from the bottom.
Prokopos works his way into full mount!
Prokopos prevents Rua from getting the reversal.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Prokopos moves to the back position.
Rua manages to reverse the position and now he's in Prokopos's guard. Nice work there by Rua.
Rua tries to free his leg and advance position but Prokopos is retaining full guard.
Rua throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Rua is looking to work some ground and pound but Prokopos has wrist control.
Prokopos manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Rua manages to get himself to full guard.
Rua trying to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rua trying to strike off his back.
Prokopos stopping the sweep attempt from Rua.
Prokopos looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Prokopos cracks Rua with a solid left hand.

Rua looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Prokopos passes into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Prokopos passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Rua!
Prokopos tries to control but Rua wriggling away.

Rua defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Prokopos.
Prokopos moves to the back.

Prokopos looking for the choke but no joy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Denny Prokopos dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Rua is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Donk. Prokopos catches Rua right on the button with a cross.
Prokopos swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Rua counters by clinching up.
Rua is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.

Rua has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Prokopos uses from the top position.
Prokopos passes Rua's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Prokopos sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Rua tries to get to full guard but Prokopos has control of the leg.
Rua throws a strike from the bottom that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Prokopos seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Rua does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Rua is looking to improve his position.
Rua is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Rua is trying to control but can't.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Donk. Prokopos catches Rua right on the button with a cross.

Rua has Prokopos up against the cage in a clinch.
Prokopos has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Rua avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Rua misses with a knee to the head.
Rua throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Prokopos blocks it with crossed arms.
Rua takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Rua working Prokopos over with knees to the body.
Rua stops a takedown attempt from Prokopos.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rua misses with a knee strike.
Rua lands a knee to the head.
Prokopos is trying to drag Rua to the mat but Rua just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Denny Prokopos. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rua working Prokopos over with knees to the body.
Rua tries to land a knee to the head but Prokopos blocks with his arms.
Rua misses with a knee to the head.
Prokopos tries for a takedown. No joy.
Prokopos drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Rua prevents the takedown attempt.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Prokopos as Rua tries to tie him up.
Prokopos drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Rua scores with a knee to the head.
Prokopos is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Rua gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Prokopos drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Rua gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Rua landing knees to the head.
Rua tries to land a knee to the head but misses.

Prokopos is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. Rua can't fight it off and eventually Prokopos manages to take the fight to the floor. Rua looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Prokopos wants to control from the top but Rua keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Prokopos is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Rua is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Rua has escaped and now he's on top!
Prokopos preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Rua in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Prokopos is on top in guard.
Prokopos preventing the sweep.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Prokopos passes Rua's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Still in half guard, Prokopos seems content to control.

Prokopos is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Rua has managed to free his arm - good work.
Rua blocking the ground and pound attempt from Prokopos.
Denny Prokopos overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Prokopos trying to control from Rua's half guard. Rua has other ideas though and has regained full guard.
Rua looking for a sweep. Not yet Rua, not yet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but Denny Prokopos did the better work so I'd imagine he'll take it.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Prokopos looks to land a right hand but Rua moved out of range.
Rua tries to close the distance and clinch up but Prokopos swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Prokopos darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Rua throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Rua wants to get back to full guard.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Rua is looking for a sweep. Prokopos is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Rua is refusing to be controlled, as Prokopos sits in half guard.
Prokopos passes the guard and advances to mount!
Prokopos looking to control but Rua is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Prokopos looking to control and managing it successfully.

Prokopos has control of Rua's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Rua regains control of the situation pretty easily.
It's got to the stage where if one of these guys blows hard enough, the other might fall over.
Rua wants to hold on but Prokopos pushes him away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Rua is wriggling around trying to escape.
Prokopos throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Prokopos prevents Rua from getting the reversal.

Prokopos wants to finish this one by submission but Rua is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Prokopos.
Prokopos controlling his opponent.
Prokopos avoids the attempt from Rua to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Prokopos trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Rua tries to reverse the position but Prokopos maintains control.
Prokopos content just to control the position here.
Rua is desperately trying to improve his position but Prokopos has a good base and remains in mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Prokopos lands a big shot there that rocks Rua but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Prokopos dominating with strikes here.
Prokopos works his way to his opponent's back.
Rua looking to stop the rear naked choke attempt by controlling the hands.
Prokopos is riding his opponent, not letting Rua buck him off.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Denny Prokopos had his way with Tapater Rua in that 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. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Prokopos changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Rua looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.

Prokopos has hold of Rua's arm here. He's working for an Americana. It looks like he might have it! Rua tries to escape but he's just digging himself in deeper - Prokopos cranks the arm and Rua screams in pain! The ref makes a decision and ends the fight before the tap - no complains from Rua, who is just happy to have his arm attached to his body.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:25 of round 5, we have a winner by way of Submission (Americana). Denny Prokopos!
Denny Prokopos retains his bantamweight title!