PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Jorge Rua (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jay Steel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Jay Steel is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Rua
vs
Steel

187 cm
18
215 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

225 cm
19
200 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

Decent wrestler
Brawler
KO power

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Jorge Rua!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Jay Steel!
The judges for this bout are Seu Braga, Leandro Rodrigues and Alexandre Firmino.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rua displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Steel.

Rua shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Steel napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Sloppy strikes there by Rua.
Steel trying to remain calm as Rua controls from the top position.
Steel is not content to let Rua control the position.
Rua in side control lands a decent elbow.
You can see the frustration on Steel's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Rua slows the pace down.
Steel is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
The ground and pound from Rua seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Rua misses with the ground and pound.
Steel regains half guard, as Rua was trying to land strikes.
Steel manages to get to full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Steel looking to control.
Rua stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Steel swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Rua passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Steel sneaks back into half guard.
Rua knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Steel on the ground.
Rua not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Rua wants to lay and pray for a moment but Steel keeps working.
Rua wants to pass to mount but Steel is defending the position.
Rua is looking to pass Steel's guard but actually Steel recovers to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Rua is pushing down on Steel's leg trying to pass to half guard. Steel is fighting to maintain full guard but Rua has managed to sneak the leg through.
Steel is trying to control but can't.
Rua looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Steel trying to control but Rua postures up.
Rua not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Rua stalling away here and it's allowed Steel to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Rua is looking to work some ground and pound but Steel has wrist control.
Steel can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Rua controls the pace.
Rua trying to control the position from guard on top but Steel is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Steel fails with the takedown

and Rua counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Rua.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Steel looks gassed!
Steel keeping moving, preventing Rua from controlling successfully.
Steel controls Rua momentarily but Rua frees himself.
Steel keeping moving, preventing Rua from controlling successfully.
Rua tries to free his leg and advance position but Steel is retaining full guard.
Rua with a flurry of punches that miss.
Rua is in close to Steel's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Steel keeping full guard, as Rua tries to pass.
Rua postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rua postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Rua tries to free his leg and advance position but Steel is retaining full guard.
Rua pushing down on Steel's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Rua wants to free his trapped foot but Steel is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Rua is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Rua stops Steel from getting back to his feet.
Rua trying to control the action but Steel is working from the bottom.
Rua working the head and body with strikes.
Rua is nestled in close to Steel, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Steel on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Rua is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Rua shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Rua is keen to just control but Steel is a slippery customer.
Rua throws a strike but Steel avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Rua stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Steel swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Rua is working hard here to advance position.
Rua wants to control from the top but Steel keeps moving.
Steel looking to hit a scissor sweep but Rua is one step ahead there.
Steel is breathing heavily.
Rua trying to control but Steel is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rua pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Steel is keeping the position for now.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Rua misses with a takedown attempt

and Steel counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Steel passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Rua!
Steel avoids the attempt from Rua to control.
Rua really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Rua wants to hold on but Steel pushes him away.
Rua looking to escape from mount but he's given up his back!
Rua rolls, trying to escape but Steel keeps control of the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Steel lands strikes to the head.
Jorge Rua overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
A lull in the action here.
Rua is defending well here and trying to improve his position.
Steel missing with strikes from the back.
Steel trying desperately to keep hold of the dominant position.
Rua tries to escape the position.
Steel controlling from the back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Steel controlling well, preventing Rua from escaping the position.
Steel is trying to stick to Rua's back but Rua is turning into Steel. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Steel's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Rua.
Rua trying to control the position from guard on top but Steel is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Rua looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Rua postures up in Steel's guard and throws a big left but Steel blocks it.
Steel controls Rua momentarily but Rua frees himself.
Rua has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Rua stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Steel swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Rua preventing the sweep.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rua trying to control but Steel is working from the bottom.
Rua lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Rua postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Rua wants to control from the top but Steel keeps moving.
Rua stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Steel swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Rua trying to control the position from guard on top but Steel is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Rua makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Rua pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Steel is keeping the position for now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Jorge Rua will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Rua looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Steel!
Rua looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Rua cracks Steel with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Rua trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Rua is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Rua can't control as he wanted to and Steel manages to get the fight back to his half guard.
Rua throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Steel takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Rua wants to lay and pray for a moment but Steel keeps working.
Steel wants to get back to full guard.
Rua wants to lay and pray for a moment but Steel keeps working.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Steel is trying to stand up here but Rua is controlling him well.
Steel trying to control from the bottom.
Rua working Steel over with strikes.
Rua is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Rua throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Rua wants to free his trapped foot but Steel is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Rua throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Rua takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Steel keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

That's two 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.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Rua connects with a nice short shot to Steel's temple.
Rua winds up and cracks Steel with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Rua throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Rua with the ground and pound but Steel uses the opportunity to regain guard.
Steel keeping full guard, as Rua tries to pass.
Rua trying to control the position from guard on top but Steel is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Rua trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Steel is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Rua trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Steel gets caught flat footed, as Rua shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Rua looking to pass the guard.
Rua postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Rua wants to pass the guard but Steel is keeping the position.
Steel working a defensive guard here.
Rua trying to control but Steel is working from the bottom.
Rua wants to pass the guard but Steel is keeping the position.
Rua is working Steel over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rua pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Steel is keeping the position for now.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Rua shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Steel napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Steel struggling a bit here.
Rua is trying to ground and pound but Steel uses the momentary lack of control by Rua to regain half guard.
Steel wants to improve his position but Rua is controlling well.
Rua wants to control but Steel is keeping him busy.
Rua missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Jay Steel has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Jorge Rua is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Rua passes the guard and advances to mount!

And that's the end of the fight!
Jorge Rua showed his dominance in that final round.
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 Seu Braga scores the fight 30:27
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 30:27
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 30:27

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