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PBP Commentary |
Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Tapater Rua (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rafael Balboa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rua's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Hordes Of Chaos. Rafael Balboa will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.
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| 175 cm
26
140 lbs
11 - 10 - 0 |
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180 cm
24
134 lbs
6 - 2 - 1 |
BJJ Purple Belt
Good knees
Granite chin |
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BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Determined |
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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
11 - 10 - 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
6 - 2 - 1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rafael Balboa!
The judges for this bout are Leandro Rodrigues, Luis Engracia and Paulo Santos.
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Balboa throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Rua closes the distance and clinches.
Balboa wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Rua has him pressed against the cage.
Rua lands a knee to the head.
It looks like Rafael Balboa has been cut.
Rua lands a nice knee to the body.
Balboa is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
A nice left hand lands by Balboa.
Balboa wants to get back to striking at distance but Rua won't allow it.
Rua landing knees to the head.
Rua landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Rua throws a knee to the head but misses.
A frustrated look appears on Balboa's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Rua tries to land a knee to the head but Balboa blocks with his arms.
Rua misses with a knee to the head.
Balboa wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Rua tries to land a knee to the head but Balboa blocks with his arms.
Rua tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Rua turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!
Balboa is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Rua is controlling him well.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sloppy strikes there by Rua.
Rua wants to control but Balboa is keeping him busy.
Rua misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Rua throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Balboa parries the strikes from Rua easily there. Rua is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Balboa to escape.
Balboa is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Rua asserts his dominance and retains side control.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Rua working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Rua ducks right into an uppercut from Balboa.
Rua takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Rafael Balboa is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Balboa gets caught flat footed, as Rua shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Rua prevents Balboa from getting back to his feet.
Balboa keeping full guard, as Rua tries to pass.
Balboa has momentary wrist control but Rua slips an elbow through the middle.
Rua chips away with some ground and pound.
Balboa wants to stand up but Rua is controlling him.
Rua has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Rua's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Rua trying to control but Balboa is working from the bottom.
Rua passes easily into side control. Nice work.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rua cracks Balboa with a big elbow.
Balboa is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Rua is controlling him well.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Balboa is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Rua connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Balboa some visible discomfort.
Rua working the ground and pound.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Balboa pushes Rua away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Rua gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Balboa looks gassed!
Rua tries for a kimura but Balboa is defending well.
Rua cracks Balboa with a big elbow.
Rua postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Balboa is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Rua asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Rua wants to lay and pray for a moment but Balboa keeps working.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balboa wants to get back to his feet but Rua drags him back down.
Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Balboa connects with the punch.
Rua gets a clinch.
Rua landing knees to the head.
Rua lands a nice knee to the body.
Rua with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Rua tries a knee to the head but Balboa blocks it.
Rua working Balboa over with knees to the body.
Balboa takes a knee to the side of the body.
Rua keeps control of Balboa as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Rua prevents Balboa from breaking the clinch.
Rua throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Balboa blocks it with crossed arms.
Rua misses with a knee strike.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rua misses with a knee strike.
Balboa lands with a left to the head.
Balboa has had enough of the clinch but Rua keeps him there for the moment.
Rua prevents Balboa from breaking the clinch.
Balboa takes a knee right on the jaw!
Rua with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Balboa wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Balboa wants to break the clinch but can't.
Balboa tries to break free but Rua pushes him back against the cage.
Balboa tries to circle away but Rua has him pinned against the cage.
Rua tries a knee to the head but Balboa blocks it.
Balboa wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Balboa wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Rua lands a knee to the body.
Balboa looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Rua keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Balboa's efforts to push away.
Rua tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Balboa avoids it.
Rua jumps guard but Balboa stands there with Rua around his waist. Rua gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Rua blocking some punches.
Rua looking to slow down the pace here.
Balboa is trying to break free.
Balboa stops a takedown attempt from Rua.
Balboa can't break the clinch.
Knees in the clinch landing for Rua.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.
Tapater Rua dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Rafael Balboa's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!
Balboa throws out a loose jab but Rua uses good head movement to avoid it.
Balboa cracks Rua with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
A looping hook to the body misses from Balboa. Rua does a little dance to reset his feet.
Rua takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Rua tries to close the distance and clinch but Balboa swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Balboa loads up on a big right hand but Rua slips the punch.
Balboa misses with a double jab.
Rua darts in and clinches Balboa up against the cage.
Rua utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Rua unloads a knee to the mid-section. Balboa lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Rua tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Balboa breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Balboa listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Rua staying out of range there.
Rua gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Rua tries to land a knee to the head but Balboa blocks with his arms.
Rua tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Balboa tries to circle away but Rua has him pinned against the cage.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Rua putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Balboa in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Knees in the clinch landing for Rua.
Balboa is looking to break free of the clinch but Rua has double underhooks.
Rua working Balboa over with knees to the body.
Rua throws a knee to the head but misses.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Rua looking to throw knees to the head but Balboa is blocking nicely.
Balboa wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Rua has him pressed against the cage.
Balboa looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Balboa has had enough of the clinch but Rua keeps him there for the moment.
Knees to the body from Rua.
Rua tries to pull guard but Balboa won't allow it.
Balboa is trying to break the clinch but Rua has him pressed against the cage.
Balboa is looking to break free of the clinch but Rua has double underhooks.
Rua connects with a nasty looking knee right to Balboa's face.
Balboa has had enough of the clinch but Rua keeps him there for the moment.
Balboa wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Rua has him pressed against the cage.
Balboa is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Rua jumps guard.
Rua throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Balboa trying to stand up but can't free himself from Rua's guard.
Rua punching from the bottom.
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.
Balboa postures up.
Balboa wants to stand and escape but instead Rua has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Rua lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Rua working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Rua wants to control from the top but Balboa keeps moving.
Rua trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Rua connects with a couple of short punches.
Balboa wants to stand and escape but Rua is having none of it.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rua content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Balboa is looking to stand up but Rua isn't so interested in that idea.
Rua is in close to Balboa's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Balboa tries to bum rush Rua with a series of wild strikes but Rua uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
The fight moves into the clinch position.
Rua manages to pull guard.
Balboa stands and steps away. Rua gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Balboa throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Rua rushes Balboa and presses him up against the cage.
Rua landing knees to the head.
Rua landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Rua landing some nice looking knees to the body.
A knee to the head by Rua.
Rua connects with a knee to the head.
Rua wants to stall.
Rua misses with a knee strike.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rua fails to pull guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tapater Rua. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rua throws a knee to the head but misses.
Balboa wants to get back to striking at distance but Rua won't allow it.
Balboa wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Rua has him pressed against the cage.
Rua with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Balboa has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Balboa is looking to break free of the clinch but Rua has double underhooks.
Balboa is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Rua connects with a nasty looking knee right to Balboa's face.
Rua wants to stall.
Rua misses with a knee to the head.
A frustrated look appears on Balboa's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Balboa is trying to break free.
Rua tries to pull guard but Balboa won't allow it.
Rua tries to stall but Balboa uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Balboa wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Rua tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Rua with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Balboa is trying to force a seperation but Rua has the dominant position.
Rua prevents Balboa from breaking the clinch.
Rua is trying to stall.
Rua keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Balboa's efforts to push away.
Balboa avoiding damage as Rua throws knees to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.
Tapater Rua dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Rafael Balboa's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!
Rua tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Balboa rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Rua moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Balboa looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Rua rushes Balboa and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Rua manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Rua thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Rua is trying to control the position but Balboa postures up.
Rua looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Rua is striking but Balboa is not phased and passes to half guard.
Rua misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Balboa stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.
Balboa connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Balboa lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Rua tries to close the distance and clinch up but Balboa swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Rua uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Balboa.
Rua gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Rua with a knee to the head.
Rua unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Rua keeps control of Balboa as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Rua misses with a knee to the head.
Rua with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Balboa avoiding damage as Rua throws knees to the body.
Balboa wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Balboa working hard to break the clinch.
Rua prevents Balboa from breaking the clinch.
Rua looking to throw knees to the head but Balboa is blocking nicely.
Balboa wants to get back to striking at distance but Rua won't allow it.
Balboa is trying to break the clinch but Rua has him pressed against the cage.
Rua tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Balboa wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Balboa is trying to break the clinch but Rua is controlling him.
Rua tries to land a knee to the head but Balboa blocks with his arms.
Balboa tries to break the clinch but Rua is controlling the position.
Balboa has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Rua changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Balboa fights it off and pushes away nicely.
A punch lands to the side of Rua 's head but he takes it in his stride.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Rua slips a straight right by Balboa.
Rua tries to clinch but Balboa is having none of it.
Rua wants to clinch.
Rua misses with a head kick.
Rua fails in his attempt to clinch.
No joy there for Balboa, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Rafael Balboa seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Balboa is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Rua.
Nice defenses there by Rua.
Balboa misses with a looping left.
A jab from Balboa misses.
Rua moves away from the strike by Balboa.
Rua fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Balboa, pushing him back against the cage.
Rua misses with a knee strike.
Rua pulls guard effortlessly.
Rua has his foot on Balboa's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Balboa works his way back into a safe position though.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rua has a closed guard, preventing Balboa from standing up.
Rua is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Balboa is looking to stand up but Rua won't let him.
Rua manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Rua scoring with strikes but Balboa is staying in there.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Rua connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Balboa is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Rafael Balboa has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Rua raining down shots from the mount!
Rua lands a big elbow.
Tapater Rua is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Balboa's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.
Rua landing strikes from the mount and Balboa is in trouble!
Rua has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Balboa's face.
Rua looking to control and managing it successfully.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Rua landing shots from mount.
Rua has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Balboa's face.
And that's the end of the fight!
Tapater Rua showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Rua, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 30:27
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight 30:27
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 30:27
In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tapater Rua!
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| S |
C
A |
G |
S |
C
B |
G |
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S |
C |
G |
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energy
A | B |
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hype
A | B |
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pop
A | B |
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mgr
A | B |
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FIGHT
RATING
49% |
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