PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Bambam Rubble (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Thiago Maia (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). I'm sure you'll be fascinated to know that I was talking to some pointless Z list celebrity before the fight and he thought that Thiago Maia was going to win. Let's see if he was right.

Rubble
vs
Maia

188 cm
20
192 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

190 cm
18
195 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Improved boxing
Cuts easily

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter striker
Intelligent

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Bambam Rubble!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Thiago Maia!
The judges for this bout are Luis Engracia, Leandro Rodrigues and Daniel Cesar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Maia shoots in but Rubble avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Maia misses with a takedown attempt - Rubble sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Maia gets caught flat footed, as Rubble shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Rubble looking to pass the guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Maia looking to control.
Rubble wants to control from the top but Maia keeps moving.

Rubble stands up from guard. Let's bang!

Rubble bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Maia trying to control but Rubble flips him over like a cheap hooker and has his back!
I really don't envy Maia right now.
Maia trying to control but he's just got himself in more trouble.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rubble controls the action.
Maia holding both Rubble 's hands and preventing any damage.
Maia breaks Rubble's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
Rubble wants to stand but Maia is controlling the position.
Rubble knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Maia on the ground.
Rubble keeping moving, preventing Maia from controlling successfully.
Rubble is breathing heavily.
Maia seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Rubble keeping moving, preventing Maia from controlling successfully.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Maia pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Rubble is keeping the position for now.
Rubble throws some sloppy strikes off his back.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
A leg kick checked by Rubble.
Rubble misses with a two punch combination.
Rubble doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Maia counters with an inside leg kick.
Rubble pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Horrible takedown by Maia or perhaps it was just good defense by Rubble which made him look bad.
Bambam Rubble has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Thiago Maia.

Rubble drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Maia struggling a bit here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maia tries to buck Rubble off but Rubble is having none of it.
Maia can't do much from the bottom here.
Maia is not content to let Rubble control the position.
Rubble controls the position.
Rubble working away.
Maia sneaks back into half guard.
Maia taking some punishment here, with Rubble in his half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Rubble blocks the strikes from Maia.
Maia tries to get to full guard but Rubble has control of the leg.
It looks like Rubble is going to stand back up.
Maia has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Rubble is working away from the top position though.
Rubble sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Maia makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Maia.
Rubble stopping the sweep attempt from Maia.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Rubble throws a right and a left that Maia avoids nicely.
Maia takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Bambam Rubble seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rubble looks for a takedown but Maia sprawls well.
Rubble shoots in and drives through. Maia sprawls well.
A slapping leg kick lands for Maia.
Rubble checks the leg kick.
Rubble slow jab from Maia misses its intended target.
Maia throws a hook to the side of Rubble's head but Rubble sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Rubble pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Rubble throws a lazy head kick

and Maia counters with a takedown into side control.
Maia throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Maia wants to control but Rubble is keeping him busy.
Maia is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maia avoids the strikes from the bottom by Rubble.
Rubble is trying to control Maia's posture but Maia avoids it.
Maia is trying to ground and pound but Rubble uses the momentary lack of control by Maia to regain half guard.

Maia wants to work for an arm triangle but Rubble is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Maia wants to lay and pray for a moment but Rubble keeps working.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Maia fails with the takedown
and Rubble counters with a three punch combo that has Maia backing up. Maia nods at Rubble to acknowledge the strikes.

Maia is rocked!

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Rubble decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Maia is still on wobbly legs! Can Rubble finish him?
Maia is trying to control but can't.
Rubble thows a huge punch but Maia dodges it nicely.
Rubble thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Maia's head.
Maia is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Maia seems to have recovered his senses.
Maia moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Maia bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Rubble's guard.
Maia works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Maia thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maia is trying to control the action in half guard but Rubble is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Maia thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Rubble's head.
Maia working to pass to mount. He's got his hand pressing down on Rubble's thigh. Rubble counters though and makes it back to full guard.
Maia trying to control but Rubble is working from the bottom.
Maia postures up.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Rubble connects with a single shot there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Maia avoids a punch combination nicely.
Maia with a lazy takedown attempt

so Rubble counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Maia wants to sweep but no luck.
Rubble would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Rubble looking to pass the guard.
Maia working a defensive guard here.
Rubble passes into half guard under a barage of strikes.
Rubble is trying to get back to his feet now but his leg is trapped.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Maia regains full guard. Nicely done.
Maia working a defensive guard here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bambam Rubble dominated that second round.
That's time! Rubble's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Rubble gets a takedown into half guard.
Rubble seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Rubble wants to pass to mount but Maia is defending the position.
Maia slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Bambam Rubble overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Maia keeping moving, preventing Rubble from controlling successfully.
Rubble is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Rubble is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Maia controls Rubble momentarily but Rubble frees himself.
Maia being controlled here, momentarily.
Maia pulls Rubble in close to prevent any damage.

Maia has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Rubble can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Rubble has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Rubble controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Maia trying to control the position.
Rubble stopping the sweep attempt from Maia.

Maia keeping busy on the bottom but Rubble has passed one foot through into half guard.
Maia punching from the bottom.
Maia makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Maia.
Rubble postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Maia is on top in guard.
Maia stops Rubble from standing up.
Maia trying to control but Rubble is working from the bottom.
Maia is in close to Rubble's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Maia wants to control from the top but Rubble keeps moving.

That's four 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.
Rubble seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.

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

Rubble forces Maia back against the cage and clinches.

Rubble turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Rubble manages to end up in side control.
Maia tries to improve position but can't.
Maia is trying to control Rubble's posture but Rubble avoids it.
Maia is not content to let Rubble control the position.
Maia gets back to half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Bambam Rubble showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Rubble 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 Luis Engracia scores the fight 30:27
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 30:27
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Bambam Rubble!