PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Barry Honnam (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gabriel Rua (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rumors backstage are that the fighters have been paid to keep it standing but we know that would never happen in MMA!

Honnam
vs
Rua

179 cm
19
180 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

180 cm
20
174 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

Decent wrestler
Solid Muay Thai
KO power

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Barry Honnam!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Gabriel Rua!
The judges for this bout are David Schapiro, Alyssa Summers and Franklyn Lucas.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A lazy body kick from Honnam
and Rua counters with a good low kick that Honnam was not able to check.
Both fighters circling a little - Honnam finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Rua throws a head kick that misses
and Honnam counters with a nice leg kick.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Honnam, right into the meat.
Rua explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.
Gabriel Rua seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Honnam swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Honnam fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Honnam throws a sloppy head kick and Rua moves out of range easily.
Honnam misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Rua checks a leg kick.
Rua misses with a combination
and Honnam counters with a big head kick but Rua shrugs it off.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Honnam throws a head kick but Rua moves out of range.
Barry Honnam is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Honnam throws a sloppy head kick and Rua moves out of range easily.
Rua is looking to clinch but Honnam is avoiding it.

Rua moves into the clinch successfully.
Rua works on Honnam's body with a couple of short punches.
Rua working aggressively here.
Honnam tries to land knees in the clinch but Rua avoids the damage to the body.
Come on Rua - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Honnam avoiding damage as Rua throws knees to the body.
Rua avoiding damage as Honnam throws knees to the body.
Rua gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rua fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Rua taking a breather.
Rua continues to stall. The referee tells him to work or he's going to break them up.
Honnam looking to slow down the pace here.
Rua taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Rua tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Honnam scores with a knee to the head.
Rua is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Honnam is defending well for now.
Rua lands a nice knee to the body.
Honnam using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Rua has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rua managing to block the knees to the body from Honnam.
With the fighters up against the cage, Rua throws an elbow but misses.
Rua jumps guard but Honnam turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Honnam has Rua pressed against the cage.
Honnam dodges an elbow strike from Rua.
Honnam missing with knees to the body.
Honnam tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Rua avoids it.
Rua misses with a hook to the ribs.
Rua throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Honnam blocks it with crossed arms.
Honnam looking to stall.
Rua lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Honnam backwards.
Honnam avoiding damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The referee calls for Rua to work.
Rua with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Honnam blocking some punches.
Rua tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Rua managing to block the knees to the body from Honnam.
Rua blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Honnam blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Rua is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Honnam pulls him back up using the underhooks.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Rua on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Rua struggles to land a body shot inside as Honnam controls his hands.
Rua crunches a lovely knee into Honnam's ribcage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Barry Honnam will probably get the nod.
That's time! Honnam's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Rua fails to land with a series of punches.
Rua tries to clinch
and Honnam counters with a body kick that stops Rua in his tracks momentarily.
A low kick from Honnam is predictable there
and Rua counters with a series of strikes. Honnam will be more careful next time no doubt.
Honnam tries a head kick but it misses.
Honnam moves forwards but Rua connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Rua tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Rua checks a low kick from Honnam.
Rua will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
A head kick misses from Honnam.
Rua shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Honnam sprawls well. Honnam wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Rua gets slowly back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Honnam throws a leg kick but Rua sees it coming and moves out of range.
Honnam wants to land a leg kick but Rua is out of range.
Rua misses with a series of wild punches.
Honnam scoring well with a low kick there.
Honnam misses with a wild body shot.
Rua tries to bum rush Honnam with a series of wild strikes but Honnam uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Rua stalks Honnam and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Honnam's face. Honnam staggers backwards, shaken.
Rua tries to clinch but Honnam moves out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rua misses with a wild body shot.
Rua misses with a straight left.
A slapping leg kick lands for Honnam.
Barry Honnam is winning the standup battle so far.
Rua is breathing heavily.
Rua wants to clinch up but Honnam keeps it at a distance.
Honnam dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Rua. That did some damage!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Rua tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Honnam swivels and escapes.
Honnam looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Honnam throws a low kick but Rua moves out of range easily.
Honnam looks to land a body kick but Rua moved away.
Honnam throws a half hearted mid kick.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Honnam.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Rua checks a leg kick.
Rua is looking to clinch.
Honnam scores with a leg kick.
Honnam displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Rua.
Barry Honnam has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Gabriel Rua.
Honnam throws a leg kick
and Rua counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Rua moves into range and connects with a jab.
Honnam scoring well with a low kick there.
Honnam circles away from the clinch attempt.
A bone on bone clash there as Rua blocks the leg kick.
A head kick by Honnam misses

and Rua counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Honnam is looking to escape.
Honnam wants to sweep but Rua has passed to side control!
Honnam tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Rua content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
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 Barry Honnam will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Rua wants to clinch
and Honnam counters with an outside leg kick.
Honnam lands a high kick!
Rua lands with a nice combination. Honnam backs away looking to recover.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Rua wants to clinch.
Honnam lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Rua is looking to score with low kicks.
Rua misses with a double jab.

Rua closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Honnam on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Honnam tries to get out of the position.
Rua takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Rua goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Honnam rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Rua's guard! Nice work there by Honnam!
Rua manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rua thowing shots but they're missing.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Honnam is squirming around, avoiding Rua's attempts to control the action.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rua controlling the position easily from mount.
Honnam wants to control but Rua is having none of it.
Honnam keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Honnam is bucking up trying to escape but Rua cracks him with another couple of good strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rua tries to control but Honnam wriggling away.
Honnam tries to hold on but Rua pushes him away.
Gabriel Rua has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Rua trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Rua takes Honnam's back. Could be looking for a rear naked choke here - either way, Honnam is in trouble.

Honnam fending off the submission attempt from Rua.
Barry Honnam is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Honnam trying to control the action but Rua just sinks the hooks in.

Rua working for the choke.

Rua is persistently looking for the submission but Honnam is defending it well.

And that's the end of the fight!
Gabriel Rua comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Honnam has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 David Schapiro scores the fight 29:28
Judge Alyssa Summers scores the fight 29:29
Judge Franklyn Lucas scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Barry Honnam!
During a confident post fight interview, Barry Honnam thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.