PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Rampage Rua (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Paul Walker (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 Paul Walker was going to win. Let's see if he was right.

Rua
vs
Walker

160 cm
18
130 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

158 cm
20
135 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Big heart

Decent wrestler
Brawler
Granite chin

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 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rampage Rua!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Paul Walker!
The judges for this bout are Mauricio Rocha, Luis Engracia and Paulo Santos.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rua closes this distance looking for a takedown but Walker circles away.
Rua wants to clinch up but Walker keeps it at a distance.
Rua is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Walker checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.

Walker has Rua up against the cage in a clinch.
Rua has Walker pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Walker manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Rua is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rampage Rua. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rua tries for a takedown but Walker manages to get underhooks.

Rua lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Walker keeps control of the position for the meantime.
Rua tries to stand and escape but Walker is controlling the position.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Walker can do anything to dispel that myth.
Walker keeps control of the position for the meantime.

Rua is trying to work for a kimura but Walker is defending well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Walker regains full guard. Nicely done.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Walker is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Walker sitting and controlling from the half guard.

Walker is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Rua defends it well.
Walker trying to pass the guard but Rua defending well.

Rua pushes Walker off and gets back to his feet.
Rua lands with a thumping leg kick.
Rua is breathing heavily.
Rua misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Walker tries to clinch but Rua is having none of it.
Rua misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Walker drops Rua with a right and a left! Walker comes rushing in but Rua regains his composure and manages to keep Walker in guard.

Rua is rocked!
Walker trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Oh Rua is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Walker passes Rua's left leg - he's now in half guard.

Walker is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

Walker decides to stand and escape the position.
Rua seems to have got his legs back now.
Rua misses with a leg kick.

Walker has managed to clinch.
Rua throws a knee to the head but misses.
Nice body punch from Walker.
Rua has Walker pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Walker manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Rua has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Walker is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for leaving it all in the cage!
Walker trying to stall but Rua improves his position.
Rua tries to pull guard but Walker won't allow it.
Walker wants to break the clinch but can't.
Rua drops down looking for an ankle pick but Walker pulls his leg out and moves away.

Rua closes the distance and clinches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rua changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Walker fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Walker pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Rua lands a nice looking body kick.
Rua explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.
Rua fails with the takedown.

Rua has Walker up against the cage in a clinch.
Rua prevents Walker from breaking the clinch.

Rua turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Rua manages to end up in side control.

Rua is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Walker has escaped the position, nice work there.
Walker is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Walker is trying to control Rua's posture but Rua avoids it.

Rua has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
Walker tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Rua fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

Walker closes the distance and clinches.
Rua has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Walker is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.

Walker works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Walker has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Rua is proving hard to escape from.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Walker looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Walker passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Walker controlling from side mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Paul Walker dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Walker darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Rua wants to improve his position but Walker is controlling well.
Rua is looking to get full guard. It looks like he might be successful but at the last minute Walker jumps into side control!
Walker lands an elbow.
Rua is looking for a sweep.
Rua is working hard here to advance position.
Walker just content to control the position.
Rua takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Walker looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Walker stands up and we're back to a striking position.

Walker has Rua up against the cage in a clinch.
Rua changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Walker fights it off and pushes away nicely.

Rua shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Rua moves nicely into side control.
Rua moves into full mount!
Rua lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.

Rua is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Walker can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Walker is squirming around, avoiding Rua's attempts to control the action.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Walker is looking to improve his position but Rua isn't that keen on the idea.
Paul Walker has got the better of the ground game so far.
Rua fails to move to back control.
Walker'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 has control of Walker's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Walker regains control of the situation pretty easily.
Rua is trying to stand up but he's being controlled by his opponent.
Walker is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.

Rua looking to secure an arm triangle but Walker defends it well.

Rua goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Walker is on top in guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Rua looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

Rua is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Rua tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Walker trying to control but Rua is working from the bottom.
Rua manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Walker manages to get himself to full guard.
Rua would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Walker not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

Rua stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Rua blocks a leg kick.
Walker misses with a straight left.

Walker shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Rua's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Walker with a nice head shot there.
Walker is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Walker is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Let's hope that Walker has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Walker lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Walker is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Walker scoring with punches to the head and body.
Walker landing some decent shots from guard.
Walker is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Walker must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Walker distracts Rua with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Walker passes Rua's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Walker is working for a kimura but Rua is defending it quite comfortably.
Walker is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Paul Walker showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Rua lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.
Rua with a poor takedown

and Walker decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Rua's guard.

Rua is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Walker with a nice head shot there.

Rua working for a triangle but Walker defends it easily.
Rua trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Walker won't allow Rua to sweep him here.
Walker wants to control from the top but Rua keeps moving.
Walker prevents Rua from getting back to his feet.
Walker not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Walker stopping the sweep attempt from Rua.
Rua not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Walker throws a half hearted mid kick.

Walker scores with a takedown into Rua's guard.
Walker working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Rua's head.

Rua wriggles free and stands up.
Rua thuds his shin into the meat of Walker's side.

Walker gets caught flat footed, as Rua shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.

Walker pushes Rua off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Rampage Rua seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Walker takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Walker throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Rua.

Walker bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
You can see the frustration on Rua's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Walker trying to control the action but Rua is working from the bottom.

Walker decides to stand up, so the ref orders Rua to his feet.
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 connects with a looping right hand.
Rua tries to clinch

and Walker counters with a nice double leg into side control. Rua won't be happy with that.
Rua is trying to get back to half guard.
Walker working the head with strikes.
Rua prevents Walker from moving into mount.

Rua sneaks out the side door and pushes Walker away - he's back to his feet. The crowd show their appreciation for the escape.
Rampage Rua is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Walker throws a poor cross that misses
and Rua counters with a leg kick.
Rua with a lazy takedown attempt

and Walker counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Walker.

Rua manages to escape and get back to his feet.
Rua misses with a head kick.
Walker misses with a hook.
Walker throws a hook to the side of Rua's head but Rua sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Walker throws a wild body kick that Rua sees coming a mile off.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Walker.
Rua scores with a leg kick.
Walker takes a kick to the side of the head.

Walker looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Rua!
Rua is looking to improve his position but Walker isn't that keen on the idea.
Walker controlling his opponent.
Rua throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
Walker controlling his opponent.
Rampage Rua has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rua can't escape the position.
Walker connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Rua is in a horrible position here. Walker smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Rua really wants to buck Walker off and get back to his feet.
Rua is trying desperately to improve position.
Rua gets back to half guard.
Rua flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.

Rua is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Walker pulls his head out easily.
Walker prevents Rua from standing back up.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Rua misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Walker trying to control the pace.

Rua looking for submissions off his back.

And that's the end of the fight!
Paul Walker comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Walker has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 27:30
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight 27:30
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Paul Walker!