PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Phil Laak (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Adam Rubio (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). This should be fireworks!

Laak
vs
Rubio

172 cm
30
169 lbs
6 - 2 - 0

180 cm
31
165 lbs
22 - 18 - 0

Good wrestling
World class MT
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

LOD: Affordable Quality

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Phil Laak!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 22 - 18 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Adam Rubio!
The judges for this bout are Gregory Folan, Steve Smith and Robert Douchet.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Laak moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Rubio is looking to clinch but Laak is avoiding it.
Rubio moves out of range as Laak throws a body kick.
Rubio tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Laak counters with a left to the body.
Rubio looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Laak fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Rubio manages to avoid it.
Adam Rubio seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rubio keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Rubio uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Laak.

Rubio scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Rubio works to advance to full mount. Laak defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
Laak tries to control the position but Rubio now has his back.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rubio wants to control but Laak is keeping busy.
Laak tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Laak is trying desperately to improve position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rubio wants to control the pace but Laak is squirming around nicely.
Laak sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Rubio wants to pass to mount but Laak is defending the position.
Laak moves into full guard.
Rubio wants to stand and escape but instead Laak has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Laak trying to control the position from guard on top but Rubio is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rubio wants to stand up but Laak is controlling him.
Laak trying to control the position from guard on top but Rubio is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Laak is really struggling to control Rubio but he's trying to hold on to the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Laak is looking to advance position but Rubio has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!
Rubio wants to control the pace but Laak is squirming around nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rubio misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Rubio throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Laak because Rubio loaded up on that one.
Rubio can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Laak is looking to escape.
Laak really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Rubio throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Laak is controlling an arm, preventing Rubio from taking his back. Although keeping him in mount is no better to be honest.
Rubio wants to control the action but instead Laak gets a body lock and reverses into Rubio's guard! Nice work!

Rubio manages to escape and get back to his feet.
Laak throws a shot from downtown. Rubio moves away and avoids it.
Rubio walks into a left hand.
Rubio is looking to clinch but Laak is avoiding it.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
The fight stays on the outside here - Rubio looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Laak slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Rubio clinches with his opponent.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Adam Rubio will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Laak swats away the attempt to clinch by Rubio.
Rubio tries to close the distance and clinch but Laak swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Laak misses with a low kick.
Rubio cracks Laak with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Rubio fails with an attempt to clinch.
Laak keeps the fight on the outside.
Laak tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Rubio manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Laak misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Rubio.
Rubio takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Rubio tries to close the distance and clinch up but Laak swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Rubio has taken the fight to the clinch.
Rubio misses with a punch on the inside.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Rubio.
Rubio blocks an elbow strike.

Rubio breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Rubio tries to clinch but Laak moves out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Laak closes the distance and clinches.
Our sources have told us that Laak has been working on his knees in the buildup to the fight.
A head punch on the inside from Rubio fails to land.
Rubio slows down the pace here.
Laak lands a left hand.
Rubio wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Laak has him pressed against the cage.
A right handed body shot lands from Laak.
Rubio trying to control the position but instead, Laak has worked for underhooks and has pushed Rubio into the cage.
Rubio lands an elbow inside that Laak shrugs off.

It looks like Phil Laak has been cut.
Rubio gets through Laak's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Rubio looking to stall.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Laak.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Laak.
Rubio on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Laak as Rubio tries to tie him up.
Rubio fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Laak lands an elbow inside.
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!
Rubio blocking some punches.
Rubio just leaning against Laak, taking a breather.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Rubio.
A short right from Laak.
Laak doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Laak throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Rubio blocks it with crossed arms.
Laak misses with the head strike.
Rubio has a couple of punches blocked by Laak.
Rubio throws a punch but it's blocked by Laak.
Rubio lands a left hand.
Rubio throws a head punch that misses.

Rubio pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Rubio pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Laak throws a push kick but Rubio slaps the foot to one side.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Laak tries to move into range but Rubio moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Rubio moves out of range of the body kick.
Rubio tries to clinch up.
Laak is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Laak swinging wildly here.
Laak shoots for a double leg takedown but Rubio sprawls well. He's pushed Laak's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Rubio tries to clinch but Laak is having none of it.
Rubio fails in his attempt to clinch.

Rubio rushes Laak and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Laak tries to break free but Rubio pushes him back against the cage.

Rubio breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Rubio shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Laak as he avoids it easily.
Rubio doesn't manage to clinch there - Laak circles away.
Rubio throws a quick inside leg kick.
Rubio fails to land the takedown.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rubio tries to clinch there but Laak circles away.
Rubio moves in looking to clinch but Laak pushes him off.
Rubio lands a front kick.
Laak connects with a right hand. Rubio shakes it off.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Laak on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Laak is looking to land body kicks.
Rubio ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Laak circles away from the clinch attempt.

Rubio clinches up with Laak and pushes him back against the cage.
Rubio scores with a nice hook to the head.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Rubio lands a hook that snaps the head of Laak backwards.
Rubio tries a body shot but Laak blocks it.
Rubio tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Rubio creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Rubio misses with the head strike.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Adam Rubio showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Phil Laak's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

A swing and a miss from Laak.
Rubio tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Laak paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Rubio has managed to clinch.
A short left from Rubio.
Rubio with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.

Rubio's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Laak keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Laak defending well as Rubio loads up on a big left hand.
That kick from Rubio tenderised Laak's leg. Laak is trying to keep his angry face on.
Rubio throws a head kick but Laak moves out of range.

Laak closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Laak lands in his opponent's guard.
Rubio tries to land a sweep but no joy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Rubio holds on and takes a little breather.
Laak prevents Rubio from getting back to his feet.
Laak trying to control the position from guard on top but Rubio is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Rubio is looking to sweep but instead, Laak has passed into half guard.
Laak is pressing down on Rubio's thigh, looking to free his foot. Rubio is holding on for now.
Phil Laak has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rubio is not content to let Laak control the position.
Laak is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Rubio is squirming around, avoiding Laak's attempts to control the action.
Laak raining down shots from the mount!
Rubio is desperately trying to improve his position but Laak has a good base and remains in mount.
Phil Laak overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Laak can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Rubio is looking to escape.
Laak sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Rubio is squirming around, avoiding Laak's attempts to control the action.
Rubio is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Laak can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Rubio is looking to escape.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Rubio avoids a series of strikes thrown by Laak.
Adam Rubio is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Rubio manages to work a leg through to get back to half guard here. Good work there by Rubio, under a barage of strikes from Laak.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Laak wants to take a breather but Rubio is having none of it.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Phil Laak.
Laak throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

And that's the end of the fight!
Phil Laak showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Rubio has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Gregory Folan scores the fight 29:28
Judge Steve Smith scores the fight 29:29
Judge Robert Douchet scores the fight 28:29

The fight is ruled a draw!