PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Marcus Setta (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Antonio Rutten (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Marcus Setta has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Setta
vs
Rutten

195 cm
26
220 lbs
2 - 2 - 1

198 cm
22
275 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Good chin

Good wrestler
Good elbows
Knockout power

Laundry Service Vegas
FinnFighter Nutrition (Five 160Q supps!)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 1, fighting out of Hilo, Marcus Setta!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Antonio Rutten!
The judges for this bout are Ryoma Takatsuka, Micheangelo Fripello and Chris Saunders.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Rutten clinches with his opponent.
Setta working aggressively here.

Rutten decides to pull guard.

Rutten is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Setta defends well.
Setta has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Setta slips nicely into half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Setta has improved his flexibility recently so we will have to see if he can use that to his advantage.
Rutten keeping control of the position.
Rutten is trying to escape back to his feet but Setta uses the scramble to pass into side control.
Setta wants to stand but Rutten is controlling his arm.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rutten tries to improve position but can't.
Setta sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Rutten is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Rutten is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Setta's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Setta wants to stand up but Rutten manages to regain full guard.
Rutten is looking to stand up but Setta isn't so interested in that idea.
Setta stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Rutten swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Rutten trying to control the position here.

Rutten throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Setta escapes and throws Rutten's legs to the side, diving into side control!

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Rutten throws Setta to one side and escapes!
Rutten listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.

It looks like Marcus Setta has been cut.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Rutten tries to clinch up

and Setta counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Setta misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Rutten.
Rutten crunches a lovely knee into Setta's ribcage.
Rutten working Setta over with knees to the body.
Setta is breathing heavily.
Setta letting Rutten take a breather here.

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Setta takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Rutten cracks Setta with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Rutten advances to mount.
Setta is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.
The referee warns Setta that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.

Rutten looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.

Rutten is standing up out of mount! Strange tactic there - he must really want this one on the 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!
Rutten scores with a shot to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rutten wants to clinch up but Setta keeps it at a distance.

Rutten has closed the distance and engaged Setta in a clinch.
Rutten avoids a wild elbow strike from Setta.
Rutten tries for a takedown. No joy.
Rutten lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Setta throws a head punch that misses.

Rutten has picked Setta up - he's going for a ride! Rutten dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Setta wants to improve his position but Rutten is controlling well.

Rutten is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Setta trying to hold on to Rutten's head to control him but Rutten postures up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Antonio Rutten dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Marcus Setta's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Rutten closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Setta takes an elbow to the forehead.
Rutten taking a breather.
Rutten unloads a knee to the mid-section. Setta lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Setta lands on the inside with an uppercut.

Rutten jumps into guard, dragging Setta to the mat.
Rutten is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Setta is controlling him.
Setta throwing strikes but missing.
Rutten manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Setta manages to get himself to full guard.
Rutten content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rutten won't allow Setta to sweep him here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Setta is adopting a defensive guard.
Rutten stops Setta from standing up.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Rutten gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Setta throws a series of punches but Rutten moves out of range.
Setta throws a head kick but Rutten moves out of range.
Setta tries to clinch there but Rutten circles away.
Marcus Setta is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Rutten fails in his attempt to clinch.
Rutten tries to close the distance and clinch but Setta swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Setta avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Rutten clinches.
Rutten has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Rutten is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Rutten gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Setta regains guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Rutten loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Rutten tries to free his leg and advance position but Setta is retaining full guard.
Rutten throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Setta works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Rutten stands up over Setta, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Rutten wants to pass the guard but Setta is keeping the position.
Rutten is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Rutten slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Rutten taking a breather here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Rutten thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Rutten scoring with punches and elbows.
Rutten remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
Rutten advances to full mount.

Rutten is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Setta is surviving well by controlling Rutten's body position as best he can.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rutten with the ground and pound from mount.
Rutten content just to control the position here.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Setta defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Rutten.
Rutten prevents Setta from getting the reversal.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Rutten controlling from mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Antonio Rutten showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Marcus Setta's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Rutten stalks Setta and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Setta's face. Setta staggers backwards, shaken.

Rutten gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Rutten has Setta pushed against the cage.

Rutten decides to pull guard.
Rutten tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Rutten throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Rutten is controlling Setta's posture.
Setta trying to control the position from guard on top but Rutten is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Rutten has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Setta can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Rutten is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Rutten pulls Setta in to control the position.
Setta won't allow Rutten to sweep him here.
Rutten pulls Setta in close to his closed guard and prevents Setta from doing any damage or advancing position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Setta throws a leg kick but Rutten moved away.
Setta throws a head kick that misses.

Rutten closes the distance and clinches.
Rutten changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Setta fights it off and pushes away nicely.

Rutten closes the distance and clinches.
Setta trying to land knees to the body.

Rutten has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Setta uses from the top position.
Rutten seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Rutten tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Antonio Rutten is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Setta showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Rutten has control of Setta's left arm, preventing Setta from doing any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Setta tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Rutten manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Rutten tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Setta paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Setta throws a head kick that misses

and Rutten counters with a single leg into guard. Setta didn't expect that.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Rutten is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.

Setta is working an open guard so Rutten takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.

Rutten closes the distance and pushes Setta back into the cage.
Rutten taking a breather.
Marcus Setta has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Setta pushes Rutten back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Antonio Rutten seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rutten is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Setta is defending well.
Rutten on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Rutten with a knee to the head.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Rutten is working for takedown but Setta is calmly controlling the position for now.
Marcus Setta has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Antonio Rutten.

Rutten has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Setta regains guard immediately.
Rutten passes Setta's left leg - he's now in half guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Rutten perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

Setta looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
Antonio Rutten comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Rutten 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 Ryoma Takatsuka scores the fight 27:30
Judge Micheangelo Fripello scores the fight 27:30
Judge Chris Saunders scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Antonio Rutten!