PBP Commentary

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

Staal
vs
Rugowski

195 cm
28
230 lbs
18 - 6 - 0

225 cm
32
277 lbs
20 - 10 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Brute
Mango Nutrition (90% Laundry)

RMC - $ 11 Shorts!

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 18 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, John Staal!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 20 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Bubba Rugowski!
The judges for this bout are Paulo Santos, Thiago Cunha and Mauricio Rocha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rugowski tries to clinch but Staal moves out of range.
Staal throws out a loose jab but Rugowski uses good head movement to avoid it.
Staal pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Staal lands with a nice body kick.
Staal blocks a leg kick.
Rugowski is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Jab, jab by Rugowski - just one landing.

Staal has Rugowski up against the cage in a clinch.
Staal lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Rugowski or not.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A short right from Staal on the inside.

It looks like Bubba Rugowski has been cut.

Staal pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Staal throws a nice outside leg kick.
Rugowski misses with an uppercut.
Rugowski chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Staal can pounce on him.
Rugowski looks gassed!
Rugowski misses with a body kick.
Rugowski tries to clinch there but Staal circles away.
Rugowski takes one to the side of the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rugowski takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
A kick lands to the mid section there for Staal.
Rugowski stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Staal.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Staal cracks Rugowski with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
A nice leg kick lands there from Staal.
Staal throws the kick towards the body but Rugowski avoids it.
Staal lands with a thumping leg kick.

Staal shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Staal throwing shots but Rugowski is blocking nicely.
Staal thows a huge punch but Rugowski dodges it nicely.
Rugowski is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Staal scores with a couple of nice shots.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Staal lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.

Rugowski is rocked!
Staal tries to pass to full mount but Rugowski defends it.
Staal trying to advance position but Rugowski counters by regaining guard.
Rugowski keeping moving, preventing Staal from controlling successfully.
Staal throwing strikes but missing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Staal trying to control but Rugowski is working from the bottom.
Staal postures up in Rugowski's guard and throws a big left but Rugowski blocks it.
Staal sitting in guard, not really doing much.

The ref stands the fighters back up. John Staal wasn't doing enough on the ground.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Staal.
Staal misses with a low kick.
A lazy left from Staal finds it's target.
Rugowski looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Nice uppercut there from Rugowski.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Staal throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Rugowski tries a head kick but it misses.
Staal pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Staal lands a head kick that stumbles Rugowski and the fighters go to the mat.
Rugowski is still in real trouble! Can Staal finish him?
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Staal looking to sit in guard and control but Rugowski gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Rugowski seems to have recovered his senses.
Rugowski looking to sit in guard and control but Staal gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Rugowski tries to land a sweep but no joy.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Staal controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Staal dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Bubba Rugowski's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Rugowski misses with a head kick.
John Staal is winning the standup battle so far.
Staal throws a half hearted mid kick.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Staal.
Rugowski misses with a head kick.
Rugowski tries to clinch up but Staal circles away and keeps his distance.
It really doesn't seem like the step up in weight is hurting Staal here at all. He's more than holding his own against the bigger man.
Rugowski throws a head kick that misses.
A big right from Rugowski misses.
Staal just misses with a punch to the body.
Staal throws a head kick but Rugowski moves out of range.
Rugowski throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Staal is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Rugowski can do to turn this around?
Rugowski misses with a hook
and Staal counters with an inside leg kick.
Staal throws a half hearted mid kick.
Rugowski is breathing heavily.
Rugowski throws a nice head kick!
Staal tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Staal feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Rugowski's calf.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A slapping leg kick lands for Staal.
Staal throws a hook but Rugowski avoids it easily.
Staal buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Staal fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Rugowski.
Staal with a body punch. A glancing blow.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Staal connects with a body shot.

Staal throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Rugowski tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Staal is in Rugowski's guard.
Staal stays in close to Rugowski's body and controls the position.
Staal pushing down on Rugowski's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Staal lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Rugowski is staying active underneath Staal, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Staal moves into full mount! Rugowski won't be happy about that!
The referee warns Rugowski that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Staal fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Staal can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Rugowski is looking to escape.
Rugowski avoids a series of strikes thrown by Staal.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rugowski holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Staal tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
Staal throwing strikes here but Rugowski is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Staal has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rugowski blocking the ground and pound.
Staal wants to control the pace but Rugowski is squirming around nicely.
John Staal overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Staal throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Rugowski wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Staal.
Staal lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Poor strikes thrown by Staal there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!
Staal lands with some strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rugowski avoids a series of strikes thrown by Staal.
Staal trying to control but Rugowski is having none of it.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Staal lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.

That has opened up Bubba Rugowski's cut even more.
Rugowski has worked his way to half guard, taking advantage of Staal's lack of action.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Staal wants to control but Rugowski is keeping him busy.
Staal takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Staal dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Bubba Rugowski's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

Staal thows a body shot but no joy.
Staal circles to his right before unloading a perfect head kick! Rugowski drops to the canvas, hurt badly! Staal follows Rugowski to the ground and unloads with a series of strikes that force the referee to step in and end the fight! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:10 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). John Staal!
John Staal retains his heavyweight title!