PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Kenichi Machida (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Damien Rutten (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters will be looking to make this an exciting fight for the fans, I'm sure!

Machida
vs
Rutten

190 cm
23
225 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

190 cm
25
239 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Good kicks
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Solid chin

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 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Kenichi Machida!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Damien Rutten !
The judges for this bout are Donald Grub, Sam Margolis and Andrew Berry.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rutten throws a right and a left that both miss.
Rutten defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Machida.

Rutten moves into range and clinches up with Machida.
Rutten avoiding damage.
Rutten wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Machida fails to pull the fight into his guard.

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 Machida uses from the top position.
Machida working some strikes from top position.
Machida wants to stand but Rutten is controlling his posture from full guard.
Machida working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Rutten working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Machida.
Machida scoring with punches to the head and body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rutten working a defensive guard here.
Machida trying to control the position from guard on top but Rutten is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Rutten really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Machida. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Machida working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Rutten is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Rutten keeping moving, preventing Machida from controlling successfully.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Kenichi Machida.
Rutten closes the distance and clinches up with Machida, looking for a takedown. Rutten pushes Machida against the cage but Machida circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rutten changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Machida tries to avoid it but Rutten manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Machida to the ground. Machida escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Rutten with a body punch. A glancing blow.
The fight stays on the outside here - Rutten looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Rutten drives through and clinches with Machida against the cage.

Rutten decides to pull guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Machida trying to control the position from guard on top but Rutten is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Machida won't allow Rutten to sweep him here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rutten can't keep his opponent in guard - Machida advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Rutten trying to control but Machida postures up.
Machida winds up and cracks Rutten with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Rutten pushes Machida off looking to stand but Machida dives back in and keeps control.
Machida working the head and body with strikes.
Machida 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.

Rutten looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Rutten is looking to control Machida's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Rutten avoid being mounted?
Rutten looks winded!
Rutten is refusing to be controlled, as Machida sits in half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Machida throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Machida prevents Rutten from improving his position.
Rutten is trying to stand.
Machida looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Machida wants to lay and pray for a moment but Rutten keeps working.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Machida frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
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 Kenichi Machida will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Rutten misses with a body kick.
Machida stuffs the takedown attempt from Rutten . Rutten gets slowly back to his feet.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Machida.
Kenichi Machida is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Machida looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.

Rutten clinches up against the cage.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Rutten .
Machida is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Rutten is keeping busy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Machida avoiding damage as Rutten throws knees to the body.
Rutten blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

Rutten pulls guard successfully.
Machida throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Rutten works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Machida throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Rutten works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Machida wants to control from the top but Rutten keeps moving.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Machida throwing strikes but missing.

Rutten pushes Machida off and scrambles back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rutten shoots in for a double leg but Machida sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Damien Rutten seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Rutten has taken the fight to the clinch.
Machida is trying to pull guard but Rutten turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Rutten pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Machida stops a takedown attempt from Rutten .
Kenichi Machida has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Damien Rutten .
Machida with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Machida tries a knee to the head but Rutten blocks it.
Machida doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Rutten works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Rutten lands with a light punch inside.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rutten misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Machida.

Rutten jumps guard.
Rutten is pulling down on Machida's head. It's preventing any offense from Machida, at least for the moment.
Rutten is looking to stand up but Machida isn't so interested in that idea.
Rutten wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Rutten working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Machida.
Machida with a flurry of punches that miss.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rutten trying to strike off his back.
Rutten thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Rutten pulls Machida in to control the position.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Damien Rutten hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.

Rutten gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Machida gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Rutten .
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
A frustrated look appears on Machida's face as he tries to break the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Damien Rutten 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! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Rutten ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Rutten slaps away a takedown attempt from Machida, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Machida avoids the head kick by Rutten .
Machida slaps away a takedown attempt from Rutten , before circling back to the center of the mat.
Rutten throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Machida shoots in but Rutten avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Rutten ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Machida slaps away a takedown attempt from Rutten , before circling back to the center of the mat.

Rutten instigates a clinch.
A bit of stalling here from Rutten .
Machida tries to circle away but Rutten has him pinned against the cage.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Rutten is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Machida is defending well.
Kenichi Machida has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Damien Rutten .
A head punch blocked on the inside by Rutten .
Rutten looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rutten is trying to force a seperation but Machida has the dominant position.
Rutten is trying to push Machida away but Machida has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Machida has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Rutten is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Machida has Rutten pressed against the cage, preventing Rutten from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Rutten lands a body shot in the clinch.
Rutten has Machida pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Machida manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Rutten tries to land knees in the clinch but Machida avoids the damage 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 Machida uses from the top position.
Rutten looking for a sweep. Not yet Rutten , not yet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Rutten pushes Machida off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Machida displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Rutten .
Nice takedown defense from Machida. No joy for Rutten on that attempt.

Rutten fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Machida, pushing him back against the cage.
Nice body punch from Rutten .

Rutten manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Machida throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rutten manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Machida manages to get himself to full guard.

Rutten avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Rutten throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Machida works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

Machida working for a triangle but Rutten defends it easily.

Machida is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Rutten is aware though and is defending well.

And that's the end of the fight!
Damien Rutten comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Rutten 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 Donald Grub scores the fight 28:29
Judge Sam Margolis scores the fight 28:29
Judge Andrew Berry scores the fight 28:29

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