PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Ricardo Michael (ranked 6922 p4p, 0 weight class) and Hank Ruth (ranked 7024 p4p, 0 weight class). Hank Ruth looks lathargic as he enters the arena. Wake up son, you're about to have a fight!

Michael
vs
Ruth

192 cm
24
194 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

183 cm
25
180 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Experienced

Good wrestler
Brawler
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Ricardo Michael!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Hank Ruth!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Sano, Yukihiro Yamamoto and Shigeki Fujiwara.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ruth fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Michael avoids it really well and circles away.

Ruth throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Michael was covering up waiting for the punch and Ruth finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Michael wants to sweep here but Ruth controlling him for the moment.
Ruth slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Michael is pushing Ruth's head away, looking to escape. Ruth manages to hold on to the position though.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Ruth trying to control the position but Michael is working away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Michael is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Ruth's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Ruth trying to control the action but Michael is working from the bottom.
Michael pushes Ruth off looking to stand but Ruth dives back in and keeps control.
Ruth sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Michael is trying to control but can't.
Michael moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Ruth is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Ruth really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Michael. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Ruth trying to control but Michael is working from the bottom.
Michael being controlled here, momentarily.
Michael wants to get back to his feet but Ruth is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Ruth slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Ruth is looking to clinch but Michael is avoiding it.
Michael quickly followed up with a counter body kick but doesn't connect.
Michael avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Michael throws a head kick but Ruth moves out of range.
Hank Ruth seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ruth fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Michael avoids it really well and circles away.
Ruth looks winded!

Michael decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Ruth tries to push off, looking to stand up, but Michael manages to move to mount!
Michael sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Ruth tries to get back to half guard but can't.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Michael looking to control and managing it successfully.
Michael working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Michael controlling the position easily from mount.
Michael trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Ruth tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Michael tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ricardo Michael dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Michael circles away from the clinch attempt.
Michael jinks towards his opponent looking like he wants to counter with a mid kick but doesn't commit.
Michael is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Ruth can do to turn this around?
Ruth tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Michael paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Michael shoots for a double leg takedown but Ruth sprawls well. He's pushed Michael's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Michael closes this distance looking for a takedown but Ruth circles away.
Ruth appeared to try and counter that last move with a leg kick.
Ruth tries to clinch there but Michael circles away.
Ruth tries to close the distance and clinch up but Michael swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Ruth shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Michael's guard.
Ruth wants to stand but Michael has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Michael working a defensive guard here.
Ruth is breathing heavily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Michael is on top in guard.

Ruth working a defensive guard but Michael manages to pass into side control anyway.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ruth is being controlled here.
Ruth is looking to get back to his feet here but Michael is keeping cool and he's managed to take Ruth's back.
Ruth tries to escape the position.
Michael throwing damaging strikes from the back! Ruth could be in trouble here!
Michael is hanging on to Ruth's back as he tries to escape.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
I would not like to be Ruth right now.
Michael is landing with strikes from the back.

Ruth preventing the rear naked choke attempt from Michael.
What can Ruth do to escape this position? He's going to have to figure it out pretty quick if he wants to stay in the fight!

Michael looking for the RNC.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ruth is being controlled on the ground here - he must escape this position otherwise surely the end is near.
Michael looking to soften up his opponent with punches.
Ruth is in bad spot here.
Michael trying to control momentarily.
Michael is not going to allow Ruth to sit and survive in this position.
Michael controls the action.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Michael is looking to control Ruth but Ruth is wriggling around and keeping busy.
Michael throwing damaging strikes from the back! Ruth could be in trouble here!
Ruth is really stuck here.
I would not like to be Ruth right now.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ricardo Michael dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Ruth shoots for a double leg takedown but Michael sprawls well. He's pushed Ruth's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Michael swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Ruth shoots for a double leg takedown but Michael sprawls well. He's pushed Ruth's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Ruth tries to clinch but Michael moves out of range.
Ruth wants to clinch up but Michael keeps it at a distance.

Michael scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Ruth scrambles, trying to get to his feet, but Michael manages to mount him!
Michael controlling from the full mount.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Michael trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Ruth takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Michael controlling from the full mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Michael's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Ruth is wriggling around trying to escape.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Michael controlling his opponent.
Ricardo Michael overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Michael tries to control but Ruth wriggling away.
Michael working Ruth over with strikes here.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Ruth can do anything to dispel that myth.
Michael sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Ruth is in all sorts of trouble here.

Michael has control of Ruth's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Ruth regains control of the situation pretty easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Michael controlling the position easily from mount.
Ruth keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Michael controlling from mount.
Ruth tries to lock up and control but Michael gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Hank Ruth has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Ruth is trying to escape the mount.
Michael tries to control but Ruth wriggling away.
Michael controlling from the full mount.

Michael is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Ruth has managed to escape the submission attempt.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Ruth is trying desperately to improve position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ricardo Michael showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Michael has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Shigeki Sano scores the fight 30:27
Judge Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 30:27
Judge Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ricardo Michael!