PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Michael Lewis (ranked 7036 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mauricio Rua (ranked 4336 p4p, 0 weight class). Michael Lewis has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Lewis
vs
Rua

188 cm
20
195 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

186 cm
24
195 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

Decent wrestler
Counter fighter
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Determined

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 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Michael Lewis!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Mauricio Rua!
The judges for this bout are Bart Greer, Dirk Anderson and Santiago Holmes.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Lewis drives through and clinches with Rua against the cage.
Lewis throws an elbow but it misses.
Lewis tries to circle away but Rua has him pinned against the cage.

Lewis pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Rua tries to clinch but Lewis is having none of it.
Lewis dives in for a single leg takedown but Rua sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.

Rua tries to keep at a distance but Lewis has taken the fight into the clinch.
Lewis wants to break the clinch but can't.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
We've been hearing reports that Lewis has been drilling takedowns in recent sessions so let's see if that has an impact on the result of this fight.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lewis fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Rua lands a good knee to the midsection. Lewis won't want to take too many of those.
Knees in the clinch landing for Rua.
Lewis is trying to break the clinch but Rua is controlling him.
Rua has Lewis pressed against the cage, preventing Lewis from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Rua is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Lewis is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rua scores a nice knee to the body.

Rua drags the fight down to the ground.
Rua tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Rua not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Lewis wants to control from the top but Rua keeps moving.
Lewis wants to pass the guard but Rua is keeping the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rua is trying to control the position but Lewis postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rua wants to stand but Lewis is controlling the position.
Lewis postures up.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Rua tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Lewis manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Lewis pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Rua wants to clinch up but Lewis keeps it at a distance.
Rua tries to clinch up.
Rua tries to close the distance and clinch up but Lewis swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Lewis jinks towards his opponent looking like he wants to counter with a mid kick but doesn't commit.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lewis looks to throw a body kick
and Rua counters with a thumping low kick.
Rua wants to clinch but Lewis slips to the side

and Lewis counters with a takedown into side control! That could mean trouble for Rua!
Lewis is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.
Rua manages to work his way to half guard, despite Lewis's best efforts.
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.
Rua wants to get back to full guard.
Lewis content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rua wants to control but Lewis is keeping busy.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Lewis controlling the pace.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Mauricio Rua will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Lewis misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Rua fails with an attempt to clinch.
Lewis fails with a takedown attempt.
The fight stays on the outside here - Rua looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rua tries to clinch but Lewis moves out of range.
Lewis tries a head kick but it misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rua moves in looking to clinch but Lewis pushes him off.
Lewis keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Rua tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Lewis manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Rua tries to clinch up.
Lewis shoots for a takedown but Rua saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Rua throws a nice inside leg kick.
Rua tries to clinch but Lewis moves out of range.
Rua is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lewis takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Lewis throws a lazy head kick
and Rua counters with a solid body kick.
Rua tries to close the distance and clinch up but Lewis swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Lewis is looking to counter punch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Rua looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Rua wants to clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rua throws a nice head kick!
Rua tries to clinch up but Lewis circles away and keeps his distance.
Rua closes the distance and clinches up with Lewis, looking for a takedown. Rua pushes Lewis against the cage but Lewis circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

Lewis drives through and clinches with Rua against the cage.
Lewis has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Rua is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Michael Lewis. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rua scores with a knee to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rua tries to stall but Lewis uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Rua can't break the clinch.
Lewis has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Rua tries to pull guard but Lewis holds him up against the cage and eventually Rua drops back down to his feet.
Lewis tries to circle away but Rua has him pinned against the cage.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Rua working Lewis over with knees to the body.

Lewis breaks the clinch.

Lewis closes the distance and clinches.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Rua using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Rua jumps guard but Lewis turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Lewis tries to break free but Rua pushes him back against the cage.
Lewis tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Mauricio Rua will probably get the nod - 10:9.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Rua fails in his attempt to clinch.
Lewis thinks about countering with a head kick.
Rua tries to clinch but Lewis is having none of it.
Rua is looking to clinch.

Lewis closes the distance and clinches.
Rua with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Lewis takes a knee right on the jaw!
Rua jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Lewis walks away with a smile on his face. Rua gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rua moves in looking to clinch but Lewis pushes him off.
Lewis fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Rua checks it well.

Rua moves into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rua missing with knees to the body.
Rua has Lewis pressed against the cage, preventing Lewis from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Rua landing knees to the body.

Lewis pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Rua dives in and grabs Lewis's left leg, looking for a takedown. Lewis pushes down on Rua's head and hops out.
Lewis throws a counter high kick but Rua was just alert enough to avoid it.
Michael Lewis is winning the standup battle so far.

Lewis clinches up with Rua and pushes him back against the cage.
Lewis wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Rua scores a nice knee to the body.
Lewis tries to break free but Rua pushes him back against the cage.
Lewis misses with some punches.

Lewis escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Rua tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Lewis manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Rua tries to keep at a distance but Lewis has taken the fight into the clinch.
Lewis changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Rua fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Rua avoids the head kick by Lewis.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Lewis clinches up with Rua and pushes him back against the cage.
Rua with a knee to the head.

It looks like Michael Lewis has been cut.

Rua manages to pull guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Rua not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Lewis is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rua looking to control.
Lewis wants to pass the guard but Rua is keeping the position.
Rua not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Lewis slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Rua tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Lewis counters with a shoot takedown. Rua fights it but they end up in guard.
Michael Lewis has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Rua not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Lewis throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Rua working a defensive guard here.
Mauricio Rua is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Rua lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Michael Lewis.
I think Rua 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 Bart Greer scores the fight 27:30
Judge Dirk Anderson scores the fight 28:29
Judge Santiago Holmes scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mauricio Rua!