PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Josh Damon (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ryan Star (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Damon
vs
Star

170 cm
22
169 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
22
175 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Intelligent

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Josh Damon!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Ryan Star!
The judges for this bout are Donatello Bradman, Skip Squint and Hugh Johnson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Damon drives through with a takedown into guard.
Star is controlling Damon's posture.
Star is looking to stand back up... there's a bit of a scramble and Damon dives into side control.
Star is not content to let Damon control the position.

Damon decides to stand back up.
Star tries to clinch up but Damon circles away and keeps his distance.
Star keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Damon.
Some wild striking there from Star.
Star misses with a takedown attempt

and Damon counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Damon blocks the strikes from Star.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Damon is working for a kimura but Star is defending it quite comfortably.
Star has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Damon is working away from the top position though.
Damon sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Star defending well though.
Star trying to control but Damon postures up.

Star makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!

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.
Star shoots and misses

and Damon holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Damon has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Star is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Damon stops a takedown attempt from Star.
Josh Damon has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ryan Star.
Star has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Damon avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Star looks gassed!
Damon looking for a takedown.
Star tries to score a body lock takedown but Damon shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Star tries for a takedown but Damon manages to get underhooks.

Damon jumps guard and drags Star to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Damon is trying to keep Star in close.
Star preventing the sweep.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Damon scrambles and gets back to his feet.
Ryan Star seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Star thows a body shot but no joy.
The fight stays on the outside here - Star looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Damon tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Star swivels and escapes.
Horrible takedown by Star or perhaps it was just good defense by Damon which made him look bad.
Damon showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Star.

Star clinches up against the cage.
Star stops a takedown attempt from Damon.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Star pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Star tries for a takedown but Damon circles away easily

and Damon counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Star keeping moving, preventing Damon from controlling successfully.
Star wants to stand up but Damon is controlling him.

Damon drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Star manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Damon has Star in his guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Josh Damon dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Damon misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Star.
Star misses with the combination.

Damon shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Damon showed some decent athleticism there.
Star holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.

Damon is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Star tries to roll over but Damon keeps him under control.
Damon missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Star trying to control here.
Star is trying to avoid being dragged into an even worse position than he's already in but Damon is staying active.
Damon trying to control the action but Star is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.

Star is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Damon pulls his head out easily.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Star fails with the takedown

and Damon decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Star's guard.

Damon has gone for a leg lock! Star slips out almost immediately though and dives into Damon's guard.
Damon keeping moving, preventing Star from controlling successfully.
Josh Damon overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Damon throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Damon looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

Damon looks to be working for a triangle here. Oh, it looks like he might have it! Star has picked Damon up and slammed him! Damon can't keep hold of the triangle and Star manages to pass to side control!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Star gets to mount! Damon was on the offensive and wasn't defending properly.
Damon in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Damon throwing hammer fists to the chest of Star. What's that going to do exactly?
Star working Damon over with strikes here.
Star prevents Damon from getting the reversal.
Damon tries to hold on but Star postures up.

Star working for a guillotine from mount but Damon is in no mood to give up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Josh Damon dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Damon tries to clinch up but Star circles away and keeps his distance.
Star scores with a shot to the body.
Star looks to clinch

and Damon counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Damon.
Star wants a takedown but no success here.

Star manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Star is trying to keep Damon in close.
Star is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Damon tries to free his leg and advance position but Star is retaining full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Damon is working hard here to advance position.
Star looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Damon trying to control the position from guard on top but Star is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Damon throws a strike but Star rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Star trying to control but Damon is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Star tries to close the distance and clinch up but Damon swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Star doesn't manage to clinch there - Damon circles away.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Star.
Damon wants to control but Star postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Star working the ground and pound.
Star lands a decent elbow from side control.
Damon tries to improve position but can't.
Star working away.
Star really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Damon. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Ryan Star has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Star tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Damon swivels and escapes.
Damon is trying hard to land a takedown here. Star sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Star looks to land a combination but Damon avoids it well.
Star looks to score with a jab to the body but Damon is just out of range.

Damon feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Star looking to control.
Star throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Damon trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Damon sitting in guard here, content to control.
Star controls Damon momentarily but Damon frees himself.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ryan Star comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Damon has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Donatello Bradman scores the fight 29:28
Judge Skip Squint scores the fight 29:28
Judge Hugh Johnson scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Josh Damon!