PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Daniele Vantaggiato (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Burt Angle (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Vantaggiato
vs
Angle

182 cm
27
205 lbs
8 - 7 - 0

188 cm
23
220 lbs
10 - 6 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Solid boxing
Very strong

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Daniele Vantaggiato!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Burt Angle!
The judges for this bout are Paulo Santos, Emerson Jorge and Leandro Rodrigues.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The fight stays on the outside here - Vantaggiato looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Vantaggiato wants to clinch.
Angle punishes Vantaggiato's body with a nice straight punch.
Vantaggiato tries for a takedown but Angle sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Angle throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Angle rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Vantaggiato moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vantaggiato moves in looking to clinch but Angle pushes him off.

Vantaggiato closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
The ground and pound from Vantaggiato seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Vantaggiato in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Angle is trying to get back to half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Vantaggiato 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.
Vantaggiato just content to control the position.
Angle parries the strikes from Vantaggiato easily there. Vantaggiato is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Angle to escape.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Angle manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Angle gets full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Angle is pulling down on Vantaggiato's head to control his posture.
Vantaggiato with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Vantaggiato keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Angle's head.
Vantaggiato tries to free his leg and advance position but Angle is retaining full guard.
Vantaggiato trying to control the position from guard on top but Angle is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Angle utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Vantaggiato trying to control but Angle is working from the bottom.
Vantaggiato tries to free his leg and advance position but Angle is retaining full guard.
Vantaggiato throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Angle works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Vantaggiato lands a couple of digs.
Angle wants to sweep but no luck.
Angle preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Vantaggiato wants to control from the top but Angle keeps moving.
Vantaggiato stopping the sweep attempt from Angle.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Angle keeping moving, preventing Vantaggiato from controlling successfully.
Vantaggiato looking to pass the guard.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Vantaggiato trying to control the position from guard on top but Angle is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Daniele Vantaggiato has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Vantaggiato tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Angle paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Nice defenses there by Angle.
Vantaggiato moves in looking to clinch but Angle pushes him off.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Vantaggiato tries to close the distance and clinch but Angle swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Angle throws a jab when Vantaggiato was well out of range.
The fight stays on the outside here - Vantaggiato looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Vantaggiato tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Angle paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Vantaggiato tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Angle paws at him with a jab and circles away.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Angle doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Vantaggiato counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Vantaggiato.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Daniele Vantaggiato dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Angle circles away from the clinch attempt.
Vantaggiato blocks a jab.
Vantaggiato tries to clinch up but Angle circles away and keeps his distance.
Vantaggiato tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
The fighters circling - Angle throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Vantaggiato looks to throw the jab but Angle is out of range.
Angle is trying hard to land a takedown here. Vantaggiato sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Vantaggiato is looking to clinch but Angle is avoiding it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Angle fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Vantaggiato fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Vantaggiato tries to clinch but Angle is having none of it.
Both fighters are looking to counter, which isn't making for the most exciting fight in the world.
Angle misses with a double jab
and Vantaggiato counters with a straight right hand.

That's two 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.
Angle moves to clinch but Vantaggiato breaks away

and Vantaggiato counters with a nice double leg into side control. Angle won't be happy with that.
Angle wants to control but Vantaggiato postures up.
Vantaggiato working the ground and pound.
Angle manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!

Angle seems to be looking for submissions.
Vantaggiato is trying to control but can't.

Vantaggiato looking for submissions off his back.
Angle is figuring out what he wants to do next.

Vantaggiato actively working from the bottom here.
Nice strikes from Angle there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vantaggiato is pressing down on Angle's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Vantaggiato tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Angle trying to control the position from guard on top but Vantaggiato is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Vantaggiato escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Angle gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Vantaggiato bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Angle's guard.
Vantaggiato trying to control the position from guard on top but Angle is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Vantaggiato stopping the sweep attempt from Angle.
Angle trying to keep a closed guard but Vantaggiato is proving a slippery customer.
Vantaggiato in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Vantaggiato tries to free his leg and advance position but Angle is retaining full guard.
Vantaggiato postures up.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Vantaggiato won't allow Angle to sweep him here.
Vantaggiato passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Angle is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Vantaggiato tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Angle is trying to control Vantaggiato's posture but Vantaggiato avoids it.
Vantaggiato fails to land a wild elbow strike.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Daniele Vantaggiato dominated that second round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Angle is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Vantaggiato.
Angle dips to his left and cracks Vantaggiato with an uppercut!
No joy there for Angle, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

Vantaggiato shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Angle manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Angle looking for a sweep. Not yet Angle, not yet.

Vantaggiato drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Angle manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Vantaggiato has Angle in his guard.
Vantaggiato is trying to control the position but Angle postures up.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Angle's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vantaggiato looking to control.
Angle postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Angle preventing the sweep.
Angle chips away with some ground and pound.
Angle is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Angle throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Vantaggiato works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Vantaggiato keeping full guard, as Angle tries to pass.

Vantaggiato is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Angle defends well.
Vantaggiato keeping full guard, as Angle tries to pass.
Angle thows a big elbow that misses.
Vantaggiato keeping moving, preventing Angle from controlling successfully.
Angle advances to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Vantaggiato throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Vantaggiato is looking for a sweep. Angle is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Angle working over Vantaggiato with some ground and pound. Vantaggiato looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Vantaggiato is staying active underneath Angle, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Vantaggiato works his way to full guard. Good work.
Angle postures up in Vantaggiato's guard and throws a big left but Vantaggiato blocks it.
Angle postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Angle scoring with some ground and pound.
Angle throws a big right hand that misses.
Angle loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Daniele Vantaggiato overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Vantaggiato has managed to work for a loose triangle. I think Angle should be able to defend this one pretty easily though. Oh, Vantaggiato has tightened it up now! Angle should have reacted faster there - he's in big trouble and yes, he's tapped out! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:05 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle). Daniele Vantaggiato!