PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Renato Damiao (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rafael Pierce (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). This should be fireworks!

Damiao
vs
Pierce

183 cm
21
178 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

180 cm
26
170 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Good in bed

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Powerful

Down Under Supplements (AXES)

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 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Renato Damiao!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rafael Pierce!
The judges for this bout are Thiago Cunha, Mauricio Rocha and Felipe Paraventi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Pierce closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Pierce lands in his opponent's guard.
Pierce wants to pass the guard but Damiao is keeping the position.
Damiao wants to sweep but no luck.
Pierce pushes down on Damiao's leg and manages to get into half guard.

Pierce is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Damiao sees it coming and defends easily.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Pierce is looking to take a break and control but Damiao is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Pierce is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Damiao is just riding it out for now. Pierce eventually gives up the hold.
Pierce wants to free his trapped foot but Damiao is holding on for dear life with his legs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pierce prevents Damiao from improving his position.
Pierce is looking to advance position but Damiao won't allow it.

Pierce is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Damiao doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Pierce.
Damiao throws a strike from the bottom that misses.

Pierce looking for a submission but Damiao manages to get full guard, putting an end to that submission attempt.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Pierce stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Damiao swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pierce wants to control from the top but Damiao keeps moving.
Pierce wants to pass the guard but Damiao is keeping the position.
Pierce advances position into side control!
Pierce lands a nice forearm strike.
Damiao is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Pierce off and has taken his back!
Pierce controlling the position well but he knows he's in a bad spot.
Damiao trying to control momentarily.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Damiao has his opponent trapped and is landing shots. Not a good position for Pierce.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Damiao lands punches and elbows.
Pierce manages to reverse the position and now he's in Damiao's guard. Nice work there by Pierce.
Pierce working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Damiao's head.

Damiao escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Pierce gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Pierce pushing down on Damiao's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Pierce wants to lay and pray for a moment but Damiao keeps working.
Pierce wants to pass to mount but Damiao is defending the position.
Damiao is looking to control Pierce's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Damiao avoid being mounted?
Damiao is in a bad position, trying to hold on for dear life but he is really struggling to maintain any sort of control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pierce passes to side control.
Damiao tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Pierce wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

Pierce tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Pierce working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.

Pierce swings around for an armbar but Damiao sees it coming a mile off and turns beautifully into Pierce's guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Pierce is looking for a triangle here but Damiao uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
Pierce sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Damiao defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Pierce.
Damiao lands a lovely overhand right.

Pierce drives through with a takedown into Damiao's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Pierce looking to pass the guard.
Damiao is trying to control the position but Pierce postures up.

Pierce is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Damiao is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Damiao has escaped and now he's on top!
Pierce trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Pierce is trying to control the position from the bottom.

Pierce working for a triangle but Damiao defends it easily.
Pierce keeping moving, preventing Damiao from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Pierce has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Damiao is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Pierce.
Pierce is trying to improve his position.
Damiao wants to control but Pierce is keeping him busy.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Pierce is trying to get back to half guard.
Pierce is not content to let Damiao control the position.
Pierce tries to improve position but can't.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Damiao wants to lay and pray for a moment but Pierce keeps working.
Pierce is trying to get back to half guard.

Damiao looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Pierce tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Damiao wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Pierce gets back to half guard.
Pierce is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Damiao's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Damiao's back!
Damiao trying to control the action but Pierce just sinks the hooks in.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Pierce looking for the choke from the back.

Pierce is looking to finish the fight by rear naked choke. Damiao knows exactly what he's got planned though, so he's defending well. Maybe a few strikes would soften Damiao for a finish.
Pierce punishes Damiao with strikes from the back mount.
Damiao looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Pierce is remaining active here, looking for the choke. The more discerning members of the crowd will appreciate his efforts.

Pierce patiently working for the choke. Which fighter will keep their nerve here?

Damiao defending nicely against the rear naked choke attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Pierce is working for a rear naked choke. Damiao is not defending it well and Pierce has tightened it up quickly! This could be all over! Damiao refuses to tap and goes to sleep, forcing the referee to intervene. A little trickle of blood came out of Damiao's nose as his head slumped to the floor. That is naaaasty!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:22 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Rafael Pierce!
Rafael Pierce decided to hype himself up post fight. It was going well but he went on about it a bit too long and the crowd turned on him a little.