PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Damion Black (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Matt Chatum (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chatum has chosen The God That Failed as his entrance music. Matt Chatum has the eye of the tiger tonight.

Black
vs
Chatum

164 cm
21
140 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

225 cm
22
140 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Prefers standup

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Damion Black!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Matt Chatum!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A left lands for Chatum.
Black slips a jab and a cross from Chatum.
Chatum throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Black.
Matt Chatum seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Chatum tries to bum rush Black with a series of wild strikes but Black uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Black avoids a punch combination nicely.
A punch combination from Chatum misses.

Black moves into range and clinches up with Chatum.
Chatum wants a takedown but no success here.

Chatum breaks from the clinch.
Chatum throws a push kick but Black slaps the foot to one side.
Black showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Chatum.
Chatum misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

Black moves into the clinch.
Chatum is trying to break the clinch but Black has him pressed against the cage.
Black keeps control of Chatum as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Chatum tries for a takedown. No joy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Black tries to break the clinch but Chatum is controlling the position.
Black is looking to break free of the clinch but Chatum has double underhooks.
Black just leaning against Chatum, taking a breather.
Chatum is trying to break free.
Black effectively controlling the action here.
Black has Chatum pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Chatum manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Chatum is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Chatum is looking to break free of the clinch but Black has double underhooks.
Black wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Black keeps control of Chatum as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Black is trying to break the clinch but Chatum has him pressed against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Chatum wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Chatum just misses with a elbow thrown towards Black's brow.

Black manages to break the clinch.
Chatum keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.

It looks like Damion Black has been cut.
Black misses with an uppercut.
Chatum misses with the combination.

Black looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Black is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

Black stands and steps away. Chatum gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Chatum misses with a two punch combination.
No joy there for Chatum, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Matt Chatum is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Black uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Chatum.
Chatum is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

Black drives through and clinches with Chatum against the cage.
Chatum wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Chatum wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Black has him pressed against the cage.
Black wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Black is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Chatum pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Black is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Chatum wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Black is trying to break free.
Chatum unloads a knee to the mid-section. Black lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Black blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.

Chatum manages to break the clinch.

Black closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Chatum is pressed up against the cage. Black has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Chatum down to the mat. Chatum avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Damion Black. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Black avoids the head kick by Chatum.
Black slips a jab and a cross from Chatum.

Black shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Chatum looks gassed!

Black stands up and waves to Chatum to follow him.
Chatum throws a looping overhand right but Black ducks down to avoid it.
Black fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Chatum misses with a combination

and Black decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Chatum's guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Damion Black dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Damion Black's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Chatum throws out a loose jab but Black uses good head movement to avoid it.
Black takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.
Chatum fails to land with a series of punches.

Black darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Chatum tries to get to full guard but Black has control of the leg.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Black decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.
Chatum misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Chatum pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Chatum pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Chatum tries a head kick but it misses.

Black shoots in for a takedown and gets it.

Black stands up out of the half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Chatum looks to land a combination. Black sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.

Black closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Chatum can't break the clinch.

Black manages to break the clinch.
Chatum misses with a two punch combination.

Black closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Black lands in his opponent's guard.
Black is standing up over Chatum. Chatum looks to escape but Black dives into side control.

Black decides to stand back up. Black steps back and let's Chatum get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Chatum throws a series of strikes that have Black backpedaling.
Black moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Chatum lands with a nice combination. Black backs away looking to recover.
Chatum throws a shot from downtown. Black moves away and avoids it.
A decent looking cross lands there for Chatum.

Black drives through and clinches with Chatum against the cage.
Chatum is looking to break free of the clinch but Black has double underhooks.
Black has Chatum pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Chatum manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.

Chatum breaks the clinch.
Chatum misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Chatum falls off balance throwing a combination
and Black counters with a straight right hand.
Chatum throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Chatum takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
A combination from Chatum does no damage.
Black swinging wilding here.
Black lands with a nice combination. Chatum backs away looking to recover.
Black has a takedown stuffed.
Damion Black is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Chatum pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Chatum throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Black.

Black rushes Chatum and presses him up against the cage.
Chatum wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Chatum keeps control of Black as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Black wants to break free but Chatum has control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Chatum throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Black blocks it with crossed arms.
Chatum wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Chatum tries to score a body lock takedown but Black shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Black wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Chatum wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Chatum trying to land knees to the body.
Chatum goes for a takedown in the clinch but Black prevents it.
Black is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Damion Black dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Damion Black's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Black moves into the clinch.
Black is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Chatum pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Chatum listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.

Black fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Chatum sprawls well initially but Black persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Black prevents Chatum from standing back up.
Chatum is looking to improve his position.
Black not doing much here.

Black decides to return to a standing position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
A big left from Chatum misses.
Black slips a jab and a cross from Chatum.

That's one minute gone in the round.
No joy there for Chatum, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

Black clinches up with Chatum and pushes him back against the cage.
Black is trying to break free.

Black breaks from the clinch.
Chatum throws a low kick but it's checked well by Black.
Black ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Chatum throws a wild body kick that Black sees coming a mile off.

Black shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Black was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Black controlling the position easily from mount.
Chatum is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.
Black controlling the pace for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Chatum is trying desperately to improve position.
Black content just to control the position here.
Chatum is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Chatum is trying to get back to his feet but can't.
Black controlling his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Black seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Chatum for as long as he can get away with.
Chatum tries to reverse the position but Black maintains control.
Chatum is really trying hard to get back to his feet.
Chatum throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
Black content just to control the position here.
Chatum really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Black. 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 four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Chatum tries to buck Black off but he can't manage it.
Black takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Damion Black just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Chatum tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

Black shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Chatum really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Matt Chatum has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Damion Black is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

And that's the end of the fight!
Damion Black showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Black, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 30:27
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 30:27
Judge Suge Night scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Damion Black!