PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Aderbal Maia (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Frank Damozzi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look pumped up here. Let's hope this is a good fight!

Maia
vs
Damozzi

180 cm
28
218 lbs
12 - 0 - 0

187 cm
20
211 lbs
7 - 1 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Counter fighter
KO power

Good wrestler
Good low kicks
Granite chin

Union Fight Gear

Fury Nutrition Inc.
Union Fight Gear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the light heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Aderbal Maia!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Frank Damozzi!
The judges for this bout are Thiago Cunha, Paulo Santos and Mauricio Rocha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Damozzi scores with a kick to the midsection.
A nice inside leg kick there by Damozzi. That's going to slow Maia down.
Damozzi lands with a kick to the temple. Maia shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Damozzi tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Damozzi is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Maia.
Damozzi throws a quick inside leg kick.

Damozzi is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Maia's half guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Damozzi seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Maia does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Damozzi lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Maia on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.

Maia looking for submissions off his back.
Maia tries to get to full guard but Damozzi has control of the leg.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Damozzi scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Still in half guard, Damozzi seems content to control.
Maia is looking for a sweep. Damozzi is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Damozzi is nestled in close to Maia, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Maia is trying to get back to full guard.
Damozzi working the head and body with strikes.
Damozzi with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Maia tries to get to full guard but Damozzi has control of the leg.

Maia is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Damozzi pulls his head out easily.
Damozzi throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Maia tries to get to full guard but Damozzi has control of the leg.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Damozzi working his ground and pound in the gym. So far it seems to be working well.
Maia has hold of Damozzi's hands but Damozzi slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Maia is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Damozzi scores with a couple of nice shots.
Damozzi lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.

Maia is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Damozzi pulls his head out easily.
Maia wants to improve his position but Damozzi is controlling well.
Damozzi lands strikes from half guard.
Maia wants to get back to full guard.
Maia is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Damozzi scores with a couple of nice shots.
Maia is trying to get back to full guard.

Maia looking for submissions off his back.
Maia is looking for a sweep. Damozzi is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maia makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Maia.
Damozzi lands a couple of digs.
Damozzi scoring with some ground and pound.
Damozzi is working Maia over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Damozzi working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Damozzi stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Maia swivels though and keeps the full guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Damozzi slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Damozzi lands an elbow.
Maia is trying to improve his position.
Damozzi connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Maia some visible discomfort.
Damozzi creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Maia is looking to reverse the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Damozzi landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Damozzi lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Maia down.
Damozzi works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Maia taking a bit of punishment here - Damozzi scoring with strikes.
Damozzi lands a decent elbow from side control.
Damozzi connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Maia some visible discomfort.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Maia is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Damozzi's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Damozzi lands with a punch from half guard.
Maia is in a tricky position but he's been working on his transitions down at Barbarian Private Gym, so we'll see if he gets out of it.

Maia looking for submissions off his back.
Damozzi wants to take a breather but Maia is having none of it.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Maia makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Maia.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Damozzi is working Maia over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Damozzi must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Damozzi with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Frank Damozzi dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Damozzi throws a leg kick which misses Maia's front leg but catches the back leg as Maia tries to avoid it.
A nice inside leg kick there by Damozzi. That's going to slow Maia down.
Maia defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Damozzi.
Damozzi misses with a body kick.
Maia on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Damozzi. Damozzi obviously looking to wear him down.
Maia slaps away a takedown attempt from Damozzi, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Damozzi connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Damozzi goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
A slapping leg kick lands for Damozzi.
Maia tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Maia is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maia avoids the body shot from Damozzi.
Maia has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Damozzi.
Frank Damozzi seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Damozzi fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Maia manages to avoid it.
Damozzi shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Maia but Maia pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Aderbal Maia has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Frank Damozzi.
Damozzi dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Maia. That did some damage!
Damozzi scores with a head kick. Maia tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.
Damozzi lands a head kick!
Damozzi shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Maia as he jumps to the side.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maia ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Damozzi throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Damozzi looks for the body kick but Maia saw that one coming.
Damozzi connects with a leg kick. Maia looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Damozzi moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Damozzi fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Crunch! Damozzi slams his shin into Maia's torso.
Damozzi keeps Maia at a distance using the push kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Damozzi throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Maia defending well as Damozzi loads up on a big left hand.
Maia on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Damozzi scoring well with a low kick there.
A telegraphed right hand from Damozzi misses the target.
Damozzi connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Damozzi pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Damozzi shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Maia manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Damozzi with a nice head shot there.
Damozzi lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Damozzi works over Maia with some ground and pound from guard.
Damozzi makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.

Maia looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Frank Damozzi has got the better of the ground game so far.
Damozzi makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Damozzi connects with a couple of short punches.
Damozzi lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

Damozzi got a little sloppy there for a moment and Maia has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Damozzi has managed to get both his arms back between Maia's legs - danger averted.
Damozzi postures up and lands a big shot to Maia's brow.

Maia working for a triangle but Damozzi defends it easily.
Damozzi makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!

Maia looks to be working for a triangle here. Oh, it looks like he might have it! Damozzi has picked Maia up and slammed him! Maia can't keep hold of the triangle and Damozzi manages to pass to side control!
Damozzi cracks Maia with an elbow. That is naaassty.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Frank Damozzi showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action!

Maia stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Maia wants it to stay on the feet.
Damozzi lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.

Damozzi tries to sprawl but Maia drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Damozzi throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Damozzi moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Damozzi manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Maia manages to get himself to full guard.

Maia is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Damozzi defends well.
Damozzi with a nice head shot there.
Damozzi won't allow Maia to sweep him here.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Maia keeping moving, preventing Damozzi from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Damozzi keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Maia's head.
Maia manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!

Maia jumps to the side looking to secure the arm triangle…. Ooooh, that looks tight… Damozzi is gargling but he's managed to escape! Nice work there by Damozzi and Maia has given up the dominant position trying to land that submission.
Damozzi has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

Maia swings around for an armbar but Damozzi sees it coming a mile off and turns beautifully into Maia's guard.
Damozzi is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.

Maia is working for submissions here. He's thrown up his legs looking for a triangle but Damozzi frees his head nicely. Oh but Maia has switched to an armbar! Damozzi is tapping furiously! Lovely submission there!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:55 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle Armbar). Aderbal Maia!
Aderbal Maia retains his light heavyweight title!
A relieved looking Aderbal Maia thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.