PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Danny Festa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dan Scully (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Danny Festa has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Festa
vs
Scully

185 cm
23
140 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

160 cm
21
140 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Big heart

BJJ Brown Belt
Brawler
Determined

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 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Danny Festa!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Dan Scully!
The judges for this bout are Viktor Lagutenko, Sergei Dronov and Konstantin Menshow.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Festa darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Festa frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Scully really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Festa trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Scully is looking to get to half guard.
Scully is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Scully is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Scully is wriggling around trying to escape.
Festa looking to control but Scully is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Festa tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Scully is desperately trying to improve his position but Festa has a good base and remains in mount.
Scully is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Scully tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Scully is squirming around, avoiding Festa's attempts to control the action.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Festa controlling the pace for now.
Scully is desperately trying to improve his position but Festa has a good base and remains in mount.
Festa wants to control the pace but Scully is squirming around nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Festa will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

Scully defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Festa.
Scully tries to hold on but Festa pushes him away.
Festa controlling the pace for now.
Festa trying to control but Scully is having none of it.
Festa lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Scully is trying desperately to improve position.
Scully holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Festa tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
Scully tries to hold on but Festa pushes him away.
Scully looks gassed!
Scully is trying desperately to improve position.
Festa punishing his opponent with strikes.
Festa lands a big elbow.
Scully blocking the ground and pound.
Scully is looking to get to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Festa tries to control but Scully wriggling away.
Festa really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Festa connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Festa is trying to control here but Scully has managed to regain half guard.

Festa decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.

Scully shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Festa is pulling down on Scully's head. It's preventing any offense from Scully, at least for the moment.

Festa looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Festa doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Danny Festa dominated that 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.

Scully tries to keep at a distance but Festa has taken the fight into the clinch.

Festa gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Scully regains guard.
Scully wants to sweep but no luck.

Scully escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Festa gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Festa trying to control the position from guard on top but Scully is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Festa trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Festa has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Festa landing some decent shots from guard.
Scully keeping moving, preventing Festa from controlling successfully.
Scully is breathing heavily.
Festa thows a big elbow that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Festa trying to control but Scully is working from the bottom.

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

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

Scully has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Festa can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Festa trying to control the position from guard on top but Scully is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Festa controls from within his opponent's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Festa throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Scully works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Festa looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Festa wants to control from the top but Scully keeps moving.
Festa wants to stand but Scully has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

Festa decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Festa.
Festa tries to move into full mount but can't pass Scully's legs.
Scully struggling a bit here.
Festa working the head and body with strikes.
Scully wants to control but Festa postures up.
Scully tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Festa wants to control but Scully is keeping him busy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Scully bucks up and tries to throw Festa off but instead Festa has got his back!
Scully is in bad spot here.

Scully fending off the submission attempt from Festa.
Festa tries to get the hooks in deep but Scully pushed the leg off.
Scully rolls, trying to escape but Festa keeps control of the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Danny Festa dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Festa with a lazy takedown attempt

and Scully counters with a single leg into guard. Festa didn't expect that.
Festa looking for a sweep. Not yet Festa, not yet.
Scully looking to pass the guard.

Festa is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Scully stopping the sweep attempt from Festa.
Festa trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Scully working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Scully wants to control from the top but Festa keeps moving.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Festa closes the distance and clinches.
Festa changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Scully fights it off and pushes away nicely.

Scully scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Danny Festa overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Scully is looking for a kimura but Festa is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Scully to get the leverage.
Festa trying to control here.
Scully stops Festa from getting back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Scully throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Festa gets full guard.
Scully loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Festa is looking to stand up but Scully isn't so interested in that idea.
Festa is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
The fight stays on the outside here - Festa looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Scully misses with a takedown
and Festa counters with a head kick. That will keep Scully thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
Festa with a lazy takedown attempt

so Scully counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Danny Festa. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Scully throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Festa works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

Scully is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Festa is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Festa has escaped and now he's on top!
Scully keeping full guard, as Festa tries to pass.
Scully with a couple of shots from the bottom there - nothing Festa can't handle though.
Scully looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Scully looking for a guillotine here but Festa defends easily.

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

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.
Festa lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.

Festa has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.

Festa has Scully up against the cage in a clinch.

Festa breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Scully misses with a takedown attempt

and Festa counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Scully is refusing to be controlled, as Festa sits in half guard.
Festa is stalling here. Scully is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Festa seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Scully has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Dan Scully.
Well Festa has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight 29:28
Judge Sergei Dronov scores the fight 29:28
Judge Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Danny Festa!