PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between El Misterioso Damballah (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Frank Schuurman (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.

Misterioso Damballah
vs
Schuurman

179 cm
23
180 lbs
7 - 9 - 0

175 cm
25
175 lbs
9 - 11 - 1

Good takedowns
Excellent boxer
Very quick

BJJ Blue Belt
Dangerous knees
Good gas tank

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 7 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, El Misterioso Damballah!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 11 - 1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Frank Schuurman!
The judges for this bout are Emerson Jorge, Edson Gomes and Alexandre Firmino.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Schuurman avoids a punch combination nicely.
Damballah misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Schuurman avoids a punch combination nicely.
Damballah misses with a series of wild punches.
Damballah sets himself, and Schuurman steps forward looking for the clinch! Damballah avoids it this time.
No joy there for Damballah, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

Schuurman clinches with his opponent.
Schuurman with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Damballah throws a head punch that misses.
Damballah on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Schuurman tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Schuurman connects with a knee to the head.
Schuurman blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Damballah can't find room to land a body shot as Schuurman controls the action.
Schuurman tries a knee to the head but Damballah blocks it.
Schuurman throws a knee to the head but misses.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Damballah wants a takedown but no success here.
I was talking to Damballah's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
A knee to the head by Schuurman.
Damballah tries a body shot but Schuurman blocks it.
Schuurman misses with a knee strike.
Damballah takes a knee to the side of the body.
Damballah is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Schuurman lands a knee to the head.
Damballah swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Schuurman throws a knee to the head but misses.
Damballah misses with a short punch on the inside.
Damballah misses with a hook from the clinch.
Damballah swings wildly with an uppercut but Schuurman uses good head movement to avoid it.
Schuurman connects with a nasty looking knee right to Damballah's face.
Damballah takes a knee right on the jaw!
Damballah has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Schuurman after a bit of a struggle.
Damballah throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Schuurmans head.
Schuurman scores a nice knee to the body.
Damballah tries to throw a body punch but Schuurman avoids it by throwing Damballah back against the cage.
Schuurman with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Schuurman tries a knee to the head but Damballah blocks it.
Schuurman throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Damballah blocks it with crossed arms.
Schuurman with an attempt at a knee that misses.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Damballah throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Schuurmans head.
Damballah lands a hook that snaps the head of Schuurman backwards.
Schuurman scores with a knee to the head.
Schuurman is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Damballah is defending well for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Schuurman crunches a lovely knee into Damballah's ribcage.
Damballah swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Schuurman misses with a knee to the head.
Schuurman misses with a knee strike.
Schuurman lands a knee to the head.
Damballah swings away with an uppercut that misses.
A right hand to the body from Damballah.
Schuurman connects with a knee to the head.
Schuurman tries to land knees in the clinch but Damballah avoids the damage to the body.
Damballah tries a body shot but Schuurman blocks it.

Damballah lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Schuurman pushes Damballah off looking to stand but Damballah dives back in and keeps control.

Damballah seems to be working for a kimura but Schuurman defends the submission attempt.
Damballah missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Damballah winds up and cracks Schuurman with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Damballah thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Schuurman's head.
Schuurman looks like he's trying to stand up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Schuurman kicks Damballah off and gets back to his feet.
El Misterioso Damballah seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Schuurman rushes Damballah and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Schuurman misses with a knee strike.
Damballah working aggressively here.
A right handed body shot lands from Damballah.
Damballah misses with a punch on the inside.
Schuurman throws a knee to the head but misses.
Damballah avoiding damage as Schuurman throws knees to the body.
Schuurman tries a knee to the head but Damballah blocks it.
Schuurman throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Damballah blocks it with crossed arms.
Schuurman blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Damballah fails to pull guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for El Misterioso Damballah. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Schuurman landing knees to the head.
Nice body punch from Damballah.
Damballah misses with the head strike.
Damballah wants a takedown.

Damballah turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Damballah manages to end up in side control.

Schuurman sneaks out the side door and pushes Damballah away - he's back to his feet. The crowd show their appreciation for the escape.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
A punch combination from Damballah misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A punch combination from Damballah misses.

Schuurman instigates a clinch.
Schuurman tries to land a knee to the head but Damballah blocks with his arms.
Schuurman using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Damballah has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Schuurman using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Damballah has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Damballah lands a hook that snaps the head of Schuurman backwards.
Damballah is trying to pull guard but Schuurman has him pressed against the cage.
Schuurman with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Schuurman looking to throw knees to the head but Damballah is blocking nicely.
Schuurman throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Damballah blocks it with crossed arms.
Damballah throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Schuurman throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Damballah blocks it with crossed arms.
A shot in the inside from Damballah.
Schuurman tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Schuurman with an attempt at a knee that misses.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Schuurman tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Damballah scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Damballah tries for a takedown but Schuurman manages to get underhooks.
Damballah goes for a takedown in the clinch but Schuurman prevents it.
Damballah tries for a takedown but Schuurman manages to get underhooks.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Frank Schuurman dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

A punch combination from Damballah misses.
Schuurman is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Damballah.

It looks like Frank Schuurman has been cut.
Damballah misses with a series of wild punches.
Schuurman tries to clinch up.
Damballah misses with a series of wild punches.
Damballah circles away from the clinch attempt.
Damballah will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
The fight stays on the outside here - Schuurman looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Schuurman rushes Damballah and presses him up against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Schuurman tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Schuurman tries a knee to the head but Damballah blocks it.
Schuurman blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Schuurman looking to throw knees to the head but Damballah is blocking nicely.
Schuurman gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Damballah.
Schuurman tries to land a knee to the head but Damballah blocks with his arms.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Schuurman misses with a knee to the head.

Damballah successfully pulls guard.

Schuurman stands up from Damballah's guard - Schuurman perhaps looking for a knockout.

Schuurman closes the distance and clinches.
A head punch on the inside from Damballah fails to land.
Schuurman misses with a knee to the head.
Damballah lands an uppercut.
Schuurman with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Schuurman tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Schuurman landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Schuurman is breathing heavily.
Damballah lands a nice uppercut.
Damballah tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Schuurman misses with a knee to the head.
Damballah looking for a takedown.
Schuurman landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Schuurman with an attempt at a knee that misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Damballah has a couple of punches blocked by Schuurman.
Schuurman lands a knee to the body.
Damballah swings wildly with an uppercut but Schuurman uses good head movement to avoid it.
Schuurman lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Schuurman tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Damballah takes a knee right on the jaw!
Schuurman tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Schuurman blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Schuurman throws a knee to the head but misses.
Damballah goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Damballah is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for El Misterioso Damballah. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Schuurman using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Damballah has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

Damballah pulls guard successfully.

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

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Damballah fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Schuurman throws a knee to the head but misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Schuurman with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Damballah on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Schuurman throws a knee to the head but misses.
Damballah throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Schuurmans head.
Damballah lands a shoulder strike.
Schuurman tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Damballah has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Schuurman is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Schuurman tries a knee to the head but Damballah blocks it.

Damballah jumps guard.

Damballah is working an open guard so Schuurman takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Damballah keeps the fight on the outside.
El Misterioso Damballah is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Schuurman tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Damballah fails to land with a series of punches.
A jab lands there for Damballah.
Schuurman is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Damballah avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Schuurman tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Damballah paws at him with a jab and circles away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Damballah avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Schuurman moves into the clinch successfully.
This has been an exciting period of action!
A head punch on the inside from Damballah fails to land.
Damballah stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Schuurman blocking some punches.

Schuurman is fighting off a takedown attempt but Damballah is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Schuurman to the mat. Schuurman regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
Damballah prevents Schuurman from getting back to his feet.
Damballah missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
El Misterioso Damballah overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Damballah is working Schuurman over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Damballah prevents Schuurman from getting back to his feet.
Damballah missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Schuurman is looking to stand up but Damballah isn't so interested in that idea.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that El Misterioso Damballah will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Frank Schuurman's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Damballah misses with a series of wild punches.
Damballah lands a two punch combo.
Damballah avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Damballah swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

Schuurman pushes Damballah up against the cage in a clinch.
Damballah is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Schuurman is defending well.
A head punch on the inside from Damballah fails to land.
Damballah swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Schuurman landing knees to the body.
Schuurman lands a nice knee to the body.
Schuurman throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Damballah blocks it with crossed arms.
Damballah goes for a takedown attempt but Schuurman pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

Schuurman clinches with his opponent.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Schuurman looking to throw knees to the head but Damballah is blocking nicely.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Damballah throws a head punch that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Schuurman with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Damballah gets through Schuurman's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Frank Schuurman seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Damballah on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Schuurman tries to land a knee to the head but Damballah blocks with his arms.
Schuurman tries to land a knee to the head but Damballah blocks with his arms.
Damballah wants a takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for El Misterioso Damballah. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Damballah avoiding damage as Schuurman throws knees to the body.
Schuurman prevents a body shot from Damballah.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Damballah.

Damballah gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
Schuurman wants to stand and escape but Damballah is having none of it.
Damballah makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Damballah prevents Schuurman from getting back to his feet.
Damballah makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Damballah trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Damballah throwing strikes from guard but Schuurman blocks nicely.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Damballah connects with a couple of short punches.
Schuurman is looking to stand up but Damballah isn't so interested in that idea.

Schuurman has scooted to the edge of the canvas and used the cage to get back to his feet. Damballah has stuck on his opponent and is forcing him back against the cage.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
A knee to the head by Schuurman.
Schuurman with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Schuurman tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Schuurman misses with a knee to the head.
Schuurman connects with a knee to the head.
Damballah lands a right hand that snaps the head of Schuurman backwards.
Damballah is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Schuurman gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Schuurman misses with a knee to the head.
Damballah pushes Schuurman back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Damballah blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Schuurman prevents the takedown attempt.
Damballah throws a head punch that misses.
Damballah throws a punch but it's blocked by Schuurman.
Schuurman throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Damballah blocks it with crossed arms.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Schuurman with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Damballah tries to pull guard but Schuurman forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Schuurman obliges.
Schuurman using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Damballah has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Damballah has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Schuurman after a bit of a struggle.
Damballah goes for a takedown attempt but Schuurman pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Schuurman tries to clinch up.
Schuurman fails in his attempt to clinch.
Damballah avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Damballah clobbers Schuurman with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.

Schuurman instigates a clinch.
Damballah tries to work over Schuurman's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Damballah drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Schuurman gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Damballah drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Schuurman lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Schuurman tries a knee to the head but Damballah blocks it.
Schuurman tries a knee to the head but Damballah blocks it.
Schuurman with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Schuurman tries to land knees in the clinch but Damballah avoids the damage to the body.
Schuurman throws a knee to the head but misses.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Damballah working aggressively here.
Damballah managing to block the knees to the body from Schuurman.
Damballah tries to pull guard but Schuurman holds him up against the cage and eventually Damballah drops back down to his feet.
Schuurman has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Schuurman with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Schuurman's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Schuurman gets underhooks to prevent Damballah's takedown attempt.
Schuurman is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Damballah is defending well for now.
Schuurman misses with a knee to the head.
Schuurman with a knee to the head.
Schuurman with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Schuurman looking to throw knees to the head but Damballah is blocking nicely.
Damballah throws a punch but it's blocked by Schuurman.

And that's the end of the fight!
Frank Schuurman comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Schuurman has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Emerson Jorge scores the fight 28:30
Judge Edson Gomes scores the fight 28:29
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Frank Schuurman!
After the fight, Frank Schuurman was humble in paying tribute to his opponent but made it clear he wants to go on to bigger and better things. It seemed to go down well with the crowd who cheered him loudly.