PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Joca Carioca (ranked 2925 p4p, 260 weight class) and Massimo Damiani (ranked 3537 p4p, 299 weight class). Well, the cameraman is lingering on a pretty young lady for a bit too long there. Keep your eyes on the prize buddy or you'll miss the fighter intros!

Carioca
vs
Damiani

175 cm
25
145 lbs
3 - 2 - 1

174 cm
20
155 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter fighter
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Joca Carioca!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Massimo Damiani!
The judges for this bout are John Mangel, Skip Squint and Ron Honeybunn.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Damiani misses with a hook. Carioca ducked under it nicely.
Carioca on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Damiani throws a nice outside leg kick.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Carioca.
Carioca shoots in looking for a takedown. Damiani tries to sprawl out of it but Carioca keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Damiani manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Damiani throws a leg kick but Carioca checks it.
Damiani throws a nice looking combination but Carioca bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Damiani misses with a jab, cross combination.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Carioca tries for a takedown but Damiani circles away easily
and Damiani counters with a lovely shot to the body.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Joca Carioca. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A leg kick checked by Carioca.
Carioca changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Damiani misses with a wild body shot.
Carioca dodges the punch combination from Damiani.
Damiani scores with a punch to the head.

Damiani moves into the clinch successfully.
Good body shot from Damiani.
Damiani lands with a right to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A shot in the inside from Damiani.
Damiani lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Damiani stalling the fight.

Carioca gets a trip takedown into half guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Damiani is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Carioca is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Damiani defends it well.

Carioca is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Damiani is not content to let Carioca control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Carioca is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Damiani has managed to free his arm - good work.
Damiani is holding on to half guard well.

Carioca is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Damiani sees it coming and defends easily.
Carioca is keen to just control but Damiani is a slippery customer.
Damiani keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Damiani really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Carioca. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Damiani is not content to let Carioca control the position.

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.

Carioca seems to be looking for submissions.
Carioca trying to advance position but Damiani counters by regaining guard.
Damiani pulls Carioca in to control the position.
Carioca trying to control but Damiani is working from the bottom.
Carioca is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Damiani is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Carioca pushing down on Damiani's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Ground and pound from Carioca.
Carioca throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Massimo Damiani dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Jab by Damiani.
Damiani moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Carioca looks to be in better condition than last time we saw him fight. Obviously he's been working hard on his cardio.
Damiani fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Massimo Damiani seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Damiani tries to land a leg kick but Carioca saw it coming and moves away.
Carioca feinted with a counter takedown.

Carioca feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Carioca trying to control the position from guard on top but Damiani is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Damiani can do anything to dispel that myth.

Carioca is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Carioca trying to control the position from guard on top but Damiani is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Carioca sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Carioca pushes down on Damiani's leg and manages to get into half guard.

Carioca is looking for a kimura but Damiani is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Carioca to get the leverage.

Carioca is trying to work for a kimura but Damiani is defending well.
Damiani has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Carioca works his way into full mount!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Damiani holds on to Carioca as tight as he can, avoiding damage.
Damiani felt the need to train up his defensive grappling in the buildup to the fight. Presumably he was expecting to be in a difficult position like this, so let's see if he can get out of it.

Carioca is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Damiani is surviving well by controlling Carioca's body position as best he can.

Carioca working from mount. He moves in close and looks like he might be going for an arm triangle... He's hopped off to the side and he's transitioned into an Anaconda choke. Damiani turning a nasty shade of purple. He's refusing to tap but he's gone! He's out! The ref rips Carioca off and cradles Damiani's limp body as Carioca celebrates with his corner.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:58 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Anaconda Choke). Joca Carioca!