PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Donatello Giovanni (ranked 7084 p4p, 453 weight class) and Marcin Vanatta (ranked 23531 p4p, 487 weight class). Donatello Giovanni has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Giovanni
vs
Vanatta

187 cm
27
150 lbs
3 - 4 - 0

170 cm
26
148 lbs
4 - 3 - 0

Dangerous GnP
Excellent boxer
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Knockout power

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 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Donatello Giovanni!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of New York, Marcin Vanatta!
The judges for this bout are Robert Douchet, Alec Ball and Ian Loll.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Giovanni connects with a looping right hand.

Giovanni gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Giovanni is looking to take this one to the mat.
Giovanni drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Giovanni manages to pull guard.

Vanatta decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Giovanni with a body punch. A glancing blow.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A combination from Giovanni does no damage.
Giovanni really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Giovanni misses with the combination.
Vanatta is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.
Giovanni lunges at Vanatta with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Vanatta's hand.

It looks like Marcin Vanatta has been cut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Giovanni dives in and grabs Vanatta's left leg, looking for a takedown. Vanatta pushes down on Giovanni's head and hops out.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Donatello Giovanni. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Giovanni takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Giovanni fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Vanatta drops his hands momentarily and Giovanni takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Giovanni connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Giovanni misses with a looping right.

Vanatta decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Giovanni wants to stand back up but Vanatta manages to pass into side control.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Giovanni tries to slip a leg under to move to half guard but Vanatta presses down on the leg and jumps into full mount!
Vanatta lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Giovanni keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Vanatta working Giovanni over with strikes here.
A nice elbow there by Vanatta.
Vanatta tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Vanatta working his ground and pound in the gym. So far it seems to be working well.
Giovanni knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Vanatta on the ground.

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

Vanatta working for a submission but Giovanni is keeping him at bay.
Giovanni is wriggling around trying to escape.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vanatta tries to control but Giovanni wriggling away.
Giovanni is trying to stand.
Vanatta can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Giovanni is looking to escape.
Vanatta tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.

Vanatta is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Giovanni has managed to escape the submission attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Vanatta stands up from the dominant position. He obviously fancies his chances standing.
Giovanni is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
Giovanni scores with a hook to the body. Vanatta takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Vanatta bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Giovanni just misses with a punch to the body.

Giovanni drives through and clinches with Vanatta against the cage.
Giovanni wants to take the fight to the mat but Vanatta manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.

Giovanni pulls Vanatta into guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Giovanni wants to get back to his feet but Vanatta is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

Vanatta gets to his feet. Giovanni looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Marcin Vanatta will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Marcin Vanatta's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

A nice combination there by Giovanni.

Vanatta moves into the clinch.
Vanatta will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Giovanni up against the cage.

Vanatta breaks from the clinch.
Vanatta lands a high kick!
Giovanni is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Giovanni scores with a jab to the head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Giovanni misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Vanatta.
Vanatta stuffs the takedown attempt from Giovanni. Giovanni gets slowly back to his feet.
Vanatta slips a jab from Giovanni.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Giovanni connects with a body shot.
Good standup being displayed there by Giovanni as he connects with a hook.
Good work by Vanatta as he checks the leg kick.
Giovanni fails to land the takedown.

Giovanni closes the distance and pushes Vanatta back into the cage.
Vanatta misses with a knee to the head.
Vanatta keeps control of Giovanni as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Giovanni has Vanatta pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Vanatta manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Donatello Giovanni. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Vanatta trying to land knees to the body.
Vanatta will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Giovanni up against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Vanatta stalling against the cage.
Giovanni tries to break free but Vanatta pushes him back against the cage.

Vanatta pulls guard.
Giovanni preventing the sweep.
Giovanni is in close to Vanatta's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Giovanni throwing strikes from guard but Vanatta blocks nicely.

Giovanni is sitting in close to Vanatta's body. Vanatta has gone for a guillotine from the bottom. Oh damn, that looks pretty tight! Giovanni is panicking - it looks like this one could be all over! Yes, Giovanni is tapping! That was a very nice submission by Vanatta.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:58 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Guillotine). Marcin Vanatta!
Marcin Vanatta seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.
In defeat, Donatello Giovanni stepped up to the mic, saying 'Really?'.