PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Dado Damba (ranked 1619 p4p, 1649 weight class) and Romulus Gerber (ranked 235 p4p, 238 weight class). Romulus Gerber is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Damba
vs
Gerber

182 cm
27
172
4 - 4 - 0

179 cm
27
182
10 - 6 - 1

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

The Dirty Needle Project

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 4 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Dado Damba!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 6 - 1, fighting out of Amsterdam, Romulus Gerber!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Jack Bonds and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Damba misses with a lunging right hand
and Gerber counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Damba lands a jab.
Damba blocks a jab.
Damba blocks the body kick.
Damba attempts a counter takedown but Gerber avoids it well and moves away.
Gerber has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Damba finds it's way round the side to connect with Gerber's head.
Gerber misses with an uppercut
and Damba cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

Damba has Gerber up against the cage in a clinch.
Gerber blocking some punches.
A shot in the inside from Gerber.
Gerber is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Damba misses with a hook from the clinch.
Damba misses with some punches.
Damba misses with a short punch on the inside.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gerber blocks a body shot from Damba.
Damba lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Damba scores with a shot to the side of Gerber's head.
Damba misses with a short punch on the inside.

Gerber escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Damba tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Gerber swivels and escapes.
Damba with the inside leg kick.

Damba moves into the clinch successfully.
Damba lands a left hand.
Gerber tries to work over Damba's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Damba lands a right hand that snaps the head of Gerber backwards.
Damba misses with a body punch.
Gerber blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Damba lands a body shot in the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Damba throws a punch but it's blocked by Gerber.
Gerber lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Damba backwards.
Gerber has been looking to improve his clinch game in recent weeks. Damba seems to have the measure of him in the clinch so far, so let's see if Gerber can turn it around.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Damba tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Gerber's elbow.
Damba makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Damba misses with a hook to the ribs.
Damba throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
A short right from Damba.
Gerber tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Damba scores with a nice hook to the head.
Gerber is trying to force a seperation but Damba has the dominant position.
Gerber blocking some punches.
Gerber is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Gerber prevents a body shot from Damba.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Gerber.
Gerber blocking some punches.
Damba throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Gerbers head.
Damba misses with a punch on the inside.
Damba throws a punch but it's blocked by Gerber.
Gerber lands a right hand.
Damba misses with a hook from the clinch.
Damba tries to throw a body punch but Gerber avoids it by throwing Damba back against the cage.
Gerber fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Gerber is trying to break free.
Gerber blocks a body shot from Damba.
Damba misses with a hook to the ribs.
Nice body punch from Damba - that landed with a thud.
Gerber throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Dambas head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Damba throws a head punch that misses.
Damba avoiding damage as Gerber throws knees to the body.
Damba keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Gerber's efforts to push away.
Damba misses with a hook from the clinch.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Damba.
Damba tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Damba misses with some punches.
Damba tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Damba tries to throw a body punch but Gerber avoids it by throwing Damba back against the cage.
Damba misses with a hook from the clinch.
Damba misses with a short punch on the inside.
Damba tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Gerber's elbow.
Damba misses with a shot to the kidneys.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Dado Damba dominated that round.
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.

Damba misses with a low kick.
Damba looks to land a left hand but Gerber moved out of range nicely.
Gerber checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Gerber swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Damba counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Damba is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Gerber can do to turn this around?
Damba keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Gerber jabs Damba to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Gerber throws a body kick that misses.
Damba gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Gerber counters with a left to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Damba takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
A jab from Gerber finds it's way through Damba's defenses.
Damba throws a right and a left that Gerber avoids nicely.
Damba uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Gerber.
Gerber throws a leg kick that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gerber scoring well with a low kick there.
Gerber throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Damba attempts a counter takedown but Gerber avoids it well and moves away.
Damba connects with a good right hand that stumbles Gerber. Gerber circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Romulus Gerber seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Gerber has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Gerber there as he acknowledges the shot.
Damba fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Damba ducks under a wild hook from Gerber.
Gerber throws a right hand that misses
enabling Damba to counter with a crisp jab.
Gerber tries to land a front kick but Damba steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
It looks like Damba has been trying to sharpen up his punching technique, as it looks crisper than last time we saw him.
Gerber swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Damba.
Gerber ducks under a wild hook from Damba.
Damba throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Damba with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Damba lands with a straight right. Gerber didn't see that one coming.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A jab lands there for Damba.
Damba misses with a body shot.
Gerber connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Gerber misses with a body kick.
Dado Damba seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Damba throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Gerber's waist but Gerber gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Damba off to one side.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Dado Damba. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Damba takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
The fight stays on the outside here - Damba looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Damba ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Gerber throws a big shot that misses.
Damba tries to counter with a takedown but Gerber is quick to defend against it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nice body kick from Gerber.
Damba throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Damba backing away here, and Gerber unleashes a leg kick that just misses.
Gerber misses with a wild body shot.
Gerber ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Damba moves away.
Nice shot lands for Damba.
A telegraphed right hand from Gerber misses the target.
Damba throws a lazy right hand but Gerber sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Damba takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.
Damba checks the leg kick.
Damba takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Damba needs to keep his hands up - Gerber had a free shot at his head there.
Gerber throws a combination that misses
and Damba counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gerber throws a front kick aimed at Damba's knee but Damba avoids it well.
Gerber with a nice calf kick.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Damba misses with a double jab.
Gerber scores with a body shot.
Damba tries to land a body kick
and Gerber connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Gerber thows a leg kick but Damba checks it
enabling Damba to counter with a crisp jab.
Gerber takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Damba scores with a hook to the body. Gerber takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Gerber throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Damba throwing a counter right hand but Gerber manages to avoid it.
Damba misses with a jab to the body
and Gerber counters with a good low kick that Damba was not able to check.
Gerber dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Damba throws a hook but Gerber blocks it.
Gerber avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Gerber looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Romulus Gerber will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare each other down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Gerber scores with a body shot.
Gerber lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Damba circles away quickly and effectively.
A chopping leg kick lands by Gerber.
Good work by Gerber as he checks the leg kick.
Damba works the jab nicely.
Damba throws a poor cross that misses
and Gerber counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Gerber with a jab.
Damba throws a right hand that misses
and Gerber counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Gerber takes one on the button.
Damba misses with a body shot.
Gerber swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Gerber walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Damba checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Damba ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Gerber moves away.
Damba throws a low kick but Gerber moves out of range easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Damba throws out a loose jab but Gerber uses good head movement to avoid it.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Gerber! But no joy.
A looping hook to the body misses from Gerber. Damba does a little dance to reset his feet.
A combination from Gerber does no damage.
Gerber lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Gerber buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Damba lands a jab to Gerber's midsection.
Gerber misses with a looping right.
Damba is looking to counter with a shot to the body.

Damba has managed to clinch.
Gerber blocking some punches.
Gerber lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Damba backwards.

Gerber breaks the clinch.
Damba throws a sloppy body shot
and Gerber counters with a stiff right hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Gerber gets tackled into the cage by Damba. Damba maintains the clinch.
Damba lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Damba is working Gerber over against the cage.

Gerber breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Damba scores with a leg kick.
Gerber throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Damba counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Damba connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Damba throws a body kick despite being completely out of range
and Gerber makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Damba throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Gerber has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Damba finds it's way round the side to connect with Gerber's head.
Damba throws a lazy uppercut
and Gerber counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Damba throws a jab but it's blocked by Gerber.
It seemed like Gerber was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gerber ducks under a wild hook from Damba.
It seemed like Gerber was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Gerber missing with a left hand there. Damba was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Damba with a hook.
Gerber lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Damba fails in his attempt to clinch.
Gerber throws a shot from downtown. Damba moves away and avoids it.
Gerber staying out of range there.
Damba scores with a crisp jab that stopped Gerber in his tracks.
Gerber takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Gerber ducks under a wild hook from Damba.

Damba closes the distance and pushes Gerber back into the cage.
A short right from Damba on the inside.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gerber prevents a body shot from Damba.
Damba can't find room to land a body shot as Gerber controls the action.
Damba working aggressively here.
Gerber blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
A head punch on the inside from Damba fails to land.
Gerber is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Gerber blocking some punches.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Damba.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Damba doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Damba misses with some punches.

Gerber breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Gerber uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Damba.
A countering left hand to the body from Gerber misses.
A nice inside leg kick there by Gerber. That's going to slow Damba down.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Dado Damba.
I think Damba has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Don Winkell scores the fight 30:28
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 29:28
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Dado Damba!