PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Theo Damus (ranked 4447 p4p, 4468 weight class) and Rob Punk (ranked 0 p4p, 458 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Damus
vs
Punk

180 cm
24
185
0 - 0 - 0

199 cm
25
183
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Theo Damus!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Rob Punk!
The judges for this bout are Reed Andrews, Alyssa Summers and Jonathan Paton.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Punk.
No luck for Damus with that takedown attempt.
Punk dives in and grabs Damus's left leg, looking for a takedown. Damus pushes down on Punk's head and hops out.
Damus tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
And Punk tries to counter it with a takedown but Damus pushes his down on his head and steps out.

Punk moves into the clinch.
Punk is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

Punk breaks the clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Damus looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Punk will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Punk blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.

Punk pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Damus fails to land the takedown.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Punk lands a high kick!
Punk tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Damus swivels and escapes.
Theo Damus has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rob Punk.
Damus looks for a takedown but Punk sprawls well.
Punk now looks to counter with a shot at the body.
Damus shoots in but no luck this time.
Punk shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Punk lands a high kick!
Damus shoots in and drives through. Punk sprawls well.
Damus swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Punk shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Damus sprawls well. Damus wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Punk gets slowly back to his feet.
Damus looked to counter that last move with a leg kick but didn't pull the trigger.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Punk swats away the attempt to clinch by Damus.
Damus fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Punk avoids it really well and circles away.
Damus sets himself, and Punk steps forward looking for the clinch! Damus avoids it this time.
Punk misses with a takedown attempt - Damus sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
As Punk looks to move away, Damus throws a big counter combo but Punk just gets out of the way.

Damus pushes Punk up against the cage in a clinch.

Punk's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Punk gets in close and instigates a clinch.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Damus pulls guard successfully.
Punk showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Damus working a defensive guard here.
Punk won't allow Damus to sweep him here.
Damus trying to control the position.
Damus preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Damus wants to control the position but Punk says "no thanks buddy" and passes to half guard.
Punk sitting and controlling from the half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four 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.
Punk not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Damus knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Punk on the ground.
Punk throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Damus is trying to escape back to his feet but Punk uses the scramble to pass into side control.
Punk throws an elbow but Damus slips to the side and avoids it well.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

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

Punk gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
enabling Damus to counter with a crisp jab.
Damus throws a body kick that misses.
Punk feints the counter takedown.
Punk has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Punk is defended easily by Damus.
Damus will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Punk drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Damus defends it well.
Punk misses with a kick to the body.
Punk shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Damus sprawls well. Damus wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Punk gets slowly back to his feet.
Theo Damus has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rob Punk.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Punk has managed to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Still in the clinch, Punk scores with a nice short uppercut.
Damus is trying to pull guard but Punk has him pressed against the cage.
Punk has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Damus after a bit of a struggle.
Damus has had enough of the clinch but Punk keeps him there for the moment.
Damus prevents a takedown attempt there.
Punk has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Damus after a bit of a struggle.
Punk is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Damus is defending well for now.
Punk dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Damus looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Punk stalling against the cage.
Damus is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Damus decides to pull guard.
Damus controls Punk momentarily but Punk frees himself.
Damus wants to sweep here but Punk controlling him for the moment.
Damus has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Punk has passed into side control.
Punk controls the position.
Damus prevents Punk from improving position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Punk working away.
Punk taking a breather here.
Punk has knee on belly and moves into mount.
Damus is trying to reverse the position but instead Punk has taken his back - oops!
Punk really has the hooks in deep now - there seems like no escape for Damus.
Damus looking very determined here, making life difficult for Punk.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Punk punches the canvas rather than the man.
So, who will make the next big move? In this position it could be crucial.

Damus defends a rear naked choke attempt by controlling one of Punk's arms.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Damus tries to break free.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Rob Punk showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Punk shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Damus as he avoids it easily.
Punk misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Damus.
Damus misses with a body shot.
Damus misses with a jab, cross combination.
Punk shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Damus sprawls well. Damus wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Punk gets slowly back to his feet.
Damus went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
Theo Damus has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rob Punk.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Damus misses with a few strikes there.
Damus throws the kick towards the body but Punk avoids it.

Damus tries to keep at a distance but Punk has taken the fight into the clinch.

Punk pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Damus tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
A head kick misses from Damus.
No luck for Punk with that takedown attempt.

Punk fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Damus, pushing him back against the cage.
Punk drops down looking for an ankle pick but Damus pulls his leg out and moves away.
Damus keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Theo Damus is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Punk scores with a head kick.
Punk takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Damus fails with a takedown attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Damus scores with a spinning back kick!
Damus fails in his attempt to clinch.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Damus.
Punk closes the distance and clinches up with Damus, looking for a takedown. Punk pushes Damus against the cage but Damus circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Damus throws a head kick but Punk moves out of range.
Punk shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Damus as he avoids it easily.
Theo Damus seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Punk throws a head kick that misses.
Damus wants to clinch.
Punk wants to counter with a clinch but Damus pushes him away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Punk keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Punk misses with a head kick.
Damus throws a big counter combination but Punk scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.
Damus shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Punk pinned against the cage. Punk gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Damus throws a right hand that Punk ducks under and follows up with a left that Punk also avoids with ease.

Punk darts in and clinches Damus up against the cage.

Damus escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Damus tries to clinch up but Punk circles away and keeps his distance.
Punk tries to counter by closing the distance.
Punk shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Damus throws a right hand that misses

and Punk counters with a takedown into side control! That could mean trouble for Damus!

Damus sneaks out the side door and pushes Punk away - he's back to his feet. The crowd show their appreciation for the escape.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Damus looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Punk misses with a takedown attempt - Damus sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Damus shoots for a takedown but Punk saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Damus shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Punk as he jumps to the side.
Punk shoots in for a double leg but Damus sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Damus scores with a jab.
Damus wants to clinch up but Punk keeps it at a distance.
Theo Damus has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Rob Punk is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Damus lands a two punch combo.

And that's the end of the fight!
Theo Damus showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Punk 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 Reed Andrews scores the fight 28:29
Judge Alyssa Summers scores the fight 28:29
Judge Jonathan Paton scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rob Punk!
Theo Damus spoke after the fight, saying 'We'll just have to work harder.'.