PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Haru Nakamura (ranked 4307 p4p, 5208 weight class) and Theo Damus (ranked 419 p4p, 0 weight class). Haru Nakamura has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Nakamura
vs
Damus

193 cm
18
185
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
24
185
0 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Brawler
Very strong

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Solid chin

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, Haru Nakamura!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Theo Damus!
The judges for this bout are Russell Pearce, Bruno Lombardi and Alyssa Summers.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Damus gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Damus looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Nakamura trying to control but Damus is working from the bottom.
Nakamura will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Nakamura connects with a couple of short punches.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Nakamura's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Damus keeping moving, preventing Nakamura from controlling successfully.
Damus trying to keep a closed guard but Nakamura is proving a slippery customer.
Nakamura lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Nakamura engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nakamura wants to control from the top but Damus keeps moving.
Nakamura knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Damus on the ground.
Nakamura makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Nakamura trying to control the position from guard on top but Damus is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Damus is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Nakamura throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Damus looking for a sweep. Not yet Damus, not yet.
Nakamura throws a big right hand that misses.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Nakamura makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Nakamura trying to control the position from guard on top but Damus is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Damus looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Nakamura is working Damus over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Nakamura in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Nakamura trying to control the position from guard on top but Damus is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Damus can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Nakamura controls the pace.
Nakamura wants to control from the top but Damus keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Damus working for a triangle but Nakamura defends it easily.
Damus looks winded!
Nakamura chips away with some ground and pound.
Nakamura trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Nakamura cracks Damus with a solid left hand.
Damus is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Damus keeping moving, preventing Nakamura from controlling successfully.
Nakamura with a flurry of punches that miss.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Nakamura trying to control the position from guard on top but Damus is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Nakamura is really struggling to control Damus but he's trying to hold on to the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nakamura postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Nakamura trying to control but Damus is working from the bottom.
Nakamura scoring with punches to the head and body.
Nakamura wants to control from the top but Damus keeps moving.
Damus wants to sweep here but Nakamura controlling him for the moment.
Nakamura stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Damus swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Nakamura trying to control but Damus is working from the bottom.
Nakamura has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Nakamura works over Damus with some ground and pound from guard.
Damus utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Damus is on top in guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Nakamura is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Damus trying to control the position from guard on top but Nakamura is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Damus loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

Nakamura has his foot on Damus's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Damus works his way back into a safe position though.

Nakamura throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Damus escapes and throws Nakamura's legs to the side, diving into side control!
Nakamura is looking for a sweep.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Damus scoring with punches from side control.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Haru Nakamura dominated that round.
That's time! Nakamura's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Damus throws a quick inside leg kick.
Damus buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.

Nakamura scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.

Damus sneaks out the side door and pushes Nakamura away - he's back to his feet. The crowd show their appreciation for the escape.
Damus scores with a one two! Nakamura had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Theo Damus seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Damus goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.

Damus is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Nakamura's half guard.

Nakamura looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Nakamura moves into full guard.

Nakamura looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Nakamura had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Damus defends it easily.

Nakamura working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Damus doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Damus manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Nakamura on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Nakamura tries to get out of the position.
Damus engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Nakamura keeping moving, preventing Damus from controlling successfully.

Damus got a little sloppy there for a moment and Nakamura has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Damus has managed to get both his arms back between Nakamura's legs - danger averted.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.

Damus stands up from guard. Let's bang!

Nakamura gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Damus to score an easy takedown into full guard.

Damus stands up from Nakamura's guard - Damus perhaps looking for a knockout.
Damus throws a nice head kick!

Damus looking for a takedown here - he's got it.

Damus avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Damus is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Nakamura is looking for a triangle but Damus pushes his legs off easily.
Damus trying to control but Nakamura is working from the bottom.
Damus might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Nakamura haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.

Nakamura is looking for a triangle but Damus pushes his legs off easily.

Nakamura escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Damus gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Damus content to stall in guard here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.

Nakamura looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

Damus drops back looking for a leg! Nakamura is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Nakamura manages to kick Damus off! Damus jumps back into Nakamura's guard.
Theo Damus has got the better of the ground game so far.

Damus stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Haru Nakamura is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Damus scores with a takedown into Nakamura's guard.
Nakamura keeping moving, preventing Damus from controlling successfully.

Nakamura is looking for a triangle but Damus pushes his legs off easily.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Theo Damus showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Damus tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
A low kick lands for Damus.
Damus has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Damus plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Damus lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Damus.
A left and a right from Damus both land. Nice combination.
Nakamura avoids a punch combination nicely.

Damus shoots in and bounces Nakamura off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Damus trying to control the position from guard on top but Nakamura is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Damus takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Nakamura throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Nakamura escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Damus gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Damus wants to stand but Nakamura is controlling his posture from full guard.

That's two 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.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Nakamura is on top in guard.

Nakamura trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Nakamura lands a couple of digs.
Damus wants to stand up but Nakamura is controlling him.
Nakamura lands a couple of digs.
Nakamura scoring with punches to the head and body.
Nakamura is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Nakamura distracts Damus with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Damus keeping moving, preventing Nakamura from controlling successfully.
Nakamura postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Nakamura scoring with punches to the head and body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nakamura scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Damus is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Damus wants to stand but Nakamura is controlling the position.
Nakamura scoring with some ground and pound.
Damus keeping moving, preventing Nakamura from controlling successfully.
Nakamura is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Nakamura working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Nakamura trying to control but Damus is working from the bottom.
Nakamura lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Nakamura trying to control but Damus is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nakamura working some strikes from top position.
Damus is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Nakamura lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Nakamura wants to control from the top but Damus keeps moving.
Nakamura content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Nakamura distracts Damus with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Damus keeping moving, preventing Nakamura from controlling successfully.
Nakamura with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Theo Damus.
I think Damus 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 Russell Pearce scores the fight 29:29
Judge Bruno Lombardi scores the fight 29:28
Judge Alyssa Summers scores the fight 29:29

The fight is ruled a majority draw!