PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Van Damn (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Luke Pennington (ranked 0 p4p, 0 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.

Damn
vs
Pennington

177 cm
24
135 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

175 cm
18
137 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Can Moonwalk

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Van Damn!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Luke Pennington!
The judges for this bout are Alexandre Firmino, Edson Gomes and Matheus Silva.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pennington has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Damn.
Pennington misses with a head kick.
Pennington misses with a body kick.
Damn stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Damn wants it to stay on the feet.
Damn appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Pennington tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Damn swivels and escapes.
Damn feinted there with a counter leg kick.

Damn moves into the clinch successfully.
Damn goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Damn looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Damn really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Pennington pressing his opponent against the cage.

Pennington pulls guard successfully.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Damn throwing strikes from guard but Pennington blocks nicely.
Pennington pulls Damn in close to prevent any damage.
Pennington keeping moving, preventing Damn from controlling successfully.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pennington controls Damn momentarily but Damn frees himself.
Damn trying to control but Pennington is working from the bottom.
Damn distracts Pennington with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Damn stopping the sweep attempt from Pennington.
Pennington pulls Damn in to control the position.
Pennington is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Damn looking to sit in guard and control but Pennington gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Pennington drops back, looking for a kneebar! Damn looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Damn looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Damn!

Pennington is looking for a sweep.
You can see the frustration on Pennington's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Pennington tries to bench press Damn off him but Damn keeps the position.
Damn is looking to take a break and control but Pennington is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Pennington tries to buck Damn off but Damn is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pennington is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Damn passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Pennington!
Damn sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Pennington is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Pennington avoids a series of strikes thrown by Damn.
Damn throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Damn lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Pennington can do anything to dispel that myth.
Pennington avoids a series of strikes thrown by Damn.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Damn looking to ground and pound but Pennington is blocking nicely.
Damn tries to control but Pennington wriggling away.
Pennington blocking the ground and pound.
Damn misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Damn misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Damn controlling the position easily from mount.
Damn wants to control the pace but Pennington is squirming around nicely.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Pennington manages to regain half guard. Good work.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Van Damn dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Pennington keeps the fight on the outside.

Pennington closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.

Damn makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!
Luke Pennington is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Damn darts in and clinches Pennington up against the cage.
Pennington is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Damn pulls him back up using the underhooks.

Damn escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Pennington clinches up against the cage.
Pennington misses with a knee to the head.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!

Damn's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Van Damn seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Damn tries to clinch there but Pennington circles away.
Damn lands a jab to Pennington's midsection.
Pennington circles away from the clinch attempt.
Damn is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Pennington can do to turn this around?
Pennington takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Damn is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Damn takes the fight into the clinch.
The referee calls for Damn to work.
Pennington has had enough of the clinch but Damn keeps him there for the moment.
Damn lands an elbow inside that Pennington shrugs off.

Pennington breaks the clinch.
Pennington keeps the fight on the outside.
Damn fails with an attempt to clinch.
Nice body punch from Damn.
Pennington has his takedown stuffed
and Damn counters with a nice uppercut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pennington has a takedown stuffed.
Van Damn has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Luke Pennington.
Pennington is breathing heavily.
Damn lands a jab.

Damn rushes Pennington and presses him up against the cage.
Damn is pressed up against the cage. Pennington has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Damn down to the mat. Damn avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Pennington takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.

Damn gets a clinch.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Pennington wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Damn has him pressed against the cage.
Pennington tries to break free but Damn pushes him back against the cage.
Damn is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Damn tries to throw a body punch but Pennington avoids it by throwing Damn back against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Damn landing knees to the body.
Damn lands an elbow just above Pennington 's eye.
With the fighters up against the cage, Damn throws an elbow but misses.
Damn slows down the pace here.
Pennington blocks a body shot from Damn.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Damn.
Pennington changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Damn fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Pennington takes one to the side of the head.
Pennington closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A good leg kick by Damn.
Damn is looking to clinch but Pennington is avoiding it.

Damn clinches up against the cage.
Damn has Pennington pressed against the cage.
Damn displaying some good clinch control by pressing Pennington up against the cage.
Damn lands a nice uppercut.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Damn leaning against his opponent.

Damn escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Pennington circles away from the clinch attempt.
Pennington takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Van Damn dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

The fight stays on the outside here - Damn looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Pennington scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.

Damn throws his opponent off and manages to get back to his feet! Nicely done!

Damn forces Pennington back against the cage and clinches.
Pennington is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Damn is defending well.
Van Damn has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Damn scores with a hook to the body.
Damn lands a hook to the side of the head.
This has been an exciting period of action!
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.

Damn pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Pennington tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Damn paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Damn gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Damn is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Pennington is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Pennington trying to control but Damn is working from the bottom.

Pennington decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Damn, up you get!

That's two 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.

Damn forces Pennington back against the cage and clinches.
Pennington is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Damn to keep the fight standing.
Pennington tries to pull guard but Damn holds him up against the cage and eventually Pennington drops back down to his feet.
Van Damn has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Luke Pennington.
Pennington takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Damn lands a shoulder strike.
Nice elbow from Damn.
Damn is trying to stall.

Damn breaks from the clinch.
Pennington tries to clinch there but Damn circles away.
Damn fires out a quick counter leg kick but Pennington just manages to avoid it.
Damn getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Pennington circles away from the clinch attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Damn is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Pennington with a lazy takedown attempt
and Damn counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Pennington fails with a takedown attempt.
Damn connects with a solid leg kick.

Damn clinches.
Pennington has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Damn is stalling here.
Damn dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Damn.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Damn lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Pennington or not.
Damn lands an elbow just above Pennington 's eye.
Damn lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Pennington or not.
Pennington jumps guard but Damn stands there with Pennington around his waist. Pennington gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Damn works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Van Damn is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Damn stalling in the clinch.
Pennington is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Damn content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Luke Pennington has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Damn lands a nice elbow.
Nice body punch from Damn - that landed with a thud.

And that's the end of the fight!
Van Damn showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Damn has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Alexandre Firmino scores the fight for Van Damn!
Judge Edson Gomes scores the fight for Van Damn!
Judge Matheus Silva scores the fight for Van Damn!

Van Damn wins by unanimous decision!