PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Dumba Diame Jr (ranked 1187 p4p, 132 weight class) and Ezekiel Ithamar (ranked 2021 p4p, 212 weight class). Diame Jr comes to the cage accompanied by Get It On The Floor. Ezekiel Ithamar has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Diame Jr
vs
Ithamar

183 cm
28
157 lbs
14 - 15 - 0

176 cm
29
145 lbs
23 - 6 - 0

BJJ Red Belt
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Good gas tank

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 14 - 15 - 0, fighting out of New York, Dumba Diame Jr!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 23 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Ezekiel Ithamar!
The judges for this bout are Dean Styles, Eddie Farnsworth and Bruno Lombardi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ithamar avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Diame Jr manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Ithamar on his heels. He'll look to pass Ithamar's guard now, I'm sure.
Diame Jr tries to free his leg and advance position but Ithamar is retaining full guard.
Diame Jr trying to control the position from guard on top but Ithamar is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Ithamar has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Diame Jr is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Ithamar.
Diame Jr wants to control but Ithamar is keeping him busy.
Diame Jr just content to control the position.
Ithamar struggling a bit here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Diame Jr is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Ithamar is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Diame Jr controlling the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ithamar can't do much from the bottom here.
Diame Jr has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for Ithamar!
Ithamar tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Ithamar gets back to half guard.
Ithamar works his way to full guard. Good work.
Diame Jr slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Diame Jr trying to control the position from guard on top but Ithamar is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Ithamar keeping full guard, as Diame Jr tries to pass.
Diame Jr trying to control the position from guard on top but Ithamar is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
We've been hearing good reports from Diame Jr's training camp. Apparently he has been rolling around with some good quality BJJ practitioners and has been sharpening his skills. Let's see if that has an impact on the fight today.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Ithamar is trying to control the position but Diame Jr postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Ithamar isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Diame Jr stacks Ithamar on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Diame Jr!
Diame Jr remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.

Diame Jr is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Ithamar knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Ithamar stops Diame Jr from passing to mount.
Ithamar is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Diame Jr's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Ithamar has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Diame Jr is working away from the top position though.
Ithamar wants to get back to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Diame Jr is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Ithamar defends it well.
Ithamar moves into full guard.

Ithamar had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Diame Jr defends it easily.
Ithamar not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Diame Jr stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Ithamar swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Diame Jr is working hard here to advance position.
Diame Jr is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Ithamar keeping moving, preventing Diame Jr from controlling successfully.

That's four 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.

Ithamar is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Diame Jr stands and throws Ithamar's legs to the side, diving into side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Ithamar gives up the full mount - oops, sloppy defensive grappling there!
Ithamar is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Diame Jr trying to control but Ithamar is having none of it.
Diame Jr controlling his opponent.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Diame Jr trying to control but Ithamar is having none of it.
Diame Jr tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dumba Diame Jr 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.

Diame Jr ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
A slapping body kick lands there for Diame Jr.

Diame Jr closes the distance and clinches.
Diame Jr is trying to pull guard but Ithamar turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Diame Jr jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Ithamar walks away with a smile on his face. Diame Jr gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.

Diame Jr instigates a clinch.

Ithamar turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Ithamar manages to end up in side control.
Ithamar is looking to take a break and control but Diame Jr is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Ithamar is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Diame Jr knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Ithamar is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Diame Jr knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Diame Jr is looking for a sweep.

Ithamar tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Ithamar has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Ithamar is trying to ground and pound but Diame Jr uses the momentary lack of control by Ithamar to regain half guard.

Ithamar wants to work for an arm triangle but Diame Jr is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.

Ithamar is looking for a kimura here.
Diame Jr is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Ithamar can do to turn this around?

Ithamar is trying to work for a kimura but Diame Jr is defending well.

Ithamar looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Ithamar wants to work for an arm triangle but Diame Jr is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.

Ithamar is looking for a kimura but Diame Jr is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Ithamar to get the leverage.

Ithamar is looking for submissions but instead, Diame Jr has regained full guard.

Ithamar is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Diame Jr is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Diame Jr has escaped and now he's on top!

Ithamar can't keep his opponent in guard - Diame Jr advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ithamar won't allow Diame Jr to pass to mount.

Ithamar looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Ithamar is trying to control but can't.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Diame Jr throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

Ithamar looking for submissions off his back.
Diame Jr trying to control the action but Ithamar is working from the bottom.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Ithamar looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Diame Jr in particular looking to stall.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Ezekiel Ithamar will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Diame Jr moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Diame Jr fails to land the takedown.
Ithamar misses with a looping left.
A head kick from Diame Jr lands but Ithamar takes it in his stride.

Ithamar shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Diame Jr gets full guard.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Ithamar accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ithamar trying to control but Diame Jr is working from the bottom.
Diame Jr keeping full guard, as Ithamar tries to pass.
Dumba Diame Jr overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ithamar preventing the sweep.

Ithamar sitting in guard doing not very much at all here. Diame Jr doesn't need a second invitation though! He's locked up a guillotine and he's squeezing tight! That is tiiiiiiiiight! Ithamar paying the price for stalling here - he's pushing hard on the arm trying to free himself but it's no use! He's tapped! WOW, quick submission from Diame Jr - great work!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:34 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Guillotine). Dumba Diame Jr!
Dumba Diame Jr really struggled to get his t-shirt on before his hand was raised. Making sure that Riner Clothing Everything for 50$ only logo gets some air time is pretty tricky when you're all sweaty.