PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Dado Damba (ranked 1932 p4p, 2868 weight class) and Tim Drive (ranked 272 p4p, 373 weight class). Drive has chosen Look into My Eyes as his entrance music. There are an array of beautiful celebrities at ringside tonight! I wonder if any of them paid for their tickets.

Damba
vs
Drive

182 cm
26
172
3 - 4 - 0

180 cm
27
175
9 - 9 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Urban Fighter
Pit Bull Development

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 3 - 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 9 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Tim Drive!
The judges for this bout are Radbod Blank, Wagner Zegers and Aafke Stam.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Damba takes the fight into the clinch.
Damba misses with a body punch.
A right hand to the body from Damba.
Damba doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Damba is working Drive over against the cage.
Damba tries a body shot but Drive blocks it.
Drive misses with some punches.
Drive misses with a punch on the inside.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Drive.
Drive misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Damba.
A right hand to the body from Damba.
Stalling in the clinch from Drive.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Damba.
A head punch on the inside from Drive fails to land.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Drive swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Damba blocks a punch to the side of the head.
A nice right hand lands inside from Damba.
Still in the clinch, Damba scores with a nice short uppercut.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Drive.
Drive tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Damba misses with a punch on the inside.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Damba stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Drive.
Drive doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Damba misses with the head strike.
Damba can't find room to land a body shot as Drive controls the action.
Damba has a couple of punches blocked by Drive.
Damba struggles to land a body shot inside as Drive controls his hands.
A short uppercut from Damba.
Drive blocks a body shot from Damba.
Drive misses with a hook from the clinch.
Damba works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Drive comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.

It looks like Dado Damba has been cut.
Drive misses with a punch on the inside.
Damba lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Damba softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Damba working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Damba lands a hook to the side of the head.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
A short uppercut from Drive.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Drive throws a head punch that misses.
Drive lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Drive just misses with a elbow thrown towards Damba's brow.
Damba blocking some punches.
Damba misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Drive lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Drive blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Drive misses with a short punch on the inside.
Damba tries to work over Drive's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Drive blocks an uppercut.
I was talking to Damba's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Damba blocks an uppercut.
Drive blocks a punch to the side of the head.
A head punch on the inside from Drive fails to land.
Drive swings wildly with an uppercut but Damba uses good head movement to avoid it.
Drive 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 Drive can turn it around.
A short right from Damba on the inside.
Damba working aggressively here.
A shot in the inside from Damba.
Drive trying to stall but Damba improves his position.
Damba lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Drive.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Drive blocking some punches.
Damba tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Drive.
Drive misses with an elbow over the top.
Drive makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Drive throws an elbow but it misses.
Drive blocking some punches.
Drive throws a head punch that misses.
Drive misses with some punches.
Drive throws a punch but it's blocked by Damba.
Drive lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Damba lands a shot to the body.
Drive misses with a punch on the inside.
Drive blocking some punches.
Damba working aggressively here.
Damba blocking some punches.
Damba misses with a hook to the ribs.
A right hook to the body lands for Damba.
Damba misses with a hook from the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Drive lands an elbow just above Damba 's eye.
Drive misses with a punch on the inside.
Drive misses with a hook from the clinch.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
With the fighters up against the cage, Drive throws an elbow but misses.
Damba can't find room to land a body shot as Drive controls the action.
Drive fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Damba.
Drive misses with an elbow strike.
Damba tries to work over Drive's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Damba lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Damba swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Damba doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Drive lands with a left to the head.
Drive throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Dambas head.
Drive prevents a body shot from Damba.
Drive misses with the head strike.
A head punch on the inside from Damba fails to land.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Drive.
A head punch on the inside from Drive fails to land.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Dado Damba will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Dado Damba's cut.
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.

Drive throws a hook but Damba blocks it.
Damba fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Drive misses with a body shot
and Damba connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Damba misses the jab.
Damba lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Drive takes a swing at Damba's ribcage but misses.
Damba seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Damba keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Drive.
Damba steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Drive.
Damba lands an overhand right.
Damba uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Drive.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Damba steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Drive.
Damba throws a hook but Drive blocks it.
A looping hook to the body misses from Drive. Damba does a little dance to reset his feet.
Drive fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Drive fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Damba swings for the body but Drive moves out of range.

Damba moves into range and clinches up with Drive.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Drive.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Damba.
Drive lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Drive works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
A head punch on the inside from Drive fails to land.
Damba swings wildly with an uppercut but Drive uses good head movement to avoid it.
Drive tries a body shot but Damba blocks it.
Damba swings away with an uppercut that misses.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Damba.
Damba avoids a wild elbow strike from Drive.
Drive creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Drive lands a right hand.
Drive working aggressively here.
A head punch on the inside from Drive fails to land.
Drive scores with a shoulder strike.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Drive blocks an uppercut.
Damba working aggressively here.
Damba misses with a punch on the inside.
Drive misses with some punches.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Drive scores with a nice hook to the head.
Damba throws a head punch that misses.
Damba throws a head punch that misses.
Drive throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
A short right from Drive.
Damba working aggressively here.
Damba gets through Drive's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Damba misses with a hook to the ribs.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Drive.
Drive blocking some punches.
Damba misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Damba misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Drive misses with a hook from the clinch.
Damba blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Drive blocks a punch to the side of the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Drive lands an uppercut.
Drive lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Still in the clinch, Drive scores with a nice short uppercut.
A head punch on the inside from Drive fails to land.
Damba misses with a hook from the clinch.
Damba swings wildly with an uppercut but Drive uses good head movement to avoid it.
Damba misses with a hook from the clinch.
Drive misses with a punch on the inside.
Drive swings wildly with an uppercut but Damba uses good head movement to avoid it.
Drive has a couple of punches blocked by Damba.
A nice left hand lands by Drive.
Drive throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Drive blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Drive.
Drive blocks a body shot from Damba.
Damba lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Damba misses with a punch to the body.
Tim Drive seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Damba blocks an uppercut.
Damba misses with some punches.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Drive lands a right hand.
Damba blocks an uppercut.
Drive blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Drive lands a hook that snaps the head of Damba backwards.
Damba swings wildly with an uppercut but Drive uses good head movement to avoid it.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Drive.
A shot in the inside from Damba.
Drive throws an elbow but it misses.
Damba throws a head punch that misses.
Drive working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Damba tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Drive blocking some punches.
Drive tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Damba scores with a shoulder strike.
Damba blocks an uppercut.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Tim Drive showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Dado Damba's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

A telegraphed right hand from Damba misses the target.
Drive takes a jab right on the kisser.
Drive's corner calls for a 1-2. Drive obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Damba takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Drive ducks under a wild hook from Damba.
Drive scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Drive lands a jab to the head.
Damba scores with a crisp jab that stopped Drive in his tracks.
Drive lands a jab.
Tim Drive seems to be getting the better of the standup.
A slow jab from Drive misses its intended target.
Damba scores with a decent looking hook.

Drive is rocked!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Damba drops his shoulder and cracks Drive with a huge uppercut! Drive goes down! Can Damba finish him?
Drive is still in real trouble! Can Damba finish him?
Damba trying to control the position from guard on top but Drive is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Drive is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Drive might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Damba haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Damba pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Drive is keeping the position for now.

Drive is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Damba defends well.
Drive seems to have recovered his senses.
Drive keeping full guard, as Damba tries to pass.
Damba throws a big right hand that misses.
Damba controls from within his opponent's guard.
Drive is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

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.
Damba looking to sit in guard and control but Drive gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Drive trying to control the position from guard on top but Damba is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Damba looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Drive works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Damba is looking for a sweep. Drive is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Drive wants to take a breather but Damba is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Damba has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Drive is working away from the top position though.
Drive wants to lay and pray for a moment but Damba keeps working.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.

Drive is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Damba defends it well.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

Damba takes the fight into the clinch.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Damba.
Damba can't find room to land a body shot as Drive controls the action.
Damba misses with some punches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Damba's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Damba lands with a right to the head.
Damba misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Damba avoids the elbow strike from Drive, against the cage.
A head punch on the inside from Drive fails to land.
A short right from Drive.
Damba working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
A short right from Drive on the inside.
Damba tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Drive just misses with a elbow thrown towards Damba's brow.
A nice right hand lands inside from Damba.
Damba scores with a shot to the side of Drive's head.
Damba misses with some punches.
Damba blocks the elbow strike.
Damba lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Damba scores with an uppercut up the middle.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Drive.

And that's the end of the fight!
Dado Damba showed his dominance in that final round.
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 Radbod Blank scores the fight 29:28
Judge Wagner Zegers scores the fight 29:28
Judge Aafke Stam scores the fight 29:28

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