PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between steve cusumano (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nonito Donaire (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

cusumano
vs
Donaire

200 cm
20
155 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

180 cm
25
140 lbs
0 - 5 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Good in bed

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Enjoys gardening

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, steve cusumano!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 5 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Nonito Donaire!
The judges for this bout are Vladimir Khabensky, Dmitry Maklakov and Illya Tyunina.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
cusumano blocks the body kick.
Donaire looks really tired already! That doesn't bode well for a good, competitive fight!
Donaire gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and cusumano counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
cusumano tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Donaire.
cusumano trying desperately to get back to his feet here but he's not having any joy at all. He's going to tire himself out if he's not careful.
cusumano prevents Donaire from improving his position.
cusumano is trying to get back to his feet now but his leg is trapped.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Donaire tries to get to full guard but cusumano has control of the leg.

cusumano decides to return to a standing position.

cusumano shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. cusumano showed some decent athleticism there.

cusumano stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

cusumano looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Donaire!
cusumano tries to stand up but he's trapped just for the moment.

cusumano stands up from the dominant position, so we're back on the feet.
cusumano looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

cusumano decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
cusumano seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.

cusumano decides to return to a standing position.

Donaire gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
cusumano wanted to stand there but Donaire had control of the position.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
cusumano wants to stand and escape but instead Donaire has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
cusumano wants to stand and escape but Donaire is having none of it.
cusumano really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Donaire trying to control the position from guard on top but cusumano is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
cusumano wants to get back to his feet but Donaire is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Donaire working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Donaire throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as cusumano works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
cusumano wants to get back to his feet but Donaire is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
cusumano wants to get back to his feet but he's too absorbed in his own little project and Donaire manages to pass to side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
cusumano is trying to escape back to his feet but Donaire uses the scramble to pass into side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Nice takedown defense from Donaire. No joy for cusumano on that attempt.
Donaire wants to clinch but cusumano slips to the side

and cusumano holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Donaire is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Donaire takes an elbow to the temple.
cusumano stalling.
cusumano with a knee to the head.
Donaire takes an elbow to the forehead.
Knees in the clinch landing for cusumano.

cusumano escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Donaire shoots and misses

and cusumano counters by moving into the clinch.
Donaire takes a knee right on the jaw!
cusumano landing some nice looking knees to the body.
cusumano scores with a knee to the head.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
A nice glancing elbow lands by cusumano.
A knee to the head by cusumano.

That's one minute gone in the round.
cusumano tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Donaire avoids it.
Donaire tries to circle away but cusumano has him pinned against the cage.
cusumano lands an elbow that stopped Donaire in his tracks for a moment.
cusumano misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Donaire.
Nice elbow from cusumano.
cusumano lands a nice elbow.
cusumano gets underhooks to prevent Donaire's takedown attempt.
steve cusumano has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Nonito Donaire.
cusumano trying to land knees to the body.

cusumano breaks the clinch.

cusumano looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Donaire not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
cusumano wants to stand but Donaire is controlling his posture from full guard.
cusumano won't allow Donaire to sweep him here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Donaire wants to stand but cusumano is controlling the position.
cusumano wants to stand but Donaire has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

cusumano stands up and waves to Donaire to follow him.

cusumano feints and as Donaire raises his hands in defense, cusumano changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Donaire manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. cusumano manages to get himself to full guard.

cusumano pushes Donaire off and gets back to his feet.
Donaire misses with a leg kick.
Donaire shoots in for a takedown but cusumano shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.

cusumano forces Donaire back against the cage and clinches.
cusumano is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Donaire is defending well for now.
cusumano connects with a knee to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
cusumano comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
cusumano using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Donaire avoiding damage as cusumano throws knees to the body.

cusumano breaks from the clinch.

cusumano scores with a takedown into Donaire's guard.
Donaire trying to keep a closed guard but cusumano is proving a slippery customer.
Donaire wants to stand and escape but cusumano is having none of it.
Donaire striking off his back but it's not causing cusumano any problems.
Donaire is trying to keep cusumano in close.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

steve cusumano dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! And we move into the final round!

cusumano darts in and clinches Donaire up against the cage.

cusumano's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Donaire looks to clinch

and cusumano counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Donaire!
cusumano wants to stand but Donaire is holding on to him, trying to stop him posturing up.
cusumano knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Donaire on the ground.

cusumano stands up from the dominant position, so we're back on the feet.
cusumano shoots in looking for a takedown. Donaire tries to sprawl out of it but cusumano keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Donaire manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

cusumano drives through and clinches with Donaire against the cage.
cusumano with a knee to the head.
cusumano landing knees to the body.
cusumano unloads a knee to the mid-section. Donaire lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Donaire lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of cusumano backwards.

cusumano manages to break the clinch.

cusumano closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
You can see the frustration on Donaire's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
cusumano tries to get to his feet but Donaire is in the middle of advancing position himself and ends up with cusumano in his guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

cusumano stands up from Donaire's guard - cusumano perhaps looking for a knockout.
Donaire moves to clinch but cusumano breaks away

and cusumano counters with a single leg into guard. Donaire didn't expect that.

Donaire pushes cusumano off and gets back to his feet.
cusumano throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Donaire.
cusumano tries for a takedown but Donaire sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Donaire enables cusumano to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Donaire manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Donaire is trying to control the position from the bottom.

cusumano gets to his feet. Donaire looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Donaire misses with a takedown

and cusumano decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Donaire's guard.
cusumano has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Donaire is proving hard to escape from.
Donaire looking to control.
cusumano wants to stand but Donaire has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
cusumano has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
cusumano will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Donaire lands a couple of decent looking body shots there.
Donaire working a defensive guard here.
cusumano wants to stand and escape but instead Donaire has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Donaire working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of cusumano's head.
Nonito Donaire has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
steve cusumano is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Donaire throwing strikes from guard but cusumano blocks nicely.

And that's the end of the fight!
steve cusumano showed his dominance in that final round.
Well cusumano 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 Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 30:27
Judge Dmitry Maklakov scores the fight 30:27
Judge Illya Tyunina scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... steve cusumano!