PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Eric Angle (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Alphonso Damiano (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Alphonso Damiano has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Eric Angle's chin.

Angle
vs
Damiano

183 cm
19
232 lbs
2 - 1 - 1

210 cm
25
240 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Intelligent

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Very confident

Cage Star

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 1, fighting out of Hilo, Eric Angle!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Alphonso Damiano!
The judges for this bout are Luis Engracia, Paulo Santos and Emerson Jorge.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Angle slaps away a takedown attempt from Damiano, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Damiano dives in and grabs Angle's left leg, looking for a takedown. Angle pushes down on Damiano's head and hops out.
Angle tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Damiano paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Angle shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Damiano's guard.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Angle slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Angle cracks Damiano with an elbow. That is naaassty.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Damiano wants to control but Angle postures up.
Damiano is looking to reverse the position.
Damiano is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Angle fails to land a wild elbow strike.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Damiano wants to control but Angle postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Angle fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Angle wants to stand but Damiano has his arm trapped.
You can see the frustration on Damiano's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Angle takes a little break here. Damiano wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.
Angle is looking to take a break and control but Damiano is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Angle tries to move to mount but Damiano blocks the move with his legs.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Angle tries to get to his feet but he's trapped momentarily.
Angle 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.
Damiano is looking for a sweep.

Angle decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Damiano pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Damiano doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Angle counters with a single leg into guard. Damiano didn't expect that.
Eric Angle has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Alphonso Damiano.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Angle throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Angle pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Damiano is keeping the position for now.
Angle stays in close to Damiano's body and controls the position.
Angle might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

Damiano looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Angle passes into half guard.
Damiano is refusing to be controlled, as Angle sits in half guard.
Angle tries to stand but his arm is trapped.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Damiano is looking to improve his position.
Angle wants to take a breather but Damiano is having none of it.
Angle takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Angle tries to stand but his arm is trapped.

Eric Angle has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Angle just misses with a punch to the body.
Angle shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Damiano pinned against the cage. Damiano gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Damiano throws a head kick but Angle moves out of range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eric Angle dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Angle tries to clinch up.
Damiano fails to land the takedown.
Damiano closes this distance looking for a takedown but Angle circles away.
No luck for Angle with that takedown attempt.
Damiano lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Angle looks to be in better condition than last time we saw him fight. Obviously he's been working hard on his cardio.
Damiano throws a low kick but it's checked well by Angle.
Damiano leaves Angle with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Damiano fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Eric Angle has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Alphonso Damiano.
Damiano shoots in but Angle avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Eric Angle is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Damiano is breathing heavily.

Angle darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Angle keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Damiano trying to control here.
Angle controlling the action here.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Eric Angle just wasn't active enough.

Angle shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Damiano napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Damiano taking punishment in the form of punches.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Angle decides to stand back up. Angle steps back and let's Damiano get back to his feet.
Damiano lands a nice hook to Angle's body. Angle takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.

Angle looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Angle loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Damiano has momentary wrist control but Angle slips an elbow through the middle.
Angle passes Damiano's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Angle throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Angle is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Angle is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Damiano!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Damiano tries to hold on but Angle postures up.
Angle controlling the position easily from mount.
Angle misses with a head shot.
Angle looking to control but Damiano is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Angle stands up from the dominant position, so we're back on the feet.
Angle tries to clinch there but Damiano circles away.
Angle is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Damiano fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

Damiano tries to keep at a distance but Angle has taken the fight into the clinch.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Damiano is trying to force a seperation but Angle has the dominant position.
Angle tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Damiano just stands there and leans against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eric Angle dominated that second 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. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Damiano connects with a crisp jab.
Damiano shoots in looking for a takedown but Angle manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Damiano's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Angle misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Angle shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Damiano defends it nicely.

Damiano clinches.

Angle escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Damiano goes for a double leg but Angle avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Angle continues to drive forward.

Damiano jumps guard and drags Angle to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Angle is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Angle working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Damiano takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Damiano looking to control.
Damiano keeping moving, preventing Angle from controlling successfully.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Angle tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Damiano paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Angle moves to clinch but Damiano breaks away
and Damiano counters with a right hand to the body.
Angle looks for the body kick but Damiano saw that one coming.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Damiano.
Angle tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Angle wants to clinch.
Angle wants to clinch up but Damiano keeps it at a distance.
Good shot there by Angle.
Damiano doesn't manage to clinch there - Angle circles away.
Damiano shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Angle as he avoids it easily.
Eric Angle has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Alphonso Damiano.
Angle swinging wildly here.
Angle misses with a takedown attempt - Damiano sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Angle tries to clinch up but Damiano circles away and keeps his distance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Damiano fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Angle, pushing him back against the cage.
Damiano looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Damiano stalling the fight.
Damiano can't find room to land a body shot as Angle controls the action.
Damiano keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Angle's efforts to push away.
Angle jumps guard but Damiano stands there with Angle around his waist. Angle gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Angle wants to break the clinch but can't.
Damiano jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Angle walks away with a smile on his face. Damiano gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Nice takedown defense from Angle. No joy for Damiano on that attempt.
Damiano shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Angle pinned against the cage. Angle gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Angle.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Angle lands a few punches from side control.
Angle tries to advance to mount but Damiano denies him.

Angle working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
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!
Damiano is letting Angle control him for a moment.

And that's the end of the fight!
Eric Angle showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Angle, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Luis Engracia scores the fight 30:27
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 30:27
Judge Emerson Jorge scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Eric Angle!
Eric Angle managed to slip a mention for his sponsors, Cage Star , into his post fight interview.
Alphonso Damiano spoke after the fight, saying 'lose i don't lose'.