PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Rico Dominguez (ranked 2890 p4p, 147 weight class) and Steve Passion (ranked 3391 p4p, 175 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Dominguez
vs
Passion

162 cm
20
145 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

168 cm
27
135 lbs
6 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Granite chin

Decent wrestler
Excellent boxer
Determined

Conviction

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 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Rico Dominguez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 3 - 0, fighting out of London, Steve Passion!
The judges for this bout are James Atkins, James Ackerman and Donald Grub.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Passion swinging wildly here.

Dominguez rushes Passion and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Passion drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Dominguez gets the underhooks and prevents it.

Dominguez gets control of Passion's arms and successfully pulls guard. Dominguez will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Passion is looking to stand up but Dominguez won't let him.
Dominguez looking to control.
Passion wants to get up but he can't break Dominguez's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Dominguez is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Passion stopping the sweep attempt from Dominguez.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dominguez has his hands on Passion's head, controlling the position.
Passion tries to stand but Dominguez is controlling from the bottom.
Dominguez has Passion pulled in close to control his posture.
Passion would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Passion stopping the sweep attempt from Dominguez.
Dominguez has improved his flexibility recently so we will have to see if he can use that to his advantage.
Passion wanted to stand there but Dominguez had control of the position.
Dominguez looking to hit a scissor sweep but Passion is one step ahead there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Passion tries to stand but Dominguez is controlling from the bottom.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Passion catches Dominguez with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Dominguez uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Passion.
Passion fails with an attempt to clinch.
Dominguez misses the shot to the body.
Passion tries to clinch up.
Passion uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Dominguez.
Passion keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Dominguez.
Passion scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Dominguez connects with a right hand. Passion shakes it off.
Rico Dominguez seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Dominguez throws a shot from downtown. Passion moves away and avoids it.
As Dominguez backs off Passion throws a huge counter combo but Dominguez manages to avoid it all.
No joy there for Passion, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Dominguez uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Passion.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dominguez throws a body shot but no joy.
Steve Passion is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Passion throws a shot to the body.
Passion throws a series of punches but Dominguez moves out of range.
Passion wants to clinch but Dominguez slips to the side
and Dominguez counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Passion throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Dominguez throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Passion ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Dominguez moves away.
Passion tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Dominguez paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Passion tries to clinch up but Dominguez circles away and keeps his distance.
Passion ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Dominguez moves away.
Passion slaps away a takedown attempt from Dominguez, before circling back to the center of the mat.

Passion moves into the clinch.
A shot in the inside from Dominguez.
Dominguez tries to land knees in the clinch but Passion avoids the damage to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dominguez has a couple of punches blocked by Passion.
Dominguez stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Dominguez misses with some punches.
Dominguez lands a hook that snaps the head of Passion backwards.
This has been an exciting period of action!
A short right from Dominguez.
Passion is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Passion blocking some punches.
Dominguez misses with the head strike.
Passion is trying to break the clinch but Dominguez has him pressed against the cage.
Dominguez using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Passion has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Passion is trying to break the clinch but Dominguez has him pressed against the cage.
Dominguez tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Dominguez misses with a knee strike.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rico Dominguez dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Passion throws an overhand right that lands on Dominguez's shoulder, as Dominguez tries to avoid the shot.

Passion gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Good body shot from Dominguez.
Dominguez lands with a left to the head.
Dominguez throws an elbow but it misses.
Dominguez throws a head punch that misses.
A nice right hand lands inside from Dominguez.
Dominguez prevents a takedown attempt there.
Dominguez swings wildly with an uppercut but Passion uses good head movement to avoid it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dominguez misses with some punches.
Passion tries to circle away but Dominguez has him pinned against the cage.
Dominguez can't find room to land a body shot as Passion controls the action.
Dominguez leaning against his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dominguez tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Passion just stands there and leans against the cage.
Dominguez lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Dominguez misses with a body punch.
Dominguez is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Passion can do to turn this around?
Passion wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Dominguez has him pressed against the cage.
Dominguez leaning against his opponent.
Dominguez lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Passion backwards.
Dominguez lands a right hand that snaps the head of Passion backwards.

Passion is rocked!
Passion takes a shot to the head.
Passion is still on wobbly legs! Can Dominguez finish him?
Passion tries for a takedown. No joy.
Passion seems to have recovered his senses.
Dominguez lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Dominguez lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Dominguez with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Dominguez fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Passion avoids the elbow strike from Dominguez, against the cage.
Dominguez throws an elbow that misses.
Passion blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Dominguez lands a body shot in the clinch.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Dominguez throws a head punch that misses.
Dominguez swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Passion working hard to break the clinch.
Dominguez tries to throw a body punch but Passion avoids it by throwing Dominguez back against the cage.
Passion wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Dominguez throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Passion blocks it with crossed arms.
Dominguez lands a shoulder strike.

Passion jumps guard.

Dominguez thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Passion wants to get back to his feet but Dominguez is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

Passion has managed to wall walk up one of the corner posts to get back to his feet. Dominguez is pushing him up against the cage, looking to control the position.
Dominguez swings wildly with an uppercut but Passion uses good head movement to avoid it.
Dominguez can't find room to land a body shot as Passion controls the action.
Dominguez trying to land knees to the body.
Passion is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Dominguez lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Dominguez has Passion pressed against the cage, preventing Passion from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Dominguez swings wildly with an uppercut but Passion uses good head movement to avoid it.
Dominguez tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Passion avoids it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Dominguez jumps guard and drags Passion to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Passion has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Dominguez is proving hard to escape from.
Dominguez manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Passion manages to get himself to full guard.

Dominguez wants to control from the top but Passion keeps moving.
Dominguez stops Passion from standing up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rico Dominguez dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

A punch lands to the side of Passion 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Passion throws a body shot but no joy.
Dominguez jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Passion drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Dominguez shoots in looking for a takedown. Passion tries to sprawl out of it but Dominguez keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Passion manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Passion slips under a jab.
Passion takes a swing at Dominguez's ribcage but misses.
Passion tests Dominguez's chin there with a solid looking shot.

Dominguez takes the fight into the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dominguez stalls.
Passion managing to block the knees to the body from Dominguez.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dominguez lands with a short shot to the head.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Dominguez just misses with a elbow thrown towards Passion's brow.
Dominguez presses Passion against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Passion working hard to break the clinch.
Passion avoiding damage as Dominguez throws knees to the body.
Passion is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
A short left from Dominguez.
A right hand to the body from Dominguez.
Rico Dominguez has scored more points in the clinch so far.

Passion breaks the clinch.

Passion has Dominguez up against the cage in a clinch.
Dominguez with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Dominguez manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Steve Passion has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dominguez working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Dominguez throws a knee to the head but misses.
Dominguez with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Dominguez.
Passion wants to break free but Dominguez has control.
Dominguez misses with a punch to the body.
Dominguez has Passion pressed against the cage, preventing Passion from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Passion is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Dominguez to keep the fight standing.
Dominguez is pressed up against the cage. Passion has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Dominguez down to the mat. Dominguez avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Dominguez jabs Passion right on the nose. Passion blinks but takes it well.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Passion ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Dominguez moves away.

Dominguez instigates a clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Passion looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Dominguez misses with some punches.
Passion wants to get back to striking at distance but Dominguez won't allow it.
Dominguez throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Dominguez tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Passion avoids it.

Passion pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Dominguez's corner calls for a 1-2. Dominguez obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.

Dominguez shoots in and bounces Passion off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Dominguez trying to control but Passion is working from the bottom.
Dominguez throwing strikes but missing.
Dominguez prevents Passion from getting back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dominguez's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Passion is looking to stand up but Dominguez isn't so interested in that idea.
Dominguez showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Passion wants to stand and escape but Dominguez is having none of it.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Dominguez smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.

Dominguez moves into the clinch.
Dominguez lands a nice uppercut.
Dominguez tries a body shot but Passion blocks it.
Passion lands a body punch in the clinch.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Passion is trying to pull guard but Dominguez has him pressed against the cage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rico Dominguez showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Dominguez 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 James Atkins scores the fight 30:27
Judge James Ackerman scores the fight 30:27
Judge Donald Grub scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rico Dominguez!
Rico Dominguez thanked the fans post fight for their support.