PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Rocco Damato (ranked 3523 p4p, 2563 weight class) and Bobby Bomstaerk (ranked 333 p4p, 256 weight class). Damato comes into the arena with Thunderstruck blaring out of the sound system. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Damato
vs
Bomstaerk

170 cm
21
150
5 - 6 - 0

188 cm
27
154
2 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Basic striking
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 5 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Rocco Damato!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Bobby Bomstaerk!
The judges for this bout are Nard Betker, Paul Aken and Daniel Blasius.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Bomstaerk moves out of range of the body kick.
Damato throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Bomstaerk's waist but Bomstaerk gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Damato off to one side.

Bomstaerk shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Damato's guard.
Bomstaerk is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Damato wants to stand and escape but Bomstaerk is having none of it.
Bomstaerk postures up.
Bomstaerk with a nice head shot there.

Damato is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Bomstaerk lands a couple of elbows.
Damato keeping moving, preventing Bomstaerk from controlling successfully.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bomstaerk pushing down on Damato's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.

Bomstaerk is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Damato taking some punishment here, with Bomstaerk in his half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Damato trying to control but Bomstaerk postures up.
Bomstaerk seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Damato does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Ground and pound from Bomstaerk.
Bomstaerk prevents Damato from improving his position.
Bomstaerk wants to lay and pray for a moment but Damato keeps working.
Damato tries to roll over but Bomstaerk keeps him under control.

Damato makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!

Damato gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Bomstaerk has Damato pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Damato manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.

Damato pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Damato fails with an attempt to clinch.
Damato swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Damato on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Damato throws a series of punches but Bomstaerk moves out of range.
Nice defenses there by Bomstaerk.
Bomstaerk's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Bomstaerk duly obliges.
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!
Damato tries to close the distance and clinch but Bomstaerk swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Damato has a takedown stuffed.
Damato shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Bomstaerk defends it nicely.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rocco Damato. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Bomstaerk closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Bomstaerk lands in his opponent's guard.
Damato is looking to stand back up but Bomstaerk counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Damato.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Damato on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Bomstaerk lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Bomstaerk is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Damato is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Bomstaerk's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Bomstaerk's back!
Damato throwing lazy shots from the back mount that aren't doing any damage.
Damato keeps control of the position as Bomstaerk tries to break free.
Bomstaerk rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.

Bomstaerk looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Bomstaerk actively working from the bottom here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Damato wants to free his trapped foot but Bomstaerk is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Damato is working hard here to advance position.
Bomstaerk tries to get to full guard but Damato has control of the leg.
Damato wants to lay and pray for a moment but Bomstaerk keeps working.
Bomstaerk slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
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!
Damato stops Bomstaerk from standing up.

Bomstaerk isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Damato stacks Bomstaerk 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 Damato!
Bomstaerk prevents Damato from improving position.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Bobby Bomstaerk dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Bomstaerk decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Bomstaerk blocks the strikes from Damato.
Bomstaerk trying to control from half guard but Damato is working away.
Bomstaerk tries to stand and escape but Damato is controlling the position.
Damato is looking for a sweep. Bomstaerk is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Bomstaerk is nestled in close to Damato, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
The fighters are battling for position here. Damato manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Bomstaerk preventing the sweep.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Damato trying to control the position.
Bomstaerk scoring with punches to the head and body.
Bomstaerk preventing the sweep.
Damato keeping moving, preventing Bomstaerk from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Damato tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Bomstaerk keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Damato's head.
Bomstaerk looking to sit in guard and control but Damato gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Damato might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

Bomstaerk working for a triangle but Damato defends it easily.
Damato prevents Bomstaerk from getting back to his feet.
Damato sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Damato stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Bomstaerk swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Damato wanted to stand there but Bomstaerk had control of the position.

Bomstaerk has managed to wall walk up one of the corner posts to get back to his feet. Damato is pushing him up against the cage, looking to control the position.
Bomstaerk has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Damato is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Damato looking to slow down the pace here.
Bomstaerk lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Bomstaerk misses with an elbow over the top.
Bomstaerk is trying to drag Damato to the mat but Damato just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Bomstaerk has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

Damato has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Bomstaerk uses from the top position.
Damato keeping moving, preventing Bomstaerk from controlling successfully.
Bomstaerk is working Damato over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Damato tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Bomstaerk trying to control but Damato is working from the bottom.

Damato working for a triangle but Bomstaerk defends it easily.
Damato keeping moving, preventing Bomstaerk from controlling successfully.
Bomstaerk must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Bomstaerk advances position into side control!

Bomstaerk wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Damato, who protects the arm well.
Damato tries to buck Bomstaerk off but Bomstaerk is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bomstaerk lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Damato is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Damato is not content to let Bomstaerk control the position.

Bomstaerk tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

Damato explodes and escapes back to his feet! Nice escape there!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Bomstaerk tries to bum rush Damato with a series of wild strikes but Damato uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Bobby Bomstaerk showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Bomstaerk connects with a right hand. Damato shakes it off.
Damato darts in looking for a takedown but Bomstaerk gets double underhooks and turns Damato into the cage.

Damato pulls Bomstaerk into guard.
Bobby Bomstaerk has got the better of the ground game so far.
Bomstaerk postures up and lands a big shot to Damato's brow.
Bomstaerk postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Bomstaerk with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Damato can't keep his opponent in guard - Bomstaerk advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.

Damato looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

Damato actively working from the bottom here.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bomstaerk scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Bomstaerk keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Bomstaerk wants to lay and pray for a moment but Damato keeps working.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bomstaerk working the head and body with strikes.
Damato has hold of Bomstaerk's hands but Bomstaerk slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Damato has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Bomstaerk is working away from the top position though.
Bomstaerk is trying to control the action in half guard but Damato is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Damato wants to get back to full guard.
Damato trying to control from the bottom.
Bomstaerk is pressing down on Damato's thigh, looking to free his foot. Damato is holding on for now.
Damato is not content to let Bomstaerk control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bomstaerk winds up and cracks Damato with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Bomstaerk wants to pass to mount but Damato is defending the position.
Bomstaerk is looking to stall here but Damato recovers full guard.
Bomstaerk wants to control from the top but Damato keeps moving.
Damato trying to keep a closed guard but Bomstaerk is proving a slippery customer.

Damato has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Bomstaerk 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 Damato.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Damato manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Bomstaerk wants to improve his position but Damato is controlling well.
Bomstaerk is looking to escape.
Bomstaerk has found himself in a tricky position here. He's been working his transitions in training so let's see if he can work his way out of it.
Bomstaerk on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.

Bomstaerk manages to create a bit of space in order to work his way back to his feet. Damato keeps hold of his opponent and drives him back against the cage.
Damato gets underhooks to prevent Bomstaerk's takedown attempt.
Damato is trying to push Bomstaerk away but Bomstaerk has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.

Damato breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Damato tries to sprawl but Bomstaerk drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Damato is trying to escape back to his feet but Bomstaerk uses the scramble to pass into side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Damato is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Bobby Bomstaerk is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Bomstaerk in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Bomstaerk scoring with punches from side control.
Damato wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Bomstaerk lands a few punches from side control.
Bomstaerk is looking to take a break and control but Damato is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Rocco Damato has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Damato wants to control but Bomstaerk postures up.

And that's the end of the fight!
Bobby Bomstaerk comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Bomstaerk winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Nard Betker scores the fight 27:30
Judge Paul Aken scores the fight 27:30
Judge Daniel Blasius scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Bobby Bomstaerk!