PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Rocco Damato (ranked 3237 p4p, 1471 weight class) and Bobby Bomstaerk (ranked 320 p4p, 156 weight class). Damato comes to the cage accompanied by Thunderstruck. The key to victory for Rocco Damato has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Damato
vs
Bomstaerk

170 cm
22
150
6 - 9 - 0

188 cm
28
154
5 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Good gas tank

Altitude Clothing

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 6 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Rocco Damato!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Bobby Bomstaerk!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Blasius, Nard Betker and Saam Ante.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
No luck for Bomstaerk with that takedown attempt.
Damato takes a shot right to the bread basket.
We've been told by Damato's head coaches at EFC Gym that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.
Bomstaerk throws a body shot but no joy.
Damato fails with an attempt to clinch.
Bomstaerk leaves Damato with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Bomstaerk tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
A jab from Bomstaerk misses.
Bomstaerk connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Damato momentarily.

Damato clinches up with Bomstaerk and pushes him back against the cage.
Damato is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Damato misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Bomstaerk.

Bomstaerk has picked Damato up - he's going for a ride! Bomstaerk dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Bomstaerk looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Damato tries to get to full guard but Bomstaerk has control of the leg.
Bomstaerk passes to side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Damato is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
The fighters are battling for position here. Damato manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Bomstaerk is in close to Damato's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Bomstaerk is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Bomstaerk landing with the ground and pound.

Damato looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Damato tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Bomstaerk wants to pass the guard but Damato is keeping the position.
Bomstaerk postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Bomstaerk is in close to Damato's body, working some short punches and elbows.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bomstaerk wants to control from the top but Damato keeps moving.
Bomstaerk landing with the ground and pound.
Bomstaerk stands up over Damato, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Damato has momentary wrist control but Bomstaerk slips an elbow through the middle.

Damato throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Bomstaerk trying to control the position from guard on top but Damato is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Damato working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Bomstaerk doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Bomstaerk manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
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!
Bomstaerk lands a couple of digs.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bomstaerk is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Bomstaerk scoring with punches to the head and body.
Damato throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Bomstaerk is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Bomstaerk advances position into side control!
Bomstaerk is looking to take a break and control but Damato is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Damato is trying to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bomstaerk wants to control but Damato is keeping him busy.
Damato tries to buck Bomstaerk off but Bomstaerk is having none of it.
Bomstaerk wants to lay and pray for a moment but Damato keeps working.
Damato might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Damato is trying to get back to half guard.
Bomstaerk trying to control the action but Damato is working from the bottom.
Bomstaerk creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Damato tries to escape but Bomstaerk is in control.
Bomstaerk working the head with strikes.
Damato is not content to let Bomstaerk control the position.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Bobby Bomstaerk dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Damato shoots in looking for a takedown. Bomstaerk tries to sprawl out of it but Damato keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Bomstaerk manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Damato fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Bomstaerk looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Bomstaerk throws a series of punches but Damato moves out of range.
Bomstaerk misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Damato shoots in for a takedown but Bomstaerk shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rocco Damato. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Damato has closed the distance and engaged Bomstaerk in a clinch.

Bomstaerk gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Damato scrambles, trying to get to his feet, but Bomstaerk manages to mount him!
Bomstaerk is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

Bomstaerk jumps to the side looking to secure the arm triangle…. Ooooh, that looks tight… Damato is gargling but he's managed to escape! Nice work there by Damato and Bomstaerk has given up the dominant position trying to land that submission.
Damato wants to get back to his feet but Bomstaerk drags him back down.
Bomstaerk creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Damato is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Bomstaerk scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Damato to see if he's OK.
Damato can't do much from the bottom here.
Bomstaerk trying to control the position but Damato is working away.
Bomstaerk looking to control but instead Damato has slipped a leg in, to regain half guard.
Damato trying to control from the bottom.
Bomstaerk wants to control but Damato is keeping him busy.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Bomstaerk working his ground and pound in the gym. So far it seems to be working well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Damato has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Bomstaerk is working away from the top position though.
Bomstaerk working Damato over with strikes.
Bomstaerk is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Damato tries to get to full guard but Bomstaerk has control of the leg.
Bomstaerk lands strikes from half guard.
Damato is staying active underneath Bomstaerk, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

Damato looking for submissions off his back.
Bomstaerk winds up and cracks Damato with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Bomstaerk has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bomstaerk scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Nice strikes from Bomstaerk there.
Damato wants to get back to full guard.
Damato is trying to stand up here but Bomstaerk is controlling him well.
Bomstaerk trying to control from half guard but Damato is working away.
Bomstaerk stops Damato from getting back to his feet.
Bomstaerk lands strikes from half guard.

Bomstaerk is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Bomstaerk working the head and body with strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Damato slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

Damato throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Damato is looking for a triangle but Bomstaerk pushes his legs off easily.
Bomstaerk is stalling in the full guard.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Bomstaerk's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Damato throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Bomstaerk escapes and throws Damato's legs to the side, diving into side control!
Damato is not content to let Bomstaerk control the position.
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.
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!

Damato shoots for a takedown but Bomstaerk saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Rocco Damato is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Damato tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Bomstaerk tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Damato defends well and Bomstaerk ends up having to push Damato into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Damato rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Bomstaerk moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Bomstaerk misses with a two punch combination.
Bomstaerk tries for a takedown but Damato sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Damato is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Damato shoots in but Bomstaerk avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Bomstaerk throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Bomstaerk lands a glancing blow to the side of Damato's head.
Bomstaerk stuffs the takedown attempt from Damato. Damato gets slowly back to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rocco Damato. That's going to take a lot out of him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bomstaerk with a nice cross.
Damato will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Bomstaerk shoots in and drives through. Damato sprawls well.
Damato gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Bomstaerk.
Bomstaerk slips under a jab from Damato.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Damato tries to clinch but Bomstaerk moves out of range.
Damato showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Bomstaerk.
Bomstaerk swats away the attempt to clinch by Damato.
Damato shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Bomstaerk pinned against the cage. Bomstaerk gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Damato takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Damato shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Bomstaerk as he avoids it easily.
Bomstaerk lands an overhand right.

Bomstaerk shoots in and bounces Damato off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Damato keeping moving, preventing Bomstaerk from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bomstaerk pushing down on Damato's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Damato tries to regain full guard. Instead though, Bomstaerk has advanced to mount. Uh oh.
Bobby Bomstaerk has got the better of the ground game so far.
Bomstaerk lands a nice shot to the head.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Bomstaerk wants to control the pace but Damato is squirming around nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Damato is in all sorts of trouble here.
Bomstaerk raining down hammerfists from mount.
Damato throws some wild strikes from the bottom.
Bomstaerk cracks Damato with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Bomstaerk scoring with strikes but Damato is staying in there.
Bomstaerk fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Bomstaerk lands a nice shot to the head.
Bomstaerk can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Damato is looking to escape.
Damato manages to regain half guard. Good work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Damato is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Bomstaerk pulls his head out easily.
Bobby Bomstaerk is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Bomstaerk slips a nice elbow through Damato's hands, connecting with Damato's forehead.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
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.

Damato looking for submissions off his back.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Damato is trying to stand up here but Bomstaerk is controlling him well.
Rocco Damato has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Bomstaerk is keen to just control but Damato is a slippery customer.
Bomstaerk trying to mount his opponent but Damato defends it.

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 Daniel Blasius scores the fight 27:30
Judge Nard Betker scores the fight 27:30
Judge Saam Ante scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Bobby Bomstaerk!
After the big win, Bobby Bomstaerk made sure to do all the important stuff like thanking his sponsors Altitude Clothing and telling the interviewer how much he loves him.