PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Mono Loco (ranked 863 p4p, 3311 weight class) and Rocco Damato (ranked 101 p4p, 333 weight class). Damato has chosen Thunderstruck as his entrance music. This should be a great matchup!

Loco
vs
Damato

168 cm
40
152
24 - 29 - 0

170 cm
25
150
10 - 16 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Brawler
Cardio machine

Powerful takedowns
Decent boxing
Granite chin

Bondi MMA 🏝️

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 24 - 29 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Mono Loco!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 16 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Rocco Damato!
The judges for this bout are Paulsen Ambrosius, Paul Aken and Albert Achterberg.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Damato gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Loco to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Loco engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Damato wants to get back to his feet but he's too absorbed in his own little project and Loco manages to pass to side control.

Loco is looking for a kimura here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Loco controlling the action here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Damato is defending against the submission attempts here by Loco.
Damato wants to get back to full guard.

Loco is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Loco content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Damato tries to kick Loco off but Loco keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

Loco is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Damato has managed to free his arm - good work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Loco controlling the action here.
Damato is trying to stand back up but Loco is controlling him

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Damato tries to clinch up but Loco circles away and keeps his distance.
Loco swats away the attempt to clinch by Damato.
Damato throws a jab when Loco was well out of range.
Loco drops down looking for a counter takedown but Damato sprawls and moves away.
Damato will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Loco tries to counter with a takedown but Damato is quick to defend against it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Damato tries to clinch but Loco moves out of range.
Damato tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Loco paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Loco shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Damato as he avoids it easily.
Loco fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Damato avoids it really well and circles away.

Damato gets a double leg takedown into Loco's guard.
Loco wants to sweep but no luck.
Damato trying to control the position from guard on top but Loco is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Loco is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Loco has Damato pulled in close to control his posture.
Damato trying to stand up but can't free himself from Loco's guard.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Mono Loco will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Damato tries to close the distance and clinch but Loco swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Loco.
Damato fails with an attempt to clinch.
Damato closes the distance but Loco moves to the side

and Loco counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

Damato kicks Loco off and gets back to his feet.
Mono Loco is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Loco is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Damato's half guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Damato is trying to stand.
Loco is figuring out what he wants to do next.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Loco is thwarting Damato's attempts to control the position.
Loco perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Damato tries to close the distance and clinch but Loco swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Loco changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Damato looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
You can see the frustration on Damato's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Loco is looking to take a break and control but Damato is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Damato is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Loco asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Loco controlling from side mount.
The ground and pound from Loco seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.

Loco is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Damato is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Damato is trying to get back to his feet.

Loco goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Damato rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Loco's guard! Nice work there by Damato!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Damato would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Damato won't allow Loco to sweep him here.
Loco trying to control the position.
Loco has Damato pulled in close to control his posture.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Damato is looking to work some ground and pound but Loco has wrist control.
Damato trying to control the position from guard on top but Loco is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Damato wants to get up but he can't break Loco's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Damato preventing the sweep.
Damato would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Damato moves in looking to clinch but Loco pushes him off.
Loco showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Damato.
Loco circles away from the clinch attempt.
Damato tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Loco keeps the fight on the outside.
Damato tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Loco manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Loco changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.

Damato gets a takedown into half guard.

Loco is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Damato pulls his head out easily.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Rocco Damato will probably get the nod - 10:9.
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!

Loco shoots in and drives through. Damato sprawls well.
Loco avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Damato tries to clinch there but Loco circles away.
Loco shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Damato sprawls well. Damato wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Loco gets slowly back to his feet.

Loco throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Damato was covering up waiting for the punch and Loco finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Damato wants to stand and escape but Loco is having none of it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Loco loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Loco is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Damato is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Damato can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Loco controls the pace.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Damato tries to clinch but Loco moves out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Loco tries for a takedown but Damato sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Damato drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Loco defends it well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mono Loco. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Loco circles away from the clinch attempt.
Damato tries to clinch up.
Damato tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Loco manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Damato gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Damato working aggressively here.

Loco has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Damato is trying to keep an underhook but Loco manages to get the takedown into half guard.
Loco stops Damato from getting back to his feet.
Damato tries to roll over but Loco keeps him under control.
Loco content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Damato is trying to stand back up but Loco is controlling him

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Loco is taking a breather. Damato says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Loco seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Damato for as long as he can get away with.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.
Damato tries to clinch up.
Loco feinted with a counter takedown.
Loco avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Damato tries to clinch there but Loco circles away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Damato has Loco up against the cage in a clinch.
Damato throws a punch but it's blocked by Loco.
Loco tries for a takedown but Damato manages to get underhooks.
Damato swings wildly with an uppercut but Loco uses good head movement to avoid it.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Loco.

Loco pulls guard successfully.
Loco is pulling down on Damato's head to control his posture.
Damato would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Damato wants to stand up, so he's looking to wriggle free of Loco's closed guard. He's half up but Loco has locked on to an arm! Uh oh! Loco pivots and extends the arm, Damato falls face first to the mat and taps??... does he?? YES! He's tapping! Excellent counter grappling there by Loco! Well done that man!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:59 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Mono Loco!
An out of breath Mono Loco thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.