PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Frankie Curreri (ranked 2869 p4p, 5027 weight class) and Veg Eta (ranked 329 p4p, 465 weight class). Both these guys have solid standup skills and neither is particularly fantastic on the ground, so let's hope for a nice standup war!

Curreri
vs
Eta

179 cm
25
166
1 - 0 - 0

164 cm
23
130
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Good in bed

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 2 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Frankie Curreri!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Veg Eta!
The judges for this bout are Ron Honeybunn, Winston Howard and Damien Edna.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Eta ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Curreri blocks a jab.
Curreri slips a jab from Eta.
A combination from Eta does no damage.
Curreri throws a series of strikes that have Eta backpedaling.
Curreri slips a straight right by Eta.
As Eta backs away, Curreri returns fire with a leg kick that just misses.
Curreri misses the shot to the body.
Eta lands a glancing blow to the side of Curreri's head.
Eta misses with an uppercut.
Curreri misses with a body kick.
Eta takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Curreri tries a low kick but Eta avoids it.
Eta dodges the punch combination from Curreri.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Curreri steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Eta.

Curreri has closed the distance and engaged Eta in a clinch.
Curreri is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Curreri breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Eta lands with a good body shot.
Eta will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Curreri throws a right and a left that Eta avoids nicely.

Curreri gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Curreri breaks from the clinch.
A slapping leg kick lands for Curreri.
A punch combination from Eta misses.
Eta slips a jab and a cross from Curreri.
No joy there for Eta, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Curreri pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Eta tries to bum rush Curreri with a series of wild strikes but Curreri uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Curreri was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Eta misses with a wild combination.
Curreri wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Eta throws a right hand that misses
and Curreri connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Curreri misses with a two punch combination.
Eta throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Curreri with the inside leg kick.
Veg Eta seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Curreri misses with the combination.
Eta lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Eta.

Curreri closes the distance and clinches.
Eta is really struggling to land any decent head shots against his taller opponent.

Curreri turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Curreri manages to end up in side control.
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.
Curreri working the strikes but Eta uses the opportunity to regain half guard.
Curreri throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Curreri thows a huge punch but Eta dodges it nicely.
Curreri wants to lay and pray for a moment but Eta keeps working.
Curreri thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Curreri prevents Eta from improving his position.
Curreri thows a huge punch but Eta dodges it nicely.

Eta actively working from the bottom here.
Eta is looking to improve his position.
Eta taking some punishment here, with Curreri in his half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Curreri trying to control the action but Eta is working from the bottom.
Eta trying to hold on to Curreri's head to control him but Curreri postures up.
Eta gets full guard.
Curreri postures up.
Curreri knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Eta on the ground.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Curreri accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Eta is trying to control the position but Curreri postures up.
Curreri throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Eta works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Eta working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Curreri.
Curreri throws a big right hand that misses.
Curreri cracks Eta with a solid left hand.

That's five minutes gone in the round.
Curreri throwing strikes from guard but Eta blocks nicely.
Eta tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Curreri has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Curreri postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Curreri postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Curreri working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Eta's head.
Curreri wants to stand and escape but instead Eta has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.

Eta tries to free his leg and advance position but Curreri is retaining full guard.
Curreri wants to sweep here but Eta controlling him for the moment.
Curreri wants to get back to his feet but Eta is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Curreri is breathing heavily.

That's six minutes gone in the round.
Curreri will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Eta wants to control from the top but Curreri keeps moving.
Curreri keeping full guard, as Eta tries to pass.
Curreri will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Eta wants to control from the top but Curreri keeps moving.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Curreri jabbing away but nothing is landing.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.
Eta scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Curreri throws a hook to the side of Eta's head but Eta sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Eta's jab looks to have found its range, popping Curreri under the eye.
Eta lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Curreri circles away quickly and effectively.
Eta throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Eta misses the body punch
and Curreri counters with a stiff right hand.

Curreri instigates a clinch.

Eta breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Curreri bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
A big right from Eta misses.
Curreri throws a series of punches but Eta moves out of range.
Curreri throws out a leg kick but Eta moves out of range and Curreri only half commits.
Eta throws out a counter right but Curreri avoids it with no problem.
Eta scores with a one two! Curreri had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Eta scores with a hook to the body. Curreri takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.

That's eight minutes gone in the round.
Nice uppercut lands for Eta. That snapped Curreri's head back.
Eta scores with a decent looking hook.
Sloppy strikes from Eta. Those never looked like landing.
Curreri uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Eta.
It looked like Curreri was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Curreri slips a jab and a cross from Eta.
Curreri looks to land a combination but Eta avoids it well.
Curreri shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Eta eats them both and turns towards Curreri to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.

Curreri pushes Eta up against the cage in a clinch.

Curreri's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Eta dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Eta scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Eta misses with a right hand
and Curreri connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Eta looks to land a combination but Curreri avoids it well.

That's nine minutes gone in the round.
Eta misses with a body shot.
Eta throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Curreri counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Curreri lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.

Curreri darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Eta wants to control but Curreri is keeping busy.
Eta tries to roll over but Curreri keeps him under control.
Curreri slips a nice elbow through Eta's hands, connecting with Eta's forehead.
Curreri working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Curreri is controlling the pace.
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 Frankie Curreri will probably get the nod.
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. This is the final round!

Curreri fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Eta, pushing him back against the cage.

Eta breaks the clinch.
Curreri slips a jab from Eta.
Eta misses with a series of wild punches.
Eta scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Veg Eta seems to be getting the better of the standup.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A punch combination from Curreri misses.
Curreri's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Eta connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Curreri scrambles back to his feet.
Eta throws a right and a left that Curreri avoids nicely.

Curreri feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Eta is trying to control the position but Curreri postures up.
Curreri throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Frankie Curreri overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Curreri's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Curreri wants to stand but Eta is controlling his posture from full guard.
Eta avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

Eta is working for submissions here. He's thrown up his legs looking for a triangle but Curreri frees his head nicely. Oh but Eta has switched to an armbar! Curreri is tapping furiously! Lovely submission there!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:58 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle Armbar). Veg Eta!
After winning the bout, Veg Eta thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.