PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Rocco Damato (ranked 2261 p4p, 3893 weight class) and Keir Toal (ranked 208 p4p, 324 weight class). Damato comes into the arena with Thunderstruck blaring out of the sound system. The crowd seem to be enjoying Toal's choice of entrance music: Irish Pub Song. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Damato
vs
Toal

170 cm
28
150
11 - 24 - 0

167 cm
34
159
1 - 1 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

BJJ Brown Belt
Good kicks
Experienced

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 11 - 24 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Rocco Damato!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Keir Toal!
The judges for this bout are Nard Betker, Aafke Stam and Patrick Alders.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Toal dodges the punch combination from Damato.
Damato throws a right hand that Toal ducks under and follows up with a left that Toal also avoids with ease.
Toal lands with a straight right. Damato didn't see that one coming.
Damato throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Rocco Damato seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Toal throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
Damato shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Toal sprawls well. Toal wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Damato gets slowly back to his feet.
Toal showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Damato.
Toal looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Damato is looking to clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Damato lands with an overhand left.
Toal throws a shot to the body.

Toal gets tackled into the cage by Damato. Damato maintains the clinch.
Toal lands a body punch in the clinch.
Toal lands an uppercut.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Damato swings wildly with an uppercut but Toal uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Toal scores with a hook to the body.
Damato tries a body shot but Toal blocks it.
Toal tries a body shot but Damato blocks it.
Damato misses with a short punch on the inside.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Toal.
Damato throws a head punch that misses.
A nice right hand lands inside from Toal.
A short right from Toal.
Toal lands a nice uppercut.
Toal drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Damato gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Toal managing to block the knees to the body from Damato.
Damato missing with knees to the body.
Damato throws a head punch that misses.
Damato jumps guard but Toal stands there with Damato around his waist. Damato gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Damato swings wildly with an uppercut but Toal uses good head movement to avoid it.
Toal lands with a short punch from the clinch.
A short right from Toal on the inside.
Toal lands a body punch in the clinch.
Damato trying to land knees to the body.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Toal lands with a light punch inside.
Toal doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Damato tries to break the clinch but Toal is controlling the position.
Damato misses with a hook from the clinch.
Toal lands a right hand.
Damato misses with a short punch on the inside.
Toal lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Toal.
Damato misses with a short punch on the inside.

Damato pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Damato looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A slow jab from Damato misses its intended target.
Toal jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Toal.
The fight stays on the outside here - Damato looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Toal moves out of range of the strikes.
Toal misses the shot to the body.
Toal dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Toal scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Damato doesn't seem bothered though.

Damato gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Damato keeping full guard, as Toal tries to pass.

Damato working for a triangle but Toal defends it easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Toal sitting in guard here, content to control.
Toal keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Damato's head.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Toal controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Toal working his ground and pound in the gym. So far it seems to be working well.
Damato is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Keir Toal dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Damato wants to clinch.
No luck for Damato with that takedown attempt.
Keir Toal seems to be getting the better of the standup.

Damato clinches up with Toal and pushes him back against the cage.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Toal.
Keir Toal seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Damato goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Toal lands with a light punch inside.
Damato misses with the head strike.
Toal scores with a nice hook to the head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Damato swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Damato can't break the clinch.
Toal doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Damato working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Toal lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Toal tries to work over Damato's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Toal keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Damato's efforts to push away.
Toal has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Damato after a bit of a struggle.
Damato working aggressively here.

Damato jumps into guard, dragging Toal to the mat.
Damato is looking to stand up but Toal isn't so interested in that idea.

Damato looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Toal not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Toal tries to free his leg and advance position but Damato is retaining full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Toal engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Toal passes Damato's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Toal drops an elbow to the side of Damato's head.
Toal is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Damato wants to get back to full guard.
Damato is working hard here to advance position.
Toal throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.
Toal has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Damato tries to clinch but Toal is having none of it.
Toal stuffs the takedown.
Toal fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Damato drops down looking for a counter takedown but Toal sprawls and moves away.
Damato lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Damato tries to clinch up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Toal throws the left hand but Damato avoids the punch easily.
Rocco Damato is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Damato takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Damato swinging wildly here.
The fight stays on the outside here - Damato looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Damato throws a leg kick but Toal sees it coming and moves out of range.
Toal with the inside leg kick.
Toal avoids a punch combination nicely.
Damato misses with a left hand
and Toal counters with a stiff right hand.
Toal dodges the punch combination from Damato.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Damato is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Damato tried to score with a low kick but Toal checks it.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Keir Toal will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's time! Damato's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Toal thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Damato if he has to take too many more of those.
Toal punishes Damato's body with a nice straight punch.
Toal works the jab nicely.
Toal scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Damato doesn't seem bothered though.
Toal thuds a left hand into Damato's body.
Damato works over Toal's head and body with a nice combination.
Damato tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Toal was well out of range. Poor timing from Damato.
Toal lands a nice shot that snaps Damato's head back.
Damato takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Toal jabbing away but nothing is landing.
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 up but Toal swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Damato tries to clinch there but Toal circles away.
Damato lands a really nice looking cross but Toal seems unphased.
Damato misses with a two punch combination.
Toal is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Damato misses with the combination.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Damato throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Toal dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Damato. That did some damage!
Toal cracks Damato with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Damato is looking to clinch but Toal is avoiding it.
Toal moves out of range of the leg kick from Damato.
Damato misses with a few strikes there.
Toal fails with the takedown.
Toal throws a nice looking combination but Damato bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Damato is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
A nice leg kick lands there from Toal.
Damato tries to clinch but Toal is having none of it.
Damato throws a looping overhand right but Toal ducks down to avoid it.
Damato is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A combination from Damato does no damage.
Damato takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Damato is looking to clinch.
Damato's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Toal connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Damato scrambles back to his feet.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Damato misses with an uppercut.
Toal follows through with a counter body kick but it doesn't land.
Toal lands with a shot to the body.
Damato tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Toal paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Toal throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Damato throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
A left lands for Toal.
Damato tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Toal paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Toal throws out a counter right but Damato avoids it with no problem.
Toal waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Damato.
Toal fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Damato swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Toal counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Damato scores with a nice head shot.
Keir Toal is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Damato tries to clinch but Toal moves out of range.
Toal rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Damato moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Damato misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Toal.
Toal tries to bum rush Damato with a series of wild strikes but Damato uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Damato tries to clinch up.
Toal swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Damato wants to clinch up but Toal keeps it at a distance.

Damato drives through and clinches with Toal against the cage.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Toal.
Toal lands a left hand that snaps the head of Damato backwards.
Damato swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Damato swings wildly with an uppercut but Toal uses good head movement to avoid it.
Toal lands on the inside with an uppercut.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Damato tries to break the clinch but Toal is controlling the position.
Damato misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Toal pushes Damato back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Toal lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Damato backwards.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Damato.
Toal misses with a body punch.
Damato has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Toal scores with a shoulder strike.
Rocco Damato has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Toal misses with a body punch.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Nice body punch from Toal - that landed with a thud.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Toal.
Damato working aggressively here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Keir Toal comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Toal has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Aafke Stam scores the fight 28:30
Judge Patrick Alders scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Keir Toal!
An out of breath Keir Toal thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.