PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Mafuso Lamoto (ranked 3213 p4p, 4192 weight class) and Cullen Castrello (ranked 378 p4p, 0 weight class). Mafuso Lamoto has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Lamoto
vs
Castrello

162 cm
25
173
1 - 0 - 0

188 cm
25
180
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Very confident

White Gorilla
PWNAGE™

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Mafuso Lamoto!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Cullen Castrello!
The judges for this bout are Jeff Smith, Micheangelo Fripello and Chris Saunders.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Castrello lands a nice leg kick that just misses Lamoto's sensitive parts.
Lamoto shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Castrello counters with a low kick, right behind Lamoto 's knee.
Mafuso Lamoto seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Lamoto shoots in and drives through. Castrello sprawls well.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Castrello! But no joy.
Lamoto moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Lamoto doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Castrello cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mafuso Lamoto. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Castrello connects with a looping right hand.
Castrello stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Castrello wants it to stay on the feet.
Lamoto is trying hard to land a takedown here. Castrello sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Lamoto tries for a takedown but Castrello sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Lamoto stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Castrello.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Castrello, as that shot connected.
Lamoto fails with the takedown
and Castrello counters with a nice leg kick.
Castrello connects with a leg kick.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Castrello chopping away at his opponent's legs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Castrello with a jab.
Cullen Castrello is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Castrello lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Castrello is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Castrello bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Lamoto's head.
Castrello lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Lamoto shoots for a takedown but Castrello saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Castrello works Lamoto's body with a nice hook.
Castrello feints and then cracks Lamoto's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Lamoto down.
Lamoto is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Castrello lands a nice shot that snaps Lamoto's head back.
Lamoto misses with a takedown attempt - Castrello sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Lamoto closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Castrello to the mat! Castrello manages to get full guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Lamoto tries to free his leg and advance position but Castrello is retaining full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Castrello looking for a sweep. Not yet Castrello, not yet.
Castrello wants to control but Lamoto passes easily into half guard.
Lamoto is taking a breather. Castrello 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.
Castrello is looking to control Lamoto's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Castrello avoid being mounted?
Lamoto tries to pass the half guard into mount. Castrello knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

Lamoto looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lamoto controlling the action here.

Lamoto is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Castrello defends it well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Lamoto stalling.
Lamoto's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Castrello really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Lamoto. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Castrello is trying to escape back to his feet but Lamoto uses the scramble to pass into side control.

Lamoto is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Castrello knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Cullen Castrello dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Castrello lands with an overhand left.
Castrello is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Castrello's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Castrello duly obliges.
Lamoto shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Castrello makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
A jab from Castrello finds it's way through Lamoto's defenses.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Lamoto chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Castrello can pounce on him.
Lamoto shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lamoto shoots in but Castrello avoids the takedown attempt easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mafuso Lamoto. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Castrello lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Castrello lands the left hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Castrello scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Castrello has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Lamoto misses with a takedown attempt
and Castrello counters with a stiff right hand.
Lamoto shoots in but no luck this time.
Castrello connects with a leg kick.
Lamoto takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Lamoto shoots for a takedown but Castrello saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Lamoto looks to be in better condition than last time we saw him fight. Obviously he's been working hard on his cardio.
Danga de danga de dang - Castrello scores with a four punch combination!
Castrello ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Lamoto changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Castrello tries to avoid it but Lamoto manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Castrello to the ground. Castrello escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
A little jabbing left from Castrello on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Castrello lands with a nice combination. Lamoto backs away looking to recover.
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!
Lamoto fails with the takedown
and Castrello counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Lamoto walks into a jab.
Castrello lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Castrello with a nice calf kick.
Lamoto with a poor takedown
and Castrello counters with a low kick, right behind Lamoto 's knee.
A lazy left from Castrello finds it's target.
Lamoto closes this distance looking for a takedown but Castrello circles away.
It seemed like Castrello was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Nice body punch from Castrello.
Lamoto shoots in looking for a takedown but Castrello manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Lamoto's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Castrello scores with a nice right hand.
Castrello connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Lamoto looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Castrello scores with a hook.
Castrello feints and then cracks Lamoto's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Lamoto down.
Lamoto doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Castrello counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Castrello scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Castrello lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nice shot by Castrello.
Castrello has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Lamoto has his takedown stuffed
and Castrello counters with a nice uppercut.
Castrello lands with a straight right. Lamoto didn't see that one coming.
Castrello connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Lamoto's hands.
Castrello buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Lamoto tries for a takedown but Castrello circles away easily
and Castrello connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Castrello lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Lamoto shoots in for a double leg but Castrello sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.

Castrello drives through and clinches with Lamoto against the cage.
Lamoto tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Castrello just stands there and leans against the cage.
Castrello content to slow the pace in the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Castrello's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Castrello continues to stall. The referee tells him to work or he's going to break them up.
Lamoto fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Castrello dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Castrello avoiding damage.
Lamoto tries to pull guard but Castrello holds him up against the cage and eventually Lamoto drops back down to his feet.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Lamoto jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Castrello walks away with a smile on his face. Lamoto gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
A lazy left from Castrello finds it's target.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Cullen Castrello 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. This is the final round!

Lamoto goes for a double leg but Castrello avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Castrello continues to drive forward.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Castrello! But no joy.
The referee calls for Castrello to work.
Castrello taking a breather.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Cullen Castrello.
Castrello scores with a jab.
Lamoto has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Castrello connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Lamoto swats away the attempt to clinch by Castrello.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Castrello lands a jab to Lamoto's midsection.
Castrello moves into range and connects with a jab.
Castrello with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Lamoto has his takedown stuffed
and Castrello cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A solid body kick from Castrello.
Lamoto misses with a takedown
letting Castrello counter with a right hand.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mafuso Lamoto. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Lamoto shoots in for a double leg but Castrello sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Lamoto tries to score a power double leg takedown but Castrello sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Lamoto somewhat.
Jab, jab by Castrello - just one landing.
Lamoto shoots and misses
and Castrello counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Lamoto takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Cullen Castrello is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Castrello moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Castrello moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Castrello connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Lamoto tries to score a power double leg takedown but Castrello sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Lamoto somewhat.
Lamoto takes a body punch but keeps moving.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Lamoto tries for a takedown but Castrello circles away easily
and Castrello counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
A nice inside leg kick there by Castrello. That's going to slow Lamoto down.
Lamoto drops his hands momentarily and Castrello takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Lamoto has his takedown stuffed
and Castrello counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Castrello throws a series of strikes that have Lamoto backpedaling.
Castrello lands with an uppercut that bounces Lamoto off the cage and back into range.
Lamoto fails with a takedown attempt.
It seemed like Castrello was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Castrello feints and then cracks Lamoto's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Lamoto down.
Castrello buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Castrello defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Lamoto.
Castrello wants to clinch up but Lamoto keeps it at a distance.
Castrello smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Castrello defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Lamoto.
Castrello stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Lamoto takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Lamoto gets the takedown into side control.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Lamoto is trying to get an arm triangle but Castrello is defending well.
A bit of a lull in the action here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Lamoto tries for a kimura but Castrello is defending well.
Castrello prevents Lamoto from moving into mount.

And that's the end of the fight!
Cullen Castrello comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Castrello 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 Jeff Smith scores the fight 26:30
Judge Micheangelo Fripello scores the fight 26:30
Judge Chris Saunders scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Cullen Castrello!
After winning the bout, Cullen Castrello thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.