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PBP Commentary |
Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Rocco Damato (ranked 1868 p4p, 1681 weight class) and Toshika Koga (ranked 165 p4p, 149 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Damato might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Thunderstruck. Both fighter's entrance songs getting the crowd jumping here.
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| 170 cm
36
150
20 - 42 - 0 |
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169 cm
30
155
10 - 3 - 0 |
Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Granite chin |
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Olympic wrestler
Basic striking
Good gas tank |
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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 20 - 42 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Rocco Damato!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 3 - 0, fighting out of New York, Toshika Koga!
The judges for this bout are Aafke Stam, Nard Betker and Wagner Zegers.
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Koga keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
That kick from Damato tenderised Koga's leg. Koga is trying to keep his angry face on.
Damato bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Koga's head.
Koga lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Damato fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Koga is out of range.
Damato throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Damato throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Koga throws out a leg kick but Damato moves out of range and Koga only half commits.
Some bone on bone action there as Damato checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Damato lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Damato swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Damato looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Koga is fending him off so far but Damato persists. Nope, Koga circles away and we're back to standing.
Koga misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Damato.
Damato fails to land with a series of punches.
Damato throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Damato throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Koga counters with a nice double leg into side control. Damato won't be happy with that.
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!
Koga moves into full mount!
Koga scores with a couple of good head shots there.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Koga tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Koga prevents Damato from getting the reversal.
Koga looking to control and managing it successfully.
Koga lands a nice shot to the head.
Koga controlling the pace for now.
Let's hope that Koga has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
We're seeing a lot of stalling here from Koga.
Koga with good strikes from the mount here!
Koga controlling the pace for now.
Koga prevents Damato from getting the reversal.
Koga in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Koga scores with a couple of good head shots there.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Damato is trying desperately to improve position.
Koga sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Koga's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Koga avoids the attempt from Damato to control.
Koga controlling the position easily from mount.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Koga is continuing to stall.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Koga looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
My spies in Catastrophic Contact inform me that Koga has been getting involved in the gym's BJJ sparring sessions. Let's see whether that pays dividends!
Koga looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
A nice elbow there by Koga.
Koga takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Koga landing strikes from the mount.
Koga controlling from the full mount.
Koga wants to control the pace but Damato is squirming around nicely.
Koga lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Koga with a couple of short strikes.
Koga content just to control the position here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Koga can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Damato is looking to escape.
Koga takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Damato keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Koga controlling the position easily from mount.
Damato regains half guard.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Koga lands a nice short elbow.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Damato is trying to maintain the position but Koga is very close to passing his half guard.
Koga drops an elbow to the side of Damato's head.
Damato is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Damato is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Koga scores with a couple of nice shots.
Koga wants to pass to mount but Damato is defending the position.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.
Toshika Koga dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!
Koga bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Koga scores with a jab to the head.
Rocco Damato is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
The fighters circle momentarily. Koga darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Koga feints and then cracks Damato's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Damato down.
Damato uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Koga.
Damato misses with a few strikes there.
Damato scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Koga doesn't seem bothered though.
Damato throws a nice looking combination but Koga bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Damato uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Koga.
Koga misses the shot to the body.
A shot to the liver by Koga. Beautiful body shot.
Damato shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Koga defends it nicely.
It seemed like Koga was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Rocco Damato is winning the standup battle so far.
Damato lands with a good body shot.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Koga will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Damato shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Damato misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Koga.
Koga looks to throw the jab but Damato is out of range.
Damato feinted with a counter takedown.
A swing and a miss from Koga.
Rocco Damato seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Koga throws a looping overhand right but Damato ducks down to avoid it.
Koga throws a hook to the side of Damato's head but Damato sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Koga fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Damato manages to avoid it.
Koga has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Koga tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Damato was well out of range. Poor timing from Koga.
A punch combination from Damato misses.
Damato throws a wild body kick that Koga sees coming a mile off.
Damato tries to bum rush Koga with a series of wild strikes but Koga uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Damato delivers a nice body kick.
Koga misses with a looping right.
Damato misses with a wild body shot.
Damato is looking to wear down Koga with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Damato throws a right and a left that both miss.
Damato fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rocco Damato. That's going to take a lot out of him.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Damato throws a body kick, spinning off balance
and Koga counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Damato striking from the bottom.
Koga sitting in guard here, content to control.
Damato looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Koga pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Damato is keeping the position for now.
Koga is stalling in the full guard.
Koga scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Damato is looking for a triangle but Koga pushes his legs off easily.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Koga got a little sloppy there for a moment and Damato has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Koga has managed to get both his arms back between Damato's legs - danger averted.
Koga is stalling in the full guard.
Koga working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Damato's head.
Koga pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Damato is keeping the position for now.
Koga sitting in guard here, content to control.
Koga pushes down on Damato's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Damato actively working from the bottom here.
Damato looking for submissions off his back.
Koga lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Damato is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Koga scores with a couple of nice shots.
Koga takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Koga has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Damato tries to hold on but Koga postures up.
Damato is in a horrible position here. Koga smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Koga is landing with some decent strikes but Damato is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Toshika Koga has got the better of the ground game so far.
Koga takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Koga pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Damato tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Koga lands a heavy elbow.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.
Toshika Koga showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!
Koga works Damato's body with a nice hook.
Damato takes a jab right on the kisser.
Damato looks to land a body kick but Koga moved away.
Damato slips a jab from Koga.
Damato appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
A solid leg kick lands there for Koga.
Damato misses with a few strikes there.
Koga swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Koga jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Koga throws a jab when Damato was well out of range.
Koga misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Damato.
Damato is looking to clinch but Koga is avoiding it.
Damato closes the distance looking to clinch
and Koga connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Koga throws a nice inside leg kick.
Koga misses with a body kick.
Damato fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Koga manages to avoid it.
Koga showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Damato.
That's one minute gone in the round.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Damato.
Koga feints a counter leg kick.
Damato shoots in for a takedown but Koga shows good takedown defense.
A lazy left from Koga finds it's target.
Koga closes the distance and pushes Damato back into the cage.
Koga tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Damato's elbow.
Koga tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Koga.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Damato wants to break the clinch but can't.
Koga tries to work over Damato's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Koga throws a head punch that misses.
Koga misses with a hook to the ribs.
Koga tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Damato.
Koga misses with a hook to the ribs.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Damato wants to break free but Koga has control.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Damato.
Koga misses with a short punch on the inside.
Koga doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Koga misses with a body punch.
Koga tries to work over Damato's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Koga struggles to land a body shot inside as Damato controls his hands.
Damato missing with knees to the body.
Damato blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Koga working aggressively here.
Damato prevents a body shot from Koga.
Koga tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Koga working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Damato breaks from the clinch.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Koga clinches.
Damato is looking to break free of the clinch but Koga has double underhooks.
Koga misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Koga can't find room to land a body shot as Damato controls the action.
Koga struggles to land a body shot inside as Damato controls his hands.
Damato breaks the clinch.
Koga misses the shot to the body.
Koga waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Damato.
Koga lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Damato circles away quickly and effectively.
Damato moves out of range as Koga strikes.
Damato throws a leg kick
and Koga counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Koga.
Damato escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Koga gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Koga sitting in guard here, content to control.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Damato wants to sweep but no luck.
Koga slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Koga cracks Damato with a solid left hand.
Koga content to stall in guard here.
Damato escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Koga gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Koga stands up over Damato, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Rocco Damato has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Koga controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Damato escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Koga gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
And that's the end of the fight!
Toshika Koga comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Koga 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 Aafke Stam scores the fight 27:30
Judge Nard Betker scores the fight 27:30
Judge Wagner Zegers scores the fight 27:30
In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Toshika Koga!
Toshika Koga decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.
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| S |
C
A |
G |
S |
C
B |
G |
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S |
C |
G |
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energy
A | B |
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hype
A | B |
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pop
A | B |
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mgr
A | B |
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FIGHT
RATING
49% |
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