PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Norman Pike (ranked 3745 p4p, 5476 weight class) and Joseph Franz (ranked 222 p4p, 0 weight class). Franz comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Sandstorm kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! The key to victory for Norman Pike has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Pike
vs
Franz

168 cm
22
140
4 - 6 - 0

174 cm
18
147
0 - 0 - 0

Decent wrestler
Solid boxing
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 6 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Norman Pike!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Joseph Franz!
The judges for this bout are Aleksei Zolotukhin, Dmitry Maklakov and Viktor Lagutenko.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Franz looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Pike!

Franz goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Pike has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Franz but great work by Pike.
I wouldn't like to be where Franz is right now.
Franz tries to bench press Pike off him but Pike keeps the position.
Pike trying to control the position but Franz is working away.
Franz holds on tight, trying to prevent any damage.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Pike advances to mount.
Pike controlling the position easily from mount.
Franz is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Franz regains half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pike is looking to take a break and control but Franz is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Franz keeps control of the position for the meantime.
Franz tries to get to full guard but Pike has control of the leg.
Franz wants to control but Pike is keeping busy.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Franz is looking to improve his position.
Pike missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Franz is holding on to half guard well.
Pike is trying to control the action in half guard but Franz is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Franz is looking for a sweep. Pike is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Franz controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Franz takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Franz wants a takedown but no success here.
Pike is pressed up against the cage. Franz has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Pike down to the mat. Pike avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Franz shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Pike pinned against the cage. Pike gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Norman Pike has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Joseph Franz.
A shot to the liver by Pike. Beautiful body shot.
Pike changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Franz tries to avoid it but Pike manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Franz to the ground. Franz escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Franz shoots and misses
and Pike counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Franz misses with a hook.
A counter left hand to the body from Pike misses its target.
Franz fails with the takedown
and Pike counters with a nice uppercut.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Franz tries to clinch
and Pike counters with a left to the body.
Pike misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Franz misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Pike avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Pike appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Franz tries for a takedown but Pike circles away easily
and Pike makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Franz with a poor takedown
and Pike counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Pike is looking to wear down Franz with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Franz shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
and Pike counters with a right hand to the body.
Franz looks winded!
Franz gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Pike counters with a left to the body.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Norman Pike dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Franz takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.

Franz instigates a clinch.
Franz has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Pike is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.

Franz gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
Franz content to stall in guard here.
Pike trying to control the position.
Pike throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Pike is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Franz can do to turn this around?
Franz trying to control the position from guard on top but Pike is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Franz controls from within his opponent's guard.
Franz stopping the sweep attempt from Pike.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Pike is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Franz is aware though and is defending well.
Franz is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Franz scoring with some ground and pound.
Pike working a defensive guard here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Franz showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Franz wants to clinch but Pike slips to the side
and Pike connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Franz shoots and misses
and Pike counters with a right hand to the body.
Pike stuns Franz with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Joseph Franz seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Franz stuffs the takedown.
Pike lands a slapping body shot.

Franz closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Pike quickly recovers to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Franz looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Pike is looking to improve his position.
Franz controlling the pace.
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!
Franz prevents Pike from standing back up.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Franz in particular looking to stall.
Franz's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Franz is continuing to stall.
Pike is trying to control but can't.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Franz seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

Franz moves into the clinch successfully.
Franz drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Norman Pike has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Joseph Franz.
Franz is trying to drag Pike to the mat but Pike just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Pike stops a takedown attempt from Franz.

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.
Franz drops down looking for an ankle pick but Pike pulls his leg out and moves away.
Pike scores with a jab to the body.
Franz is breathing heavily.
Pike fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.

Franz closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Pike did well to prevent Franz getting side control.
Franz stalling.
Joseph Franz has got the better of the ground game so far.
Pike wants to get back to his feet.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Pike holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.

Franz seems to be working for a kimura but Pike defends the submission attempt.
Pike is positioning himself well to prevent Franz advancing to mount.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Norman Pike will probably get the nod.
That's time! Pike's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Franz doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Pike makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.

Franz dives in and scores a takedown into Pike's guard.
Franz is stalling in the full guard.
Pike tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Franz content to stall in guard here.
Pike is trying to control the position but Franz postures up.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Franz is stalling in the full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.

Franz closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Franz lands an elbow.
Pike is being controlled here.

Franz goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Pike rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Franz's guard! Nice work there by Pike!
Franz has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pike controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Franz wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Pike trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Pike preventing the sweep.
Pike throwing strikes but missing.
Pike being controlled here momentarily.
Pike wants to control from the top but Franz keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Franz controlling Pike's posture.
Franz looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Franz wants to stand up but Pike is controlling him.
Franz is pulling down on Pike's head. It's preventing any offense from Pike, at least for the moment.
Franz wants to sweep here but Pike controlling him for the moment.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Pike postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Joseph Franz has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Pike trying to control the position from guard on top but Franz is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Pike throws a big right hand that misses.
Pike trying to stand up but can't free himself from Franz's guard.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.
Franz misses with a hook to the body
and Pike counters with a nice body shot.
Franz misses with a takedown attempt

and Pike counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Pike.
Franz takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Franz has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Pike avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Norman Pike has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Joseph Franz.
Pike gets underhooks to prevent Franz's takedown attempt.
Franz drops down looking for an ankle pick but Pike pulls his leg out and moves away.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Franz with a lazy takedown attempt
and Pike counters with a nice body kick.
Pike lands a head shot.
Norman Pike is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Pike works Franz's body with a nice hook.

And that's the end of the fight!
Norman Pike showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Pike, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 30:27
Judge Dmitry Maklakov scores the fight 29:28
Judge Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight 30:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Norman Pike!