PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Devin Morningstar (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Reggie Franklin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Franklin has chosen Heat it up as his entrance music. Reggie Franklin has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Morningstar
vs
Franklin

172 cm
18
185 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

178 cm
22
190 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Devin Morningstar!
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, Reggie Franklin!
The judges for this bout are Frank Dennis, Tiny Johnson and Alan Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Franklin instigates a clinch.
Franklin tries to score a body lock takedown but Morningstar shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Morningstar prevents a takedown attempt there.
Morningstar looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Franklin tries to throw a body punch but Morningstar avoids it by throwing Franklin back against the cage.

Franklin is trying to trip Morningstar. He has hold of a leg but Morningstar is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Franklin persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Morningstar looking to hit a scissor sweep but Franklin is one step ahead there.
Morningstar trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Morningstar manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Franklin manages to get himself to full guard.
Morningstar tries to free his leg and advance position but Franklin is retaining full guard.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Morningstar postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

Franklin looking for a guillotine here but Morningstar defends easily.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Morningstar with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Morningstar landing some decent shots from guard.
Morningstar throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Franklin works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Franklin throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Morningstar working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Franklin not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Morningstar wants to stand but Franklin is controlling his posture from full guard.
Morningstar stands and throws Franklin's legs to the side, diving into side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Franklin tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Franklin managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Morningstar.
Franklin taking a bit of punishment here - Morningstar scoring with strikes.
Morningstar tries to score with some ground and pound. Franklin controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Morningstar grinds an elbow into Franklin's temple.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Franklin can't do much from the bottom here.

Morningstar thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Morningstar tries to stand but Franklin is controlling his head.
Morningstar lands a nice forearm strike.
Check out the look on Morningstar's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Morningstar misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Franklin is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Morningstar off and has taken his back!
Franklin softening up his opponent with strikes here.
Morningstar covers up after that shot from Franklin.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Morningstar tries to escape but Franklin has the hooks in and won't let him break free.
Morningstar covers up after taking a massive shot to the side of the head.
Franklin is throwing strikes from the back here. Oh that last one was to the back of the head. Franklin gets a warning from the referee. He throws another strike to the back of the head straight away though and the referee has seen enough. He breaks up the two fighters and stands them back up. Franklin gets a real talking to here and is lucky not to get a point deducted. Franklin apologises and we restart here on the feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Franklin.
Devin Morningstar has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Reggie Franklin.
Franklin looks gassed!
Morningstar works the jab nicely.
Morningstar tries to close the distance and clinch up but Franklin swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Some wild striking there from Morningstar.
Franklin misses with an uppercut. Morningstar saw that one coming.
Franklin shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Devin Morningstar seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Franklin moves out of range as Morningstar strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Morningstar throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

Franklin gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Franklin scores with a shot to the side of Morningstar's head.
Morningstar is trying to force a seperation but Franklin has the dominant position.

Franklin has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Morningstar is trying to keep an underhook but Franklin manages to get the takedown into half guard.
Morningstar tries to get to full guard but Franklin has control of the leg.
Franklin stops Morningstar from getting back to his feet.
Franklin drops an elbow to the side of Morningstar's head.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Franklin working over Morningstar with some ground and pound. Morningstar looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.

Morningstar looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Nice strikes from Franklin there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Devin Morningstar will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Morningstar gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Franklin postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Franklin scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Morningstar is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Franklin stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Morningstar swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Morningstar is looking for a triangle here but Franklin uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
Franklin lands a few punches from side control.
Franklin cracks Morningstar with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Morningstar is looking for a sweep.
Morningstar wants to control but Franklin postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Franklin is chipping away with strikes.
Morningstar tries to bench press Franklin off him but Franklin keeps the position.
Franklin cracks Morningstar with a big elbow.
Morningstar tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Morningstar can't do much from the bottom here.

Franklin stands up.
A right-left combo lands from Morningstar.
Franklin tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Morningstar paws at him with a jab and circles away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A decent looking cross lands there for Morningstar.
Morningstar looks to land a combination but Franklin avoids it well.
Franklin keeps the fight on the outside.

Franklin darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Morningstar is looking for a sweep. Franklin is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Franklin is pressing down on Morningstar's thigh, looking to free his foot. Morningstar is holding on for now.
Franklin is nestled in close to Morningstar, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Reggie Franklin has got the better of the ground game so far.
Franklin stops Morningstar from getting back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Morningstar throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Franklin lands strikes from half guard.
Morningstar misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Morningstar missing with punches from the bottom.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Franklin is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Morningstar.
Franklin is breathing heavily.
Morningstar misses with a takedown attempt

and Franklin counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Franklin.
Morningstar misses with a hook to the ribs.
A short uppercut from Morningstar.

Franklin is rocked!
Morningstar tries to circle away but Franklin has him pinned against the cage.
Franklin is still on wobbly legs! Can Morningstar finish him?
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Morningstar.
Morningstar is looking to break free of the clinch but Franklin has double underhooks.
Franklin blocking some punches.
Morningstar misses with a punch on the inside.
Morningstar tries to circle away but Franklin has him pinned against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Morningstar tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Franklin.
Morningstar fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Morningstar wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Franklin has him pressed against the cage.
Morningstar is trying to break free.
Morningstar misses with a punch on the inside.
Franklin blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Franklin has Morningstar pushed against the cage.
Franklin seems to have recovered his senses.
Morningstar wants to break the clinch but can't.
Morningstar is trying to break the clinch but Franklin has him pressed against the cage.

Franklin pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Morningstar throws a jab but it's blocked by Franklin.
Morningstar throws a lazy head kick

and Franklin moves into the clinch.
Franklin tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Morningstar tries to break the clinch but Franklin is controlling the position.
Franklin has Morningstar pressed against the cage, preventing Morningstar from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

Franklin pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Morningstar throws a combination that misses

and Franklin counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Morningstar's guard now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Reggie Franklin showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Franklin slips a jab and a cross from Morningstar.
Franklin works the jab nicely.
Morningstar keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Franklin blocks a jab.
Morningstar misses with the combination.
Franklin shoots in looking for a takedown. Morningstar tries to sprawl out of it but Franklin keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Morningstar manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Franklin swinging wilding here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Morningstar swinging wilding here.
Franklin tries to clinch but Morningstar is having none of it.
Morningstar misses with a series of wild punches.
Franklin doesn't manage to clinch there - Morningstar circles away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.

Franklin closes the distance and pushes Morningstar back into the cage.
Franklin taking a breather.
Franklin is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Franklin leaning against his opponent.
A frustrated look appears on Morningstar's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Franklin keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Morningstar's efforts to push away.
Morningstar is trying to break free.

Franklin manages to break the clinch.
Franklin tries to clinch but Morningstar moves out of range.
Morningstar scores with a three punch combo!
Morningstar dodges the punch combination from Franklin.
Morningstar lands an uppercut out of nowhere! Franklin falls backwards - clearly groggy! Morningstar dives in and finishes the fight with more strikes for a TKO finish!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:05 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Devin Morningstar!