PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Frank Sikes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Clay French (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Sikes
vs
French

185 cm
24
207 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

190 cm
22
215 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Frank Sikes!
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, Clay French!
The judges for this bout are Wesley Smith, Alan Glass and Stewart Dunkirk.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sikes keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

Sikes bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
French tries to buck Sikes off but Sikes is having none of it.
French sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Sikes is controlling the pace.
French is looking to improve his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.

French is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Sikes pulls his head out easily.
Sikes seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
French wants to improve his position but Sikes is controlling well.
Sikes not doing much here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
French gets back to full guard.
Sikes is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
French is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Sikes is pushing down on French's leg trying to pass to half guard. French is fighting to maintain full guard but Sikes has managed to sneak the leg through.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sikes prevents French from improving his position.
Sikes is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Sikes looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sikes sitting and controlling from the half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Ground and pound from Sikes.
French is trying to get back to full guard.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Sikes in particular looking to stall.
French is trying to get back to full guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Frank Sikes dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

French fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Sikes blocks a jab.
French misses with a few strikes there.
Sikes jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Sikes uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before French has time to react.
French throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Sikes stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
French keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Sikes defending well as French loads up on a big left hand.
French digs a good hook to Sikes's body.
Sikes moves out of range as French strikes.
Sikes uses good head movement to avoid the hook from French.
French scores with a nice strike.
French misses with a hook to the body

and Sikes counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in French's guard now.

That's one minute gone in the round.

French looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Sikes wants to pass the guard but French is keeping the position.
French has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Sikes has passed into side control.
Sikes remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
French manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
French wants to control the action here but instead Sikes manages to pass to full mount!
French wants to control but Sikes is having none of it.
French is in all sorts of trouble here.
Sikes manages to capitalize on a mistake by French to take his back!
Sikes just keeping the dominant position. He can't wait too long though, otherwise the referee will stand them back up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sikes seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down French for as long as he can get away with.
Sikes has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
French is really stuck here.
Sikes is trying to stick to French's back but French is turning into Sikes. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Sikes's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by French.

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.
Sikes is pulling down on French's head. It's preventing any offense from French, at least for the moment.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Frenchis looking to pass into half guard but Sikes pushes him away with his feet and jumps on top - now Sikes is in guard.
Sikes's corner is telling him to maintain position.

French has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Sikes can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Sikes showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Frank Sikes dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

French lands with a shot to the body.
Sikes slips a straight right by French.
French throws a sloppy body shot
and Sikes counters with a stiff right hand.

It looks like Clay French has been cut.
French ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Sikes moves away.
French scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.

Sikes shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Sikes showed some decent athleticism there.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Sikes not doing much here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sikes passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for French!

Sikes working for a guillotine from mount but French is in no mood to give up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
French tries to hold on but Sikes pushes him away.
French tries to control the position but Sikes now has his back.
French trying to control the hands but Sikes won't let him.
French is defending well here and trying to improve his position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sikes biding his time, looking for the opening.
Sikes'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.
French tries to roll but Sikes sticks to his back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Sikes keeps control of the position easily here as French tries to buck him off.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Frank Sikes just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
French throws a one two combo.
French misses with a hook to the body
and Sikes counters with a right hand to the body.
Clay French has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
French takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
The fighters circle momentarily. French darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
French misses with a combination
and Sikes counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Frank Sikes is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Sikes bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of French's head.

And that's the end of the fight!
Frank Sikes showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Sikes has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Wesley Smith scores the fight 30:27
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 30:27
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Frank Sikes!