PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Reggie Franklin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Trevor Diaz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Franklin comes to the cage accompanied by Heat it up. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Franklin
vs
Diaz

178 cm
23
190 lbs
7 - 5 - 0

181 cm
22
186 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite 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 7 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Reggie Franklin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Trevor Diaz!
The judges for this bout are Matti Vanhoillinen, Anni Minnemäki and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Franklin thows a left - swing and a miss!
Franklin misses with the combination.
Reggie Franklin seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Franklin misses with a two punch combination.
Diaz fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Franklin manages to avoid it.
Diaz takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.

It looks like Trevor Diaz has been cut.
Franklin throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Diaz.
Diaz misses with a wild body shot.
Diaz checks the leg kick.
Franklin rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Diaz moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Franklin misses with a head kick.
Franklin throws a head kick that misses.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Diaz crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Franklin - the referee stops the clock and Diaz gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Franklin. Diaz manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Diaz takes a swing at Franklin's ribcage but misses.
A looping hook to the body misses from Diaz. Franklin does a little dance to reset his feet.
A punch combination from Franklin misses.
Franklin misses with a hook to the body
and Diaz counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Diaz throws a sloppy body shot
and Franklin counters with a nice leg kick.
Franklin throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Diaz counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Franklin thinking.
Franklin fails to land with a series of punches.
Franklin swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Franklin scores with a kick to the body.
Diaz looks gassed!
Franklin throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Diaz takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Franklin throws a left and a right that both miss
and Diaz counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Diaz misses with a body punch
and Franklin connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Franklin swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Franklin misses with the combination.
Diaz avoids a punch combination nicely.
Diaz avoids a punch combination nicely.
Franklin throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Diaz.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A punch combination from Franklin misses.
Diaz misses with a jab to the body
and Diaz takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Diaz misses the body punch
and Franklin counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Diaz is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Franklin throws a series of punches but Diaz moves out of range.
Franklin misses with a series of wild punches.
Franklin closes the distance and lands a one-two.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Diaz just misses with a punch to the body.
Franklin scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Franklin misses with a hook to the body
and Diaz counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Franklin rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Diaz moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Diaz misses the body punch
and Franklin counters with a slapping leg kick.
Franklin misses with a wild combination.
A combination from Franklin does no damage.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
A combination from Franklin does no damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Reggie Franklin dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Trevor Diaz's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Franklin falls off balance throwing a combination
and Diaz counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Franklin thinking.
Franklin throws a left and a right that both miss
and Diaz counters with a left to the body.
Franklin wants to slow Diaz down by chopping away at his legs.
Franklin misses with a combination
and Diaz counters with a left to the body.
Diaz misses with a hook to the body
and Franklin counters with a left and a right that stings Diaz.
Diaz swings away with a body shot that misses
and Franklin counters with a left to the body.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Diaz tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Franklin was well out of range. Poor timing from Diaz.
Franklin falls off balance throwing a combination
and Diaz counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Franklin misses with a double jab.
Franklin is looking to wear down Diaz with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Diaz throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Diaz swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Franklin counters with a left and a right that stings Diaz.
Franklin's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Franklin duly obliges.
Franklin is looking to slow Diaz down with leg kicks.
Diaz chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Franklin can pounce on him.
Franklin misses with a combination
and Diaz counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Franklin tries a head kick but it misses.
Franklin lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Diaz circles away quickly and effectively.
Franklin will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Franklin throws a right and a left that Diaz avoids nicely.
Franklin misses the jab.
Diaz misses with a hook to the body
and Franklin counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Diaz lands a right hook to the body.
Diaz scores with a shot to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Franklin falls off balance throwing a combination
and Diaz counters with a left to the body.
Both these guys seem content to just stand up and trade with eachother but Diaz might want to think about changing up his gameplan a bit because over the course of the fight, Franklin has got the better of the exchanges.
Franklin misses with a hook to the body
and Diaz makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Reggie Franklin is winning the standup battle so far.
Franklin throws a combination that misses
and Diaz makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Franklin will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Franklin throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Diaz.
Diaz misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Franklin.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Diaz misses with a body shot.
Diaz keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Franklin.
Diaz blocks a head kick by Franklin.
Franklin swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Franklin swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Diaz counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Diaz ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Franklin moves away.
Diaz misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Franklin.
Franklin chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Franklin scoring well with a low kick there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Reggie Franklin dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Trevor Diaz's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. And we move into the final round!

A shot to the body from Franklin misses
and Diaz counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Franklin thinking.
Diaz takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Franklin throws a right hand that Diaz ducks under and follows up with a left that Diaz also avoids with ease.
Franklin misses with a double jab.
Franklin looks to land a combination but Diaz avoids it well.
Franklin fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Diaz moves out of range as Franklin strikes.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Franklin lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Diaz circles away quickly and effectively.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Franklin pulls out of a head kick attempt.
A combination from Franklin does no damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Franklin throws a series of punches but Diaz avoids them all with ease.
Diaz throws a predictable looking body shot
and Franklin counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Franklin on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Diaz throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Franklin clobbers Diaz with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Franklin throws a right and a left that Diaz avoids nicely.
Franklin misses with a two punch combination.
Reggie Franklin is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Diaz misses with a body shot.
Franklin throws a right and a left that both miss.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Diaz throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Diaz misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Franklin.
Franklin misses with a low kick.
Franklin takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Franklin throws a series of punches but Diaz avoids them all with ease.
Diaz misses with a body shot.
Franklin throws a sloppy head kick and Diaz moves out of range easily.
Franklin tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Diaz thows a body shot but no joy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Diaz scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Franklin fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Franklin tries to bum rush Diaz with a series of wild strikes but Diaz uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Diaz thuds a left hand into Franklin's body.
Diaz misses with a wild body shot.
Franklin throws a right and a left that both miss.
A head kick by Franklin misses
and Diaz counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Diaz looks to score with a jab to the body but Franklin is just out of range.
Franklin throws a left and a right that both miss
and Diaz counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Diaz thows a body shot but no joy.
Franklin throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Diaz counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Franklin thinking.
Diaz fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Franklin manages to avoid it.
Franklin throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Diaz counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Diaz thows a body shot but no joy.
A shot to de liver by Diaz. Beautiful body shot.
Diaz defending well as Franklin loads up on a big left hand.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Franklin swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Diaz counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Franklin falls off balance throwing a combination
and Diaz counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Franklin thinking.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Trevor Diaz.
Well Franklin 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 Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 29:27
Judge Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 29:27
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 29:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Reggie Franklin!