PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Daniel Franks (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Musa Ali (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Daniel Franks could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Musa Ali's chin.

Franks
vs
Ali

172 cm
23
130 lbs
2 - 4 - 0

198 cm
20
133 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Dangerous knees
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Intelligent

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 2 - 4 - 0, fighting out of London, Daniel Franks!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Musa Ali!
The judges for this bout are Steven Brown, Donald Grub and Daniel Bishop.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Franks wants to clinch.
Franks looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!
Ali swats away the attempt to clinch by Franks.
Franks is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Ali throws a head kick that misses.
Daniel Franks seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Ali fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Ali fails with a takedown attempt.
Franks stuffs the takedown.
Daniel Franks has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Musa Ali.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Franks slaps away a takedown attempt from Ali, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Franks tries to clinch but Ali moves out of range.
Franks stuffs the takedown.
Franks moves in looking to clinch but Ali pushes him off.
Franks is looking to clinch but Ali is avoiding it.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Franks gets a clinch.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Franks.
Ali's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Ali blocks an uppercut.
Franks misses with some punches.
Franks tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Ali blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Franks pushes Ali back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Franks misses with a punch on the inside.
Ali is struggling to control the position.
Franks tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Franks throws a punch but it's blocked by Ali.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Ali.
Ali tries to pull guard but Franks holds him up against the cage and eventually Ali drops back down to his feet.
Franks prevents the takedown attempt.
Franks misses with a short punch on the inside.
A head punch on the inside from Franks fails to land.
Franks doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Ali wants to break the clinch but can't.
Franks tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.

That's two 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.
Ali tries for a takedown but Franks manages to get underhooks.
Franks misses with a short punch on the inside.
Ali taking a breather.
Franks letting Ali take a breather here.
A short left from Franks.
Ali blocks a punch to the side of the head.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Ali.
Ali tries to break free but Franks pushes him back against the cage.
Franks tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
A head punch on the inside from Franks fails to land.

Ali breaks from the clinch.
Ali throws a leg kick but Franks sees it coming and checks it nicely.

Ali has Franks up against the cage in a clinch.
A head punch on the inside from Franks fails to land.
Ali looking to slow down the pace here.
Ali blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Ali is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Franks doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Ali blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Franks lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Ali wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Franks has him pressed against the cage.
A head punch on the inside from Franks fails to land.
Ali blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Ali wants to stall.
Ali blocking some punches.
Franks swings wildly with an uppercut but Ali uses good head movement to avoid it.
Ali stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Franks lands a right hand that snaps the head of Ali backwards.
Ali avoiding damage.
Ali tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Franks smiles and moves away.
Franks clinches but Ali breaks the clinch

and Ali counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Ali not doing much here.
Ali working Franks over with strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Franks is pressing down on Ali's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Franks trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Franks throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Ali seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Franks keeping moving, preventing Ali from controlling successfully.
Franks thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Ali is looking to stand up but Franks won't let him.
Franks will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Franks looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Musa Ali dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Franks tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Ali counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Franks thinking.
Franks tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Ali counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Ali is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Ali wanted to stand there but Franks had control of the position.
Ali wants to control from the top but Franks keeps moving.
Franks throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Ali trying to control the position from guard on top but Franks is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Franks wants to sweep but no luck.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Franks will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Ali pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Franks is keeping the position for now.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Franks wants to clinch but Ali slips to the side

and Ali counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Ali blocks the strikes from Franks.
Franks is looking for a sweep. Ali is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Ali wants to get back to his feet.
Franks tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Franks throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Franks missing with punches from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ali is looking to take a break and control but Franks is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Franks might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Ali circles away from the clinch attempt

and Ali moves into the clinch.
A head punch on the inside from Franks fails to land.
Franks misses with a hook from the clinch.
Knees to the body from Ali.
Ali tries to stall but Franks uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Franks pushes Ali back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Franks has Ali pressed against the cage, preventing Ali from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Franks throws a punch but it's blocked by Ali.
Franks lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Ali has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Franks is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
A nice left hand lands by Franks.
Ali tries to pull guard but Franks holds him up against the cage and eventually Ali drops back down to his feet.
Franks misses with the head strike.
Franks prevents the takedown attempt.
Daniel Franks has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Musa Ali.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Franks lands a hook to the side of the head.
Franks misses with a hook from the clinch.
Ali blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Franks misses with a hook from the clinch.
Franks working aggressively here.
Ali wants a takedown but no success here.
Ali softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Franks creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Franks has a couple of punches blocked by Ali.
Franks misses with a punch on the inside.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Franks.
Franks throws a head punch that misses.
Franks misses with a hook from the clinch.
Still in the clinch, Franks scores with a nice short uppercut.
Franks misses with a hook from the clinch.
Franks doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Franks swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Ali tries to land a knee to the head but Franks blocks with his arms.
Ali blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Franks fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Franks lands a hook that snaps the head of Ali backwards.
Franks working aggressively here.

That's four 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.
A frustrated look appears on Ali's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Ali tries to pull guard but Franks holds him up against the cage and eventually Ali drops back down to his feet.
Ali is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Franks gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.

Ali breaks from the clinch.
Ali throws a sloppy head kick and Franks moves out of range easily.
Franks tries to clinch

and Ali counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Ali trying to control the position from guard on top but Franks is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Franks lands a couple of decent looking body shots there.
Ali wants to control from the top but Franks keeps moving.
Ali might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Franks kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Franks throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Franks trying to strike off his back.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Musa Ali showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Franks looks to clinch

and Ali counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Franks's guard now.
Franks is striking from the bottom but Ali uses the opportunity to pass into half guard.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Ali in particular looking to stall.
Franks missing with punches from the bottom.
Ali blocks the strikes from Franks.
Franks flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Ali controlling the action here.
Franks misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Franks misses with some strikes from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Franks misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Franks stuffs the takedown attempt from Ali. Ali gets slowly back to his feet.
Franks looks to clinch
and Ali counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Franks is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Ali closes this distance looking for a takedown but Franks circles away.
Ali looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Daniel Franks has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Musa Ali.
A head kick misses from Ali.
Franks tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Ali counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Franks keeping moving, preventing Ali from controlling successfully.
Ali takes a decent strike to the side of the head.
Franks thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Franks throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Franks bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Ali's guard.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Ali is on top in guard.
Ali seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Ali stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Franks swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Ali content to stall in guard here.
Franks looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Ali sitting in guard, not really doing much.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Franks throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Franks throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Franks doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Ali trying to control but Franks is working from the bottom.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Ali fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Franks, pushing him back against the cage.
Franks swings wildly with an uppercut but Ali uses good head movement to avoid it.

Ali has Franks pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Ali pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Franks tumbling to the mat - Ali dives into Franks's guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Franks keeping moving, preventing Ali from controlling successfully.
Musa Ali has got the better of the ground game so far.
Ali looking to pass the guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Franks is on top in guard.
Ali has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Franks throwing strikes from guard but Ali blocks nicely.
Franks landing some decent shots from guard.
Franks loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Daniel Franks has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Franks thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Musa Ali comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Ali winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Steven Brown scores the fight 27:30
Judge Donald Grub scores the fight 27:30
Judge Daniel Bishop scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Musa Ali!