PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Sean Franzen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sam Chen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Chen's choice of entrance music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjNAeELQ_Z8. Sean Franzen had real problems making weight for this fight. After initially coming in at 172.5lbs, he had two hours to make the official fight weight. He made it but it will have taken a lot out of him to cut those extra few pounds. Well, the cameraman is lingering on a pretty young lady for a bit too long there. Keep your eyes on the fighters buddy or you'll miss the fighter intros!

Franzen
vs
Chen

176 cm
19
184 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

180 cm
24
180 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Sean Franzen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Sam Chen!
The judges for this bout are Igor Prikhodko, Valeri Chadov and Dmitry Maklakov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Chen drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Chen is looking to clinch but Franzen is avoiding it.
Franzen tries to bum rush Chen with a series of wild strikes but Chen uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Chen is looking to clinch but Franzen is avoiding it.
Franzen throws a series of punches but Chen avoids them all with ease.
Franzen ducks under a wild hook from Chen.
Franzen misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
A slow jab from Franzen misses its intended target.
Chen uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Franzen.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Franzen keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
No joy there for Franzen, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Chen moves forwards but Franzen connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Franzen misses with an uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Franzen swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Franzen tries to bum rush Chen with a series of wild strikes but Chen uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Franzen rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Chen moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Franzen rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Chen moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Chen throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Franzen sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Chen keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Franzen.
Franzen moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Franzen misses with a double jab.
Chen keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Franzen looks to throw the jab but Chen is out of range.
A combination from Franzen does no damage.

That's two 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.
Chen tries to clinch but Franzen moves out of range.
Franzen cracks Chen with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Chen with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Franzen to score with a decent uppercut.
Franzen swinging wildly here.
Franzen throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Chen misses with a straight left.
Franzen uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Chen.
Franzen fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Franzen tries to bum rush Chen with a series of wild strikes but Chen uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Franzen lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Chen circles away quickly and effectively.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Chen moves into the clinch successfully.
Chen swings wildly with an uppercut but Franzen uses good head movement to avoid it.
Franzen is trying to break the clinch but Chen has him pressed against the cage.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Chen creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Chen blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Chen keeps control of Franzen as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Franzen manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.

Franzen pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Chen wants to clinch up but Franzen keeps it at a distance.
Franzen misses with a few strikes there.
Chen tries to close the distance and clinch but Franzen swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Franzen misses with a body shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Franzen looks to land a combination but Chen avoids it well.
Chen throws a looping overhand right but Franzen ducks down to avoid it.
Sean Franzen seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Franzen keeps the fight on the outside.
Franzen misses with a wild combination.
Franzen lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Chen circles away quickly and effectively.
Chen is looking to clinch.
Franzen lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Franzen scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Franzen throws a hook but Chen avoids it easily.
Franzen swings and misses with a hook to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sean Franzen dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Chen tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Chen closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Chen tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Franzen swings wildly with an uppercut but Chen uses good head movement to avoid it.
Franzen blocking some punches.
Chen misses with a short punch on the inside.
Franzen wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Chen swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Franzen misses with a punch to the body.
Chen keeps control of Franzen as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Chen swings wildly with an uppercut but Franzen uses good head movement to avoid it.
Franzen blocks an uppercut.
Franzen is trying to break free.
Franzen looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Chen misses with a punch on the inside.
Chen misses with a hook from the clinch.
Chen misses with a punch on the inside.
Franzen blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Franzen working hard to break the clinch.
Chen misses with a punch on the inside.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Chen creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Chen throws a punch but it's blocked by Franzen.
Chen misses with the head strike.
Chen misses with the head strike.
Franzen trying to stall but Chen improves his position.
Chen lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Franzen backwards.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Chen.

Franzen escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Chen slips under a jab from Franzen.
Franzen throws a hook but Chen avoids it easily.
Franzen throws a right and a left that both miss.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Chen keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Franzen needs to keep his hands up - Chen had a free shot at his head there.
Franzen throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Chen.
Franzen misses with a few strikes there.
A slow jab from Franzen misses its intended target.
A telegraphed right hand from Franzen misses the target.
Franzen looks to land a combination but Chen avoids it well.
Franzen swinging wildly here.
Sean Franzen is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Franzen throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Chen.
A punch combination from Franzen misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A big left from Franzen misses.
Chen is looking to clinch but Franzen is avoiding it.
Franzen uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Chen.
Franzen steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Chen.
Franzen throws a looping overhand right but Chen ducks down to avoid it.
Franzen throws a shot from downtown. Chen moves away and avoids it.
Franzen throws a hook but Chen avoids it easily.
No joy there for Franzen, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Chen slips a jab and a cross from Franzen.
Chen doesn't manage to clinch there - Franzen circles away.
Franzen misses with a two punch combination.

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.
Franzen throws a looping overhand right but Chen ducks down to avoid it.
Franzen ducks under a wild hook from Chen.
Franzen misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Franzen scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Franzen throws a right and a left that both miss.
Chen tries to clinch but Franzen is having none of it.
Chen ducks under a wild hook from Franzen.
Chen blocks a jab.
Franzen avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Chen is looking to clinch.
Franzen throws a jab but it's blocked by Chen.
Franzen tries to bum rush Chen with a series of wild strikes but Chen uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sam Chen showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Franzen throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Franzen misses with a jab, cross combination.
Chen wants to clinch.
Franzen will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Some wild striking there from Franzen.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Franzen misses with the combination.
Franzen avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Franzen swinging wildly here.
Chen tries to close the distance and clinch up but Franzen swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Franzen throws a nice looking combination but Chen bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Franzen misses with a series of wild punches.
Jab, jab by Franzen - just one landing.
Chen is looking to clinch.
Chen thows a body shot but no joy.
Chen showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Franzen.
Chen is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Franzen.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Chen throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Chen steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Franzen.
Franzen looks to land a combination but Chen avoids it well.
Franzen misses with a jab, cross combination.
Franzen throws a nice looking combination but Chen bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Franzen misses with a hook. Chen ducked under it nicely.
Chen swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Franzen blocks a jab.
Chen fails with an attempt to clinch.
Franzen swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Franzen looks to land a combination but Chen avoids it well.
A telegraphed right hand from Franzen misses the target.
Franzen will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Franzen misses with a two punch combination.

Chen has closed the distance and engaged Franzen in a clinch.
A frustrated look appears on Franzen's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Franzen wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Franzen stalling.
Franzen blocks an uppercut.
Franzen is trying to break the clinch but Chen has him pressed against the cage.
A nice left hand lands by Chen.
Franzen is trying to break the clinch but Chen has him pressed against the cage.
Chen has a couple of punches blocked by Franzen.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Franzen is trying to break the clinch but Chen has him pressed against the cage.
Chen working aggressively here.
Franzen is looking to break free of the clinch but Chen has double underhooks.
Chen swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Franzen is trying to break the clinch but Chen has him pressed against the cage.
Chen keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Franzen's efforts to push away.
Chen fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Franzen wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Franzen tries to break free but Chen pushes him back against the cage.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Franzen can't break the clinch.
Franzen is trying to break free.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Franzen tries to break the clinch but Chen is controlling the position.
Franzen blocks an uppercut.
A head punch on the inside from Chen fails to land.
Chen tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Sean Franzen.
I think Franzen has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 29:28
Judge Valeri Chadov scores the fight 29:28
Judge Dmitry Maklakov scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Sean Franzen!