PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Prince Symbol (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ariel Franco (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Franco has chosen 50Cent - Ready for War as his entrance music. Ariel Franco will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Symbol
vs
Franco

150 cm
27
196 lbs
16 - 10 - 0

185 cm
20
199 lbs
7 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

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 16 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Prince Symbol!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Ariel Franco!
The judges for this bout are Damien Edna, Bruno Hogan and Skip Squint.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Franco misses with the combination.

Symbol shoots in and bounces Franco off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Symbol working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Franco working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Symbol.
Symbol might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Symbol with a nice head shot there.
Symbol missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Symbol throws and elbow that misses. Franco uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Symbol's guard. Nice move by Franco!
Symbol pulls Franco in close to his closed guard and prevents Franco from doing any damage or advancing position.
Symbol manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Franco manages to get himself to full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Symbol throwing strikes but missing.
Symbol makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Symbol landing with the ground and pound.
Symbol throws a strike but Franco rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Symbol bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Franco's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Symbol postures up in Franco's guard and throws a big left but Franco blocks it.
Symbol lands a couple of digs.
Symbol postures up in Franco's guard and throws a big left but Franco blocks it.
Franco really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Symbol. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Symbol pushing down on Franco's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Symbol thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Franco's head.
Symbol working the head and body with strikes.
Symbol thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Franco has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Symbol is working away from the top position though.
Symbol sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Franco defending well though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Symbol missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Symbol is nestled in close to Franco, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Symbol wants to lay and pray for a moment but Franco keeps working.
Symbol takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Symbol thows a big elbow that misses, also allowing Franco to regain full guard.
Symbol working some strikes from top position.
Symbol lands a couple of digs.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Symbol accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Symbol throwing strikes but missing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Franco preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Symbol throws a big right hand that misses.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Symbol accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Symbol throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Franco has momentary wrist control but Symbol slips an elbow through the middle.
Symbol slips nicely into half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Symbol misses with a head shot. Franco uses the momentum to regain guard.
Franco looks gassed!
Symbol content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Prince Symbol dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

A head kick misses from Franco.
Franco misses with a series of wild punches.
Symbol avoids the head kick by Franco.
Franco connects with a single shot there.
Franco lands a lovely overhand right.
Horrible takedown by Symbol or perhaps it was just good defense by Franco which made him look bad.

Symbol throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Franco was covering up waiting for the punch and Symbol finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Franco keeping moving, preventing Symbol from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Symbol working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Symbol throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Symbol postures up in Franco's guard and throws a big left but Franco blocks it.
Symbol postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Symbol postures up in Franco's guard and throws a big left but Franco blocks it.
Symbol scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Symbol lands a couple of elbows.
Symbol throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Symbol throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Franco works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Franco preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Symbol wants to control from the top but Franco keeps moving.
Franco is adopting a defensive guard.
Symbol wants to control from the top but Franco keeps moving.
Symbol lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Prince Symbol overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Symbol loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Symbol has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Symbol wants to pass the guard but Franco is keeping the position.
Franco preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Symbol throwing strikes from guard but Franco blocks nicely.
Symbol is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Symbol loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Symbol with a flurry of punches that miss.
Symbol makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Symbol in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Franco is breathing heavily.
Symbol stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Franco swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Franco utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Symbol missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Symbol throws and elbow that misses. Franco uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Symbol's guard. Nice move by Franco!
Symbol manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Symbol thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Prince Symbol dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Franco is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Symbol.
Franco misses with a two punch combination.

Symbol changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Franco looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Symbol fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Symbol 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.
Franco defending against the ground and pound.
Symbol has knee on belly and moves into mount.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Franco can do anything to dispel that myth.
Symbol in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Franco takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Symbol with good strikes from the mount here!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Symbol lands a big elbow.
Symbol postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Franco looks a forlorn figure.
Symbol throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Symbol breaks from Franco's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Symbol looking to ground and pound but Franco is blocking nicely.
Symbol looking to finish with strikes here!
Symbol scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Poor strikes thrown by Symbol there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Symbol looking to finish with strikes here!
Symbol lands with some strikes.
Symbol lands a heavy elbow.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Symbol postures up and throws a couple of big shots that have Franco in real trouble here! The ref calls for Franco to improve his position which he doesn't do, so the referee has no choice but to end the fight due to the strikes!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:49 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Prince Symbol!