PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Rich Franklin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Chan Lee (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Franklin's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, I Need a Doctor. Lee is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: ヨシピィ・ダ・ガマ/&#. Rich Franklin could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Chan Lee's chin.

Franklin
vs
Lee

196 cm
23
185 lbs
7 - 3 - 0

180 cm
20
195 lbs
4 - 2 - 1

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Knockout power

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 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Rich Franklin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 2 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Chan Lee!
The judges for this bout are Hirohito Nitta, Taro Takaoka and Sosuke Kotani.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Lee tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Lee misses with a low kick.
Lee keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.

Lee has Franklin up against the cage in a clinch.

Lee's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Franklin shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Lee's guard.

Lee looking for a guillotine here but Franklin defends easily.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Franklin accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Franklin postures up and lands a big shot to Lee's brow.
Franklin scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Lee is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Franklin tries to stand but Lee is controlling from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Franklin trying to control the position from guard on top but Lee is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Franklin will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Lee manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Franklin tries to lock up and control but Lee gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Franklin 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.
Franklin holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Lee tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
Lee trying to control but he's not successful this time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Franklin really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Lee looking to ground and pound but Franklin is blocking nicely.
Lee tries to control but Franklin wriggling away.
Lee misses with a head shot.
Lee wants to control but Franklin has made it back to half guard. Nice work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lee missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

Lee stands up from half guard.
Franklin tries to close the distance and clinch up but Lee swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Lee swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Lee will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Lee looks for a takedown but Franklin sprawls well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Lee looks to clinch

and Franklin counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Lee!
Franklin pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Franklin lands a heavy elbow.
Franklin looking to finish Lee with some ground and pound. This is bad for Lee!
Lee tries to reverse the position but Franklin maintains control.
Franklin with good strikes from the mount here!
Franklin working Lee over with strikes here.
Franklin lands a heavy elbow.
Lee is trying desperately to improve position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Lee is bucking up trying to escape but Franklin cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Franklin jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Lee manages to avoid the submission attempt.

Franklin decides to take the fight back to the feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Lee closes the distance and clinches.
Lee lands an elbow that stopped Franklin in his tracks for a moment.

It looks like Rich Franklin has been cut.

Lee breaks from the clinch.
Lee tries to clinch up

and Franklin counters with a single leg into guard. Lee didn't expect that.
Lee working a defensive guard here.
Franklin trying to control but Lee is working from the bottom.
Lee trying to keep a closed guard but Franklin is proving a slippery customer.
Rich Franklin overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Lee utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Franklin really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

Lee scrambles and gets back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A head kick by Lee misses
and Franklin counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Franklin fails in his attempt to clinch.
Franklin uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Lee.
Lee tries to clinch

and Franklin counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Franklin.
Franklin controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Lee utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Franklin in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Franklin lands a couple of digs.
Lee trying to keep a closed guard but Franklin is proving a slippery customer.
Franklin is looking to work some ground and pound but Lee has wrist control.
Franklin throwing strikes from guard but Lee blocks nicely.

Lee scrambles and gets back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Franklin moves into range and clinches up with Lee.

Lee breaks from the clinch.
Lee with a poor takedown

and Franklin moves into the clinch.
Franklin wants a takedown.

Lee breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Franklin moves into the clinch.

Lee breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Franklin tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Franklin looks for a takedown but Lee sprawls well.
Franklin doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Lee counters by clinching up.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rich Franklin. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Franklin drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Lee gets the underhooks and prevents it.

Lee pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Franklin dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Lee chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Franklin shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Lee but Lee pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Franklin slips under a jab.
Lee closes the distance but Franklin moves to the side

and Franklin moves into the clinch.
Lee tries for a takedown. No joy.
Franklin tries to pull guard but Lee won't allow it.
Lee landing knees to the body.
Lee slowing the pace effectively.
Franklin fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

Lee breaks from the clinch.
Lee on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Lee scores with a head kick. Franklin tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lee throws a body kick the misses
and Franklin counters with a three punch combo that has Lee backing up. Lee nods at Franklin to acknowledge the strikes.
Franklin throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Lee misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Franklin.
Lee throws a body kick that misses.
Franklin takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Franklin has his takedown stuffed

and Lee decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Franklin's guard.
Lee wants to stand and escape but instead Franklin has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Lee is trying to control the position but Franklin postures up.
Lee wants to stand and escape but Franklin is having none of it.

Lee is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Chan Lee showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Rich Franklin's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Lee doesn't manage to clinch there - Franklin circles away.
Rich Franklin is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Lee throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Franklin.
Franklin shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Nice shot lands for Franklin.

Franklin gets tackled into the cage by Lee. Lee maintains the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Franklin can't break the clinch.
Franklin is trying to break the clinch but Lee is controlling him.

Franklin manages to break the clinch.
Lee throws an overhand right that lands on Franklin's shoulder, as Franklin tries to avoid the shot.
Lee fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Lee misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lee throws a head kick that misses

and Franklin counters with a takedown into side control.

Franklin decides to stand back up. Franklin steps back and let's Lee get back to his feet.
Lee defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Franklin.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rich Franklin. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Lee shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Lee punching from mount but Franklin doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Lee tries to control but Franklin wriggling away.
Lee looking to ground and pound but Franklin is blocking nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lee looking to ground and pound but Franklin is blocking nicely.
Lee misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Lee thowing shots but they're missing.
Lee throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Lee unloads with some shots from mount but Franklin bucks and avoids them well.

Lee has control of Franklin's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Franklin regains control of the situation pretty easily.
Lee takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lee can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Franklin is looking to escape.
Franklin gets back to half guard.

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.
Lee tries to stand and escape but Franklin is controlling the position.
Lee is thwarting Franklin's attempts to control the position.
Franklin is looking for a sweep. Lee is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

Lee is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.

Franklin kicks off Lee and gets to his feet.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Chan Lee.
I think Lee has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 29:29
Judge Taro Takaoka scores the fight 28:29
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 29:29

The fight is ruled a majority draw!