PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Jon Flanagan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Phil Luccio (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Flanagan
vs
Luccio

181 cm
22
150 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

177 cm
18
154 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Inexperienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Jon Flanagan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Phil Luccio!
The judges for this bout are Ian Loll, Trevor Gratis and Alec Ball.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Luccio gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Flanagan is looking to control Luccio's arms but Luccio gets an underhook and turns him. Now Flanagan has his back to the cage.

Flanagan pulls guard.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Luccio is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Flanagan looking to hit a scissor sweep but Luccio is one step ahead there.
Luccio stands and throws Flanagan's legs to the side, diving into side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Flanagan taking a bit of punishment here - Luccio scoring with strikes.
Luccio wants to stand but Flanagan has his arm trapped.
Luccio working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Luccio wants to stand but Flanagan has his arm trapped.
Flanagan tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Luccio wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Luccio is looking to take a break and control but Flanagan is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Luccio wants to stand but Flanagan is controlling his arm.
Luccio working away.

Luccio stands up and beckons Flanagan to his feet.
Flanagan on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Flanagan tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Flanagan gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Luccio looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Flanagan keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Luccio's efforts to push away.
Stalling in the clinch from Flanagan.
Luccio avoiding damage as Flanagan throws knees to the body.
Flanagan leaning his opponent against the cage.
Flanagan trying to land knees to the body.
Luccio tries to break the clinch but Flanagan is controlling the position.
Flanagan can't get the takedown.
Flanagan has Luccio pressed against the cage, preventing Luccio from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Luccio on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Flanagan is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Luccio to keep the fight standing.
Flanagan tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Luccio smiles and moves away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jon Flanagan. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Flanagan throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Luccio has taken the fight to the clinch.
Flanagan prevents the takedown attempt.
Flanagan stalls.
Flanagan tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Luccio has had enough of the clinch but Flanagan keeps him there for the moment.
Luccio blocks the elbow strike.
Flanagan keeps control of Luccio as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

Flanagan jumps guard and drags Luccio to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Flanagan utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Flanagan wants to improve his position but instead Luccio has moved into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Flanagan is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Luccio is looking to stand up but he'll have to free his leg first. Instead, Flanagan manages to get to full guard.

Luccio decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Luccio looks gassed!
Flanagan wants to clinch
and Luccio counters with a stiff right hand.
Flanagan cracks the inside of Luccio's front leg.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Luccio takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Luccio uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
A punch combination from Luccio misses.
Flanagan fails with an attempt to clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Phil Luccio dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Flanagan scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Flanagan is pressing down on Luccio's thigh, looking to free his foot. Luccio is holding on for now.

Luccio makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!

Flanagan rushes Luccio and presses him up against the cage.

Flanagan's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Flanagan tries to close the distance and clinch but Luccio swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Flanagan moves into range and clinches up with Luccio.
Luccio jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Flanagan walks away with a smile on his face. Luccio gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Flanagan on the wrong end of a nice hook.

Luccio rushes Flanagan and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Flanagan tries to land knees in the clinch but Luccio avoids the damage to the body.
Luccio is breathing heavily.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Flanagan trying to land knees to the body.
Luccio gets underhooks to prevent Flanagan's takedown attempt.

Flanagan breaks the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Flanagan moves into range and clinches up with Luccio.
Luccio is trying to push Flanagan away but Flanagan has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Flanagan tries to land knees in the clinch but Luccio avoids the damage to the body.
Luccio on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Luccio can't break the clinch.
Luccio blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Flanagan tries to land knees in the clinch but Luccio avoids the damage to the body.
Flanagan tries to stall but Luccio uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Luccio is pressed up against the cage. Flanagan has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Luccio down to the mat. Luccio avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

Luccio clinches with his opponent.
Flanagan tries to land knees in the clinch but Luccio avoids the damage to the body.
Flanagan is trying to pull guard but Luccio turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jon Flanagan. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Flanagan has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Luccio is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Luccio has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Flanagan is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Luccio is defending well for now.
Luccio wants to break free but Flanagan has control.
Luccio tries to score a body lock takedown but Flanagan shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Luccio scores with a nice hook to the head.
Luccio is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Flanagan is defending well.
Luccio is looking to break free of the clinch but Flanagan has double underhooks.
Luccio jumps guard but Flanagan stands there with Luccio around his waist. Luccio gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Flanagan is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Flanagan fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Luccio is trying to break the clinch but Flanagan is controlling him.
Luccio avoiding damage as Flanagan throws knees to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Luccio is trying to break free.
Luccio tries to pull guard but Flanagan won't allow it.
Luccio lands a body shot in the clinch.
A head punch on the inside from Luccio fails to land.
Flanagan drops down looking for an ankle pick but Luccio pulls his leg out and moves away.

Luccio pushes Flanagan up against the cage in a clinch.
Flanagan working Luccio over with knees to the body.
A bit of stalling here from Flanagan.

Flanagan pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Flanagan doesn't manage to clinch there - Luccio circles away.

Flanagan takes the fight into the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Flanagan breaks the clinch.
Flanagan tries to close the distance and clinch but Luccio swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Luccio rushes Flanagan and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

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

Luccio fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Flanagan, pushing him back against the cage.
Flanagan throws a punch but it's blocked by Luccio.
Flanagan tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Flanagan looking to slow down the pace here.
Flanagan trying to land knees to the body.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Luccio is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Flanagan can't get the takedown.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jon Flanagan dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Luccio gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Luccio takes a knee to the side of the body.
Luccio is looking for a takedown.
Luccio avoiding damage as Flanagan throws knees to the body.
Flanagan lands a good knee to the midsection. Luccio won't want to take too many of those.
Luccio on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Luccio is trying to force a seperation but Flanagan has the dominant position.
A right hook to the body lands for Flanagan.
Flanagan leaning against his opponent.
Flanagan lands a knee to the body.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Flanagan takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Flanagan misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Luccio.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Flanagan is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Flanagan wants a takedown.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Luccio is trying to push Flanagan away but Flanagan has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Luccio is trying to break the clinch but Flanagan has him pressed against the cage.
Flanagan landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Luccio drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Flanagan is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.

Flanagan breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Luccio throws a right and a left that Flanagan avoids nicely.

Flanagan forces Luccio back against the cage and clinches.
Luccio wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

Flanagan gets control of Luccio's arms and successfully pulls guard. Flanagan will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Luccio has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Flanagan is controlling Luccio's posture.
Flanagan looking to hit a scissor sweep but Luccio is one step ahead there.
Flanagan is working hard here to advance position.
Flanagan lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Luccio!
Flanagan putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Luccio wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
Flanagan sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Luccio is trying to escape the mount.
Luccio is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Flanagan trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Flanagan is in the full mount, landing strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Flanagan controlling his opponent.
Jon Flanagan overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Luccio is squirming around, avoiding Flanagan's attempts to control the action.
Flanagan scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Luccio?
Luccio can't escape the position.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Flanagan looking to control and managing it successfully.
Flanagan pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jon Flanagan showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Flanagan 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 Ian Loll scores the fight 29:28
Judge Trevor Gratis scores the fight 29:28
Judge Alec Ball scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jon Flanagan!
After the fight, Jon Flanagan was humble in paying tribute to his opponent but made it clear he wants to go on to bigger and better things. It seemed to go down well with the crowd who cheered him loudly.