PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Trent Malloy (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and James Franco (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). There are an array of beautiful celebrities at ringside tonight! I wonder if any of them paid for their tickets.

Malloy
vs
Franco

175 cm
20
187 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

179 cm
18
199 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Self confident

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Very confident

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Trent Malloy!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, James Franco!
The judges for this bout are Marco Blurström, Matti Vanhoillinen and Tarja Halkonen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Franco keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

Franco pushes Malloy up against the cage in a clinch.
Malloy is looking to break free of the clinch but Franco has double underhooks.

Franco pulls guard successfully.
Franco striking off his back, scoring a few points.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Franco controls Malloy momentarily but Malloy frees himself.

Franco is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.
Malloy wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Franco has him pressed against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Malloy tries to pull guard but Franco forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Malloy wants to break the clinch but can't.

Franco breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Malloy throws a nice looking combination but Franco bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.

Malloy tries to sprawl but Franco drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Franco in particular looking to stall.

Franco is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Franco sitting and controlling from the half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Franco slips a nice elbow through Malloy's hands, connecting with Malloy's forehead.
Malloy is trying to stand up here but Franco is controlling him well.

Franco is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Malloy is just riding it out for now. Franco eventually gives up the hold.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Franco thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Malloy's head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Franco in particular looking to stall.
Let's hope that Franco has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.

Franco decides to stand up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Malloy gets caught napping as Franco dives in and scores a takedown. Malloy manages to retain guard.
Franco trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Franco is stalling in the full guard.

The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Franco stands up from Malloy's guard - Franco perhaps looking for a knockout.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James Franco dominated that round.
That's time! Malloy's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

A punch combination from Malloy misses.

Franco shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Franco sitting in guard here, content to control.
Franco advances position into side control!
Malloy is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Franco has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Malloy gives up the full mount - oops, sloppy defensive grappling there!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Franco looking to control but Malloy is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Franco takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Franco looking to control but Malloy is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Franco is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Malloy wants to get back to his feet.
Franco controlling the position easily from mount.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by James Franco.

Franco pushes Malloy up against the cage in a clinch.

Franco manages to pull guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Franco scrambles and gets back to his feet.
Franco avoids a punch combination nicely.
Franco wants to clinch up but Malloy keeps it at a distance.
Malloy fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

Franco shoots in for a takedown and gets it.

Malloy kicks Franco off and gets back to his feet.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Franco misses with a jab, cross combination.
Malloy fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

Franco clinches with his opponent.
Franco throws an elbow but it misses.
Franco misses with a short punch on the inside.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Franco is trying to trip Malloy. He has hold of a leg but Malloy is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Franco persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Franco looking to pass the guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James Franco showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Franco avoids a punch combination nicely.
A punch combination from Malloy misses.
Malloy misses with a series of wild punches.
Malloy could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Franco fails in his attempt to clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Franco closes the distance and pushes Malloy back into the cage.

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

Franco gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Franco tries a body shot but Malloy blocks it.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Franco jumps guard and drags Malloy to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
James Franco has got the better of the ground game so far.

Franco wriggles free and stands up.

Franco scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Malloy is trying to get back to his feet.
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.

Franco tries for a kimura but Malloy is defending well.
Franco takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
You can see the frustration on Malloy's face as Franco controls the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Malloy is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.
Well,Malloy is on his way to losing a decision here. Can he use his experience to pull something off in the closing minutes?

Franco looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Malloy bucks up and tries to throw Franco off but instead Franco has got his back!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Malloy has his hands over his head blocking the strikes from Franco.

Malloy is staying cool under pressure, defending well against the rear naked choke attempt from his opponent.
Malloy is trying to get back to his feet but he's not managed it yet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Franco looking to hold on to the position here but Malloy rolls and ends up regaining guard.
Franco working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

Franco stands and steps away. Malloy gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.

Franco scores a takedown into full mount!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Franco punishing his opponent with strikes.

And that's the end of the fight!
James Franco comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Franco has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Marco Blurström scores the fight for James Franco!
Judge Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight for James Franco!
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight for James Franco!

James Franco wins by unanimous decision!