PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ron Franco (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Blight Phears (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Franco
vs
Phears

200 cm
23
219 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

186 cm
18
217 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Great elbows
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Ron Franco!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Blight Phears!
The judges for this bout are Jonathan Paton, David Schapiro and Franklyn Lucas.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Phears will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

Phears clinches up with Franco and pushes him back against the cage.
Franco gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Phears tries to stall but Franco uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Franco unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Franco prevents Phears from breaking the clinch.
Franco putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Phears in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.

Franco pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Franco wants to clinch.
Phears shoots for a takedown but Franco saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Franco keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Ron Franco has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Blight Phears.
Phears looks winded!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Franco tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Phears paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Blight Phears seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Franco closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Franco putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Phears in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Franco working Phears over with knees to the body.
Franco lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!

It looks like Blight Phears has been cut.

Franco breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Franco darts in and clinches Phears up against the cage.
Franco landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.

Franco breaks the clinch.

Franco has taken the fight to the clinch.
Franco landing some nice looking knees to the body.

Franco breaks the clinch.
Franco is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Franco drives through and clinches with Phears against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Franco breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Franco is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Phears avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Phears throws a right hand that Franco ducks under and follows up with a left that Franco also avoids with ease.

Franco clinches up against the cage.
Franco stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Franco lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Franco putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Phears in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Franco putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Phears in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.

Franco manages to break the clinch.
Franco wants to clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Phears circles away from the clinch attempt.
Franco tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Phears paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Franco moves in looking to clinch but Phears pushes him off.
Franco tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Phears manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Phears changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Franco tries to avoid it but Phears manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Franco to the ground. Franco escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Phears keeps the fight on the outside.
Franco tries to close the distance and clinch but Phears swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Franco has Phears up against the cage in a clinch.

Franco's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Franco tries to close the distance and clinch but Phears swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Franco is looking to clinch but Phears is avoiding it.
Franco tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Phears manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

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

Franco breaks from the clinch.
Phears circles away from the clinch attempt.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Phears shoots in but no luck this time.
Franco tries to clinch up but Phears circles away and keeps his distance.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ron Franco dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Blight Phears's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

Phears shoots for a double leg takedown but Franco sprawls well. He's pushed Phears's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

Phears moves into the clinch.

Franco breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Phears will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Phears circles away from the clinch attempt.
Franco tries to clinch but Phears moves out of range.
Franco tries to close the distance and clinch but Phears swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Phears throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Franco's waist but Franco gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Phears off to one side.
Ron Franco has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Blight Phears.

Franco moves into the clinch successfully.
Franco lands an elbow that stopped Phears in his tracks for a moment.
Phears is breathing heavily.

Franco pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
The fight stays on the outside here - Franco looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Blight Phears is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Franco fails in his attempt to clinch.
Franco fails in his attempt to clinch.
Franco doesn't manage to clinch there - Phears circles away.
Franco tries to close the distance and clinch up but Phears swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Franco tries to close the distance and clinch up but Phears swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Franco moves into the clinch.
Franco landing some nice looking knees to the body.

Franco escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Franco tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Phears manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Franco fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Franco tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Phears paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Franco tries to clinch there but Phears circles away.
Ron Franco is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Franco tries to clinch there but Phears circles away.
Franco tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Phears manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Franco rushes Phears and presses him up against the cage.
Franco is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Phears can do to turn this around?
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Franco dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Franco lands an elbow inside.

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

Franco forces Phears back against the cage and clinches.

Franco breaks from the clinch.
Phears fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Franco tries to clinch up but Phears circles away and keeps his distance.
Franco is looking to clinch but Phears is avoiding it.
Franco wants to clinch up but Phears keeps it at a distance.

Franco fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Phears, pushing him back against the cage.
Franco lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Franco putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Phears in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.

Franco breaks the clinch.
Franco tries to clinch but Phears moves out of range.
Franco tries to clinch up.
Ron Franco is winning the standup battle so far.
Franco tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Phears manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Franco tries to clinch up but Phears circles away and keeps his distance.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Franco is looking to clinch but Phears is avoiding it.
Franco wants to clinch

and Phears counters with a nice double leg into side control. Franco won't be happy with that.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Franco is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Phears asserts his dominance and retains side control.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ron Franco dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Blight Phears's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Franco gets in close and instigates a clinch.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Franco using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Phears has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Phears wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

Franco breaks the clinch.

Phears closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Franco to the mat! Franco manages to get full guard.
Franco wants to stand up but Phears is controlling him.
Phears seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Franco is looking to stand up but Phears isn't so interested in that idea.
Franco will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Franco wants to get back to his feet but Phears passes into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Phears moves nicely into side control.

Phears decides to stand back up. Phears steps back and let's Franco get back to his feet.

Phears fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Franco, pushing him back against the cage.
Ron Franco has scored more points in the clinch so far.

Franco breaks the clinch.
Phears misses with a straight right.
Franco wants to clinch up but Phears keeps it at a distance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Phears keeps the fight on the outside.
Franco keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.

Franco drives through and clinches with Phears against the cage.
Knees in the clinch landing for Franco.
A knee to the head by Franco.

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

Franco moves into the clinch.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Franco landing some nice looking knees to the body.

Franco breaks from the clinch.

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Franco lands an elbow inside that Phears shrugs off.

Franco breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Franco tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Phears paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Franco tries to clinch but Phears is having none of it.
Phears swats away the attempt to clinch by Franco.
Franco fails in his attempt to clinch.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Franco unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Franco lands an elbow just above Phears 's eye.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Franco escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Franco moves into the clinch.

Franco escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Franco gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Phears takes a knee to the side of the body.
Franco crunches a lovely knee into Phears's ribcage.

Franco's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Franco tries to clinch but Phears is having none of it.
Franco tries to clinch up

and Phears counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Franco's guard now.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ron Franco showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Franco, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Jonathan Paton scores the fight 30:27
Judge David Schapiro scores the fight 30:27
Judge Franklyn Lucas scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ron Franco!