PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Franco Micheli (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Marco Hammer (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Hammer's choice of entrance music: Kuningas Pähkinä & Setä Tamu - Hei Scully. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Micheli
vs
Hammer

191 cm
25
192 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

178 cm
26
184 lbs
5 - 5 - 0

Decent wrestler
Dangerous knees
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Solid chin

Vandal Fight Boutique & Laundry

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 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Franco Micheli!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 5 - 0, fighting out of New York, Marco Hammer!
The judges for this bout are Leandro Rodrigues, Matheus Silva and Alexandre Firmino.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hammer will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Hammer dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Hammer scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Hammer digs a good body shot into Micheli's ribs.
Marco Hammer seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
The fight stays on the outside here - Micheli looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Hammer misses with a few strikes there.
Hammer moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.

Micheli forces Hammer back against the cage and clinches.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Hammer takes an elbow to the temple.
Micheli unloads a knee to the mid-section. Hammer lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Micheli lands an elbow just above Hammer 's eye.
Micheli landing knees to the head.
Micheli lands an elbow inside.
Micheli connects with a nasty looking knee right to Hammer's face.
Micheli keeps control of Hammer as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A knee to the head by Micheli.
Micheli lands a knee to the head.
Hammer looks winded!
Micheli connects with a knee to the head.

Micheli drops Hammer with a big knee straight up the middle! Hammer is covering up against the cage but manages to escape and gets back to his feet!

Hammer is rocked!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Micheli tries to clinch but Hammer moves out of range.
Hammer is still on wobbly legs! Can Micheli finish him?

Micheli drives through and clinches with Hammer against the cage.
Hammer seems to have recovered his senses.
Micheli with a knee to the head.
Micheli lands a knee to the head.
Micheli scores with a knee to the head.

Micheli drops Hammer with a big knee straight up the middle! Hammer is covering up against the cage but manages to escape and gets back to his feet!
Hammer swats away the attempt to clinch by Micheli.
Micheli moves in looking to clinch but Hammer pushes him off.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hammer throws a body punch but Micheli moves out of range.
The fight stays on the outside here - Micheli looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Micheli is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Micheli closes the distance and clinches.
Micheli lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Micheli lands a knee to the head.
Micheli using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Hammer has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Micheli connects with a knee to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Micheli lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Micheli connects with a nasty looking knee right to Hammer's face.
Micheli lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Micheli lands a good knee to the midsection. Hammer won't want to take too many of those.
Micheli is pushing Hammer up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Micheli definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Hammer is looking for a takedown.
Hammer takes a knee right on the jaw!
Micheli landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Micheli stalling in the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Micheli landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Micheli using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Micheli landing knees to the head.
Nice elbow from Micheli.
Hammer takes an elbow to the forehead.
Micheli lands a nice knee to the body.
Micheli with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Micheli scores with a knee to the head.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
A knee to the head by Micheli.
Micheli landing knees to the head.
Knees in the clinch landing for Micheli.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Franco Micheli dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Hammer swats away the attempt to clinch by Micheli.
Hammer misses with a takedown attempt - Micheli sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Micheli moves into range and clinches up with Hammer.
Micheli with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Micheli landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Micheli is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Micheli with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
A knee to the head by Micheli.
Micheli with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Micheli landing knees to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Micheli throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Hammer blocks it with crossed arms.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Micheli using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Franco Micheli has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Micheli using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Hammer has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Micheli misses with a knee to the head.
Micheli is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Hammer can do to turn this around?
Micheli misses with a knee strike.
Micheli landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Micheli lands a nice knee to the body.
Micheli with a knee to the head.
Micheli tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Micheli landing knees to the body.
Micheli has Hammer pressed against the cage, preventing Hammer from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Micheli with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Micheli misses with a knee to the head.
Hammer takes a knee right on the jaw!
Micheli with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Micheli prevents Hammer from breaking the clinch.
Hammer takes an elbow to the temple.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Micheli tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Micheli scores with a knee to the head.
Micheli lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Micheli throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Hammer blocks it with crossed arms.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Micheli lands a nice elbow.
A knee to the head by Micheli.
Micheli tries to land knees in the clinch but Hammer avoids the damage to the body.
Micheli trying to land knees to the body.
Micheli landing knees to the head.
Micheli tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Micheli gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Hammer.
Micheli looking to throw knees to the head but Hammer is blocking nicely.
Micheli lands a nice elbow from the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hammer can't break the clinch.
Micheli lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Hammer wants to break the clinch but can't.
Micheli crunches a lovely knee into Hammer's ribcage.
Micheli lands a nice knee to the body.
Micheli unloads a knee to the mid-section.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A knee to the head by Micheli.
Micheli landing knees to the head.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Micheli lands an elbow just above Hammer 's eye.
Micheli connects with a nasty looking knee right to Hammer's face.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Franco Micheli dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Micheli tries to clinch up.
Hammer fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Hammer lands with a good body shot.
Micheli is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Hammer scores with a three punch combo!
Micheli avoids a punch combination nicely.
Micheli tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Hammer paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Micheli wants to clinch up but Hammer keeps it at a distance.
Micheli tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Hammer manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Franco Micheli is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Micheli tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Hammer paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Hammer shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Micheli is looking to clinch but Hammer is avoiding it.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Micheli doesn't manage to clinch there - Hammer circles away.
Hammer fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hammer takes a swing at Micheli's ribcage but misses.
Micheli tries to clinch there but Hammer circles away.
Hammer shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Micheli but Micheli pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Micheli fails in his attempt to clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Micheli looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Micheli wants to clinch.
Micheli moves in looking to clinch but Hammer pushes him off.

Hammer tries to keep at a distance but Micheli has taken the fight into the clinch.
Micheli is struggling to control the position.
Micheli putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Hammer in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Micheli with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Micheli lands an elbow inside.
Micheli with a knee to the head.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Micheli.
Knees to the body from Micheli.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Micheli.
A knee to the head by Micheli.
Micheli controlling the action here for a moment.
Micheli connects with a knee to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hammer takes a knee right on the jaw!
A nice glancing elbow lands by Micheli.
Micheli with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Micheli using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Hammer has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Marco Hammer has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Micheli misses with a knee to the head.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Micheli obliges.
Hammer takes a knee to the side of the body.
Micheli effectively controlling the action here.
Micheli looking to throw knees to the head but Hammer is blocking nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A knee to the head by Micheli.
Micheli throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Hammer blocks it with crossed arms.
Micheli tries a knee to the head but Hammer blocks it.
Micheli is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Hammer is defending well for now.
Hammer wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Micheli has him pressed against the cage.
Micheli lands a good knee to the midsection. Hammer won't want to take too many of those.
Micheli tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Micheli misses with a knee to the head.
Hammer goes for a takedown in the clinch but Micheli prevents it.

And that's the end of the fight!
Franco Micheli showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Micheli, 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 Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 30:27
Judge Matheus Silva scores the fight 30:27
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Franco Micheli!
In his post fight interview, Franco Micheli started talking himself up. Luckily his charisma kept the crowd on side and gave him a good reception.
Marco Hammer was interviewed post fight and said 'I'm very sorry! I'll be back stronger!'.