PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Emory Franco (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bubba Ramirez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Bubba Ramirez has the eye of the tiger tonight.

Franco
vs
Ramirez

176 cm
18
177 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
18
170 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Emory Franco!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Bubba Ramirez!
The judges for this bout are Dmitry Maklakov, Valeri Chadov and Aleksandr Martynov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Ramirez.
Ramirez throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Ramirez blocks a head kick by Franco.
Ramirez circles away from the clinch attempt.
Franco scores with a nice body kick.

Ramirez lands a left and a right that send Franco crashing to the mat, dazed. Ramirez thinks about following him to the mat but decides to wave him back up to his feet!

It looks like Emory Franco has been cut.
Nice takedown defense from Franco. No joy for Ramirez on that attempt.
Franco feinted with a counter takedown.
Ramirez connects with a nice looking jab.

Franco is rocked!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Ramirez clinches up against the cage.
Come on Ramirez - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Ramirez has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Franco avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Emory Franco has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bubba Ramirez.
Franco has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Franco being controlled against the cage.

Franco turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!
Ramirez is looking for a sweep.

Franco stands up.
Franco throws a head kick that misses.
Ramirez misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Franco is looking to clinch but Ramirez is avoiding it.
Bubba Ramirez seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Ramirez swings for the body but Franco moves out of range.
Ramirez throws a head kick that misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Franco tries to close the distance and clinch up but Ramirez swats him away and circles back towards the center.
No luck for Ramirez with that takedown attempt.
Ramirez looks winded!

Franco has managed to clinch.
Ramirez is trying to pull guard but Franco turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.

Franco escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Franco throws a push kick but Ramirez slaps the foot to one side.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Ramirez stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Franco jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Ramirez walks away with a smile on his face. Franco gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Ramirez has taken the fight to the clinch.
Franco working hard to break the clinch.
Ramirez jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Franco walks away with a smile on his face. Ramirez gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Franco circles away from the clinch attempt.
Ramirez shoots in looking for a takedown. Franco tries to sprawl out of it but Ramirez keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Franco manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Franco tries to clinch but Ramirez moves out of range.
Franco connects with a high kick.

Franco clinches up with Ramirez and pushes him back against the cage.
Ramirez goes for a takedown in the clinch but Franco prevents it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Ramirez breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Ramirez shoots in looking for a takedown. Franco tries to sprawl out of it but Ramirez keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Franco manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Franco half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Franco tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Ramirez paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Ramirez tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.

Franco gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Franco is trying to break free.
Franco wants to break the clinch but can't.
Ramirez has Franco pressed against the cage.
Ramirez fails to pull guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Emory Franco will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Emory Franco's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

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

Franco closes the distance and clinches.

Ramirez's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Franco misses with a head kick.
Franco tries to close the distance and clinch up but Ramirez swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Ramirez tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Ramirez avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Bubba Ramirez is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Ramirez throws a head kick that half lands.

Franco rushes Ramirez and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ramirez tries to land knees in the clinch but Franco avoids the damage to the body.

Ramirez escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Franco is looking to clinch but Ramirez is avoiding it.
Franco avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Franco swats away the attempt to clinch by Ramirez.

Ramirez clinches.
Franco wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Ramirez tries for a takedown. No joy.

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

Franco closes the distance and clinches.

Ramirez pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Franco throws a chopping leg kick but Ramirez manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Ramirez circles away from the clinch attempt.
Ramirez is trying hard to land a takedown here. Franco sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Franco is looking to clinch but Ramirez is avoiding it.
Ramirez misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Emory Franco has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bubba Ramirez.
Ramirez is breathing heavily.
The fight stays on the outside here - Franco looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Franco is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Franco wants to clinch.
Franco tries to clinch but Ramirez is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Franco tries to clinch up.
Ramirez lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Ramirez tries to clinch up

and Franco counters with a nice double leg into half guard.

Franco is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Ramirez doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Franco.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Franco seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Franco is trying to work for a kimura but Ramirez is defending well.

Ramirez kicks Franco off and gets back to his feet.

Ramirez takes the fight into the clinch.
Franco wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Ramirez ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Ramirez no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Ramirez is trying to control the position from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Bubba Ramirez will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Emory Franco's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Franco moves in looking to clinch but Ramirez pushes him off.
Ramirez is looking to clinch but Franco is avoiding it.
Franco tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Ramirez paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Franco stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Franco wants it to stay on the feet.
Ramirez keeps Franco at a distance using the push kick.
Ramirez shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Franco counters with a nice body kick.
Ramirez throws a right hand that Franco ducks under and follows up with a left that Franco also avoids with ease.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ramirez keeps the fight on the outside.
Ramirez swats away the attempt to clinch by Franco.
Ramirez takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Ramirez looks for a takedown but Franco sprawls well.
Emory Franco has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bubba Ramirez.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Ramirez rushes Franco and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Ramirez prevents Franco from breaking the clinch.
A right hand to the body from Ramirez.

Franco jumps guard.
Franco throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.

Franco has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Ramirez off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Franco swings for the body but Ramirez moves out of range.
Franco wants to clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Franco defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Ramirez.
Franco is looking to counter the offense by Ramirez and move into the clinch.
Franco displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Ramirez.

Ramirez gets tackled into the cage by Franco. Franco maintains the clinch.
Franco is trying to break free.
Franco changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Ramirez fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Ramirez 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 Ramirez off to one side.
Ramirez shoots in looking for a takedown but Franco manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Ramirez's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Franco changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Franco doesn't manage to clinch there - Ramirez circles away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Franco tries to close the distance and clinch up but Ramirez swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Emory Franco is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Franco is looking to clinch but Ramirez is avoiding it.

Ramirez has Franco up against the cage in a clinch.
Franco tries to pull guard but Ramirez holds him up against the cage and eventually Franco drops back down to his feet.
Ramirez fails to pull the fight into his guard.

Franco jumps into guard, dragging Ramirez to the mat.
Ramirez 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.
Ramirez wanted to stand there but Franco had control of the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Franco lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Franco wanted to stand there but Ramirez had control of the position.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

And that's the end of the fight!
Emory Franco showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Franco has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Dmitry Maklakov scores the fight 29:28
Judge Valeri Chadov scores the fight 29:28
Judge Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight 29:28

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