PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Emory Franco (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kyle Mancini (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Mancini has chosen Dum Dee Dum as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Kyle Mancini has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Franco
vs
Mancini

176 cm
18
177 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

205 cm
18
175 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite 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 1 - 1 - 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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Kyle Mancini!
The judges for this bout are Illya Tyunina, Vladimir Khabensky and Aleksei Zolotukhin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mancini throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Franco's head.

It looks like Emory Franco has been cut.

Franco forces Mancini back against the cage and clinches.

Franco successfully pulls guard.
Mancini working some strikes from top position.

Mancini has gone for a leg lock! Franco slips out almost immediately though and dives into Mancini's guard.

Franco wants to stand but Mancini is controlling his posture from full guard.
Mancini manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Franco manages to get himself to full guard.

Mancini prevents Franco from getting back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mancini forces his way into half guard.
Mancini landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Mancini passes to full mount!
Franco is trying to escape the mount.
Mancini is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Franco is trying to stand.
Franco tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Mancini tries to control but Franco wriggling away.
Mancini controlling the position easily from mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Franco wants to get back to his feet.
BOOM! Mancini connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Franco takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Mancini with the ground and pound from mount.
Franco working to try and regain half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mancini raining down hammerfists from mount.
Mancini has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Mancini manages to capitalize on a mistake by Franco to take his back!
Mancini looking to soften up his opponent with punches.
Mancini is looking to finish with some ground and pound!

Mancini is staying calm and holding on to the back position, whilst working on a rear naked choke. Franco is defending well though. Mancini let's go of the attempt for now.
Franco trying to get back to his feet but Mancini is in full control for now.
Mancini struggling to keep hold of the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mancini slows the pace down here. Having a little breather whilst he's in a dominant position, looking to rest and regain some energy, ready to go for the finish.

Franco is displaying good submission defense - not really looking in danger of submitting to the rear naked choke at the moment. That could change in an instant of course if Mancini gets his way!
Mancini controlling well, preventing Franco from escaping the position.
Mancini is riding his opponent, not letting Franco buck him off.
Franco might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Mancini is punishing Franco with strikes - can he finish him?!
Franco tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Franco tries to reverse the position but Mancini maintains control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kyle Mancini dominated that round.
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.

Mancini misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Mancini has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Franco tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Mancini shoots in for a takedown but Franco shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Mancini throws a head kick that misses.
Kyle Mancini is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Franco closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Mancini breaks the clinch.
Franco tries to close the distance and clinch up but Mancini swats him away and circles back towards the center.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Franco keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Franco tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Franco stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Franco wants it to stay on the feet.
Emory Franco has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Kyle Mancini.
Mancini shoots for a takedown but Franco saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mancini tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Franco paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Franco buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.

Franco moves into the clinch.

Mancini manages to break the clinch.

Franco closes the distance and pushes Mancini back into the cage.
Franco stops a takedown attempt from Mancini.
Mancini is breathing heavily.
Mancini tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Mancini trying to control the position but instead, Franco has worked for underhooks and has pushed Mancini into the cage.
Franco is trying to break free.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Franco is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Mancini gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Mancini is trying to pull guard but Franco has him pressed against the cage.
Mancini is looking to take this one to the mat.
Franco wants to take the fight to the mat but Mancini manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Mancini misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Franco.
Franco looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

Franco breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Mancini doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Franco counters by clinching up.
Mancini misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Franco is pressed up against the cage. Mancini has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Franco down to the mat. Franco avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Franco gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Franco pulls guard.
Franco working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Mancini.

Mancini stands up from Franco's guard - Mancini perhaps looking for a knockout.
Mancini circles away from the clinch attempt.
Kyle Mancini seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Mancini shoots in and drives through. Franco sprawls well.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Franco is trying to break free.
Mancini displaying some good clinch control by pressing Franco up against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mancini misses with an elbow strike.
Mancini has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Franco is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Franco is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Mancini tries to pull guard but Franco won't allow it.
A frustrated look appears on Franco's face as he tries to break the clinch.

Franco manages to break the clinch.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Franco fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Mancini, pushing him back against the cage.

Franco pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Franco moves in looking to clinch but Mancini pushes him off.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Emory Franco dominated that second round.
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. This is the final round!

Franco gets a clinch.
Mancini jumps guard but Franco turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.

Franco manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.

Franco has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Mancini off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Franco stuffs the takedown.
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 Mancini paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Mancini gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Franco counters with a left to the body.
Emory Franco has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Kyle Mancini.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Franco lands a head kick. Mancini smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Mancini takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Franco tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Mancini paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Mancini tries to keep at a distance but Franco has taken the fight into the clinch.
Franco wants to take the fight to the mat but Mancini manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mancini is trying to break the clinch but Franco has him pressed against the cage.
Mancini 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. Mancini gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Emory Franco is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Franco wants to clinch up but Mancini keeps it at a distance.
Mancini appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
The fight stays on the outside here - Mancini looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Franco tries to counter with a takedown but Mancini is quick to defend against it.
Mancini shoots in for a takedown but Franco shows good takedown defense.
Mancini misses with a kick to the body

and Franco decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Mancini's guard.

Franco decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Mancini, up you get!

Franco closes the distance and clinches.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mancini stops a takedown attempt from Franco.
Franco tries to throw a body punch but Mancini avoids it by throwing Franco back against the cage.

Franco breaks from the clinch.
Emory Franco is winning the standup battle so far.
Mancini tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Franco throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Mancini changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Franco moves in looking to clinch but Mancini pushes him off.
Horrible takedown attempt by Mancini or perhaps it was just good defense by Franco, which made it look bad.
Franco tries to clinch up but Mancini circles away and keeps his distance.
Mancini throws a counter combo.
Mancini gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Franco moves into the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mancini stops a takedown attempt from Franco.
Franco is trying to break the clinch but Mancini has him pressed against the cage.
Mancini tries to break free but Franco pushes him back against the cage.
Mancini is looking to take this one to the mat.
Emory Franco has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Franco is looking to break free of the clinch but Mancini has double underhooks.
Mancini wants to stall.

Franco breaks the clinch.
Mancini doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Franco counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Franco has had enough of the clinch but Mancini keeps him there for the moment.

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

Franco has closed the distance and engaged Mancini in a clinch.
Mancini is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Franco is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Mancini keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Franco's efforts to push away.
Franco prevents the takedown attempt.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Franco lands a nice shot to the body.

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 Illya Tyunina scores the fight 29:28
Judge Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 29:28
Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 29:28

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