PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Begbie Franco (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mark Riccuito (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Franco's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Born Slippy. Mark Riccuito has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Begbie Franco's chin.

Franco
vs
Riccuito

185 cm
38
190 lbs
35 - 20 - 1

193 cm
30
200 lbs
19 - 8 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class MT
Granite chin

Sun-Tzu

Bullet Proof System
HGH Nutrients Q160 Tycoons Best Quality supps

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 35 - 20 - 1, fighting out of London, Begbie Franco!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 19 - 8 - 0, fighting out of New York, Mark Riccuito!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The fighters circling - Riccuito throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Franco comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Franco throws a hook but Riccuito blocks it.
Riccuito throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Franco throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Riccuito steps in looking to counter with the mid kick but it doesn't connect.
Riccuito throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Riccuito scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Riccuito throws a leg kick
enabling Franco to counter with a crisp jab.
Franco missing with a left hand there. Riccuito was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Franco looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Franco looks to land a left hand but Riccuito moved out of range nicely.
Riccuito moves out of range of the body kick from Franco.
Riccuito tries to land a body kick
and Riccuito takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Jab from Franco.
Franco scores with a jab to the head.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Franco blocks a leg kick.
Riccuito looks to land a body kick but Franco moved away.
Franco is looking to chop away at Riccuito's legs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Franco throws a head kick that misses.
Riccuito does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
A solid leg kick lands there for Riccuito.
Riccuito attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Franco appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
A big left from Franco misses.
Franco backing away here, and Riccuito unleashes a leg kick that just misses.
Riccuito tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Franco paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Riccuito lands a really nice looking cross but Franco seems unphased.
Riccuito tried to score with a low kick but Franco checks it.
Riccuito wants to clinch.
Good exchange - Riccuito coming out on top.
Franco looks to land a right hand but Riccuito moved out of range.
Riccuito walks into a jab.
Riccuito lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.

Franco is rocked!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Riccuito scores with a jab to the head.
Oh Franco is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Franco connects with a high kick.
Franco seems to have got his legs back now.

It looks like Mark Riccuito has been cut.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Riccuito misses with a hook. Franco ducked under it nicely.
Riccuito looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.

Franco clinches with his opponent.
Riccuito swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Riccuito working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Franco is working Riccuito over against the cage.
Riccuito lands a right hand that snaps the head of Franco backwards.
Riccuito looking to throw knees to the head but Franco is blocking nicely.
Riccuito has a couple of punches blocked by Franco.
Riccuito takes a shot to the head.
Riccuito has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.

Franco breaks from the clinch.
A shot to the body from Franco misses
and Riccuito counters with a low kick, right behind Franco 's knee.
Franco lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
An inside leg kick from Franco misses.
Franco has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Riccuito.
Riccuito slips a straight right by Franco.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Riccuito throws a shot from downtown. Franco moves away and avoids it.
Franco throws a solid leg kick but Riccuito takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Franco.
Riccuito only half commits to the counter leg kick.
Riccuito misses with an attempted mid kick.
Franco throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Franco swings for the body but Riccuito moves out of range.
A solid leg kick lands there for Franco.
Franco fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Riccuito.
Franco throws a head kick that misses.
Riccuito takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Franco lands a glancing blow to the side of Riccuito's head.
A big left from Riccuito misses.
Riccuito scores with a nice strike.
Riccuito connects with a good right hand that stumbles Franco. Franco circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Franco moves out of range of the body kick.
A jab from Franco finds it's way through Riccuito's defenses.
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!
Riccuito throws a jab when Franco was well out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Riccuito scores with a hook.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Franco checks a leg kick.
Franco swung with a counter punch to the body but it didn't connect.
Franco throws a body punch but Riccuito moves out of range.

Riccuito moves into the clinch.
Riccuito tries to land knees in the clinch but Franco avoids the damage to the body.
Riccuito throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Riccuito goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Franco tries to throw a body punch but Riccuito avoids it by throwing Franco back against the cage.
Nice body punch from Franco - that landed with a thud.
Franco misses with a body punch.
Franco scores with a nice hook to the head.
Franco lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Riccuito working some nice short punches in the clinch.

Franco manages to break the clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Franco throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Riccuito waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Franco.
Franco throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Riccuito stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Franco scoring well with a low kick there.
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 Begbie Franco will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Mark Riccuito'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.

Riccuito misses with a body kick.
Franco misses with a leg kick
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Riccuito checks the leg kick.
Franco tests Riccuito's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Franco takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Franco checks the leg kick.
Riccuito misses with a wild body shot.
Franco throwing a counter right hand but Riccuito manages to avoid it.
Franco walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Riccuito swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Franco scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Riccuito wants to clinch.
A punch lands to the side of Franco 's head but he takes it in his stride.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Riccuito punishes Franco's body with a nice straight punch.
A slapping body kick lands there for Riccuito.
Franco scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Riccuito swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Franco throws an off balance right hand
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Riccuito connects with a looping right hand.
Franco throws a shot from downtown. Riccuito moves away and avoids it.
Franco uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Riccuito.
Franco fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Riccuito on the side of the head.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Riccuito lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Franco has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Franco and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.
Franco tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Riccuito scores with a jab to the jaw.
Riccuito throws a leg kick that misses.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Franco scores with a punch to the head.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Franco checks a leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Franco throws a jab when Riccuito was well out of range.

Franco gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Franco blocks an elbow strike.
Riccuito creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Franco's defenses.
Riccuito misses with a hook to the ribs.
Riccuito missing with knees to the body.
Riccuito is looking to control Franco's arms but Franco gets an underhook and turns him. Now Riccuito has his back to the cage.
Riccuito fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Riccuito lands a body punch.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Riccuito throws a head punch that misses.

Franco's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Riccuito tries to clinch but Franco moves away
and Franco connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Begbie Franco is winning the standup battle so far.
Franco moves out of range of the body kick.
Riccuito keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Riccuito will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Franco throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Franco has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Riccuito thumps Franco with a low kick.
Riccuito throws an overhand right that lands on Franco's shoulder, as Franco tries to avoid the shot.
Franco takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Riccuito throws a body kick that misses.
Franco scoring well with a low kick there.
Good leg kick by Riccuito there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Franco throws a series of punches but Riccuito avoids them all with ease.
Riccuito steps in looking to clinch after the strikes miss from Franco.
Franco lands a body shot.
Riccuito misses with a combination
and Franco counters with a one-two to the body.
Franco cracks a nice hook into Riccuito's ribs.
Riccuito missing with a left hand there. Franco was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Franco misses with a few strikes there.
An inside leg kick lands from Franco.
Riccuito ducks under a wild hook from Franco.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Franco displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Riccuito throws out the jab.
Riccuito misses with an uppercut. Franco saw that one coming.
Riccuito throws a series of strikes that have Franco backpedaling.
Franco slips under a jab.
Franco dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Riccuito with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Riccuito thumps Franco with a low kick.
Riccuito lands with a straight right. Franco didn't see that one coming.
Riccuito scores with a head kick.
Franco looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Riccuito swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.

Franco rushes Riccuito and presses him up against the cage.
Riccuito comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Franco goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Franco struggles to land a body shot inside as Riccuito controls his hands.
Riccuito misses with an elbow strike.
Franco takes an elbow to the forehead.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mark Riccuito showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Mark Riccuito'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.

Riccuito swinging wildly here.
Riccuito keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Franco throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Riccuito pivots, looking for a leg kick but Franco is out of range and Riccuito settles back down.
Franco takes a swing at Riccuito's ribcage but misses.
Franco throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Riccuito's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Franco blocks a jab.
Franco throwing a counter right hand but Riccuito manages to avoid it.
Franco ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Franco chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Riccuito can pounce on him.
Riccuito tries to clinch
and Franco counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Franco scoring well with a low kick there.
Riccuito scores with a push kick.
Franco misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Riccuito looks to land a combination but Franco avoids it well.
Franco thinks about countering with a body kick.
Riccuito doesn't manage to clinch there - Franco circles away.
It looked like Franco was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nice defenses there by Franco.
Franco swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Some wild striking there from Riccuito.
Riccuito tries to close the distance and clinch up but Franco swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Riccuito is looking to clinch but Franco is avoiding it.
Franco was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
Franco cracks a nice hook into Riccuito's ribs.
Riccuito takes one to the chin there.
Riccuito throws a leg kick which misses Franco's front leg but catches the back leg as Franco tries to avoid it.
An inside leg kick from Franco misses.
Franco dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Franco dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Riccuito. That did some damage!
Franco with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Riccuito throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Riccuito throws a nice looking combination but Franco bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
As Riccuito backs away, Franco returns fire with a leg kick that just misses.
Good leg kick by Riccuito there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Franco tries to move into range but Riccuito moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Franco tries a head kick but it misses.
Franco fails to land with a series of punches.
Franco misses with an attempted mid kick.

Franco has managed to clinch.
Riccuito wants to stall.
Riccuito looks to throw an elbow but misses.

Franco's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Riccuito tries to clinch up
and Franco counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Franco misses with a hook. Riccuito ducked under it nicely.

Riccuito gets tackled into the cage by Franco. Franco maintains the clinch.
Franco tries a body shot but Riccuito blocks it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A short uppercut from Riccuito.
Riccuito lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Riccuito swings away with an uppercut that misses.
A right handed body shot lands from Riccuito.
A right hook to the body lands for Franco.
Riccuito tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Riccuito tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
A body shot lands from Franco.
Riccuito presses Franco against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Riccuito content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Riccuito misses with some punches.
Riccuito lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Franco tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Franco working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Franco wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Franco avoids a wild elbow strike from Riccuito.
Riccuito scores with a knee to the head.
Riccuito softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Franco breaks the clinch.
Nice straight punches there by Franco. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Franco.
Franco has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Riccuito finds it's way round the side to connect with Franco's head.
Riccuito on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Franco gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Riccuito.
Riccuito swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Riccuito lands a brutal head kick. Franco looks out on his feet and Riccuito throws more strikes until the ref is forced to stop the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:32 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Kick and Punches). Mark Riccuito!
Mark Riccuito thanked the fans post fight for their support.