PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Kelvin Gastelum (ranked 3945 p4p, 528 weight class) and Kapua Francisco (ranked 5727 p4p, 685 weight class). Francisco has chosen Pantera - Slaughtered as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Gastelum
vs
Francisco

180 cm
20
180 lbs
5 - 3 - 0

180 cm
20
185 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Experienced

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Heavy handed

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 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Kelvin Gastelum!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Kapua Francisco!
The judges for this bout are Matti Vanhoillinen, Anni Minnemäki and Johanna Lukiainen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Francisco takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Gastelum throws a leg kick but Francisco moved away.
Gastelum pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Francisco misses with a series of wild punches.

Gastelum gets tackled into the cage by Francisco. Francisco maintains the clinch.
Francisco tries to work over Gastelum's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Francisco lands an uppercut.
Gastelum is struggling to control the position.
Francisco lands a right hand.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Francisco struggles to land a body shot inside as Gastelum controls his hands.
A frustrated look appears on Gastelum's face as he tries to break the clinch.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Francisco.
With the fighters up against the cage, Gastelum throws an elbow but misses.
Gastelum has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.
Francisco works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Francisco goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Francisco stalling against the cage.
A right handed body shot lands from Francisco.
Gastelum misses with a body punch.
Francisco blocks a body shot from Gastelum.
Francisco lands a shot to the body.
Francisco's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Francisco lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
A shot in the inside from Francisco.

Francisco has hold of one of Gastelum's legs. Gastelum is fighting the takedown attempt but Francisco gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
Francisco controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Francisco is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Gastelum trying to control the position.
Francisco working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Gastelum's head.
Gastelum is looking to sweep but instead, Francisco has passed into half guard.
Francisco is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Francisco is keen to just control but Gastelum is a slippery customer.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Francisco is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Francisco connects with a nice short shot to Gastelum's temple.
Francisco controlling the pace.
Francisco has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Francisco wants to control but Gastelum is keeping him busy.
Gastelum trying to control from the bottom.
Francisco throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Francisco not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Francisco working Gastelum over with strikes.
Francisco thows a huge punch but Gastelum dodges it nicely.
Francisco throwing shots but Gastelum is blocking nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Francisco looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Francisco content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Francisco lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Francisco working the head and body with strikes.
Francisco scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Francisco landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.

Gastelum is rocked!
Francisco works his way into full mount!
Gastelum is bucking up trying to escape but Francisco cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Gastelum in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kapua Francisco dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Francisco gets a clinch.
Gastelum struggles to land a body shot inside as Francisco controls his hands.
Gastelum throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Francisco blocks it with crossed arms.
Francisco lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Francisco pushes Gastelum back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Nice body punch from Francisco - that landed with a thud.
Francisco tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Gastelum's elbow.
Gastelum tries to throw a body punch but Francisco avoids it by throwing Gastelum back against the cage.
Nice body punch from Francisco.
Francisco leaning against his opponent.
Still in the clinch, Francisco scores with a nice short uppercut.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Francisco lands a body punch.

Francisco has moved round to his opponent's back and is looking for a suplex! Oh snap! He's tossed Gastelum clear over his head and slammed him to the mat!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Francisco patiently working for the choke. Which fighter will keep their nerve here?
Francisco has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Francisco is throwing strikes from the back here. Oh that last one was to the back of the head. Francisco gets a warning from the referee. He throws another strike to the back of the head straight away though and the referee has seen enough. He breaks up the two fighters and stands them back up. Francisco gets a real talking to here and is lucky not to get a point deducted. Francisco apologises and we restart here on the feet.
Gastelum throws an overhand right that lands on Francisco's shoulder, as Francisco tries to avoid the shot.
Gastelum misses with a hook to the body
enabling Francisco to counter with a crisp jab.

Francisco catches Gastelum napping and connects with a big right hand that sends Gastelum to the canvas!
Oh Gastelum is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Francisco with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Francisco gets to his feet and stands over Gastelum, holding his ankles. He dives in with a big left hand that connects! Gastelum felt that one! Francisco unloads more punches and elbows and this one is over! The ref has dived in to save Gastelum from any more punishment!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:40 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Kapua Francisco!
A very excited looking Kapua Francisco made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.