PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Kapua Francisco (ranked 4413 p4p, 531 weight class) and Herman Botha (ranked 3590 p4p, 472 weight class). Francisco's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Pantera - Slaughtered . 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.

Francisco
vs
Botha

180 cm
21
185 lbs
3 - 4 - 0

181 cm
20
180 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Very quick

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Powerful

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 3 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Kapua Francisco!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Herman Botha!
The judges for this bout are Anni Minnemäki, Tarja Halkonen and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Francisco goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Botha doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Francisco counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Francisco misses with a wild body shot.
Francisco connects with a nice looking jab.

It looks like Herman Botha has been cut.
Francisco jabs Botha to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Francisco moves out of range of the strikes.

Francisco drops Botha with a right and a left! Francisco comes rushing in but Botha regains his composure and manages to keep Francisco in guard.

Botha is rocked!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Botha has momentary wrist control but Francisco slips an elbow through the middle.
Botha is still in real trouble! Can Francisco finish him?
Francisco has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Francisco working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Francisco working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Botha's head.
Francisco sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Francisco is working Botha over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Botha tries to strike from the bottom.
Francisco postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Francisco trying to control but Botha is working from the bottom.
Botha looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Francisco puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Francisco trying to mount his opponent but Botha defends it.
Botha seems to have recovered his senses.
Botha is trying to get back to full guard.
Francisco trying to control the action but Botha is working from the bottom.
Botha trying to control from the bottom.
Francisco sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Francisco lands with a punch from half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Botha slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Botha lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Francisco is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Botha postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Botha postures up.

Francisco is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Botha trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Botha working some strikes from top position.
My spies in Double XX inform me that Botha has been getting involved in the gym's BJJ sparring sessions. Let's see whether that pays dividends!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Francisco looking to control.
Botha is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.

It looks like Kapua Francisco has been cut.
Francisco looking to control.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Botha's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Botha landing with the ground and pound.
Francisco trying to control the position.
Francisco on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Francisco tries to get out of the position.
Botha landing some decent shots from guard.
Botha content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.

Francisco is rocked!

Francisco looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Botha passes into side control.
Botha cracks Francisco with a big right hand but Francisco just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Oh Francisco is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Botha lands a strong strike to the head of Francisco. That's dazed him! Botha looking to finish here. Francisco is waving his arms around trying to block but he's hurt badly - Botha lands more strikes and the referee steps in to end the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:57 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Herman Botha!