PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Dierk Ueli (ranked 4808 p4p, 610 weight class) and Jeroen Franken (ranked 7368 p4p, 759 weight class). Dierk Ueli has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Ueli
vs
Franken

184 cm
25
202 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

197 cm
17
216 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Decent wrestler
Basic striking
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Dierk Ueli!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Jeroen Franken!
The judges for this bout are James Glass, Sam Margolis and James Atkins.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Ueli closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.

Franken sneaks out the side door and pushes Ueli away - he's back to his feet. The crowd show their appreciation for the escape.

Franken has managed to clinch.
Franken scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Ueli changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Franken fights it off and pushes away nicely.

Franken has managed to clinch.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Franken misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Ueli.
Franken fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

Ueli lands a takedown into guard.
Franken is looking to stand up but Ueli isn't so interested in that idea.
Ueli is looking to work some ground and pound but Franken has wrist control.
Ueli postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Ueli throwing strikes but missing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ueli throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Ueli throwing strikes from guard but Franken blocks nicely.
Ueli missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Franken is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Franken trying to keep a closed guard but Ueli is proving a slippery customer.
Ueli with a nice head shot there.
Franken manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Ueli manages to get himself to full guard.

Franken gets to his feet - Ueli follows without any prompting.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Franken has taken the fight to the clinch.
Ueli wants to take the fight to the mat but Franken manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
A shot in the inside from Franken.
Franken lands a right hand that snaps the head of Ueli backwards.
Franken tries to land knees in the clinch but Ueli avoids the damage to the body.
Ueli is trying to break the clinch but Franken has him pressed against the cage.

Ueli breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Ueli lands a jab to Franken's midsection.
Jeroen Franken is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Ueli shoots in and drives through. Franken sprawls well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Dierk Ueli. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Franken closes the distance and clinches.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Ueli looking for a takedown.
Ueli is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Franken breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Ueli misses with a takedown

and Franken counters with a crisp one two that drops Ueli! Franken thinks about following him to the mat for a moment but instead steps back and waves Ueli to his feet! Ueli is in big trouble!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Franken moves into the clinch.

Ueli pulls Franken into guard.
Franken trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Ueli can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Franken controls the pace.

Ueli is working an open guard so Franken takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.

Ueli looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Franken!
Ueli creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Franken can't do much from the bottom here.
Ueli sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Franken is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Ueli postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Ueli wants to lay and pray for a moment but Franken keeps working.
Franken tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Ueli wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Franken is trying to control Ueli's posture but Ueli avoids it.
Franken tries to bench press Ueli off him but Ueli keeps the position.
Ueli working the ground and pound.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Franken can do anything to dispel that myth.
Franken is trying to improve his position.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Franken pushes Ueli away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Ueli gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.

Ueli thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jeroen Franken dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Ueli shoots in but Franken avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Ueli shoots in but no luck this time.

Franken moves into the clinch.
Franken landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Ueli has Franken pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Franken manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Dierk Ueli. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Franken breaks the clinch.
Ueli shoots in but no luck this time.
Franken looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Franken lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Ueli backwards.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Franken manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Franken blocks a punch to the side of the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Still in the clinch, Franken scores with a nice short uppercut.
Come on Franken - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Franken lands a right hand.
Franken has a couple of punches blocked by Ueli.
Franken prevents the takedown attempt.
Franken working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Franken tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.

Franken breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Franken fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Ueli, pushing him back against the cage.
Ueli is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Ueli blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Franken is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Franken lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Ueli is trying to drag Franken to the mat but Franken just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Franken lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Franken stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.

Franken pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Ueli shoots in looking for a takedown. Franken tries to sprawl out of it but Ueli keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Franken manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Ueli fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

Franken gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Franken breaks from the clinch.
Ueli wants to clinch up but Franken keeps it at a distance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ueli doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Ueli takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.

Franken clinches with his opponent.
Franken misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Ueli.

Ueli manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Dierk Ueli overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Ueli working a defensive guard but Franken passes into half guard.
Franken trying to control the action but Ueli is working from the bottom.
Franken throws a big elbow that misses, also allowing Ueli to regain full guard.
Franken has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Franken is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ueli bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Franken's guard.

Ueli working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Franken avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Ueli lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Ueli is looking to work some ground and pound but Franken has wrist control.
Ueli won't allow Franken to sweep him here.
Ueli trying to control but Franken is working from the bottom.
Ueli is fighting to break Franken's control of his arms but Franken is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Franken is looking to sweep but instead, Ueli has passed into half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jeroen Franken showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Ueli shoots in for a double leg but Franken sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.

Franken closes the distance and clinches.

Franken escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Franken closes the distance and clinches.
Franken fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Franken has a couple of punches blocked by Ueli.

Franken escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Franken drives through and clinches with Ueli against the cage.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Franken.
Still in the clinch, Franken scores with a nice short uppercut.
Jeroen Franken seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Franken stalling in the clinch.
Ueli is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Franken to keep the fight standing.
Franken prevents the takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Dierk Ueli. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Franken lands a nice uppercut.
Franken lands a nice uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Franken scores with a shot to the side of Ueli's head.
Ueli is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Still in the clinch, Franken scores with a nice short uppercut.
Franken scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Franken taking a breather.
Ueli has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Franken is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Franken lands an uppercut.
Franken softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Franken stalling the fight.
Franken lands an uppercut.
Ueli blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Franken keeps control of Ueli as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Franken leaning against his opponent.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
A hook to the body from Franken.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Franken scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Ueli blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Franken is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Franken working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
I was talking to Ueli's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Ueli is trying to drag Franken to the mat but Franken just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Franken throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Uelis head.
Jeroen Franken is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Ueli is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Franken gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Franken lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Franken lands a body shot.
Franken lands an uppercut.

Franken breaks from the clinch.
Ueli fails with the takedown.
Franken looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Franken rushes Ueli and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Ueli is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Franken has Ueli pressed against the cage, preventing Ueli from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Ueli takes a shot to the head.
Franken lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Ueli backwards.
Franken lands with a short punch from the clinch.

Ueli is rocked!
Franken lands an uppercut.
Oh Ueli is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Ueli is trying to pull guard but Franken turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Franken lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Franken lands a big right hand that drops Ueli! The killer instinct kicks in and Franken finishes his opponent with a series of strikes from mount. A dominating finish by Franken!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:55 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Jeroen Franken!