PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Richard Richards (ranked 4051 p4p, 0 weight class) and Fransisco Gonzalez (ranked 2542 p4p, 0 weight class). Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Richards
vs
Gonzalez

155 cm
18
150 lbs
5 - 3 - 0

164 cm
25
153 lbs
6 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter fighter
Very quick

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Richard Richards!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Fransisco Gonzalez!
The judges for this bout are Dirk Anderson, Daniel Franklin and Santiago Holmes.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gonzalez throws a head kick that misses

so Richards counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Richards trying to control but Gonzalez is working from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Gonzalez working for a triangle but Richards defends it easily.
Gonzalez not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Gonzalez looking for a sweep. Not yet Gonzalez, not yet.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gonzalez is trying to keep Richards in close.
Gonzalez is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Gonzalez is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gonzalez has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Richards has passed into side control.

Richards looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Gonzalez is looking for a sweep.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Gonzalez can't do much from the bottom here.

Richards tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Richards has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Gonzalez is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

Richards is trying to get an arm triangle but Gonzalez is defending well.

Richards tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Gonzalez is trying to control Richards's posture but Richards avoids it.
Gonzalez manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Richards with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Richards is keen to just control but Gonzalez is a slippery customer.
Gonzalez desperately trying to maintain half guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Richards definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.

Gonzalez gets a clinch.
Gonzalez jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Richards walks away with a smile on his face. Gonzalez gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Gonzalez has his takedown stuffed

and Richards counters with a shoot takedown. Gonzalez fights it but they end up in guard.
Gonzalez can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Richards controls the pace.
Richards has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gonzalez not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Richards preventing the sweep.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Richards accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Richards stops Gonzalez from standing up.
Gonzalez is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Gonzalez is just content to waste time from the top position. Richards takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Richards is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Gonzalez defends well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Richard Richards dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Gonzalez fails with a takedown attempt.

Richards shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Gonzalez trying to control but Richards postures up.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Richards is trying to control. Gonzalez wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Gonzalez is trying to control but can't.
Gonzalez wants to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gonzalez is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Richards's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Richards's back!
Gonzalez has the hooks in. Richards is trying to push off one leg but he has to do so cautiously to avoid being submitted.
Richards looking very determined here, making life difficult for Gonzalez.
Richards is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Gonzalez can do to turn this around?
Richards trying to control the action but Gonzalez just sinks the hooks in.
Richard Richards overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Gonzalez tries to get the hooks in deep but Richards pushed the leg off.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gonzalez somehow managing to miss with a strike from the back.
Gonzalez gets his hands free as Richards looks to control.

Gonzalez is looking to finish the fight by rear naked choke. Richards knows exactly what he's got planned though, so he's defending well. Maybe a few strikes would soften Richards for a finish.

Richards defending nicely against the rear naked choke attempt.
Richards looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.
Gonzalez wants to control but Richards is keeping busy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gonzalez not allowing Richards to control his hands.

Gonzalez working for a choke but Richards reverses nicely into Gonzalez 's guard.
Richards content to stall in guard here.
Gonzalez throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Richards controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Gonzalez keeping moving, preventing Richards from controlling successfully.
Gonzalez doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Richards wants to control from the top but Gonzalez keeps moving.

Gonzalez has his foot on Richards's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Richards works his way back into a safe position though.

Richards drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Gonzalez manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Richards has Gonzalez in his guard.

Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Gonzalez avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Fransisco Gonzalez showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Gonzalez rushes Richards and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Richards misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Gonzalez.
Richards has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Gonzalez is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Gonzalez stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Gonzalez is looking to take this one to the mat.

Gonzalez pulls Richards into guard.

Richards drops back, looking for a kneebar! Gonzalez looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Gonzalez looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Gonzalez!

We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Richards is looking to regain half guard here but Gonzalez keeps moving and retains side control.
Gonzalez trying to control the position but Richards is working away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Richards is trying to improve his position.
Gonzalez has knee on belly and moves into mount.

Gonzalez wants to finish this one by submission but Richards is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Gonzalez.
Richards wants to hold on but Gonzalez pushes him away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Gonzalez has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Richards's face.
Richards takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Gonzalez scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Richards?
Gonzalez lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Gonzalez sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Richards tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Gonzalez tries to control but Richards wriggling away.
Richards holds on to Gonzalez around his waist, trying desperately to prevent any attacks.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Richards is squirming around, avoiding Gonzalez's attempts to control the action.
Richards wants to control but Gonzalez is having none of it.
Gonzalez working the ground and pound effectively.

Gonzalez looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Gonzalez trying to control but he's not successful this time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Richards tries to hold on but Gonzalez pushes him away.
Richards avoids a series of strikes thrown by Gonzalez.
Richards tries to lock up and control but Gonzalez gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Richards is trying desperately to improve position.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Richards tries to hold on but Gonzalez pushes him away.

And that's the end of the fight!
Fransisco Gonzalez comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Gonzalez has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Dirk Anderson scores the fight 28:29
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 28:29
Judge Santiago Holmes scores the fight 27:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Fransisco Gonzalez!