PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Gareth Keenan Jr (ranked 4913 p4p, 0 weight class) and Frano Norteza (ranked 5125 p4p, 360 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Keenan Jr
vs
Norteza

179 cm
18
150 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

164 cm
25
155 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Granite chin

Good takedowns
Basic striking
Tends to cut

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Gareth Keenan Jr!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Frano Norteza!
The judges for this bout are Chris Downing, Cecil Peabody and George Francis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Norteza fails with an attempt to clinch.
Norteza throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Keenan Jr counters with a nice body shot.
Norteza wants to clinch up but Keenan Jr keeps it at a distance.
Norteza takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Keenan Jr lands a nice hook to Norteza's body. Norteza takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Keenan Jr scores with a crisp jab that stopped Norteza in his tracks.
Keenan Jr uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Norteza has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Norteza there as he acknowledges the shot.
Keenan Jr swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Norteza.
Norteza takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Norteza tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Keenan Jr paws at him with a jab and circles away.
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!
The fight stays on the outside here - Norteza looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Norteza fails in his attempt to clinch.
Norteza drops his hands momentarily and Keenan Jr takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Keenan Jr is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
Keenan Jr circles away from the clinch attempt.
Norteza doesn't manage to clinch there - Keenan Jr circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Keenan Jr bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Norteza should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
Norteza wants to clinch up but Keenan Jr keeps it at a distance.
Keenan Jr scores with a hook to the body. Norteza takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Nice body punch from Keenan Jr.
Norteza tries to clinch
and Keenan Jr counters with a nice uppercut.
Keenan Jr is really peppering his opponent's head with punches.
Norteza is looking to clinch but Keenan Jr is avoiding it.
A cross from Keenan Jr lands.
Keenan Jr swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Keenan Jr works Norteza's body with a nice hook.
Keenan Jr is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Norteza is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Keenan Jr scores with a nice right hand.
A jab from Keenan Jr finds it's way through Norteza's defenses.
Norteza tries to close the distance and clinch up but Keenan Jr swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Keenan Jr bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Norteza's head.
Norteza moves forwards but Keenan Jr connects with a nice, crisp jab.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Norteza doesn't manage to clinch there - Keenan Jr circles away.
Keenan Jr takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Norteza closes the distance looking to clinch
and Keenan Jr counters with a stiff right hand.
Norteza fails with an attempt to clinch.
Norteza shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Norteza moves in looking to clinch but Keenan Jr pushes him off.
Keenan Jr avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Norteza tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Keenan Jr counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Frano Norteza seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Norteza tries to clinch there but Keenan Jr circles away.
Keenan Jr swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Norteza closes the distance looking to clinch
and Keenan Jr cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Norteza slips under a jab.
Norteza uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Keenan Jr.
Keenan Jr uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Norteza.
Decent striking displayed by Keenan Jr there.
Keenan Jr circles away from the clinch attempt.
Norteza moves away from the strike by Keenan Jr.
Norteza darts in trying to clinch
and Keenan Jr counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Norteza tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Keenan Jr manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Norteza tries to close the distance and clinch but Keenan Jr swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Norteza tries to close the distance and clinch up but Keenan Jr swats him away and circles back towards the center.
The fight stays on the outside here - Norteza looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Keenan Jr circles away from the clinch attempt.
Norteza lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Keenan Jr circles away quickly and effectively.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Some wild striking there from Norteza.
Keenan Jr takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Norteza swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Norteza tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Keenan Jr manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Norteza tries to clinch but Keenan Jr moves away
and Norteza takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Norteza doesn't manage to clinch there - Keenan Jr circles away.
Norteza moves to clinch but Keenan Jr breaks away
and Keenan Jr counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Norteza slips under a jab.
Norteza fails in his attempt to clinch.
Norteza wants to clinch
and Keenan Jr counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Keenan Jr is breathing heavily.
Norteza wants to clinch but Keenan Jr slips to the side
and Keenan Jr counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gareth Keenan Jr dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Norteza tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Norteza looks to clinch
and Norteza takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Norteza walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Norteza has a pretty nasty looking mouse under his right eye.
Keenan Jr circles away from the clinch attempt.
Norteza walks into a stiff left hand from Keenan Jr.
Gareth Keenan Jr is winning the standup battle so far.
Norteza misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Norteza waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Keenan Jr.
Good standup being displayed there by Keenan Jr as he connects with a hook.
Norteza tries to clinch
and Keenan Jr makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Norteza takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Keenan Jr takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Norteza fails to land with a series of punches.
Frano Norteza is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Norteza swings for the body but Keenan Jr moves out of range.
Norteza looks to clinch
and Keenan Jr counters with a right hand to the body.
Keenan Jr is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Norteza can do to turn this around?
Norteza tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Keenan Jr connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Norteza is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Keenan Jr lands with an uppercut that bounces Norteza off the cage and back into range.
A jab lands there for Keenan Jr.
Keenan Jr lands with an overhand left.
Both these guys seem content to just stand up and trade with eachother but Norteza might want to think about changing up his gameplan a bit because over the course of the fight, Keenan Jr has got the better of the exchanges.
Keenan Jr with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Keenan Jr misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Norteza.
Norteza tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Norteza moves in looking to clinch but Keenan Jr pushes him off.
Keenan Jr swats away the attempt to clinch by Norteza.
Keenan Jr throwing a counter right hand but Norteza manages to avoid it.
Norteza tries to clinch
and Keenan Jr counters with a straight right hand.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Norteza misses with a series of wild punches.
Keenan Jr lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Norteza throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Keenan Jr swung with a counter punch to the body but it didn't connect.
Norteza looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Norteza tries to clinch there but Keenan Jr circles away.
Norteza tries to close the distance and clinch but Keenan Jr swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Keenan Jr wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
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!
Norteza misses with a double jab
and Keenan Jr counters with a stiff right hand.
Keenan Jr ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Norteza closes the distance looking to clinch
and Keenan Jr connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Keenan Jr fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Keenan Jr dodges the punch combination from Norteza.
Norteza fails with an attempt to clinch.
Keenan Jr swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Keenan Jr thuds a left hand into Norteza's body.
Norteza fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Keenan Jr manages to avoid it.
A counter left hand to the body from Keenan Jr misses its target.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Norteza is looking to clinch.
Norteza tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Keenan Jr counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Keenan Jr misses with a body shot

and Norteza decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Keenan Jr's guard.
Norteza advances to half guard.
Norteza is trying to control. Keenan Jr wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

Norteza seems like he's working for an arm triangle here. He's freed his trapped foot and he's rotating nicely. Keenan Jr is in big trouble! He's tapping out! This one is aaaaaaaaaaaall over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:50 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Arm Triangle). Frano Norteza!