PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Franc Janz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Phelan Whelan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Phelan Whelan has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Franc Janz's chin.

Janz
vs
Whelan

180 cm
23
182 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

177 cm
24
179 lbs
5 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
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 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Franc Janz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of New York, Phelan Whelan!
The judges for this bout are Jorge Garcia, Jonathan Paton and John Roberts.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Whelan tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Janz paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Janz swings for the body but Whelan moves out of range.
Whelan slips under a jab from Janz.
Janz shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Whelan sprawls well. Whelan wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Janz gets slowly back to his feet.
Janz throws an overhand right that lands on Whelan's shoulder, as Whelan tries to avoid the shot.
Janz looks to throw the jab but Whelan is out of range.
Janz avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Whelan does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Whelan misses with an attempted mid kick.

Whelan looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Whelan throws a big right hand that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Janz not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Whelan stopping the sweep attempt from Janz.
Whelan must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Whelan trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Janz is on top in guard.
Whelan keeping moving, preventing Janz from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Janz postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Janz postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Janz with a flurry of punches that miss.
Janz thows a big elbow that misses.
Janz wants to stand but Whelan is controlling his posture from full guard.
Whelan wants to stand up but Janz is controlling him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Janz waving his hands out infront of him, looking to distract Whelan.
Whelan works over Janz's head and body with a nice combination.

Whelan shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Janz can't escape the position.
Janz is working hard here to advance position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Whelan avoids the attempt from Janz to control.
Janz tries to reverse the position but Whelan maintains control.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Janz wants to hold on but Whelan pushes him away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Phelan Whelan dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Janz connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Janz thows a body shot but no joy.
Whelan blocks a jab.
Whelan is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Whelan looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Janz missing with a left hand there. Whelan was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Whelan lands a right hook to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Janz pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Whelan digs a good body shot into Janz's ribs.
Janz connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.

It looks like Phelan Whelan has been cut.

Whelan closes the distance and pushes Janz back into the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Janz is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Janz is trying to break the clinch but Whelan is controlling him.

Janz breaks from the clinch.
Phelan Whelan is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Janz connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Whelan's hands.
Whelan throws a right and a left that Janz avoids nicely.
Janz throws a looping overhand right but Whelan ducks down to avoid it.
Janz misses the jab.
Janz throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Janz misses with a takedown
and Whelan counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Janz misses with a double jab
and Whelan counters with a series of strikes. Janz will be more careful next time no doubt.
Janz misses the jab.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Janz looks to score with a jab to the body but Whelan is just out of range.
Janz tries for a takedown but Whelan circles away easily

and Whelan counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Whelan throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Whelan wants to stand up but Janz has a hold of him and won't allow it.
Janz wants to control the action here but instead Whelan manages to pass to full mount!
Janz tries to hold on but Whelan postures up.
Whelan tries to control but Janz wriggling away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Janz tries to hold on but Whelan postures up.
Janz keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Janz tries to hold on but Whelan postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Janz keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Janz tries to lock up and control but Whelan gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Janz bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Phelan Whelan will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Phelan Whelan's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. And we move into the final round!

Janz is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Whelan.
Franc Janz seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Janz misses with a hook.
Janz jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Janz blocks a leg kick.
Janz throws the left hand but Whelan avoids the punch easily.
A shot to the body from Janz misses

and Whelan counters by moving into the clinch.
Whelan tries to circle away but Janz has him pinned against the cage.

Janz breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Whelan throws a series of strikes that have Janz backpedaling.
Whelan falls off balance throwing a combination
and Janz counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Janz waving his hands out infront of him, looking to distract Whelan.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Janz stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Janz wants it to stay on the feet.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Janz.
Janz throws an overhand right that lands on Whelan's shoulder, as Whelan tries to avoid the shot.
Janz throws a hook but Whelan avoids it easily.
Janz throws a combination that misses

and Whelan counters by moving into the clinch.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Janz.
Janz tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Whelan's elbow.

Janz breaks the clinch.
Whelan misses with a two punch combination.
Whelan lands a nice shot to the body.
Whelan misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Franc Janz has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Whelan gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.

Whelan gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Janz missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Janz accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Janz missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Janz trying to control the position from guard on top but Whelan is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Janz thows a big elbow that misses.
Janz throws a strike but Whelan rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Janz wants to sweep here but Whelan controlling him for the moment.
Janz looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Whelan puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.

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.
Whelan throwing shots but Janz is blocking nicely.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Whelan slips a straight right by Janz.
A slow jab from Janz misses its intended target.
Janz throws a series of punches but Whelan moves out of range.
Janz throws the left hand but Whelan avoids the punch easily.
Janz misses with a looping right.
Janz missing with a left hand there. Whelan was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Whelan blocks a jab.
A swing and a miss from Janz.
Whelan moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Phelan Whelan is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Whelan keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Janz.

And that's the end of the fight!
Franc Janz showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Whelan 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 Jorge Garcia scores the fight 29:29
Judge Jonathan Paton scores the fight 28:29
Judge John Roberts scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Phelan Whelan!