PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Reggie Franklin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Trevor Diaz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Franklin comes to the cage accompanied by Heat it up. 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.

Franklin
vs
Diaz

178 cm
23
190 lbs
8 - 5 - 0

181 cm
22
186 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Reggie Franklin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Trevor Diaz!
The judges for this bout are Roosa Järviläinen, Tarja Halkonen and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Diaz misses with a body shot.
A looping hook to the body misses from Diaz. Franklin does a little dance to reset his feet.
Franklin shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Franklin throws a right and a left that both miss.
Left hook, right uppercut from Franklin.

It looks like Trevor Diaz has been cut.
Franklin misses with a few strikes there.
Franklin throws a series of punches but Diaz avoids them all with ease.
Franklin misses with a series of wild punches.
Good work by Diaz as he checks the leg kick.
Franklin misses with a double jab.
Franklin throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
A head kick misses from Franklin.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Franklin chopping away at his opponent's legs.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Diaz checks a leg kick.
Franklin keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Franklin fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Franklin misses with a wild body shot.
Diaz swings for the body but Franklin moves out of range.
Franklin misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Franklin throws a nice head kick!
Diaz uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Franklin.
Diaz showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Franklin.
Franklin uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Diaz.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Franklin misses with a two punch combination.
No joy there for Franklin, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Diaz misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Franklin counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Franklin pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Franklin is breathing heavily.
Franklin connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Diaz takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Franklin throws a nice looking combination but Diaz bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Diaz moves out of range as Franklin strikes.
Franklin throws a nice looking combination but Diaz bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Franklin swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Reggie Franklin seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Diaz throws a sloppy body shot
and Franklin counters with a three punch combo that has Diaz backing up. Diaz nods at Franklin to acknowledge the strikes.
Franklin looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Franklin swinging wildly here.
Franklin avoids the body shot from Diaz.
Diaz gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Franklin.
Franklin throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Franklin throws a leg kick but Diaz sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Franklin misses with a wild combination.
Franklin throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A looping hook to the body misses from Diaz. Franklin does a little dance to reset his feet.
Diaz throws a body punch but Franklin moves out of range.
Franklin throws the kick towards the body but Diaz avoids it.
Diaz swings for the body but Franklin moves out of range.
Franklin tries to score with a low kick but Diaz moves his leg out of the way.
Diaz misses with a body shot
and Franklin counters with a left and a right that stings Diaz.
Diaz comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Franklin looks to land a combination but Diaz avoids it well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Reggie Franklin dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Trevor Diaz's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Franklin throws a series of punches but Diaz avoids them all with ease.
Reggie Franklin is winning the standup battle so far.
Diaz thows a body shot but no joy.
Diaz digs a good hook to Franklin's body.
Diaz avoids the head kick by Franklin.
Franklin throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Reggie Franklin is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Franklin rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Diaz moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Diaz avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Franklin is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Diaz.
Franklin misses with a few strikes there.
Franklin uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Diaz.
Franklin throws a series of punches but Diaz moves out of range.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Franklin throws a right hand that Diaz ducks under and follows up with a left that Diaz also avoids with ease.
Diaz just misses with a punch to the body.
Franklin tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
A looping hook to the body misses from Diaz. Franklin does a little dance to reset his feet.
A combination from Franklin does no damage.
Diaz thows a body shot but no joy.
A punch combination from Franklin misses.
Diaz avoids the head kick by Franklin.
Franklin misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Franklin misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Franklin uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Diaz.
Diaz thuds a left hand into Franklin's body.
Franklin misses with a few strikes there.
Diaz throws a predictable looking body shot
and Franklin counters with a series of strikes. Diaz will be more careful next time no doubt.
Franklin keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Diaz swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Diaz thows a body shot but no joy.
Diaz fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Franklin manages to avoid it.
Diaz is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Franklin rather than just go for the knockout.
A shot to the body from Diaz misses
and Franklin counters with a nice uppercut.
A looping hook to the body misses from Diaz. Franklin does a little dance to reset his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Franklin lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Diaz circles away quickly and effectively.
Franklin throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Diaz thows a body shot but no joy.
Franklin throws a sloppy head kick and Diaz moves out of range easily.
Franklin throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Franklin misses with an uppercut. Diaz saw that one coming.
Franklin misses with a wild combination.
Franklin misses with a body shot.
Diaz with a body punch. A glancing blow.

That's four 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.
Diaz changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Franklin loads up on a big right hand but Diaz slips the punch.
Diaz takes a swing at Franklin's ribcage but misses.
Franklin misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Diaz misses the shot to the body.
Diaz blocks a head kick by Franklin.
Franklin misses with a few strikes there.
Diaz lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Franklin at a distance.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Diaz throws a body punch but Franklin moves out of range.
Franklin swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Diaz lands a body shot.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Franklin throws a right hand that Diaz ducks under and follows up with a left that Diaz also avoids with ease.
Franklin throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Franklin throws a big shot that misses.
Franklin rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Diaz moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Diaz throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Diaz misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Franklin.
Diaz dodges the punch combination from Franklin.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Franklin misses with a series of wild punches.
Franklin throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Diaz.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Diaz throws a body punch but Franklin moves out of range.
Diaz swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Diaz misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Franklin.
A punch combination from Franklin misses.
Franklin finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
A combination from Franklin does no damage.
Diaz uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Franklin.
Diaz scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Franklin doesn't seem bothered though.
Franklin misses with a wild combination.
Franklin ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Diaz moves away.

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.
Franklin misses with a two punch combination.
Franklin will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Franklin throws a predictable looking body shot
and Diaz makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Diaz takes a swing at Franklin's ribcage but misses.
Diaz just misses with a punch to the body.
Diaz misses the shot to the body.
Franklin throws a left and a right that both miss
and Diaz makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
A low kick from Franklin misses
and Diaz counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Franklin misses with a combination
and Diaz counters with a left to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Franklin keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Diaz fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Franklin manages to avoid it.
Franklin throws a combination that misses
and Diaz counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Diaz misses the shot to the body.
Diaz throws a sloppy body shot
and Franklin counters with a three punch combo that has Diaz backing up. Diaz nods at Franklin to acknowledge the strikes.
Franklin throws a low kick, looking for Diaz's leg but Diaz calmly moves out of range.
Franklin swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Diaz counters with a right hand to the body.
Diaz fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Franklin manages to avoid it.
Diaz throws a shot to the body.
Franklin keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Diaz takes a swing at Franklin's ribcage but misses.
Diaz slips under a jab.
Diaz misses with a body shot.
A low kick from Franklin is predictable there
and Diaz counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Franklin swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Diaz counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Franklin swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Diaz counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Franklin throws a left and a right that both miss
and Diaz counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Diaz tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Franklin was well out of range. Poor timing from Diaz.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Diaz lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Franklin at a distance.
Diaz misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Franklin.

And that's the end of the fight!
Trevor Diaz comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Diaz 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 Roosa Järviläinen scores the fight 28:28
Judge Tarja Halkonen scores the fight 28:28
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 28:28

The fight is ruled a draw!