PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Franklin Diggs (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Franco Veratti (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Diggs
vs
Veratti

185 cm
26
179 lbs
2 - 4 - 0

188 cm
26
175 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Experienced

Good wrestler
Counter fighter
Good gas tank

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 2 - 4 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Franklin Diggs!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Franco Veratti!
The judges for this bout are David Hoff, Winston Alpacca and Dirk Anderson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Veratti jabbing away but nothing is landing.
A big left from Diggs misses.
Veratti ducks under a wild hook from Diggs.
Diggs throws a chopping leg kick but Veratti manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Diggs swings for the body but Veratti moves out of range.
Diggs throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Veratti misses with a hook to the body
and Diggs counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Diggs throws a lazy right hand but Veratti sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Veratti throws out a loose jab but Diggs uses good head movement to avoid it.
Diggs lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Diggs is looking to clinch but Veratti is avoiding it.
The fight stays on the outside here - Diggs looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Diggs scores with a body shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A swing and a miss from Veratti.
Diggs tries to clinch but Veratti moves out of range.
Diggs ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Veratti on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Veratti takes a swing at Diggs's ribcage but misses.
Franklin Diggs seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Diggs is looking to clinch but Veratti is avoiding it.
Diggs misses with a straight left.
Diggs tries to land a front kick but Veratti steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Veratti has done a lot of speed work in the buildup to this fight.
Diggs throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

Diggs gets a clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Diggs is trying to maintain a safe position but Veratti gets an underhook and turns Diggs into the cage.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Diggs takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Diggs is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Diggs tries to work over Veratti's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Diggs looks to be in better condition than last time we saw him fight. Obviously he's been working hard on his cardio.
Diggs gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Veratti.
Diggs doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Diggs is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Diggs working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Diggs tries to stall but Veratti uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
A short left from Diggs.
Diggs misses with some punches.
Diggs doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Diggs swings wildly with an uppercut but Veratti uses good head movement to avoid it.
Veratti taking a breather.
Veratti is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Diggs tries to circle away but Veratti has him pinned against the cage.
Diggs tries to throw a body punch but Veratti avoids it by throwing Diggs back against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Diggs lands a body shot in the clinch.
Diggs lands a body punch in the clinch.
Diggs swings wildly with an uppercut but Veratti uses good head movement to avoid it.

Diggs's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Diggs swings for the body but Veratti moves out of range.
Veratti uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Diggs.
Diggs tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
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!
Diggs pulls out of a head kick attempt.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Diggs looks to land a left hand but Veratti moved out of range nicely.
Veratti takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Diggs smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Franklin Diggs dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Diggs misses with an uppercut.
Diggs misses with a body kick.
Veratti throws a body punch but Diggs moves out of range.
Diggs doesn't manage to clinch there - Veratti circles away.
Veratti gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Diggs works Veratti's body with a nice hook.
Diggs stalks Veratti and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Veratti's face. Veratti staggers backwards, shaken.
Veratti takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Diggs lands a nice shot to the body.
Veratti avoids a kick to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Diggs looks to land a right hand but Veratti moved out of range.
Veratti defending well as Diggs loads up on a big left hand.
Diggs misses the shot to the body.
Veratti ducks under a wild hook from Diggs.
Veratti uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Diggs.
Diggs staying out of range there.
Diggs misses with a wild body shot.
Diggs misses with a straight right.
Diggs is looking to clinch.
Diggs thows a body shot but no joy.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Diggs just misses with a punch to the body.
Diggs slips under a jab from Veratti.
Diggs takes a swing at Veratti's ribcage but misses.
Veratti uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Diggs.
Veratti showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Diggs.
Diggs misses with a body shot.
A big left from Diggs misses.
Diggs keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Veratti.
Diggs throws a jab but it's blocked by Veratti.
Diggs misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Veratti.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Diggs digs a good body shot into Veratti's ribs.
Diggs throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Diggs thuds his right hand into Veratti's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Veratti slips a jab and a cross from Diggs.
Veratti avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Diggs misses with an uppercut. Veratti saw that one coming.
Diggs fails in his attempt to clinch.
Diggs throws a big shot that misses.
Diggs swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Veratti blocks a leg kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Diggs misses with a straight left.
A leg kick checked by Veratti.
Diggs looks to score with a jab to the body but Veratti is just out of range.
Diggs tries to land a front kick but Veratti steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Diggs fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Veratti manages to avoid it.
Diggs lands with a nice body punch.
Veratti keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Diggs waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Veratti.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Diggs throws a hook but Veratti blocks it.
Diggs thows a body shot but no joy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Franklin Diggs dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Diggs takes a swing at Veratti's ribcage but misses.
Diggs throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Diggs slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Veratti misses with a body shot.
Diggs throws a body punch but Veratti moves out of range.
Diggs lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Diggs throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Diggs is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Veratti.
Diggs will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Veratti looks to land a right hand but Diggs moved out of range.
Diggs looks to throw the jab but Veratti is out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Diggs tries to work over Veratti's front leg with a kick but Veratti checks it.
Veratti uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Diggs.
Diggs is looking to clinch.
Diggs is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Veratti can do to turn this around?
Veratti uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Diggs.
Diggs lands a nice leg kick that just misses Veratti's sensitive parts.
Diggs fails in his attempt to clinch.
Diggs misses with a looping right.
Diggs misses with a straight left.
Veratti avoids the body shot from Diggs.
Veratti misses with a right hand
and Diggs counters with a good low kick that Veratti was not able to check.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Veratti bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Diggs connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Diggs throws a right hand that Veratti ducks under and follows up with a left that Veratti also avoids with ease.
Diggs looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Diggs misses the shot to the body.
Diggs displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Veratti throws out the jab.
Diggs misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Veratti slips a straight right by Diggs.
Diggs misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Veratti.
Veratti ducks under a wild hook from Diggs.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Diggs looks to score with a jab to the body but Veratti is just out of range.
Franklin Diggs is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Diggs throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Diggs throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Diggs slips under a jab from Veratti.
Veratti looks to throw the jab but Diggs is out of range.
A telegraphed right hand from Diggs misses the target.
Diggs digs a good body shot into Veratti's ribs.
A cross from Diggs lands.
Veratti keeps the fight on the outside.
Veratti uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Diggs.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Diggs missing with a left hand there. Veratti was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Diggs throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Veratti stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Veratti misses with a straight left.
Diggs tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Veratti manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Veratti moves out of range of the strikes.
Diggs throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Veratti circles away from the clinch attempt.
Diggs throws a hook to the side of Veratti's head but Veratti sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Veratti misses the jab.
Franco Veratti has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Franklin Diggs is winning the standup battle so far.
Diggs fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Veratti manages to avoid it.

And that's the end of the fight!
Franklin Diggs showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Diggs has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 David Hoff scores the fight 30:27
Judge Winston Alpacca scores the fight 30:27
Judge Dirk Anderson scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Franklin Diggs!
A relieved looking Franklin Diggs thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.