PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Tarik Gibson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Begbie Franco (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Franco has chosen Born Slippy as his entrance music. I'm sure you'll be fascinated to know that I was talking to some pointless Z list celebrity before the fight and he thought that Begbie Franco was going to win. Let's see if he was right.

Gibson
vs
Franco

186 cm
32
192 lbs
23 - 10 - 1

185 cm
38
190 lbs
33 - 19 - 1

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Excellent grappler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Mohito Fightwear
Spartan Nutrition

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 23 - 10 - 1, fighting out of Sydney, Tarik Gibson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 33 - 19 - 1, fighting out of London, Begbie Franco!
The judges for this bout are Frank Antenori, Jack Bonds and Timothy Bukovac.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Gibson rushes Franco and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Come on Gibson - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Gibson misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Franco.
Good body shot from Gibson.
Franco wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Gibson has him pressed against the cage.
Franco lands a shoulder strike.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Gibson just misses with a elbow thrown towards Franco's brow.
Franco goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Franco lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Franco tries a body shot but Gibson blocks it.
Gibson lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
I was talking to Gibson's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Gibson throws an elbow that misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Franco doesn't land with the attempted body shot.

Franco manages to break the clinch.
The fighters circling - Gibson throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Gibson tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Franco paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Gibson tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Franco avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Franco.
Gibson checks the leg kick nicely there.
Tarik Gibson seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Gibson has taken the fight to the clinch.

Franco manages to break the clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Gibson looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Franco unleashes a big counter combination but Gibson bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.
Franco chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Gibson can pounce on him.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Gibson.
Gibson scores with a jab.
Gibson throws a nice inside leg kick.
A nice inside leg kick there by Gibson. That's going to slow Franco down.

Gibson moves into the clinch successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gibson using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Franco has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

Gibson breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Some wild striking there from Gibson.
Gibson wants to clinch up but Franco keeps it at a distance.
Franco chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Gibson can pounce on him.
Gibson connects with a solid leg kick.
Gibson throws out a loose jab but Franco uses good head movement to avoid it.
Gibson misses with a low kick.
Gibson backing away here, and Franco unleashes a leg kick that just misses.
Franco on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Gibson. Gibson obviously looking to wear him down.
Franco moves forwards but Gibson connects with a nice, crisp jab.
A bone on bone clash there as Franco blocks the leg kick.
Gibson throws a head kick but Franco moves out of range.
A nice side step and Franco releases a counter shot to the body, but it doesn't find it's home.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gibson throws a lazy body kick
and Franco counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Franco is looking to clinch but Gibson is avoiding it.
A thudding body kick lands there by Franco!
Gibson connects with an inside leg kick.
Franco throws a nice inside leg kick.
Gibson moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Franco lands a nice shot to the body.
A head kick misses from Gibson.

Franco rushes Gibson and presses him up against the cage.
Franco blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Gibson gets through Franco's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
A head punch on the inside from Gibson fails to land.
Franco makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Franco pushes Gibson back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
A short right from Franco.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Franco misses with the head strike.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Gibson prevents a body shot from Franco.
Gibson comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Gibson can't find room to land a body shot as Franco controls the action.
Franco throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Gibsons head.

It looks like Tarik Gibson has been cut.
Franco's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.

Franco breaks from the clinch.
Franco lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Gibson lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Franco has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Franco and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.

Franco takes the fight into the clinch.
Gibson lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
A left hand lands to the body for Franco.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Gibson.
Gibson is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Franco is keeping busy.
Franco pushes Gibson back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Tarik Gibson will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Tarik Gibson's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Franco tries to land a leg kick but Gibson saw it coming and moves away.
Gibson tries to clinch but Franco moves out of range.
Franco takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Franco digs a good body shot into Gibson's ribs.
Gibson looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Gibson turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Gibson checks a leg kick.
Gibson throws a big counter combination but Franco scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.
Gibson connects with a high kick.
Franco throws a poor cross that misses
and Gibson counters with a nice uppercut.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nice body punch from Franco.
Gibson wants to clinch
and Franco makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. Gibson really felt that one!
Franco cracks Gibson with a good jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Franco checks a low kick from Gibson.
Gibson swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Gibson takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.

Gibson has closed the distance and engaged Franco in a clinch.
Franco stalls.
Franco pushes Gibson back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Gibson throws an elbow but it misses.
Franco avoids a wild elbow strike from Gibson.
Franco lands a right hand that snaps the head of Gibson backwards.
Gibson throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Francos head.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Franco scores with an uppercut up the middle.

Franco breaks the clinch.
Franco scores with a hook to the body. Gibson takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Franco scores with a jab. Gibson acknowledges it with a nod of the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Gibson tries to clinch up but Franco circles away and keeps his distance.
Franco scores with a jab.

Tarik Gibson's cut is getting worse.
Gibson throws a nice head kick!
Gibson on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Franco. Franco obviously looking to wear him down.
Gibson thumps Franco with a low kick.
Franco scores with a spinning back kick!
Gibson tries to close the distance and clinch but Franco swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Franco gets tackled into the cage by Gibson. Gibson maintains the clinch.
Franco can't find room to land a body shot as Gibson controls the action.
Franco pushes Gibson back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Gibson tries to circle away but Franco has him pinned against the cage.
Gibson misses with a hook to the ribs.
Franco lands with a short shot to the head.

Franco's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gibson throws a front kick aimed at Franco's knee but Franco avoids it well.
Gibson tries to clinch up.
No joy there for Gibson, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Gibson on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.

Franco cracks Gibson with a big right hand that sends him to the floor! Gibson looks wobbly but he's sprung back up to his feet straight away… can Franco finish him?

Gibson is rocked!
Franco lands a big uppercut and this one is all over! His foe lies motionless on the canvas - a massive one punch knockout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:33 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Begbie Franco!
Begbie Franco decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.