PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Max Power (ranked 2182 p4p, 239 weight class) and Walter Flanagan (ranked 2927 p4p, 293 weight class). Flanagan is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by The Wizard . This should be fireworks!

Power
vs
Flanagan

165 cm
30
145 lbs
8 - 7 - 0

171 cm
30
157 lbs
7 - 9 - 1

Good takedowns
Counter fighter
Granite chin

Decent wrestler
Decent boxing
Powerful

Nuggetori's Nutritionals

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 8 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Max Power!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 9 - 1, fighting out of Sydney, Walter Flanagan!
The judges for this bout are John Roberts, Joseph Jones and Columbo Gatti.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Power on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Flanagan works Power's body with a nice hook.
Flanagan slips under a jab from Power.
Flanagan looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Power looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
A shot to the liver by Power. Beautiful body shot.
Flanagan misses with a body shot.
Walter Flanagan seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Power ducks under a wild hook from Flanagan.
Flanagan throws a nice looking combination but Power bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Flanagan swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Power waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Flanagan.
Flanagan is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Power.
Flanagan misses with a looping right.
Flanagan lands with a nice body punch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Power throws a jab when Flanagan was well out of range.
Flanagan tries to bum rush Power with a series of wild strikes but Power uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Flanagan misses with a looping left.
Power keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Nice body punch from Flanagan.
A punch lands to the side of Flanagan 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Flanagan dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Flanagan misses with a wild body shot.
Flanagan tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Power was well out of range. Poor timing from Flanagan.
Power attempts a counter takedown but Flanagan avoids it well and moves away.
Power lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Flanagan circles away quickly and effectively.
Flanagan thows a left - swing and a miss!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Flanagan catches Power with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Flanagan scores with a jab.
Flanagan jabs at Power's body.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Flanagan jabs Power to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Power looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Flanagan is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Power.
A telegraphed right hand from Flanagan misses the target.
Power fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Flanagan manages to avoid it.
Flanagan uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Flanagan throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
A looping hook to the body misses from Flanagan. Power does a little dance to reset his feet.
Flanagan is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Power rather than just go for the knockout.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Flanagan ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Power shoots in looking for a takedown but Flanagan manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Power's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Flanagan lands a body shot.
Flanagan lands a nice looking body shot.
Power throws a right hand that misses
and Flanagan cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Flanagan misses with a body shot.
Flanagan throws a body punch but Power moves out of range.
Power moves out of range of the strikes.
Power drops down looking for a counter takedown but Flanagan sprawls and moves away.
Flanagan will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Flanagan avoids a lazy jab quite easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Flanagan scores with a decent looking hook.
Flanagan scores with a jab to the jaw.
Power looks to land a right hand but Flanagan moved out of range.
Flanagan throws a combination that misses

and Power counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Power stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Flanagan swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Power stopping the sweep attempt from Flanagan.
Power trying to control but Flanagan is working from the bottom.
Power working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Power passes into half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Flanagan throws a combination that misses

and Power counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Power.
Power missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Power postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Power stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Flanagan swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Power is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Flanagan keeping moving, preventing Power from controlling successfully.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Flanagan is looking to stand up but Power isn't so interested in that idea.

Power drops back looking for a leg! Flanagan is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Flanagan manages to kick Power off! Power jumps back into Flanagan's guard.
Flanagan has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Flanagan preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Flanagan trying to control the position here.

Power is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Power wants to control from the top but Flanagan keeps moving.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Flanagan's corner calls for a 1-2. Flanagan obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
A combination from Flanagan does no damage.

Power closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Flanagan quickly recovers to half guard.
Flanagan keeping control of the position.
Flanagan wants to get back to full guard.

Power is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Flanagan doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Power.

Power is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Power thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Flanagan's head.

Power is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Flanagan defends it well.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Power trying to pass the guard but Flanagan defending well.
Flanagan really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Power. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

Power is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Flanagan doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Power.

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.

Power is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Power trying to control the action but Flanagan is working from the bottom.

Power seems to be looking for submissions.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Flanagan is controlling Power's trapped leg to prevent Power from advancing to side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Max Power dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Flanagan connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Flanagan missing with a left hand there. Power was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Good shot there by Power.
Flanagan misses with a body shot.
Power throws a right and a left that both miss.
Power tries to score a power double leg takedown but Flanagan sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Power somewhat.
Walter Flanagan seems to be getting the better of the standup.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Power uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Flanagan.
Power attempts a counter takedown but Flanagan avoids it well and moves away.
Power throws out a token jab with nothing on it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Power uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Flanagan.
Power throws a lazy right hand but Flanagan sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Power misses with a jab, cross combination.
Flanagan appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
Flanagan scores with a one two! Power had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Power just misses with a punch to the body.
Power misses with a hook. Flanagan ducked under it nicely.
Flanagan ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Flanagan misses the shot to the body.
Power throws a jab but it's blocked by Flanagan.
Power waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Flanagan.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Power goes for a double leg but Flanagan avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Flanagan continues to drive forward.
Flanagan stuffs the takedown attempt from Power. Power gets slowly back to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Max Power. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Flanagan fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Power on the side of the head.
Flanagan swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Flanagan fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Power looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Power takes a body punch but keeps moving.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Power takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Power misses with a body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Power throws the left hand but Flanagan avoids the punch easily.
Flanagan cracks a nice hook into Power's ribs.
Flanagan pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Power displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Flanagan throws out the jab.
Power feinted with a counter takedown.
Power throws a lazy uppercut
and Flanagan counters with a nice uppercut.
Power takes one to the side of the head.
Power moves into range and connects with a jab.
Flanagan lands a body shot.
Power waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Flanagan.
Flanagan doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Flanagan lands with a good body shot.
Power tries for a takedown but Flanagan circles away easily
and Flanagan counters with a left to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Flanagan throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
No joy there for Power, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
A shot to the body from Flanagan misses

so Power counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.

Flanagan has managed to wall walk up one of the corner posts to get back to his feet. Power is pushing him up against the cage, looking to control the position.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Power tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

Flanagan breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Flanagan is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Power.
Flanagan swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Power fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Flanagan! But no joy.

And that's the end of the fight!
Walter Flanagan comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Flanagan 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 John Roberts scores the fight 28:29
Judge Joseph Jones scores the fight 28:29
Judge Columbo Gatti scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Walter Flanagan!
During a confident post fight interview, Walter Flanagan thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.