PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Juha Maenpaa (ranked 1044 p4p, 2452 weight class) and Juan David Franco (ranked 118 p4p, 267 weight class). Franco is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Bullet For My Valentine- Tears Don't Fall. Juha Maenpaa could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Juan David Franco's chin.

Maenpaa
vs
Franco

188 cm
27
185
10 - 12 - 0

188 cm
29
202
18 - 10 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Decent wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

30th Century Beer Store

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 10 - 12 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Juha Maenpaa!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 18 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Juan David Franco!
The judges for this bout are Anni Minnemäki, Marco Blurström and Tarja Halkonen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Franco misses with a few strikes there.
Maenpaa tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Franco manages to circle out of the way.
Maenpaa darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Franco throws a combination that misses

and Maenpaa holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

Maenpaa pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Franco staying out of range there.
Maenpaa throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Franco is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Maenpaa tries to score with a low kick but Franco moves his leg out of the way.
Maenpaa scores with a jab.
Franco misses with a head kick.
Franco throws a body shot but no joy.
Maenpaa lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Franco tries a head kick but it misses.
Maenpaa darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Franco throws a right hand that Maenpaa ducks under and follows up with a left that Maenpaa also avoids with ease.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Maenpaa jabs at Franco's body.
Maenpaa slips a straight right by Franco.
A head kick misses from Franco.
Franco misses with a kick to the body.
Franco throws a head kick but Maenpaa moves out of range.
Franco misses with a wild combination.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maenpaa swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Franco.
Franco falls off balance throwing a combination
and Maenpaa connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
A cross from Maenpaa lands.
Maenpaa's jab looks to have found its range, popping Franco under the eye.
Maenpaa getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Franco throws a right hand that Maenpaa ducks under and follows up with a left that Maenpaa also avoids with ease.
Franco throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Maenpaa is really peppering his opponent's head with punches.
Maenpaa looks to score with a jab to the body but Franco is just out of range.
Franco throws a sloppy head kick and Maenpaa moves out of range easily.
Maenpaa fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Franco manages to avoid it.
Franco defending well as Maenpaa loads up on a big left hand.
Maenpaa wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Maenpaa cracks a nice hook into Franco's ribs.
Maenpaa has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.
Franco throws a head kick that misses.
Juan David Franco seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Franco moves forwards but Maenpaa connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Franco on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Franco tries to move into range but Maenpaa moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maenpaa connects with a jab.
The fighters circle momentarily. Maenpaa darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Maenpaa takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Maenpaa ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Franco moves away.
Franco displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Maenpaa throws out the jab.
Maenpaa fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Franco has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.
Maenpaa jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Franco goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.

It looks like Juha Maenpaa has been cut.
Franco misses with the combination.
Maenpaa connects with a right hand. Franco shakes it off.
Franco slips a straight right by Maenpaa.
Franco tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Maenpaa fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Franco takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Maenpaa lands with a nice body punch.
A swing and a miss from Maenpaa.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maenpaa lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Franco misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Franco fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Franco looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Maenpaa lands with an uppercut that bounces Franco off the cage and back into range.
Franco throws a combination. Maenpaa tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Nice shot lands for Maenpaa.
Franco pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Maenpaa tries to counter by clinching up but Franco breaks away and moves out of range.
Franco misses with a jab, cross combination.
Franco lets loose with a powerful body kick. Maenpaa will feel that in the morning.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Maenpaa scores with a three punch combo!
Danga de danga de dang - Maenpaa scores with a four punch combination!
Maenpaa blocks a head kick by Franco.
Franco misses with a hook. Maenpaa ducked under it nicely.
Maenpaa scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Franco throws a lazy head kick

and Maenpaa counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Franco looks winded!
A quick uppercut on the inside from Maenpaa.
A head punch on the inside from Maenpaa fails to land.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Franco has had enough of the clinch but Maenpaa keeps him there for the moment.
Maenpaa lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Maenpaa lands a nice uppercut.
Maenpaa lands a shoulder strike.
Maenpaa stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Maenpaa misses with a punch on the inside.
A nice right hand lands inside from Maenpaa.
Maenpaa working aggressively here.
Franco is trying to force a seperation but Maenpaa has the dominant position.
Maenpaa lands a hook to the side of the head.
Franco tries to break the clinch but Maenpaa is controlling the position.
Maenpaa gets through Franco's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Maenpaa lands a nice shot to the body.
Maenpaa cracks Franco with a nice body shot.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Maenpaa working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Maenpaa can't find room to land a body shot as Franco controls the action.
A nice left hand lands by Maenpaa.
A right hook to the body lands for Maenpaa.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Juha Maenpaa dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Juha Maenpaa's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Maenpaa keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Franco.
Franco takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Franco has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Franco there as he acknowledges the shot.
Maenpaa scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Maenpaa connects with a single shot there.
Franco pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Franco walks into a left hand.
Franco throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Maenpaa counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

Franco is rocked!
Maenpaa misses with a straight left.
Maenpaa avoids the head kick by Franco.
It looked like Maenpaa wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Maenpaa connects with a single shot there.
Maenpaa throws out a loose jab but Franco uses good head movement to avoid it.
Maenpaa looks to land a right hand but Franco moved out of range.
Franco looks like he wanted to counter with a high kick but didn't throw it.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Maenpaa swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Maenpaa just misses with a punch to the body.
Maenpaa lunges at Franco with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Franco's hand.
Nice straight punches there by Maenpaa. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Maenpaa.
Maenpaa lands a nice hook to Franco's body. Franco takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Franco goes for a high kick. It partially lands.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maenpaa connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Maenpaa looks to land a combination. Franco sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Franco scores with the left hand. Maenpaa knows he should have avoided that one.

Maenpaa moves into the clinch.
Maenpaa pushes Franco back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Franco is still on wobbly legs! Can Maenpaa finish him?
Maenpaa lands a shoulder strike.
Maenpaa misses with a short punch on the inside.
Juha Maenpaa has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Franco is trying to force a seperation but Maenpaa has the dominant position.
Maenpaa digs a right hand underneath Franco's ribcage. Franco let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Franco is breathing heavily.
Maenpaa lands a shot to the body.
A short left from Maenpaa.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Franco wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

Maenpaa drops Franco onto one knee with a big uppercut from the clinch! Franco is propped up by the cage and works his way back to his feet!
Maenpaa pushes Franco against the cage. Maenpaa is working some dirty boxing. Maenpaa pushes off with a quick right hook! Franco goes down! Franco tries to stand but stumbles back to his kness! Maenpaa moves in to finish and the ref steps in to prevent any more damage!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:58 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Juha Maenpaa!