PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Frankie Edgar (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Firnanda Talha (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Edgar
vs
Talha

170 cm
25
155 lbs
3 - 0 - 1

170 cm
20
155 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

Decent wrestler
Solid boxing
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 1, fighting out of New York, Frankie Edgar!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Firnanda Talha!
The judges for this bout are Dean Styles, David Schapiro and Alyssa Summers.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Edgar has taken the fight to the clinch.
Edgar can't get the takedown.
Talha drops down looking for an ankle pick but Edgar pulls his leg out and moves away.
Talha tries for a takedown but Edgar sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Edgar misses with a two punch combination.
Edgar leaves Talha with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Frankie Edgar has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Firnanda Talha.
Edgar lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Talha is defended easily by Edgar.
Talha has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Edgar finds it's way round the side to connect with Talha's head.
Talha dives in and grabs Edgar's left leg, looking for a takedown. Edgar pushes down on Talha's head and hops out.
Edgar ducks down and throws a hook to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Edgar rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Talha moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Talha throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Edgar's waist but Edgar gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Talha off to one side.
Talha is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Edgar.
Edgar keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Talha looks gassed!
Edgar throws a series of strikes that have Talha backpedaling.
Edgar uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.

Talha is rocked!
Edgar scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Talha is still on wobbly legs! Can Edgar finish him?
Edgar misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Talha tries for a takedown but Edgar circles away easily

and Edgar counters by clinching up.
Talha seems to have recovered his senses.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Talha wants a takedown.

Edgar has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Talha regains guard immediately.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Edgar working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Talha's head.
Talha looking for a sweep. Not yet Talha, not yet.
Edgar wants to control from the top but Talha keeps moving.
Edgar is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Edgar lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Edgar wants to pass the guard but Talha is keeping the position.
Edgar won't allow Talha to get back to his feet.
Edgar postures up in Talha's guard and throws a big left but Talha blocks it.
Edgar pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Talha is keeping the position for now.
Edgar throwing strikes from guard but Talha blocks nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Edgar drops back looking for a leg! Talha is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Talha manages to kick Edgar off! Edgar jumps back into Talha's guard.
Talha is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Edgar keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Talha's head.
Edgar looking to pass the guard.

Edgar drops back looking for a leg! Talha is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Talha manages to kick Edgar off! Edgar jumps back into Talha's guard.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Talha working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Edgar.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Talha throws his legs up looking for a submission but Edgar uses it to pass to side control.

Edgar tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Edgar has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Edgar connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Talha some visible discomfort.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Talha wants to control but Edgar postures up.
Edgar prevents Talha from escaping the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Frankie Edgar dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Edgar rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Talha moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Talha tries to clinch but Edgar is having none of it.
Edgar lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Frankie Edgar seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Talha takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Talha misses with a takedown

and Edgar holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Talha stops a takedown attempt from Edgar.

Talha has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Edgar is trying to keep an underhook but Talha manages to get the takedown into half guard.
Talha not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Talha throwing shots but Edgar is blocking nicely.
Talha winds up and cracks Edgar with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Edgar looks like he's trying to stand up.

Edgar is defending against the submission attempts here by Talha.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Talha is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Edgar has one foot on Talha's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.
Talha just misses with a punch to the body.
Talha fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Edgar lands a jab to Talha's midsection.
Edgar throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Talha.
Edgar lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Left hook, right uppercut from Edgar.
Edgar lands a jab to Talha's midsection.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Edgar misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Talha with a lazy takedown attempt
and Edgar makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Frankie Edgar has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Firnanda Talha.
Edgar throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Talha.
Some wild striking there from Edgar.
Talha fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Edgar avoids it really well and circles away.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Edgar moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Edgar scores with a shot to the body.
Edgar lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.

Edgar takes the fight into the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Edgar has Talha pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Talha manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Edgar gets underhooks to prevent Talha's takedown attempt.

Edgar has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Talha regains guard immediately.
Edgar is working Talha over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Edgar landing some decent shots from guard.

Talha looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Edgar scoring with punches to the head and body.
Talha keeping moving, preventing Edgar from controlling successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Edgar postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Edgar is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Talha wants to stand and escape but Edgar is having none of it.
Edgar throwing strikes but missing.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Talha controls Edgar momentarily but Edgar frees himself.
Talha keeping moving, preventing Edgar from controlling successfully.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Edgar stays in close to Talha's body and controls the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Frankie Edgar dominated that second round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Edgar throws a right and a left that Talha avoids nicely.
Edgar stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Edgar wants it to stay on the feet.
Edgar tries to bum rush Talha with a series of wild strikes but Talha uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Edgar doesn't manage to clinch there - Talha circles away.
Edgar lands with a straight right. Talha didn't see that one coming.
Decent striking displayed by Edgar there.
Talha shoots in for a takedown but Edgar shows good takedown defense.
Edgar throws a combination. Talha tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Frankie Edgar is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Edgar lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Edgar throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Talha on the side of the head.
Talha looks for a takedown but Edgar sprawls well.
Frankie Edgar has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Firnanda Talha.

Edgar lands a left and a right that send Talha crashing to the mat, dazed. Edgar thinks about following him to the mat but decides to wave him back up to his feet!
Talha takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Edgar jabs at Talha's body.
Sloppy strikes from Edgar. Those never looked like landing.
Edgar will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Talha shoots in for a takedown but Edgar shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Frankie Edgar is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Edgar lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Edgar is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Talha can do to turn this around?

Edgar rushes Talha and presses him up against the cage.

Edgar escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Edgar works over Talha's head and body with a nice combination.
Edgar lands a jab-cross combination.
Talha takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Frankie Edgar is winning the standup battle so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Talha fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Some wild striking there from Edgar.
Edgar closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Edgar works over Talha's head and body with a nice combination.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Edgar misses with a few strikes there.

Talha dives in and scores a takedown into Edgar's guard.
Talha stops Edgar from standing up.
Talha tries to free his leg and advance position but Edgar is retaining full guard.
Edgar wants to stand and escape but Talha is having none of it.
Talha lands a couple of elbows.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Talha slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Edgar stops Talha from passing to mount.
Talha is looking to take a break and control but Edgar is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Talha scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Edgar to see if he's OK.
Talha misses with the ground and pound.

Talha is trying to get an arm triangle but Edgar is defending well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Edgar is pushing Talha's head away, looking to escape. Talha manages to hold on to the position though.
Talha throws an elbow but Edgar slips to the side and avoids it well.
Talha lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Edgar down.
Talha lands a nice forearm strike.
Talha is working Edgar over with some ground and pound from side control.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Talha prevents Edgar from escaping the position.
Frankie Edgar overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Firnanda Talha has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Frankie Edgar is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Talha sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Edgar is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Frankie Edgar showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Edgar 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 Dean Styles scores the fight 30:27
Judge David Schapiro scores the fight 30:27
Judge Alyssa Summers scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Frankie Edgar!