PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Strong Strongman (ranked 5211 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bonzela Franco (ranked 22420 p4p, 693 weight class). Franco has chosen Anti Heroi as his entrance music. Bonzela Franco acknowledges the crowd's support as he enters the cage.

Strongman
vs
Franco

199 cm
22
290 lbs
14 - 6 - 1

193 cm
23
246 lbs
2 - 13 - 0

Good wrestling
Great elbows
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 14 - 6 - 1, fighting out of St Petersburg, Strong Strongman!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 13 - 0, fighting out of New York, Bonzela Franco!
The judges for this bout are Russell Pearce, Lou da Vinci and Bruno Lombardi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Franco cracks the inside of Strongman's front leg.
Franco scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.

Franco lands a jab followed by a vicious hook that sends Strongman sprawling to the canvas. Franco follows him down, looking for the kill. Can Strongman hang on?

Strongman is rocked!

It looks like Strong Strongman has been cut.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Franco decides he's had enough of the ground and stands up.
Oh Strongman is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!

Strongman has taken the fight to the clinch.
Strongman seems to have got his legs back now.
Franco blocks an elbow strike.
Franco on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Strongman lands an elbow inside.

It looks like Bonzela Franco has been cut.
Franco avoiding damage as Strongman throws knees to the body.
A left hand lands to the body for Franco.
Franco lands with a short shot to the head.
Strongman lands a good knee to the midsection. Franco won't want to take too many of those.
Strongman's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Strongman misses with an elbow strike.
Franco avoiding damage as Strongman throws knees to the body.
Franco lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Franco working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Strongman throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Strongman tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Franco avoids it.
Franco lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.

Strong Strongman's cut is getting worse.
Strongman prevents a body shot from Franco.
Strongman putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Franco in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Franco lands with a short shot to the head.
Strongman putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Franco in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Franco looks winded!
Strongman unloads a knee to the mid-section. Franco lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Franco blocks the elbow strike.
We can't be sure of the tactics at this early stage but we have heard that Franco has been working on his takedowns a lot in the buildup to the fight and we can only assume he's going to look to take this to the mat.
Strongman is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Franco is defending well for now.
Strongman trying to land knees to the body.
Strongman throws an elbow that misses.
Strongman comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Strongman lands a damaging elbow.
Strongman misses with an elbow strike.
Strongman lands a nice elbow.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Franco misses with a punch on the inside.
Strongman crunches a lovely knee into Franco's ribcage.
Strongman misses with an elbow over the top.
Franco avoiding damage as Strongman throws knees to the body.
Strongman is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Franco is defending well for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Franco scores with a shot to the side of Strongman's head.
Franco misses with the head strike.
Strongman misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Franco.
Franco lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Franco scores with a shoulder strike.
Franco avoids a wild elbow strike from Strongman.
Franco lands a nice elbow.
Franco goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Franco pushes Strongman back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Strongman managing to block the knees to the body from Franco.
A body shot lands from Franco.
Franco blocks an elbow strike from Strongman.
A short right from Franco.
Strongman pushes off an throws an elbow but Franco leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Strongman takes an elbow to the forehead.
Strongman trying to land knees to the body.
Franco throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Strongmans head.
Franco managing to block the knees to the body from Strongman.
Strongman scores a nice knee to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Franco tries to land a knee to the head but Strongman blocks with his arms.
Franco trying to land knees to the body.
Strongman missing with knees to the body.
Strongman takes an elbow to the temple.
Strongman creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Franco's defenses.
Strongman lands an elbow inside.
Strongman pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Franco misses with a punch to the body.
A left hand lands to the body for Franco.
Strongman lands an elbow that stopped Franco in his tracks for a moment.
Franco scores with a shoulder strike.
Franco lands a damaging elbow.

Strong Strongman's cut is bleeding quite badly. He's got to try and protect it.
Franco lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Franco working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Strongman is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Franco is defending well for now.
Franco lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Strongman is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Franco is defending well for now.
Franco lands an elbow just above Strongman 's eye.
Franco gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Franco lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.

Jeez, Strong Strongman's cut is really nasty now. The referee must be thinking about getting that checked.

The referee calls the doctor in to look at Strong Strongman's cut. Oh no, the doctor has called an end to the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:14 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Cut). Bonzela Franco!
A relieved looking Bonzela Franco thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.