PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Johnny Gram (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Stacey Taylor (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gram comes to the cage accompanied by For Whom The Bell Tolls. Johnny Gram could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Stacey Taylor's chin.

Gram
vs
Taylor

169 cm
20
179 lbs
7 - 4 - 0

183 cm
21
179 lbs
6 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 4 - 0, fighting out of New York, Johnny Gram!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Stacey Taylor!
The judges for this bout are Jonathan Paton, Franklyn Lucas and Steve Montenegro.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Taylor works Gram's body with a nice hook.
Taylor looks to score with a jab to the body but Gram is just out of range.
Taylor tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Gram swivels and escapes.
Taylor throws an overhand right that lands on Gram's shoulder, as Gram tries to avoid the shot.

Gram pushes Taylor up against the cage in a clinch.
Gram creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
A left hand lands to the body for Taylor.
Taylor lands a left hand.
Gram lands an elbow inside.

It looks like Stacey Taylor has been cut.
Gram missing with knees to the body.
Taylor blocks an elbow strike from Gram.
Taylor trying to stall but Gram improves his position.
Taylor tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Gram lands an elbow inside.

Taylor escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Taylor waving his hands out infront of him, looking to distract Gram.
Gram has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Taylor finds it's way round the side to connect with Gram's head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gram circles away from the clinch attempt

and Gram counters by moving into the clinch.
Gram throws an elbow but it misses.

Taylor escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Taylor looks to land a combination. Gram sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Taylor throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Taylor tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Gram counters with a thumping low kick.
Taylor throws a jab when Gram was well out of range.

Taylor rushes Gram and presses him up against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gram throws an elbow but it misses.
Taylor presses Gram against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Gram misses with an elbow over the top.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Gram.
Gram creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Taylor's defenses.
Gram stalling.
Taylor is pushing Gram up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Gram misses with an elbow strike.
Taylor makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Taylor blocks an elbow strike from Gram.
Taylor is trying to stall.
Taylor has Gram pushed against the cage.
Gram tries to land a knee to the head but Taylor blocks with his arms.
Taylor blocks the elbow strike.
Taylor gets through Gram's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
A short uppercut from Taylor.
Gram stalling.

Taylor breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Taylor misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Gram has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taylor lands with an overhand left.
Taylor looks to clinch

and Gram holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Gram throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Gram keeps control of Taylor as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Gram throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Taylor throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Gram tries to land knees in the clinch but Taylor avoids the damage to the body.
Taylor is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Taylor wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Gram has him pressed against the cage.
Taylor lands a right hand that snaps the head of Gram backwards.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Gram tries to land knees in the clinch but Taylor avoids the damage to the body.
Taylor lands a shoulder strike.
Taylor avoids a wild elbow strike from Gram.
Taylor is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Gram misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Taylor.
Taylor dodges an elbow strike from Gram.
Gram letting Taylor take a breather here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gram creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Gram throws an elbow that misses.
Gram trying to stall but Taylor improves his position.
Come on Taylor - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Taylor has had enough of the clinch but Gram keeps him there for the moment.
Gram keeps control of Taylor as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Gram is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Taylor dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.

Taylor jumps into guard, dragging Gram to the mat.
Taylor bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Gram's guard.
Gram looking to hit a scissor sweep but Taylor is one step ahead there.
Gram is working hard here to advance position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Gram keeping moving, preventing Taylor from controlling successfully.
Gram lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Taylor!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Stacey Taylor dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Stacey Taylor's cut.
That's time! Gram's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Gram darts in trying to clinch
and Taylor counters with a nice leg kick.

Taylor shoots in and bounces Gram off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Gram wants to improve his position but instead Taylor has moved into half guard.
Taylor thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Gram is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Taylor lands with a punch from half guard.
Taylor winds up and cracks Gram with a swinging punch to the side of the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gram is trying to get back to full guard.
Gram taking some punishment here, with Taylor in his half guard.
Taylor is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Taylor has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Gram trying to get back to full guard but Taylor takes advantage of the position and moves to full mount!
Gram really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Gram wants to control but Taylor is having none of it.
Gram really trying hard to get back to half guard here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Taylor working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Gram throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
Taylor prevents Gram from getting the reversal.
Taylor pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Taylor lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Taylor controlling from the full mount.
Gram regains half guard.
Taylor controlling the action here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gram is looking to control Taylor's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Gram avoid being mounted?
Taylor working Gram over with strikes.
Gram is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Taylor's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Taylor's back!
Taylor breaks Gram's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
Gram looking for a sweep. Not yet Gram, not yet.
Taylor sitting in guard here, content to control.
Gram wants to sweep but no luck.
Taylor not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Gram throws some sloppy strikes off his back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Taylor pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Gram is keeping the position for now.
Gram looking to hit a scissor sweep but Taylor is one step ahead there.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
A punch combination from Taylor misses.
Taylor throws a combination that misses

and Gram counters by clinching up.
Gram misses with an elbow over the top.
Gram is looking to control Taylor's arms but Taylor gets an underhook and turns him. Now Gram has his back to the cage.
Gram creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Gram pushes off an throws an elbow but Taylor leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Gram content to slow the pace in the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Stacey Taylor showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Stacey Taylor's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! And we move into the final round!

A right-left combo lands from Taylor.
Taylor throws a combination that misses

and Gram counters by clinching up.
Taylor blocks an elbow strike from Gram.
Gram misses with a knee to the head.
Gram throws an elbow that misses.
Taylor avoiding damage as Gram throws knees to the body.
Gram pushes off an throws an elbow but Taylor leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Gram stalling in the clinch but Taylor improves position.
Taylor managing to block the knees to the body from Gram.
Taylor pushes Gram back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Taylor has Gram pressed against the cage.
Gram throws an elbow but it's blocked.
A shot in the inside from Taylor.
Gram throws a knee to the head but misses.
Taylor lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Gram backwards.
Nice elbow from Taylor.
Gram throws an elbow but it misses.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Taylor breaks from the clinch.
Gram closes the distance but Taylor moves to the side
and Taylor counters with an outside leg kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Taylor drives through and clinches with Gram against the cage.

Taylor pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Gram tries to clinch up
and Gram takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Taylor scores with a one two! Gram had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Gram keeps the fight on the outside.
Horrible takedown by Taylor or perhaps it was just good defense by Gram which made him look bad.
Taylor misses with a series of wild punches.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Taylor scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Taylor throws a one two combo.

Taylor has managed to clinch.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Taylor is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Gram misses with a knee strike.
Gram missing with knees to the body.
Gram tries to stall but Taylor uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Taylor is trying to break the clinch but Gram has him pressed against the cage.
Gram misses with an elbow over the top.

Taylor breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Gram tries to keep at a distance but Taylor has taken the fight into the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gram misses with an elbow strike.
Taylor lands a nice shot to the body.
Taylor is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Gram.
Taylor lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Gram or not.
Taylor wants to stall.
Stacey Taylor is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Gram just misses with a elbow thrown towards Taylor's brow.
Taylor avoids a wild elbow strike from Gram.
Taylor wants to break the clinch but can't.
Gram lands an elbow inside that Taylor shrugs off.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Taylor as Gram tries to tie him up.
Taylor blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Gram crunches a lovely knee into Taylor's ribcage.
Gram keeps control of Taylor as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Taylor taking a breather.

Taylor breaks from the clinch.
Taylor tries to clinch

and Gram counters by moving into the clinch.
Taylor avoids the elbow strike from Gram, against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Taylor.
Gram misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Taylor.
Taylor makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.

Taylor's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Johnny Gram has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Gram looks to clinch
enabling Taylor to counter with a crisp jab.

Taylor fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Gram, pushing him back against the cage.
Taylor is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Gram throws an elbow but it misses.
Taylor avoids a wild elbow strike from Gram.
Gram pushes off an throws an elbow but Taylor leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.

Taylor manages to break the clinch.
Taylor rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Gram moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Taylor gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Gram throws an elbow that misses.

And that's the end of the fight!
Stacey Taylor comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Taylor has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Jonathan Paton scores the fight 27:30
Judge Franklyn Lucas scores the fight 27:30
Judge Steve Montenegro scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Stacey Taylor!