PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Diego Salazar (ranked 3861 p4p, 5438 weight class) and Benito Graffagnino (ranked 0 p4p, 562 weight class). I can't wait for this one - let's get the fighter introductions out of the way and get this one started!

Salazar
vs
Graffagnino

186 cm
25
215
1 - 0 - 0

180 cm
25
205
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Diego Salazar!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Benito Graffagnino!
The judges for this bout are Skip Squint, Ron Honeybunn and Hugh Johnson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Graffagnino throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.

Salazar forces Graffagnino back against the cage and clinches.
Salazar pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Graffagnino blocks an elbow strike.

Graffagnino manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Graffagnino working a defensive guard here.
Salazar pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Graffagnino is keeping the position for now.

Graffagnino is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Salazar is aware though and is defending well.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Graffagnino controlling Salazar's posture.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Graffagnino is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Graffagnino managing to control the position.
Let's hope that Graffagnino has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Salazar displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Graffagnino.

Salazar gets in close and instigates a clinch.

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.
Graffagnino is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Salazar misses with the head strike.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Salazar.
A head punch on the inside from Salazar fails to land.
Salazar pushes off an throws an elbow but Graffagnino leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Salazar pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Salazar lands an elbow just above Graffagnino 's eye.

It looks like Benito Graffagnino has been cut.
Salazar fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Graffagnino is trying to force a seperation but Salazar has the dominant position.
Salazar throws a punch but it's blocked by Graffagnino.
Salazar creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Graffagnino's defenses.
Salazar swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Graffagnino wants to break the clinch but can't.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Salazar creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Salazar misses with the head strike.
Salazar lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Salazar misses with the head strike.
Salazar misses with the head strike.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Salazar throws an elbow but it's blocked.
With the fighters up against the cage, Salazar throws an elbow but misses.
Graffagnino dodges an elbow strike from Salazar.
Salazar scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Graffagnino working hard to break the clinch.
Salazar lands an elbow just above Graffagnino 's eye.

Graffagnino is rocked!
Salazar has Graffagnino pressed against the cage. He pushes Graffagnino back and as he springs towards him off the cage, Salazar throws a beautiful elbow that sends Graffagnino crashing to the floor! Salazar piles on the pressure with more strikes! Graffagnino is flailing away but he's not defending himself and the referee steps in to stop the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:30 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Diego Salazar!
During a confident post fight interview, Diego Salazar thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.