PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between matheus mendes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Caleb Griffin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Griffin is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by You Fight Me by Breaking Benjamin. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

mendes
vs
Griffin

180 cm
21
190 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

190 cm
23
190 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

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 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, matheus mendes!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Caleb Griffin!
The judges for this bout are Cecil Peabody, Robert Twigg and Daniel Franklin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Griffin throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Griffin throws a right hand that mendes ducks under and follows up with a left that mendes also avoids with ease.

mendes drives through with a takedown into guard.
mendes trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
mendes throws a big right hand that misses.
mendes trying to control the position from guard on top but Griffin is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Griffin preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
mendes wants to stand and escape but instead Griffin has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Griffin wants to stand but mendes is controlling his posture from full guard.
mendes trying to keep a closed guard but Griffin is proving a slippery customer.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Griffin is looking to stand up but mendes won't let him.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
mendes falls off balance throwing a combination
and Griffin counters with a low kick, right behind mendes 's knee.
Griffin throws a left and a right that both miss

and mendes counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
mendes is breathing heavily.
mendes seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
mendes throws a big right hand that misses.
Griffin wants to stand up but mendes is controlling him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

mendes gets to his feet - Griffin follows without any prompting.
Griffin throws a chopping leg kick but mendes manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
mendes shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Griffin sprawls well. Griffin wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. mendes gets slowly back to his feet.
mendes throws a head kick that misses.
Griffin feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to mendes's calf.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
A low kick from Griffin is predictable there

and mendes counters with a takedown into side control.
mendes taking a break here but Griffin is having none of it and regains half guard.
mendes stops Griffin from getting back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
mendes thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

mendes is looking for a kimura but Griffin is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for mendes to get the leverage.
Griffin is staying active underneath mendes, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Griffin looks like he's trying to stand up.
mendes misses with a head shot. Griffin uses the momentum to regain guard.
mendes postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Griffin throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
A nice leg kick lands there from Griffin.
Griffin throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Griffin tries to bum rush mendes with a series of wild strikes but mendes uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
The fight stays on the outside here - mendes looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Griffin misses with a few strikes there.
mendes shoots in and drives through. Griffin sprawls well.
Griffin misses with a two punch combination.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Griffin swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Griffin connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between mendes's hands.
A combination from Griffin does no damage.
mendes scores with a head kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Caleb Griffin will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Griffin throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
mendes shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Griffin leaves mendes with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
mendes misses with a takedown attempt
enabling Griffin to counter with a crisp jab.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for matheus mendes. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Griffin throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Griffin throws a combination but it was largely blocked by mendes.
Griffin misses with a two punch combination.
Griffin buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Caleb Griffin seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A decent looking cross lands there for Griffin.
mendes tries for a takedown but Griffin circles away easily
and Griffin counters with a head kick.
mendes throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Griffin's waist but Griffin gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing mendes off to one side.
A solid leg kick lands there for Griffin.
Griffin throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.

Excellent takedown into side control there by mendes.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

mendes is trying to get an arm triangle but Griffin is defending well.
Griffin is letting mendes control him for a moment.

mendes tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no mendes has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
mendes fails to land a wild elbow strike.

That's two 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.
Griffin prevents mendes from improving position.
mendes has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

mendes working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
mendes trying to control the position but Griffin is working away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Griffin regains half guard there - taking advantage of mendes's attempt to lay and pray for a moment.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
mendes showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Griffin.
mendes looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Griffin is looking to chop away at mendes's legs.
Griffin swinging wilding here.
Griffin lands a head shot.
mendes dodges the punch combination from Griffin.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Some wild striking there from Griffin.
mendes shoots in but no luck this time.
Griffin misses with a wild combination.
A head kick misses from mendes.

mendes closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Griffin to the mat! Griffin manages to get full guard.
mendes throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
mendes trying to control the position from guard on top but Griffin is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
mendes wants to pass the guard but Griffin is keeping the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Caleb Griffin will probably get the nod - 10:9.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

mendes drives through with a takedown into guard.
mendes wants to control from the top but Griffin keeps moving.
mendes working some strikes from top position.
mendes postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

mendes drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Griffin manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now mendes has Griffin in his guard.

Griffin stands up and waves to mendes to follow him.
Caleb Griffin is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Griffin throws a leg kick that misses.
Griffin's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Griffin duly obliges.
mendes is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Griffin.
mendes shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Griffin defends it nicely.
Griffin goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
mendes tries for a takedown but Griffin circles away easily
and Griffin counters with a nice body kick.
Griffin sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
mendes tries for a takedown but Griffin sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for matheus mendes. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Griffin is looking to slow mendes down with leg kicks.
Griffin throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Griffin misses with a wild combination.
mendes looks for a takedown but Griffin sprawls well.
Griffin with a nice cross.
Danga de danga de dang - Griffin scores with a four punch combination!
Some wild striking there from mendes.
Griffin wants to slow mendes down by chopping away at his legs.
Griffin throws a series of punches but mendes moves out of range.
Griffin lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
mendes shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Griffin counters with a nice body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

mendes decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
mendes passes to side control.
matheus mendes overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
mendes postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
mendes working the ground and pound.
mendes has knee on belly and moves into mount.
mendes looking to finish with strikes here!
mendes throws a sloppy strike and Griffin uses the opportunity to reverse the position! A bit of a scramble here and Griffin has ended up in mendes's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
mendes controls Griffin momentarily but Griffin frees himself.
mendes will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
mendes throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
mendes not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

mendes is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to matheus mendes.
I think Griffin has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Cecil Peabody scores the fight 30:28
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 28:30
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 28:30

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Caleb Griffin!