PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Fahir Hassan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Forest Griffin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Hassan is coming into this fight with a significant injury, which will no doubt have an effect on his cardio. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Hassan
vs
Griffin

200 cm
22
195 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

180 cm
20
215 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

Good takedowns
Basic striking
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Fahir Hassan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Forest Griffin!
The judges for this bout are George Francis, Daniel Franklin and Robert Twigg.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hassan shoots for a takedown but Griffin saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Hassan is breathing heavily.

Griffin rushes Hassan and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Griffin landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.

Griffin breaks from the clinch.
Griffin dives in and grabs Hassan's left leg, looking for a takedown. Hassan pushes down on Griffin's head and hops out.
Griffin bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.
Griffin lands with a thumping leg kick.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Griffin tries to clinch up.
Griffin tries a head kick but it misses.
Hassan takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Griffin misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

Hassan tries to keep at a distance but Griffin has taken the fight into the clinch.

Griffin breaks the clinch.
Griffin shoots in but no luck this time.
Griffin has his takedown stuffed

and Hassan counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Fahir Hassan has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Forest Griffin.
Griffin trying to keep a closed guard but Hassan is proving a slippery customer.
Hassan won't allow Griffin to sweep him here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Griffin not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Griffin might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Hassan kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.

Hassan got a little sloppy there for a moment and Griffin has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Hassan has managed to get both his arms back between Griffin's legs - danger averted.
Griffin controls Hassan momentarily but Hassan frees himself.
Griffin is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Griffin tries for a takedown but Hassan sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Griffin shoots in looking for a takedown. Hassan tries to sprawl out of it but Griffin keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Hassan manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Griffin lands with a nice body punch.
Fahir Hassan seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Griffin is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Hassan's half guard.
Griffin wants to take a breather but Hassan is having none of it.
Hassan is looking to control Griffin's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Hassan avoid being mounted?
Griffin tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Hassan.
Hassan strikes from the bottom but Griffin passes into mount!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hassan wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Griffin.
Griffin trying to control but he's not successful this time.

Griffin has hold of Hassan's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Hassan manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Griffin can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Hassan is looking to escape.

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.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Griffin fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Forest Griffin dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Griffin fails with the takedown.
Griffin looks for a takedown but Hassan sprawls well.
Griffin scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.

Griffin moves into the clinch successfully.

Griffin manages to pull guard.
Griffin wants to sweep but no luck.
Griffin manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Hassan manages to get himself to full guard.
Hassan trying to keep a closed guard but Griffin is proving a slippery customer.
Hassan on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Hassan tries to get out of the position.
Hassan avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Hassan keeping moving, preventing Griffin from controlling successfully.
Hassan will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Griffin is looking to stand up but Hassan won't let him.
Hassan is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Griffin looking to pass the guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Griffin gets a clinch.
Come on Griffin - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.

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 lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Griffin tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Hassan.
Griffin prevents Hassan from improving his position.
Griffin trying to control from half guard but Hassan is working away.
Hassan wants to control but Griffin passes into side.
Griffin wants to stand but Hassan is controlling his arm.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Griffin trying to control the position but Hassan is working away.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Griffin fails with a takedown attempt.
Fahir Hassan has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Forest Griffin.
Griffin scores with a nice body kick.
Forest Griffin is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Griffin fails with an attempt to clinch.
Hassan takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.

Griffin closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Griffin scoring with strikes to the body and head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Griffin tries to pass the half guard into mount. Hassan knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Hassan is not content to let Griffin control the position.
Hassan trying to hold on to Griffin's head to control him but Griffin postures up.

Griffin is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Griffin wants to take a breather but Hassan is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Forest Griffin showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Griffin closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
A right hook to the body lands for Griffin.

Griffin's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Griffin misses with a head kick.
Griffin tries to clinch there but Hassan circles away.
Hassan stuffs the takedown.
Hassan defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Griffin.
Griffin closes this distance looking for a takedown but Hassan circles away.
Fahir Hassan has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Forest Griffin.
Griffin pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Griffin has closed the distance and engaged Hassan in a clinch.

Griffin pulls guard effortlessly.
Hassan really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Hassan trying to control the position from guard on top but Griffin is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Griffin lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Hassan!
Griffin avoids the attempt from Hassan to control.
Hassan is in all sorts of trouble here.
Griffin has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Griffin unloads with some shots from mount but Hassan bucks and avoids them well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Griffin trying to control but Hassan is having none of it.

Griffin goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Hassan is on top in guard.
Griffin seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Hassan throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Griffin works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Griffin looking to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hassan trying to control but Griffin is working from the bottom.
Griffin is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Hassan won't allow Griffin to sweep him here.
Griffin wants to improve his position but instead Hassan has moved into half guard.
Hassan thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Griffin's head.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Griffin forces Hassan back against the cage and clinches.
Griffin avoiding damage.

Griffin successfully pulls guard.

That's four 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.
Griffin is trying to keep Hassan in close.
Griffin manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Hassan manages to get himself to full guard.
Hassan keeping moving, preventing Griffin from controlling successfully.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Hassan looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

And that's the end of the fight!
Forest Griffin comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Griffin 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 George Francis scores the fight 27:30
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 27:30
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Forest Griffin!