PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between l l (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Forrest Griffin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Griffin is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Big Punisher- Beware. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

l
vs
Griffin

174 cm
22
204 lbs
5 - 3 - 0

191 cm
23
205 lbs
5 - 11 - 0

Good wrestling
Brawler
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

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 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, l l!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 11 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Forrest Griffin!
The judges for this bout are Stewart Dunkirk, Tiny Johnson and Alan Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

l shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Griffin bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Griffin stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. l swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Griffin trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Griffin throwing strikes but missing.
Griffin working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Griffin throws and elbow that misses. l uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Griffin's guard. Nice move by l!
l thows a big elbow that misses.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Griffin is on top in guard.
Griffin has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Griffin throwing strikes but missing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Griffin has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of l is proving hard to escape from.
l might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Griffin won't allow l to get back to his feet.
l knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Griffin on the ground.
l preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Griffin throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as l works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Griffin stops l from standing up.
l could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Griffin with a poor takedown

and l counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
l is breathing heavily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
l scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
l blocks the strikes from Griffin.
Griffin missing with punches from the bottom.
Ground and pound from l.
Griffin moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
l stands up out of Griffin's guard for a moment - Griffin manages to land a nice upkick.
Griffin throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
l is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
l wants to pass the guard but Griffin is keeping the position.
Griffin lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for l!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
l wants to try and get back to his feet.
Griffin is in the full mount, landing strikes.
l is trying to stand up.

Griffin goes for an armbar but he's not got it… l turns into him and now he's in Griffin's guard.
Griffin is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Griffin is working for a kimura but l is defending it quite comfortably.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Griffin throwing shots but l is blocking nicely.
Griffin thows a huge punch but l dodges it nicely.
l blocking the ground and pound attempt from Griffin.
Griffin throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

Griffin is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Griffin scores to the head and body with a nice combination!

Griffin shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in l's guard.
Griffin prevents l from getting back to his feet.

Griffin thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Griffin loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Griffin postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Griffin postures up in l's guard and throws a big left but l blocks it.
Griffin won't allow l to get back to his feet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Griffin cracks l with a solid left hand.
l keeping moving, preventing Griffin from controlling successfully.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Griffin plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
l l is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
l wants to clinch up but Griffin keeps it at a distance.

l decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
l working Griffin over with strikes.
Griffin is pressing down on l's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Griffin looking for a sweep. Not yet Griffin, not yet.
l with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
l won't allow Griffin to sweep him here.
l works over Griffin with some ground and pound from guard.
l is in close to Griffin's body, working some short punches and elbows.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
l working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Griffin will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Griffin tries to close the distance and clinch up but l swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Griffin gets caught flat footed, as l shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Griffin trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Griffin is on top in guard.
Griffin throwing strikes but missing.
l keeping full guard, as Griffin tries to pass.
l is looking to stand up but Griffin isn't so interested in that idea.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Griffin trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
l wants to stand but Griffin is controlling the position.
Griffin wants to control from the top but l keeps moving.
Griffin throwing strikes but missing.
Griffin working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
l tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Griffin paws at him with a jab and circles away.

l scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
l lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Griffin down.
l landing a few strikes.
l lands an elbow.
Griffin gets back to half guard.
Griffin is pressing down on l's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.

Griffin working for a triangle but l defends it easily.
Griffin throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that l l will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

l closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Griffin did well to prevent l getting side control.
Griffin is trying to get back to full guard.
Griffin tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Griffin taking some punishment here, with l in his half guard.
l lands with a punch from half guard.
l is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Griffin regains full guard. Nicely done.
l tries to free his leg and advance position but Griffin is retaining full guard.
l landing with the ground and pound.
l has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
l trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
l with a flurry of punches that miss.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
l works over Griffin with some ground and pound from guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Griffin trying to strike off his back.

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

and Griffin counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for l!

Griffin jumps to the side looking to secure the arm triangle…. Ooooh, that looks tight… l is gargling but he's managed to escape! Nice work there by l and Griffin has given up the dominant position trying to land that submission.
Griffin looking to punish the body of his opponent here but l is avoiding damage well.
Griffin in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Griffin prevents l from escaping the position.
Griffin has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for l!

Griffin has hold of l's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and l manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
l l is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Griffin throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for l because Griffin loaded up on that one.
l blocking the ground and pound.
Griffin sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Griffin lands a big shot there that rocks l but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
l wants to try and get back to his feet.
Griffin with shots to the head and body - l looks very uncomfortable down there.
l trying desperately to get to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Griffin throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
l is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
l l overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Griffin unloads with some shots from mount but l bucks and avoids them well.
Griffin lands a heavy elbow.
Griffin looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Griffin thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
l holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Griffin tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
l avoids a series of strikes thrown by Griffin.
l on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if l tries to get out of the position.

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 thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
Griffin punching from mount but l doing a good job of avoiding damage.
l squirming around on the bottom, looking to escape.
l avoids a series of strikes thrown by Griffin.
l holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Griffin tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
Griffin connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Forrest Griffin has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Griffin throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.

And that's the end of the fight!
Forrest Griffin comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think l has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 28:29
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 29:28
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 28:29

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