PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Arlen Gatlin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Michael Graves (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Arlen Gatlin has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Gatlin
vs
Graves

192 cm
20
227 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

190 cm
19
245 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Good in bed

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Determined

Sinners Fight Wear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Arlen Gatlin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Michael Graves!
The judges for this bout are , Jack Bonds and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nice takedown defense from Gatlin. No joy for Graves on that attempt.
Gatlin lands a body shot.
Nice takedown defense from Gatlin. No joy for Graves on that attempt.
Gatlin moves into range and connects with a jab.
Graves takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Gatlin misses with a head kick.
Gatlin knocks Graves to the floor with a head kick! Can he finish him!?

Graves is rocked!

It looks like Michael Graves has been cut.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Gatlin taking a breather here.
Graves is still in real trouble! Can Gatlin finish him?
Graves is looking for a sweep.

Gatlin working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Graves seems to have recovered his senses.

Gatlin wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Graves, who protects the arm well.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Gatlin decides to stand up, so the ref orders Graves to his feet.
Gatlin tries to land a front kick but Graves steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Gatlin misses with a takedown

and Graves counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Gatlin!
A nice elbow there by Graves.

Graves stands up from the dominant position, so we're back on the feet.
Graves looks gassed!
Graves avoids the head kick by Gatlin.
Graves pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Graves has Gatlin up against the cage in a clinch.
Gatlin has had enough of the clinch but Graves keeps him there for the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gatlin content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Gatlin misses with a hook to the ribs.

Graves has moved round to his opponent's back and is looking for a suplex! Oh snap! He's tossed Gatlin clear over his head and slammed him to the mat!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Graves not allowing Gatlin to control his hands.
Graves thows a huge left but connects with the canvas and not his opponent.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Graves looking to hold on to the position here but Gatlin rolls and ends up regaining guard.
Graves wants to control from the top but Gatlin keeps moving.
Gatlin is trying to control the position but Graves postures up.

Gatlin has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Graves can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Graves is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Graves misses with a takedown attempt
and Gatlin counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Graves is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Arlen Gatlin has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Michael Graves.

Graves shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Gatlin is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Graves sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Graves thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Gatlin is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Gatlin is in a bad position, trying to hold on for dear life but he is really struggling to maintain any sort of control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gatlin sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Gatlin is looking to improve his position.
Graves is looking to advance position but Gatlin won't allow it.
Gatlin wants to control but Graves is keeping busy.

Gatlin actively working from the bottom here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Graves stalling.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Arlen Gatlin dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Michael Graves's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Gatlin fails with the takedown

and Graves counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Gatlin keeping moving, preventing Graves from controlling successfully.
Gatlin working a defensive guard here.
Graves is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Graves looking to pass the guard.
Graves being controlled here momentarily.
Gatlin trying to control the position.
Graves works a leg free and moves into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Graves decides to stand up.

Gatlin feints and as Graves raises his hands in defense, Gatlin changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Gatlin wants to control from the top but Graves keeps moving.

Graves escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Gatlin gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

Gatlin stands up from Graves's guard - Gatlin perhaps looking for a knockout.
Gatlin doesn't manage to clinch there - Graves circles away.
Gatlin fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Graves manages to avoid it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gatlin jabs at Graves's body.
Gatlin misses with a few strikes there.
Gatlin lands a body shot.
Graves shoots for a takedown but Gatlin saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
A choreographed right hand from Gatlin misses the target.
Gatlin connects with the punch.
Gatlin falls off balance throwing a combination

and Graves counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Graves.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Graves stands up from Gatlin's guard - Graves perhaps looking for a knockout.
Gatlin lands a front kick.
Gatlin closes the distance but Graves moves to the side

and Graves counters with a nice double leg into side control. Gatlin won't be happy with that.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Graves working away.
Graves content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
Gatlin is not content to let Graves control the position.
Graves tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Graves wants to control but Gatlin is keeping him busy.
Gatlin sneaks back into half guard.

That's four 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.
Graves thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Gatlin's head.
Gatlin gets full guard.
Graves trying to control but Gatlin is working from the bottom.
Gatlin wants to stand and escape but Graves is having none of it.
Graves stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Gatlin swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Gatlin looking to control.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Gatlin wants to sweep here but Graves controlling him for the moment.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Graves.
Gatlin struggling a bit here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Michael Graves showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Michael Graves's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Graves fails with a takedown attempt.
Gatlin will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Graves takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Gatlin is looking to wear down Graves with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Gatlin throws a series of strikes that have Graves backpedaling.
Graves keeps the fight on the outside.
Graves fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Graves closes the distance and clinches up with Gatlin, looking for a takedown. Graves pushes Gatlin against the cage but Gatlin circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Arlen Gatlin has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Michael Graves.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Gatlin keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Gatlin throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
Gatlin scores to the head and body with a nice combination!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gatlin throws a series of punches but Graves moves out of range.
Gatlin throws a wild body kick that Graves sees coming a mile off.

Graves shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Graves showed some decent athleticism there.
Graves controlling the action here.
Gatlin keeping hold of Graves's head, controlling as best he can.
Graves is taking a breather. Gatlin says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Graves seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Graves sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Graves lands with a punch from half guard.
Graves wants to pass the guard but Gatlin is defending well.
Gatlin is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Graves controlling the pace.
Gatlin wants to control but Graves is keeping busy.
Gatlin gets full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Graves wants to control from the top but Gatlin keeps moving.
Graves looking to sit in guard and control but Gatlin gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Gatlin trying to control but Graves is working from the bottom.
Graves not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Gatlin passes into half guard.
Graves is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Gatlin is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Graves defends it well.

Gatlin is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.

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.
Graves is not content to let Gatlin control the position.
Graves gets back to full guard.
Gatlin trying to control the position from guard on top but Graves is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Gatlin is really struggling to control Graves but he's trying to hold on to the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Arlen Gatlin showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Gatlin 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 Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 29:28
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 29:28
Judge Suge Night scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Arlen Gatlin!