PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Forrest Griffith (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Baz Baldwin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Forrest Griffith has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Griffith
vs
Baldwin

190 cm
22
193 lbs
7 - 1 - 0

180 cm
18
190 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Improved boxing
Big right hand

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Solid chin

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 7 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Forrest Griffith!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Baz Baldwin!
The judges for this bout are Chad Campbell, David Schapiro and Alyssa Summers.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Griffith swings for the body but Baldwin moves out of range.
Griffith misses with a double jab.
Griffith doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Nice takedown defense from Griffith. No joy for Baldwin on that attempt.
Griffith looks to land a combination but Baldwin avoids it well.
Baldwin uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Griffith.
Baldwin pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Baldwin takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Baldwin fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Baldwin lands a head kick. Griffith smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Baldwin keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Griffith misses with the combination.
Baldwin shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Griffith pinned against the cage. Griffith gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Griffith misses with a series of wild punches.
Baldwin lands with a thumping leg kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Baldwin fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Griffith, pushing him back against the cage.
Baldwin connects with a knee to the head.

It looks like Forrest Griffith has been cut.
Baldwin keeps control of Griffith as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Baldwin with a knee to the head.
Baldwin with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Baldwin looking to throw knees to the head but Griffith is blocking nicely.
Baldwin tries a knee to the head but Griffith blocks it.
Baldwin throws a knee to the head but misses.
Griffith wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Baldwin landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Baldwin is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Griffith gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Forrest Griffith has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Baz Baldwin.
Baldwin with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Baldwin holding his opponent close, against the cage.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Baldwin.
Baldwin landing knees to the head.
Baldwin looks gassed!
Baldwin landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Griffith blocking some punches.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Griffith dodges an elbow strike from Baldwin.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Baldwin.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Baldwin just misses with a elbow thrown towards Griffith's brow.
Baldwin creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Griffith wants to break free but Baldwin has control.
Griffith managing to block the knees to the body from Baldwin.
Baldwin with an attempt at a knee that misses.

Baldwin pulls guard effortlessly.
Griffith stopping the sweep attempt from Baldwin.
Baldwin pulls Griffith in to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Baldwin trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Griffith has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Baldwin is proving hard to escape from.
Baldwin looking to hit a scissor sweep but Griffith is one step ahead there.

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.
Baldwin working a defensive guard but Griffith manages to pass into side control anyway.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Who's going to make the next move?
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Baz Baldwin dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Forrest Griffith's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Griffith throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Forrest Griffith is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Griffith throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Baldwin sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Griffith fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Baldwin looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
A swing and a miss from Griffith.
Griffith just misses with a punch to the body.
Griffith misses the shot to the body.
Griffith misses with a looping left.
Griffith misses with a looping right.

Baldwin has closed the distance and engaged Griffith in a clinch.
Baldwin is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Baldwin misses with a knee strike.
Baldwin misses with a knee strike.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Griffith takes a knee right on the jaw!
Baldwin using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Baldwin lands an elbow just above Griffith 's eye.
Griffith managing to block the knees to the body from Baldwin.
Baldwin misses with a knee strike.
Baldwin missing with knees to the body.
Baldwin is breathing heavily.
Baldwin using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Griffith has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Baldwin throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Griffith blocks it with crossed arms.
Griffith can't break the clinch.
Baldwin with a knee to the head.
Baldwin prevents Griffith from breaking the clinch.
Baldwin avoiding damage.
Baldwin missing with knees to the body.
Baldwin tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Baldwin misses with a knee strike.
Baldwin with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Griffith tries to break the clinch but Baldwin is controlling the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Baldwin using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Griffith has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Griffith wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Baldwin looking to throw knees to the head but Griffith is blocking nicely.
Baldwin connects with a nasty looking knee right to Griffith's face.
Griffith managing to block the knees to the body from Baldwin.
Baldwin landing knees to the body.
Griffith wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Baldwin lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Baldwin crunches a lovely knee into Griffith's ribcage.
Baldwin lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Griffith is trying to break free.
Baldwin lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Baldwin misses with a knee strike.
Baldwin missing with knees to the body.
Griffith can't break the clinch.
Griffith avoiding damage as Baldwin throws knees to the body.
Baldwin with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Baldwin using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Griffith has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Griffith on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Baldwin misses with a knee strike.
Baldwin looking to throw knees to the head but Griffith is blocking nicely.
Baldwin trying to land knees to the body.
Baldwin misses with a knee to the head.

Griffith breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Forrest Griffith is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Griffith throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Griffith throws the left hand but Baldwin avoids the punch easily.
Griffith lands a nice shot to the body.
Baldwin on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.

It looks like Baz Baldwin has been cut.
A head kick misses from Griffith.
A big right from Griffith misses.
Griffith misses with a two punch combination.

Baldwin clinches up against the cage.
Baldwin fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Baldwin tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Baldwin unloads a knee to the mid-section. Griffith lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Baldwin scores a nice knee to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Baldwin scores a nice knee to the body.
Baldwin tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Baldwin tries to land knees in the clinch but Griffith avoids the damage to the body.
Baldwin is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Griffith pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Griffith on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Griffith is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Baldwin misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Griffith.
Baldwin using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Griffith has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Baldwin connects with a nasty looking knee right to Griffith's face.
Griffith managing to block the knees to the body from Baldwin.
Griffith is looking to break free of the clinch but Baldwin has double underhooks.
Griffith wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Griffith managing to block the knees to the body from Baldwin.
Baldwin misses with an elbow strike.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Griffith wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Griffith has had enough of the clinch but Baldwin keeps him there for the moment.
Griffith is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Baldwin missing with knees to the body.
Baldwin tries a knee to the head but Griffith blocks it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Baz Baldwin showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Griffith displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
A jab-cross combination lands for Griffith and sends Baldwin crashing to the mat! Griffith follows him down to the mat - Baldwin regains half guard but he's not out of trouble yet!

Baldwin is rocked!
Baldwin is looking to improve his position.
Baldwin is still in real trouble! Can Griffith finish him?
Baldwin is trying to control but can't.
Baldwin seems to have recovered his senses.

Griffith decides to stand and escape the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Griffith swings and misses with a shot to the body

so Baldwin counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Baldwin takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Griffith wants to stand up but Baldwin is controlling him.
Baldwin controls from within his opponent's guard.
Griffith wants to stand but Baldwin is controlling the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Griffith is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Baldwin throws an elbow that misses.
A knee to the head by Baldwin.
A knee to the head by Baldwin.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Baldwin.
Baldwin stalling.
Griffith has had enough of the clinch but Baldwin keeps him there for the moment.
Griffith managing to block the knees to the body from Baldwin.
Knees to the body from Baldwin.
Griffith takes a knee right on the jaw!
Baldwin misses with a knee strike.
Baldwin throws an elbow but it misses.

Griffith escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Baldwin avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Griffith lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Baldwin has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Baldwin and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Griffith lands with an uppercut that bounces Baldwin off the cage and back into rage.
Baldwin fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Griffith throws a head kick that misses.
Griffith closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Griffith throws a series of punches but Baldwin avoids them all with ease.
A chopping leg kick lands by Baldwin.
Griffith lands a right hook to the body.
Griffith throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Griffith thows a body shot but no joy.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Griffith throws a wild body kick that Baldwin sees coming a mile off.
Griffith lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Baldwin at a distance.
Baldwin lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Baldwin.
Baldwin avoids the body shot from Griffith.

And that's the end of the fight!
Forrest Griffith showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Baldwin 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 Chad Campbell scores the fight for Forrest Griffith!
Judge David Schapiro scores the fight for Forrest Griffith!
Judge Alyssa Summers scores the fight for Forrest Griffith!

Forrest Griffith wins by unanimous decision!