PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Gaetano Fuschini (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Woods Griffon (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gaetano Fuschini could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Woods Griffon's chin.

Fuschini
vs
Griffon

183 cm
22
210 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

190 cm
22
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Dangerous knees
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

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 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Gaetano Fuschini!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Woods Griffon!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Shimada, Ren Mimura and Yuuki Gou.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Fuschini just leaning against Griffon, taking a breather.
Griffon misses with a knee to the head.
Fuschini's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Fuschini with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Fuschini prevents Griffon from breaking the clinch.
Fuschini leaning against his opponent.
Griffon can't break the clinch.

Fuschini breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Fuschini is looking to clinch.
Griffon tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

Griffon fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Fuschini, pushing him back against the cage.
Griffon wants to stall.
Fuschini is trying to stall.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Fuschini breaks from the clinch.
Fuschini tries to clinch

and Griffon counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Knees to the body from Fuschini.
Griffon struggles to land a body shot inside as Fuschini controls his hands.
Fuschini lands with a short shot to the head.
Fuschini with a knee to the head.
Griffon connects with a knee to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fuschini gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Griffon.
Griffon missing with knees to the body.
Fuschini with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Griffon looks gassed!
Fuschini has Griffon pressed against the cage.
Griffon tries to pull guard but Fuschini holds him up against the cage and eventually Griffon drops back down to his feet.
Griffon throws a knee to the head but misses.
Fuschini misses with a knee to the head.
Griffon is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Fuschini is keeping busy.
Fuschini lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!

It looks like Woods Griffon has been cut.
Griffon landing knees to the head.
Fuschini landing knees to the head.
Fuschini landing knees to the body.
Fuschini lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Fuschini works on Griffon's body with a couple of short punches.
Fuschini with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Griffon with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Fuschini tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fuschini wants to stall.
Griffon can't get the takedown.
Gaetano Fuschini has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Woods Griffon.

Griffon breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Griffon tries to close the distance and clinch but Fuschini swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Griffon rushes Fuschini and presses him up against the cage.
Fuschini lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Fuschini tries to land a knee to the head but misses.

Griffon breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Fuschini looks to clinch

and Griffon counters with a single leg into guard. Fuschini didn't expect that.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for leaving it all in the cage!
Griffon stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Fuschini swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Fuschini keeping moving, preventing Griffon from controlling successfully.
Griffon is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Griffon thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

Griffon thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Fuschini wants to sweep here but Griffon controlling him for the moment.
Griffon trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Griffon shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Fuschini pinned against the cage. Fuschini gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Fuschini clinches but Griffon breaks the clinch

and Griffon counters with a single leg into guard. Fuschini didn't expect that.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Griffon stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Fuschini swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Griffon trying to control but Fuschini is working from the bottom.
Griffon works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Griffon wants to control but Fuschini is keeping him busy.

Fuschini is defending against the submission attempts here by Griffon.
Griffon trying to pass the guard but Fuschini defending well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Woods Griffon dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Woods Griffon's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Fuschini tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Griffon paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Fuschini throws a right hand that Griffon ducks under and follows up with a left that Griffon also avoids with ease.
Griffon wants to clinch

and Fuschini holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Fuschini lands a hook to the side of the head.
Griffon wants to get back to striking at distance but Fuschini won't allow it.
A knee to the head by Fuschini.
Fuschini is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.

Fuschini breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Gaetano Fuschini is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Fuschini tries to clinch up

and Griffon counters with a nice double leg into side control. Fuschini won't be happy with that.
Fuschini struggling a bit here.
Fuschini gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Griffon is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Griffon stalling away here and it's allowed Fuschini to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Fuschini wants to get back to his feet but Griffon is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Fuschini bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Griffon's guard.
Fuschini controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Fuschini tries to free his leg and advance position but Griffon is retaining full guard.
Griffon is pulling down on Fuschini's head. It's preventing any offense from Fuschini, at least for the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

Griffon looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Fuschini controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Griffon wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Fuschini is now in half guard.
Griffon regains full guard. Nicely done.
Griffon tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Griffon working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Fuschini has passed into half guard!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fuschini passes into side control, despite Griffon's attempt to control the position.
Griffon pushes Fuschini away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Fuschini gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Griffon is trying to work for a sweep but Fuschini has mounted him!
Fuschini throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Fuschini controlling the pace for now.
Fuschini has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.

That's four 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.
Griffon tries to reverse the position but Fuschini maintains control.
Griffon blocking the ground and pound.
Fuschini tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.

Fuschini is standing up out of mount! Strange tactic there - he must really want this one on the feet!
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 Gaetano Fuschini will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Woods Griffon's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Fuschini keeps the fight on the outside.
Fuschini closes the distance but Griffon moves to the side

and Griffon counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
A short uppercut from Fuschini.
Fuschini landing knees to the head.
Fuschini is working Griffon over against the cage.

Fuschini breaks from the clinch.
Fuschini lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Fuschini wants to clinch but Griffon slips to the side

and Griffon counters with a shoot takedown. Fuschini fights it but they end up in guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Griffon trying to control the position from guard on top but Fuschini is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Fuschini is on top in guard.
Fuschini tries to stand but Griffon is controlling from the bottom.
Griffon utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

Griffon working for a triangle but Fuschini defends it easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Griffon looking for a sweep. Not yet Griffon, not yet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Griffon takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Fuschini showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Woods Griffon has got the better of the ground game so far.
Fuschini throwing strikes but missing.
Fuschini controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

Fuschini gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.

Fuschini has taken the fight to the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Griffon is looking to break free of the clinch but Fuschini has double underhooks.
Fuschini lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Griffon.
Fuschini lands an elbow just above Griffon 's eye.
Fuschini with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Fuschini connects with a knee to the head.

Griffon breaks the clinch.
Fuschini closes the distance looking to clinch

and Griffon counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Griffon.

Griffon breaks the clinch.

Griffon has Fuschini up against the cage in a clinch.

Griffon escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Fuschini darts in trying to clinch

and Griffon counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Griffon.

Griffon manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.

Fuschini avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fuschini is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Griffon is trying to keep Fuschini in close.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Fuschini trying to control but Griffon is working from the bottom.

Griffon looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

That's four 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.
Fuschini distracts Griffon with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Fuschini has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Fuschini 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.
Griffon is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Fuschini looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Fuschini postures up.

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 Gaetano Fuschini.
I think Fuschini 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 Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 29:28
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight 29:28
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Gaetano Fuschini!