PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Taylor Griffin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dwight Howard (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Griffin comes to the cage accompanied by Champions. Howard has chosen Superman as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Taylor Griffin had real problems making weight for this fight. After initially coming in at 186.8lbs, he had two hours to make the official fight weight. He made it but it will have taken a lot out of him to cut those extra few pounds. Dwight Howard told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Griffin
vs
Howard

192 cm
24
199 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

201 cm
22
185 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

Global Empire MMA Gear

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 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Taylor Griffin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Dwight Howard!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Fujiwara, Yasuomi Hirokawa and Yukihiro Yamamoto.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Griffin stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Griffin wants it to stay on the feet.

Howard clinches up with Griffin and pushes him back against the cage.
Howard fails to pull guard.
Griffin is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Howard is defending well.

Howard pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Griffin shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Griffin throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Howard works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Griffin sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Howard wants to sweep here but Griffin controlling him for the moment.

Griffin stands up and waves to Howard to follow him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Howard misses with a body kick.
Howard is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Howard fails with the takedown
and Griffin counters with a body kick that brings a smile to the face of both fighters.
Taylor Griffin has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Dwight Howard.

Griffin shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Griffin stalling.
Howard is not content to let Griffin control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Howard is trying to get back to full guard.
Howard trying to control but Griffin postures up.
Well, if Griffin is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Taylor Griffin just wasn't active enough.
Howard shoots in and drives through. Griffin sprawls well.

Griffin forces Howard back against the cage and clinches.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Griffin.

It looks like Dwight Howard has been cut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Howard is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Griffin pulls him back up using the underhooks.

Griffin breaks the clinch.
Griffin throws a body punch but Howard moves out of range.
Howard shoots in for a takedown but Griffin shows good takedown defense.
Howard tries to clinch but Griffin moves out of range.
Howard tries to score a power double leg takedown but Griffin sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Howard somewhat.
Howard looks gassed!
Howard stuffs the takedown attempt from Griffin. Griffin gets slowly back to his feet.
Griffin misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Howard fails in his attempt to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A jab from Griffin misses.
Howard scores with a head kick. Griffin tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.

Griffin gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Griffin breaks the clinch.
Griffin lunges at Howard with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Howard's hand.
Howard blocks a head kick by Griffin.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Howard tries to pull guard but Griffin won't allow it.
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!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Griffin jumps guard and drags Howard to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Griffin manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Taylor Griffin dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Dwight Howard's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Howard avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Howard looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Griffin is fending him off so far but Howard persists. Nope, Griffin circles away and we're back to standing.
Griffin shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Howard eats them both and turns towards Griffin to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Howard takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Griffin tries to clinch up.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Griffin.
Howard throws a head kick but Griffin moves out of range.
Griffin throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Howard leaves Griffin with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Nice takedown defense from Howard. No joy for Griffin on that attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Taylor Griffin. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Howard tries to score a power double leg takedown but Griffin sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Howard somewhat.
Howard is looking to clinch.
Griffin throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Howard's waist but Howard gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Griffin off to one side.
Griffin shoots in and drives through. Howard sprawls well.
Griffin stuffs the takedown attempt from Howard. Howard gets slowly back to his feet.
Howard scores with a jab to the jaw.
Howard stuffs the takedown attempt from Griffin. Griffin gets slowly back to his feet.
Howard shoots in but no luck this time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Howard throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Griffin shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Howard defends it nicely.
Howard scores with a one two! Griffin had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Griffin tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Griffin shoots in looking for a takedown but Howard manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Griffin's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Taylor Griffin is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Howard gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Griffin trying to stall but Howard improves his position.

Howard pulls Griffin into guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Howard trying to control the position.

Howard had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Griffin defends it easily.

Howard has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Griffin off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Howard wants to clinch up but Griffin keeps it at a distance.
Griffin tries to clinch but Howard is having none of it.
Howard shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Griffin as he avoids it easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Griffin wants to clinch up but Howard keeps it at a distance.

Griffin fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Howard, pushing him back against the cage.
Howard tries to pull guard but Griffin won't allow it.

Griffin breaks the clinch.
Taylor Griffin is winning the standup battle so far.
Griffin scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Griffin throws a combination. Howard tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Howard leaves Griffin with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Howard throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Griffin's head.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Howard misses with a takedown attempt - Griffin sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Griffin goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
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 Taylor Griffin will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Dwight Howard's cut.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Griffin circles away from the clinch attempt.
Nice defenses there by Howard.
Griffin throws a head kick but Howard moves out of range.
Griffin closes this distance looking for a takedown but Howard circles away.
Howard tries to clinch up.

Howard shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.

Howard stands up and waves to Griffin to follow him.
Griffin fails with a takedown attempt.

Griffin takes the fight into the clinch.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Howard looking to slow down the pace here.

Howard escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Griffin displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Howard.
Griffin avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Howard fails with the takedown

and Griffin holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Howard is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Griffin is defending well.
Taylor Griffin has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Dwight Howard.

Griffin is trying to trip Howard. He has hold of a leg but Howard is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Griffin persists though and gets the takedown into guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Howard throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Griffin looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Griffin postures up.
Griffin's corner is telling him to maintain position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Taylor Griffin wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Howard stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Howard wants it to stay on the feet.
Howard keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Griffin is trying hard to land a takedown here. Howard sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Howard shoots for a double leg takedown but Griffin sprawls well. He's pushed Howard's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Griffin swats away the attempt to clinch by Howard.
The fight stays on the outside here - Howard looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Griffin looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Howard is fending him off so far but Griffin persists. Nope, Howard circles away and we're back to standing.
Nice sprawl there from Griffin as Howard shoots in.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Griffin changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Howard tries to avoid it but Griffin manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Howard to the ground. Howard escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Howard tries to clinch up.
Howard throws a nice looking combination but Griffin bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Howard shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Griffin counters with a one-two to the body.
Howard tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Griffin fails to land the takedown.

Howard looking to score a takedown here. Griffin is defending well but Howard drives through and ends up in Griffin's guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Howard wants to control from the top but Griffin keeps moving.

And that's the end of the fight!
Dwight Howard comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Griffin has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 29:28
Judge Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 28:29
Judge Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Taylor Griffin!
A victorious Taylor Griffin thanked his army of followers in his post fight interview, telling people to make sure they follow him on Twitter.