PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Dustin Graves (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Igor Voganoff (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Voganoff comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Nine Inch Nails Every Day is Exactly the Same kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! This should be fireworks!

Graves
vs
Voganoff

180 cm
21
190 lbs
7 - 1 - 0

190 cm
23
190 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Determined

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 Las Vegas, Dustin Graves!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Igor Voganoff!
The judges for this bout are Cecil Peabody, Chris Downing and Daniel Franklin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Graves shoots in for a takedown but Voganoff shows good takedown defense.
Graves shoots for a takedown but Voganoff saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Horrible takedown by Graves or perhaps it was just good defense by Voganoff which made him look bad.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Dustin Graves. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Voganoff keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.

Voganoff looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Voganoff slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Voganoff pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Graves is keeping the position for now.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Voganoff loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Voganoff controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

Graves looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Graves is breathing heavily.
Voganoff working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Graves's head.
Voganoff wants to control from the top but Graves keeps moving.
Voganoff is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Voganoff pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Graves is keeping the position for now.
Graves keeping moving, preventing Voganoff from controlling successfully.
Voganoff postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Voganoff controlling from the top position.
Voganoff connects with a couple of short punches.
Graves wants to sweep but no luck.
Voganoff wants to control from the top but Graves keeps moving.

The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Graves working for submissions but it's allowed Voganoff to get to half guard.
Voganoff working over Graves with some ground and pound. Graves looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Voganoff drops an elbow to the side of Graves's head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Voganoff scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Voganoff is keen to just control but Graves is a slippery customer.
Voganoff thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Graves's head.

Graves looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Voganoff is keen to just control but Graves is a slippery customer.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Graves shoots and misses

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

Voganoff gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
Graves looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Voganoff puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Voganoff looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Graves with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Voganoff missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Graves is looking to improve his position.
Graves is working hard here to advance position.
Voganoff throwing shots but Graves is blocking nicely.
Graves is looking to improve his position.
The fighters are battling for position here. Graves manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Graves wants to control the position but Voganoff says "no thanks buddy" and passes to half guard.

Graves looking for submissions off his back.
Graves is looking to improve his position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Igor Voganoff dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Graves misses with a takedown attempt

and Voganoff counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Voganoff controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Voganoff working some strikes from top position.
Voganoff lands a couple of elbows.
Voganoff with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Voganoff wants to control from the top but Graves keeps moving.

Graves working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Voganoff doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Voganoff manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Voganoff wants to get up but he can't break Graves's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Voganoff wants to control from the top but Graves keeps moving.

Graves has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Voganoff can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Voganoff distracts Graves with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Voganoff content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Graves keeping full guard, as Voganoff tries to pass.

Voganoff decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Graves, up you get!

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.

Graves shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Graves looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Graves moves into full mount! Voganoff won't be happy about that!
Graves with good strikes from the mount here!
Graves lands a heavy elbow.

Graves goes for an armbar but he's not got it… Voganoff turns into him and now he's in Graves's guard.
Voganoff preventing the sweep.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Graves looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Igor Voganoff has got the better of the ground game so far.

Graves looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Voganoff stopping the sweep attempt from Graves.
Voganoff 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.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Voganoff throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Graves works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Voganoff trying to control the position from guard on top but Graves is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Graves escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Voganoff gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Graves wants to control but Voganoff passes easily into half guard.
Graves is trying to control but can't.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Igor Voganoff will probably get the nod - 10:9.
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. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Voganoff bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Sloppy strikes there by Voganoff.
Graves wants to control but Voganoff postures up.
Graves is looking for a sweep.
Graves manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Voganoff is trying to advance to mount but he's lost his balance and Graves reverses the position - he's now on top in Voganoff's guard.
Graves tries to stand but Voganoff is controlling from the bottom.
Graves advances position into side control!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Graves is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Voganoff is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Voganoff is trying to control Graves's posture but Graves avoids it.

Graves is working to tighten is grip on Voganoff's neck. He's isolated an arm and is working for an arm triangle. Voganoff has recognised the danger and is trying to turn with the submission but Graves is really squeezing tight and eventually Voganoff passes out! Graves breaks the hold and jumps onto the cage to celebrate! Submission of the night, I'd say!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:43 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Arm Triangle). Dustin Graves!