PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Chris Grove (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Maris Briedis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Grove
vs
Briedis

184 cm
18
180 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

195 cm
21
213 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Granite chin

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Chris Grove!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Maris Briedis!
The judges for this bout are Josh West, Ryoma Takatsuka and Paul Gruel.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Briedis shoots in but no luck this time.
A head kick misses from Grove.
Grove falls off balance throwing a combination
enabling Briedis to counter with a crisp jab.
Briedis on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Grove tries a head kick but it misses.
Grove tries to bum rush Briedis with a series of wild strikes but Briedis uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

Grove shoots in and gets a takedown into Briedis's guard.
Grove is looking to stand up but Briedis won't let him.
Grove wants to stand and escape but instead Briedis has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Grove is looking to stand up but Briedis isn't so interested in that idea.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Briedis postures up in Grove's guard and throws a big left but Grove blocks it.

Briedis stands and steps away. Grove gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Grove misses with a kick to the body.
Grove circles away from the clinch attempt.
Briedis throws a solid leg kick but Grove takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Briedis.
Grove stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Grove wants it to stay on the feet.
Briedis takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Grove misses with the combination.
Grove throws a right and a left that both miss.
Briedis avoids a punch combination nicely.
Briedis fails with a takedown attempt.
Chris Grove has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Maris Briedis.
Briedis looks for the body kick but Grove saw that one coming.
Grove will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Grove avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Grove throws a right and a left that Briedis avoids nicely.
Grove tries a head kick but it misses.
Grove is breathing heavily.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Briedis controlling the action here for a moment.

Briedis pulls guard.
Briedis wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Grove postures up.
Briedis trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Grove stands and steps away. Briedis gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Grove swinging wildly here.

Briedis has managed to clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Briedis goes for a takedown attempt but Grove pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Grove looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Grove pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Briedis fails with an attempt to clinch.
Briedis tries to close the distance and clinch up but Grove swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Grove tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
A low kick from Briedis misses
and Grove counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Briedis shoots in and drives through. Grove sprawls well.
Grove keeps the fight on the outside.
Grove throws a head kick that misses.
Briedis misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Briedis blocks a head kick by Grove.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Grove throws a combination that misses

and Briedis counters by moving into the clinch.

Grove pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
A head kick misses from Grove.

Briedis closes the distance and clinches.
Grove tries to break the clinch but Briedis is controlling the position.
The referee calls for Briedis to work.

Briedis pulls guard successfully.
Briedis is trying to keep Grove in close.
This has been an exciting period of action!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Grove wants to stand but Briedis has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

Briedis looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Maris Briedis will probably get the nod.
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.

Briedis throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Briedis takes a kick to the side of the head.
Grove fails to land with a series of punches.
Briedis tries for a takedown but Grove sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Briedis moves in looking to clinch but Grove pushes him off.
Grove blocks a head kick by Briedis.
Grove swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Briedis counters with a left and a right that stings Grove.
Grove misses with a head kick.
Briedis tries to clinch but Grove is having none of it.
Briedis closes this distance looking for a takedown but Grove circles away.
A head kick misses from Briedis.
A head kick misses from Grove.
Grove dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Briedis. That did some damage!

Grove gets a takedown into half guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Grove tries to stand but his arm is trapped.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Grove stands up out of the half guard.
Briedis tries to close the distance and clinch but Grove swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Grove tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Briedis tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Grove tries a head kick but it misses.
Briedis tries to clinch but Grove is having none of it.
Chris Grove is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Grove avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Briedis tries to keep at a distance but Grove has taken the fight into the clinch.
Grove tries to break the clinch but Briedis is controlling the position.

Grove breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Briedis feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Groves jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Nice sprawl there from Grove as Briedis shoots in.
Chris Grove has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Maris Briedis.

Briedis clinches up with Grove and pushes him back against the cage.
Briedis wants to break the clinch but can't.

Grove escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Grove misses with a few strikes there.
Grove fails to land with a series of punches.
Briedis takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Briedis is trying hard to land a takedown here. Grove sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Chris Grove is winning the standup battle so far.
Grove dodges the punch combination from Briedis.
Briedis takes a kick to the side of the head.
Briedis is looking to clinch.
Grove throws a nice outside leg kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Briedis throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
A head kick misses from Grove.
Grove misses with the combination.
Chris Grove seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Briedis drives through and clinches with Grove against the cage.
Grove prevents the takedown attempt.

Grove turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Grove manages to end up in side control.
Briedis manages to work his way to half guard, despite Grove's best efforts.

Grove stands up from half guard.
Grove misses with a double jab.
Briedis tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Grove paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Briedis shoots in but no luck this time.
A combination from Grove does no damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Briedis fails to land the takedown.
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!
A combination from Grove does no damage.
Briedis scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Grove throws a head kick that misses.
Briedis is looking to clinch.

Grove drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Grove wants to stand but Briedis has his arm trapped.
Briedis wants to control but Grove postures up.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Briedis tries to bench press Grove off him but Grove keeps the position.

Grove decides to take the fight back to the feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Chris Grove dominated that second round.
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!

Grove fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Briedis changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Grove tries to avoid it but Briedis manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Grove to the ground. Grove escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Briedis throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Briedis closes the distance and clinches up with Grove, looking for a takedown. Briedis pushes Grove against the cage but Grove circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

Grove drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.

Grove decides to stand back up. Grove steps back and let's Briedis get back to his feet.
Briedis wants to clinch.
Briedis misses with a head kick.
Briedis avoids a punch combination nicely.
Briedis misses with a head kick.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Briedis fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Chris Grove has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Maris Briedis.
Sloppy strikes from Grove. Those never looked like landing.
Grove throws a head kick but Briedis moves out of range.
Grove thows a body shot but no joy.
Grove scores with a head kick.
Grove lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Briedis circles away quickly and effectively.
Grove slaps away a takedown attempt from Briedis, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Briedis throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Grove throws a sloppy head kick and Briedis moves out of range easily.
Grove looks to land a right hand but Briedis moved out of range.
Grove slaps away a takedown attempt from Briedis, before circling back to the center of the mat.

Grove decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Grove seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.

Briedis has one foot on Grove's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.
Grove misses with a combination

and Briedis counters by clinching up.
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!
Briedis wants a takedown.
Briedis prevents Grove from breaking the clinch.

Briedis pulls guard effortlessly.
Briedis has a closed guard, preventing Grove from standing up.
Briedis 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.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Grove wanted to stand there but Briedis had control of the position.

Briedis working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Grove doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Grove manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Grove postures up.

Grove avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Grove wanted to stand there but Briedis had control of the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Briedis kicks Grove off and gets to his feet.
Briedis is looking to clinch.
It really doesn't seem like the step up in weight is hurting Grove here at all. He's more than holding his own against the bigger man.
Grove throws a right and a left that both miss.

Briedis darts in and clinches Grove up against the cage.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Grove wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Briedis has him pressed against the cage.

Briedis manages to pull guard.
Grove wants to get up but he can't break Briedis's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

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 Chris Grove.
I think Grove 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 Josh West scores the fight for Chris Grove!
Judge Ryoma Takatsuka scores the fight for Chris Grove!
Judge Paul Gruel scores the fight for Chris Grove!

Chris Grove wins by unanimous decision!