PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Tobias Greer (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ephraim Graham (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.

Greer
vs
Graham

187 cm
18
190 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

200 cm
25
193 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Granite 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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Tobias Greer!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Ephraim Graham!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, and Timothy Bukovac.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Graham misses with a few strikes there.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
A frustrated look appears on Greer's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Graham tries a body shot but Greer blocks it.

Graham breaks from the clinch.

Graham forces Greer back against the cage and clinches.

Graham pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Graham fails with an attempt to clinch.
Graham throws a push kick but Greer slaps the foot to one side.
Graham throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Greer.
Graham lands a high kick!
Greer tries to clinch up.
Greer moves out of range of the body kick.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Graham scores with a leg kick.
Graham fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Graham uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Greer.
Greer throws a series of punches but Graham moves out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Greer shoots in but Graham avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Graham thows a body kick. Greer tries to catch it but that hurt him.

Graham rushes Greer and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Greer is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Graham is keeping busy.

Greer ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Greer no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Graham controls from within his opponent's guard.
Greer looking to control.

Greer is looking for a triangle here but Graham uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Greer can't do much from the bottom here.
Greer wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Greer tries to slip a leg under to move to half guard but Graham presses down on the leg and jumps into full mount!
Greer wants to control but Graham is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Greer gets back to half guard.
Graham sitting and controlling from the half guard.

Graham decides to stand and escape the position.
Greer slips a jab and a cross from Graham.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Graham moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Ephraim Graham is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Graham clinches up with Greer and pushes him back against the cage.

Graham breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Graham throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Graham swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Ephraim Graham seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Greer tries to score a power double leg takedown but Graham sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Greer somewhat.
Greer is breathing heavily.

Graham pushes Greer up against the cage in a clinch.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Graham lands a damaging elbow.
Graham tries to pull guard but Greer forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Graham throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Greers head.

Graham manages to break the clinch.
Greer shoots in for a double leg but Graham sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ephraim Graham dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Graham lands a head kick!
Graham throws a front kick aimed at Greer's knee but Greer avoids it well.
Graham delivers a nice body kick.
Graham pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Graham connects with a leg kick. Greer looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Greer on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Graham throws a head kick that half lands.
Greer changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Graham tries to avoid it but Greer manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Graham to the ground. Graham escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
The fight stays on the outside here - Graham looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Graham throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Greer crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Graham - the referee stops the clock and Greer gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Graham. Greer manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
Graham misses with a combination

and Greer counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Graham's guard now.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Greer trying to stand up but can't free himself from Graham's guard.
Graham is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Greer looking to pass the guard.
Greer landing some decent shots from guard.
Graham is looking to sweep but instead, Greer has passed into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Graham is trying to maintain the position but Greer is very close to passing his half guard.
Greer prevents Graham from improving his position.
Greer is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Greer is looking to advance position but Graham won't allow it.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Graham can do anything to dispel that myth.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Greer is keen to just control but Graham is a slippery customer.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Greer blocks a head kick by Graham.
Graham lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Graham with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Graham throws a head kick that misses.
A head kick misses from Graham.
Graham fails with an attempt to clinch.
Graham doesn't manage to clinch there - Greer circles away.

Greer shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Graham manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Graham is looking to stand up but Greer isn't so interested in that idea.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Greer tries to free his leg and advance position but Graham is retaining full guard.

Greer gets to his feet - Graham follows without any prompting.
Graham avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Graham throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Graham circles away from the clinch attempt.

Greer gets a takedown into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Greer tries to stand but can't do so whilst Graham controls his leg.
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 Tobias Greer will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Greer tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Graham swivels and escapes.
Graham throws a head kick but Greer moves out of range.
Danga de danga de dang - Graham scores with a four punch combination!
The fight stays on the outside here - Greer looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Graham keeps Greer at a distance using the push kick.
Greer showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Graham.
Graham is looking to land body kicks.
Graham fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

Graham fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Greer, pushing him back against the cage.
Good body shot from Graham.

Graham breaks the clinch.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Graham throws a head kick that misses.
Greer goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Graham throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Greer misses with a series of wild punches.
Greer shoots in for a takedown but Graham shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Greer takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Greer fails with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tobias Greer. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Nice body kick there by Graham.
Greer doesn't manage to clinch there - Graham circles away.
Graham stuns Greer with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.

Graham closes the distance and pushes Greer back into the cage.

Graham escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Greer tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Graham manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Graham scores with a head kick. Greer tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.
Graham lands a nice looking body kick.
Greer is looking to clinch but Graham is avoiding it.
Graham tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Greer misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Greer slips a jab and a cross from Graham.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Greer misses with a body shot.
Ooooh, nice body kick lands from Graham. Greer shrugs it off though.
Greer doesn't manage to clinch there - Graham circles away.

Graham clinches up with Greer and pushes him back against the cage.

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Graham fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Greer has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.

Greer shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Greer was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Greer misses with the ground and pound.
Graham struggling a bit here.
Graham is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Greer wants to lay and pray for a moment but Graham keeps working.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Graham is trying to get back to half guard.
Check out the look on Greer's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Sloppy strikes there by Greer.
Greer remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ephraim Graham comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Graham 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 Don Winkell scores the fight 28:29
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 28:29
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ephraim Graham!