PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Fletcher Graham (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Alexis Ipe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Graham
vs
Ipe

210 cm
17
197 lbs
1 - 5 - 0

190 cm
18
210 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid 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 1 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Fletcher Graham!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Alexis Ipe!
The judges for this bout are Seu Braga, Mauricio Rocha and Thiago Cunha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Graham shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Ipe sprawls well. Ipe wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Graham gets slowly back to his feet.
Ipe misses with a straight right.
Ipe dives in and grabs Graham's left leg, looking for a takedown. Graham pushes down on Ipe's head and hops out.
Graham really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Graham tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Ipe defends well and Graham ends up having to push Ipe into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Graham has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Ipe is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Fletcher Graham. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Ipe breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Graham defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Ipe.

Ipe darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.

Ipe seems to be looking for submissions.

Graham kicks Ipe off and gets back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Ipe is defended easily by Graham.
No luck for Graham with that takedown attempt.

Graham drives through and clinches with Ipe against the cage.
Ipe looking for a takedown.

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

Ipe clinches up with Graham and pushes him back against the cage.
Graham can't get the takedown.
Ipe is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Ipe tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Graham smiles and moves away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Ipe gets tackled into the cage by Graham. Graham maintains the clinch.

Ipe's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Graham clinches up against the cage.
Graham stalls.
Graham gets underhooks to prevent Ipe's takedown attempt.
Ipe is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Graham to keep the fight standing.
Graham fails to pull the fight into his guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Ipe misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Graham.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Graham gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Ipe.

Graham breaks the clinch.
Graham just misses with a punch to the body.
Ipe circles away from the clinch attempt.
Horrible takedown by Ipe or perhaps it was just good defense by Graham which made him look bad.
Ipe shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Ipe looks winded!

Ipe tries to keep at a distance but Graham has taken the fight into the clinch.

Ipe breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Graham keeps Ipe at a distance using the push kick.
Graham throws a right hand that Ipe ducks under and follows up with a left that Ipe also avoids with ease.
Ipe looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Ipe walks into a jab.

Ipe gets tackled into the cage by Graham. Graham maintains the clinch.
Ipe keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Graham's efforts to push away.
Graham is struggling to control the position.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Ipe is pressed up against the cage. Graham has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Ipe down to the mat. Ipe avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Fletcher Graham dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Ipe closes the distance but Graham moves to the side
and Graham counters with a left to the body.
Graham defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Ipe.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Ipe.
A head kick misses from Graham.
Ipe throws a wild body kick that Graham sees coming a mile off.
Graham will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Graham slaps away a takedown attempt from Ipe, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Fletcher Graham has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Alexis Ipe.
Ipe throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Graham's waist but Graham gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Ipe off to one side.
Fletcher Graham is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Graham throws a sloppy head kick and Ipe moves out of range easily.
Ipe looks to score with a jab to the body but Graham is just out of range.
Ipe is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Graham.
Graham fails in his attempt to clinch.
Graham is looking to clinch.
Ipe tries to clinch up but Graham circles away and keeps his distance.
Graham swinging wildly here.
Graham throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Ipe.
Graham has a takedown stuffed.
Left hook, right uppercut from Ipe.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Graham goes for a double leg but Ipe avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Ipe continues to drive forward.

Ipe breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Ipe connects with the punch.

Ipe clinches up with Graham and pushes him back against the cage.
Graham jumps guard but Ipe stands there with Graham around his waist. Graham gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Ipe is looking to break free of the clinch but Graham has double underhooks.
Ipe keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Graham's efforts to push away.

Ipe breaks the clinch.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Ipe takes a shot to the body in his stride.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ipe fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Graham throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Ipe misses with a takedown attempt - Graham sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Graham moves into the clinch successfully.
Graham drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Graham jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Ipe walks away with a smile on his face. Graham gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Graham's corner calls for a 1-2. Graham obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Ipe fails with a takedown attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ipe tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Graham swivels and escapes.
Graham throws a front kick that sends Ipe stumbling back into the cage.
Graham throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Ipe's waist but Ipe gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Graham off to one side.
Ipe thuds his shin into the meat of Graham's side.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Graham, right into the meat.
It really doesn't seem like the step up in weight is hurting Graham here at all. He's more than holding his own against the bigger man.
Graham tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Ipe paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Ipe has a takedown stuffed.
Fletcher Graham is winning the standup battle so far.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Ooooh, nice body kick lands from Graham. Ipe shrugs it off though.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Fletcher Graham dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Graham goes for a double leg but Ipe avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Ipe continues to drive forward.
Graham tries to break free but Ipe pushes him back against the cage.
Ipe tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Graham fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Ipe with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.

It looks like Fletcher Graham has been cut.
Ipe pressing his opponent against the cage.
Graham looking for a takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Fletcher Graham. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Graham avoids a wild elbow strike from Ipe.

Ipe escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Ipe fails with a takedown attempt.
Ipe takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Graham darts in looking for a takedown but Ipe gets double underhooks and turns Graham into the cage.
Ipe displaying some good clinch control by pressing Graham up against the cage.

Graham manages to break the clinch.
Ipe shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Graham defends it nicely.
Graham throws a body kick that misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Graham shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Ipe pinned against the cage. Ipe gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Ipe tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Graham paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Ipe lands a head kick. Graham smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Graham displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Ipe.
Ipe checks a low kick from Graham.
Ipe shoots in and drives through. Graham sprawls well.
Graham shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Ipe pinned against the cage. Ipe gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Graham shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Ipe as he avoids it easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Ipe gets a clinch.
Ipe misses with a hook to the ribs.
Graham misses with an elbow over the top.
Ipe stops a takedown attempt from Graham.
Ipe drops down looking for an ankle pick but Graham pulls his leg out and moves away.
Ipe looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Graham is fending him off so far but Ipe persists. Nope, Graham circles away and we're back to standing.
Graham shoots for a double leg takedown but Ipe sprawls well. He's pushed Graham's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Graham tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Ipe swivels and escapes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Ipe takes the fight into the clinch.

Ipe pulls guard.
Graham will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Graham wanted to stand there but Ipe had control of the position.
Ipe is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Graham engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Ipe is adopting a defensive guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Alexis Ipe comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Graham 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 Seu Braga scores the fight 29:28
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 29:28
Judge Thiago Cunha scores the fight 29:28

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