PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Ivan Ko (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gary Grice (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ivan Ko has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Ko
vs
Grice

225 cm
35
200 lbs
24 - 21 - 1

184 cm
24
196 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Lethal high kicks
Good gas tank

Project Mayhem

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 24 - 21 - 1, fighting out of Hilo, Ivan Ko!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Gary Grice!
The judges for this bout are Micheangelo Fripello, Colin Fray and Chris Saunders.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Grice wants to clinch up but Ko keeps it at a distance.
Grice tried to score with a low kick but Ko checks it.
Grice misses with a few strikes there.
Grice with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Grice fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Ko checks it well.
Ko checks the leg kick.
Grice thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Ko if he has to take too many more of those.
Grice connects with a solid leg kick.
Ko falls off balance throwing a combination
and Grice counters with a nice uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ko throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Grice connects with an inside leg kick.
Gary Grice seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Grice lets loose with a powerful body kick. Ko will feel that in the morning.
Grice ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Ko takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Ko is breathing heavily.
Grice feints and then cracks Ko's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Ko down.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Grice lands with a hook. Ko tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.

It looks like Ivan Ko has been cut.
Grice pulls out of a head kick attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Grice connects with a body shot.

Grice closes the distance and clinches.
A short left from Grice.
Grice lands an uppercut.
Grice lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Ko is trying to break the clinch but Grice has him pressed against the cage.

Grice breaks the clinch.
Ko on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Grice. Grice obviously looking to wear him down.

Grice has closed the distance and engaged Ko in a clinch.
Grice lands a body punch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Grice tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Ko's elbow.
A right hook to the body lands for Grice.
Grice lands a left hand that snaps the head of Ko backwards.
Grice lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Grice is leaning against Ko and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.

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

Grice drops Ko with a nice combination! Grice dives into Ko's guard, looking to finish!
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!
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Ko keeping moving, preventing Grice from controlling successfully.
Grice throws a big right hand that misses.
Grice distracts Ko with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Grice throwing strikes from guard but Ko blocks nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ko being controlled here, momentarily.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Grice accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Ko avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Ko will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Grice postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Grice slips nicely into half guard.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Grice wants to pass to mount but Ko is defending the position.
Grice not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gary Grice dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Ivan Ko's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Grice lands a nice hook to Ko's body. Ko takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Grice throws out a loose jab but Ko uses good head movement to avoid it.

Grice bobbing and weaving well here. And he's unloaded with a massive right hand that drops Ko! He dives into his guard looking to finish!

Ko is rocked!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Grice controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Grice throws a big elbow that misses.
Grice looking to pass the guard.
Grice working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Grice wants to control from the top but Ko keeps moving.
Ko really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Grice controls from within his opponent's guard.
Grice stands up over Ko, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Grice working some strikes from top position.
Grice looking to pass the guard.
Ko wants to sweep here but Grice controlling him for the moment.
Grice with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Grice lands a couple of digs.
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!
Ko avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Grice working his ground and pound in the gym. He isn't landing a great percentage of his ground strikes so far though.
Ko utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Ko controls Grice momentarily but Grice frees himself.
Grice passes Ko's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Grice scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Grice seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Ko does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Grice performing his best blanket impression for a moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ko is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Grice is trying for a kimura here. Ko looks like he's in a lot of pain... and he's tapping out! Grice wins by kimura!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:38 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Gary Grice!
Post fight, an emotional Gary Grice said 'Wu Tang fuh evah!'.