PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Steve Sampson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Lucky Griffin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Lucky Griffin told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Sampson
vs
Griffin

175 cm
23
185 lbs
2 - 2 - 1

184 cm
18
190 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Intelligent

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Very confident

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 2 - 2 - 1, fighting out of Sydney, Steve Sampson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Lucky Griffin!
The judges for this bout are Damien Edna, Summer Carpenter and Steve Erwin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Sampson closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Griffin wants to get back to his feet but Sampson is dominant here and he's now got Griffin's back!
A bit of a pause in the action here. Sampson controlling the positon.
Griffin manages to reverse the position and now he's in Sampson's guard. Nice work there by Griffin.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sampson pulls Griffin in close to his closed guard and prevents Griffin from doing any damage or advancing position.
Griffin wants to control from the top but Sampson keeps moving.
Sampson is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Griffin forces his way into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Griffin throwing shots but Sampson is blocking nicely.
Griffin trying to control from half guard but Sampson is working away.
Griffin wants to stand up but Sampson is controlling the position.
Sampson is staying active underneath Griffin, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Griffin wants to clinch.
Griffin fails with the takedown

so Sampson counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Griffin is trying to control the position but Sampson postures up.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Sampson drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Sampson jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Sampson is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Sampson seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Griffin for as long as he can get away with.
Griffin wants to stand but Sampson is controlling the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Griffin being controlled here, momentarily.
Griffin not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Steve Sampson dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Griffin with a lazy takedown attempt

and Sampson counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Sampson.
Sampson is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Griffin is keeping busy.
Sampson effectively controlling the action here.
The crowd are getting pretty annoyed with Sampson for his constant stalling in the clinch and are voicing their displeasure.

Sampson escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Sampson pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Griffin gets caught flat footed, as Sampson shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Griffin looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Sampson trying to control the position from guard on top but Griffin is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Sampson has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Sampson sitting in guard, not really doing much.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Griffin wants to sweep but no luck.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.

Griffin throws his legs up looking for a submission but Sampson uses it to pass to side control.
Griffin is breathing heavily.
Sampson throws an elbow but Griffin slips to the side and avoids it well.
Sampson looking to control but instead Griffin has slipped a leg in, to regain half guard.
Sampson takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Griffin is trying to control but can't.
Griffin wants to get back to full guard.
Griffin is trying to stand up here but Sampson is controlling him well.
Griffin is trying to get back to full guard.
Sampson perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Griffin trying to control but Sampson postures up.
Griffin is trying to get back to full guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Griffin tries to keep at a distance but Sampson has taken the fight into the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Knees in the clinch landing for Sampson.

Sampson lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Sampson sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Sampson moves into full mount! Griffin won't be happy about that!
Sampson controlling his opponent.
Griffin is wriggling around trying to escape.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sampson sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Sampson fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Griffin is trying to escape the mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

A head kick misses from Sampson.
Griffin has his takedown stuffed

and Sampson counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Sampson wants to free his trapped foot but Griffin is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Griffin is looking to control Sampson's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Griffin avoid being mounted?
Sampson with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Griffin tries to get to full guard but Sampson has control of the leg.
Sampson missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Sampson is controlling the pace.
Griffin wants to control but Sampson is keeping busy and won't allow it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Griffin tries to regain full guard. Instead though, Sampson has advanced to mount. Uh oh.
Griffin is looking to get to half guard.
Sampson controlling the pace for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Griffin tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Sampson lands a nice shot to the head.
A nice elbow there by Sampson.
Griffin wants to control but Sampson is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Sampson content just to control the position here.
Griffin tries to reverse the position but Sampson maintains control.
Steve Sampson overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Griffin is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Sampson with a couple of short strikes.

And that's the end of the fight!
Steve Sampson showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Sampson has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Damien Edna scores the fight 30:27
Judge Summer Carpenter scores the fight 30:27
Judge Steve Erwin scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Steve Sampson!