PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Barry Griffith (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Marcin Held (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Griffith
vs
Held

166 cm
24
162 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

175 cm
22
157 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter fighter
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Barry Griffith!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Marcin Held!
The judges for this bout are Phil Schofield, Colin Fotheringham and James Atkins.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Held feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Held postures up.
Held is fighting to break Griffith's control of his arms but Griffith is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Griffith is trying to keep Held in close.
Held trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Griffith wants to sweep here but Held controlling him for the moment.

We're going to have a standup here because Barry Griffith wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.

Griffith shoots in and bounces Held off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Our spies down at at Cozad MMA London inform us that Held has really been working on his submissions in the buildup to this fight. Will it pay off?

Held throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Griffith wants to get up but he can't break Held's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Griffith has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Held is looking for a triangle here but Griffith uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
Held is looking for a sweep.
Griffith tries to stand but Held is controlling his head.

Griffith is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Held is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Held is looking to regain half guard here but Griffith keeps moving and retains side control.
Griffith wants to stand but Held has his arm trapped.
Held takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Held tries to improve position but can't.
Held looks winded!
Griffith has knee on belly and moves into mount.
Held working to try and regain half guard.
Held tries to hold on but Griffith postures up.

Griffith stands up from the dominant position, so we're back on the feet.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Held dives in and scores a takedown into Griffith's guard.
Held in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Griffith has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Held off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.

Griffith scores with a takedown into Held's guard.

Held throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Griffith works over Held with some ground and pound from guard.
Held looking for a sweep. Not yet Held, not yet.
Griffith wants to stand but Held is controlling his posture from full guard.
Held trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Griffith engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.

Held throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Griffith is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.

Held throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Griffith escapes and throws Held's legs to the side, diving into side control!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Griffith tries for a kimura but Held is defending well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Barry Griffith dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Griffith is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Held's half guard.
Griffith working over Held with some ground and pound. Held looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Griffith perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Held is not content to let Griffith control the position.
Held tries to roll over but Griffith keeps him under control.
Griffith tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Held.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Held trying to control but Griffith postures up.
Held keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Barry Griffith.

Held shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Held is breathing heavily.
Griffith wants to get back to his feet but Held is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Held trying to control but Griffith is working from the bottom.
Griffith wants to get back to his feet but Held is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Held tries to free his leg and advance position but Griffith is retaining full guard.
Griffith wants to stand but Held is controlling the position.
Griffith seems keen to control Held's posture.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Griffith bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Griffith wants to stand but Held has him controlled and pulls him back into his guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Held is trying to control the position but Griffith postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Held pulls Griffith in close to his closed guard and prevents Griffith from doing any damage or advancing position.
Griffith slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.

Held has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Griffith is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Held.
You can see the frustration on Held's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Held tries to bench press Griffith off him but Griffith keeps the position.
Held manages to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Griffith seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.
Held is looking to get full guard. It looks like he might be successful but at the last minute Griffith jumps into side control!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Griffith working away.

Griffith has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.

Griffith drives through and clinches with Held against the cage.

Griffith lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
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!
Held trying to hold on to Griffith's head to control him but Griffith postures up.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Griffith lands strikes from half guard.
Held wants to get back to full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Barry Griffith dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Griffith changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Held looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Held struggling a bit here.
Held tries to bench press Griffith off him but Griffith keeps the position.
Held can't do much from the bottom here.
Griffith just content to control the position.
Held tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Griffith wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Held takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Griffith is pausing for a moment. What's he doing? It looks like he's clearing his nose. Oh dude! He's shot a load of snot all down Held's shoulder. That is not cool.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Held is looking for a sweep.

Griffith is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Held knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

Griffith has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.

Griffith shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Griffith tries to stand but Held is controlling from the bottom.

Held is looking for a triangle but Griffith pushes his legs off easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Griffith wants to stand but Held has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Barry Griffith overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Held striking off his back but it's not causing Griffith any problems.
Griffith tries to stand but Held is controlling from the bottom.
Griffith landing with the ground and pound.

Held has his feet on Griffith's thighs here. He's pushed Griffith off and worked for a very quick armbar from the bottom! He's flipped onto his stomach and he's cranking hard on the arm! Griffith screams in pain and taps out! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:58 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Marcin Held!