PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Elwood Gross (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mihai Muntean (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Gross
vs
Muntean

159 cm
18
140 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
18
130 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight 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, Elwood Gross!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Mihai Muntean!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, and Jack Bonds.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gross throws a sloppy head kick and Muntean moves out of range easily.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Muntean.
Muntean trying to control the position but Gross is working away.
Gross tries to bench press Muntean off him but Muntean keeps the position.

Muntean stands up and beckons Gross to his feet.
Gross takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Muntean misses with a body kick.
Muntean lands with a kick to the temple. Gross shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"

It looks like Elwood Gross has been cut.
Gross could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.

Muntean dives in and scores a takedown into Gross's guard.

Gross is rocked!

That's one minute gone in the round.

Muntean drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Muntean jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Oh Gross is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Gross is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Gross utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Gross seems to have got his legs back now.
Gross wants to sweep here but Muntean controlling him for the moment.
Muntean scoring with some ground and pound.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Gross is on top in guard.

Muntean is pulling down on Gross's head to control his posture.
Gross is in close to Muntean's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Gross might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Muntean is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Gross moves into full guard.
Gross is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Muntean is controlling him.
Muntean is looking to advance position but Gross has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!

Gross scores with a couple of good head shots there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Muntean is in a horrible position here. Gross smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Gross scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Muntean?
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Muntean is desperately trying to improve his position but Gross has a good base and remains in mount.
Gross wants to control the pace but Muntean is squirming around nicely.
Gross has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Muntean is in all sorts of trouble here.
Muntean looks winded!
Muntean tries to lock up and control but Gross gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Gross tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Muntean is trying to stand up.
Gross sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Gross landing strikes, looking to finish!
Gross can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Muntean is looking to escape.
Gross lands a nice shot to the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Mihai Muntean will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Elwood Gross's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Gross moves in looking to clinch but Muntean pushes him off.
Gross moves in looking to clinch but Muntean pushes him off.

Muntean scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Muntean thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

Muntean decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.
Gross has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Muntean throws a head kick that looked like it stung.

Muntean drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Gross tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Muntean wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Muntean tries to advance to mount but can't.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gross tries to slip a leg under to move to half guard but Muntean presses down on the leg and jumps into full mount!
Muntean is breathing heavily.
Gross wants to hold on but Muntean pushes him away.
Gross blocking the ground and pound.

Muntean goes for an armbar but Gross turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from Gross.
Gross preventing the sweep.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gross with a flurry of punches that miss.
Gross stands up over Muntean, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Muntean has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Gross postures up.
Muntean is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Gross throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Muntean works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Gross throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Muntean works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Gross controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Gross makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Gross controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Gross scores with a decent looking elbow strike.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gross with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Gross throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Muntean rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Gross moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

Gross closes the distance and clinches.

Gross pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Gross tries to clinch but Muntean moves out of range.
Elwood Gross is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Muntean looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Gross makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Gross.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gross looking for a sweep. Not yet Gross, not yet.
Gross is pulling down on Muntean's head. It's preventing any offense from Muntean, at least for the moment.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Muntean stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Gross swivels though and keeps the full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mihai Muntean showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Elwood Gross's cut.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Gross closes the distance and pushes Muntean back into the cage.
Muntean is looking to control Gross's arms but Gross gets an underhook and turns him. Now Muntean has his back to the cage.

Muntean ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Muntean no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Gross chips away with some ground and pound.
Muntean wants to sweep here but Gross controlling him for the moment.
Muntean looking to control.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Muntean is wriggling around but Gross manages to pass to half guard.
Gross working the head and body with strikes.
Muntean takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gross content to control rather than advance.
Gross working the head and body with strikes.
Muntean blocking the ground and pound attempt from Gross.
Gross stops Muntean from getting back to his feet.
Gross looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Gross scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Gross is thwarting Muntean's attempts to control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Gross winds up and cracks Muntean with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Mihai Muntean has got the better of the ground game so far.

Gross wants to work for an arm triangle but Muntean is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.

Gross has hold of the far side arm. He's working for the Kimura, can Muntean defend it? Gross steps over the head and cranks it - Muntean is tapping out! That was textbook stuff right there - nice submission victory for Gross!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:35 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Elwood Gross!