PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Kurtis Griffith (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Coz Castillo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Coz Castillo has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Griffith
vs
Castillo

182 cm
18
151 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

177 cm
23
152 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Kurtis Griffith!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Coz Castillo!
The judges for this bout are Tiny Johnson, Cecil Peabody and Stewart Dunkirk.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Castillo shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Castillo was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Griffith wants to control but Castillo postures up.
Griffith is pushing Castillo's head away, looking to escape. Castillo manages to hold on to the position though.
Castillo controlling the position from side mount.
Castillo trying to control the position but Griffith is working away.
Castillo happy to just control the position for now.
Castillo is looking to take a break and control but Griffith is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Castillo working away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Griffith tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Castillo wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Castillo wants to lay and pray for a moment but Griffith keeps working.
Castillo controlling from side mount.
Griffith wants to control but Castillo postures up.
Castillo is looking to take a break and control but Griffith is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Griffith fails with a takedown attempt.

Castillo looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Griffith!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here as Castillo stalls from top position.
Castillo throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Griffith is trying to escape and get back to his feet.

Castillo looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Castillo working away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Castillo prevents Griffith from escaping the position.

Castillo decides to take the fight back to the feet.

Castillo shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Castillo showed some decent athleticism there.
Griffith wants to control but Castillo is keeping busy and won't allow it.

Griffith looking for submissions off his back.
Castillo trying to pass the guard but Griffith defending well.
Griffith trying to control but Castillo postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Castillo missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Castillo trying to control the pace.
Griffith is trying to control but can't.
Castillo missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Castillo trying to control the action but Griffith is working from the bottom.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Griffith has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Castillo is working away from the top position though.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Griffith gets a clinch.

Castillo is trying to trip Griffith. He has hold of a leg but Griffith is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Castillo persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Coz Castillo dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Castillo closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Griffith did well to prevent Castillo getting side control.
Griffith looks like he's trying to stand up.
Castillo wants to control but Griffith is keeping him busy.
Griffith blocking the ground and pound attempt from Castillo.
Griffith misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Castillo wants to lay and pray for a moment but Griffith keeps working.
Castillo seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Castillo is thwarting Griffith's attempts to control the position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Castillo gets a takedown into half guard.
Griffith wants to control but Castillo is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Castillo takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Castillo is pressing down on Griffith's thigh, looking to free his foot. Griffith is holding on for now.
Ground and pound from Castillo.
Griffith wants to control but Castillo is keeping busy.

Castillo is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Castillo has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Griffith is not content to let Castillo control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Griffith has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Castillo is working away from the top position though.
Griffith wants to get back to his feet.
Griffith is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

Castillo shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Griffith manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Castillo would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Griffith wants to stand but Castillo is controlling the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Castillo is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Griffith throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Castillo stays in close to Griffith's body and controls the position.
Griffith really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Griffith controls Castillo momentarily but Castillo frees himself.
Castillo trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Griffith trying to keep a closed guard but Castillo is proving a slippery customer.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

Griffith has taken the fight to the clinch.

Griffith breaks from the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Griffith rushes Castillo and presses him up against the cage.
Castillo utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.

Castillo jumps into guard, dragging Griffith to the mat.

Castillo looking for a guillotine here but Griffith defends easily.
Griffith not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Castillo is trying to control the position from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Coz Castillo showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Griffith is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Castillo's half guard.

Griffith seems to be working for a kimura but Castillo defends the submission attempt.
Griffith wants to take a breather but Castillo is having none of it.
Griffith prevents Castillo from improving his position.
Castillo holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Castillo is refusing to be controlled, as Griffith sits in half guard.
Castillo is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Castillo is defending against the submission attempts here by Griffith.
Castillo is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Griffith stalling.

Griffith is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Castillo trying to hold on to Griffith's head to control him but Griffith postures up.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Castillo changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Griffith looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
A lull in the action here.
Griffith is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Castillo asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Griffith wants to control but Castillo postures up.
Coz Castillo has got the better of the ground game so far.
Castillo fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Griffith is trying to control Castillo's posture but Castillo avoids it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Castillo wants to lay and pray for a moment but Griffith keeps working.
Griffith wants to control but Castillo postures up.
Castillo controls the position from side control.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Griffith wants to get back to his feet but Castillo drags him back down.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Griffith is looking to clinch but Castillo is avoiding it.

Castillo clinches.

Castillo gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Griffith blocking the ground and pound attempt from Castillo.
Castillo with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Castillo thows a huge punch but Griffith dodges it nicely.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Castillo not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Castillo slows the pace down in half guard.
Coz Castillo is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Griffith is trying to control but can't.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Castillo is figuring out what he wants to do next.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Kurtis Griffith has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

A momentary lapse in concentration from Griffith enables Castillo to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Griffith manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.

And that's the end of the fight!
Coz Castillo comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Castillo winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Tiny Johnson scores the fight 27:30
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 27:30
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Coz Castillo!