PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Jamaal Griffith (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bartlomiej Ilgowski (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Bartlomiej Ilgowski 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!

Griffith
vs
Ilgowski

162 cm
18
214 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

190 cm
25
208 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, Jamaal Griffith!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Bartlomiej Ilgowski!
The judges for this bout are Donald Grub, Andrew Berry and James Atkins.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Griffith drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Griffith controls the position.
Ilgowski wants to control but Griffith postures up.
A lull in the action here.
Griffith trying to control the action but Ilgowski is working from the bottom.

Griffith thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Griffith decides to stand up, so the ref orders Ilgowski to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Ilgowski dives in and scores a takedown into Griffith's guard.

Griffith working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Ilgowski doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Ilgowski manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Griffith could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Griffith keeping moving, preventing Ilgowski from controlling successfully.
Ilgowski won't allow Griffith to get back to his feet.
Ilgowski is looking to stand up but Griffith won't let him.
Griffith throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Ilgowski looking to pass the guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ilgowski throws an elbow that misses. Griffith uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Ilgowski's guard. Nice move by Griffith!

Ilgowski tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Ilgowski seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Ilgowski looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Griffith stays in close to Ilgowski's body and controls the position.
Ilgowski utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Griffith content to stall in guard here.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Griffith shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Ilgowski pinned against the cage. Ilgowski gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Griffith darts in looking for a takedown but Ilgowski gets double underhooks and turns Griffith into the cage.

Ilgowski throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Griffith was covering up waiting for the punch and Ilgowski finishes the takedown easily into guard.

The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Griffith is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Ilgowski is aware though and is defending well.
Griffith is breathing heavily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ilgowski pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Griffith is keeping the position for now.
Ilgowski lands a couple of elbows.
Ilgowski landing with the ground and pound.
Griffith might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Ilgowski keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Griffith's head.
Ilgowski must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Griffith throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Ilgowski is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Bartlomiej Ilgowski will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Ilgowski lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Griffith has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Griffith and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.
Griffith seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Ilgowski looks to land a combination. Griffith sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.

It looks like Jamaal Griffith has been cut.

Griffith gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Ilgowski to score an easy takedown into full guard.

Griffith is looking for a triangle but Ilgowski pushes his legs off easily.
Ilgowski content to stall in guard here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Ilgowski stands and steps away. Griffith gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Ilgowski shoots in and gets a takedown into Griffith's guard.
Griffith throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Ilgowski 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.

Ilgowski stands up and waves to Griffith to follow him.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Ilgowski scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Ilgowski just content to control the position.
Ilgowski has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ilgowski wants to control for a moment but Griffith uses the opportunity to move back to half guard.
Ilgowski is keen to just control but Griffith is a slippery customer.
Ilgowski winds up and cracks Griffith with a swinging punch to the side of the head.

Griffith looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Griffith flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Ilgowski decides to return to a standing position.

Ilgowski changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Griffith looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
The referee asks Ilgowski politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Ilgowski prefers to stall for the moment though.
Griffith striking from the bottom but nothing landed.
Griffith tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Griffith is working hard here to advance position.
Bartlomiej Ilgowski has got the better of the ground game so far.
Griffith tries to escape but Ilgowski is in control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ilgowski moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Griffith striking from the bottom but nothing landed.

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

Ilgowski scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.

Ilgowski is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Well, if Ilgowski is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bartlomiej Ilgowski showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Jamaal Griffith's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Griffith tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Ilgowski swivels and escapes.

Ilgowski drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.

Griffith has scooted to the edge of the canvas and used the cage to get back to his feet. Ilgowski has stuck on his opponent and is forcing him back against the cage.

Ilgowski's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Ilgowski looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Ilgowski stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Griffith swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Ilgowski's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Griffith throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Griffith keeping full guard, as Ilgowski tries to pass.
Ilgowski postures up in Griffith's guard and throws a big left but Griffith blocks it.
Ilgowski is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Griffith looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Nice cross by Ilgowski.

Ilgowski gets a takedown into half guard.

Griffith makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!
Bartlomiej Ilgowski seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Griffith goes for a double leg but Ilgowski avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Ilgowski continues to drive forward.
Griffith shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Ilgowski is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jamaal Griffith. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Ilgowski changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Griffith looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Ilgowski tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Ilgowski has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Griffith tries to buck Ilgowski off but Ilgowski is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Ilgowski is trying to get an arm triangle but Griffith is defending well.

Griffith sneaks out the side door and pushes Ilgowski away - he's back to his feet. The crowd show their appreciation for the escape.

Ilgowski shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Griffith's guard.
Griffith throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Griffith throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Ilgowski controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Ilgowski looking to sit in guard and control but Griffith gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Ilgowski can do anything to dispel that myth.
Ilgowski is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Ilgowski managing to control the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Jamaal Griffith.
Well Ilgowski has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Donald Grub scores the fight 28:29
Judge Andrew Berry scores the fight 28:29
Judge James Atkins scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Bartlomiej Ilgowski!