PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Byron Tipton (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Chris Griffin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Tipton
vs
Griffin

165 cm
22
140 lbs
6 - 2 - 0

172 cm
27
149 lbs
13 - 13 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Solid boxing
Very quick

Good wrestler
Dangerous knees
Good gas tank

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 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Byron Tipton!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 13 - 13 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Chris Griffin!
The judges for this bout are John Kavanagh, Dean Styles and Chad Campbell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Tipton misses with a double jab.
Griffin with the counter takedown but Tipton avoids it easily.

Griffin moves into the clinch successfully.
Griffin goes for a takedown attempt but Tipton pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
The fighters circling - Tipton throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
A nice combination there by Tipton.
Tipton throws a one two combo.
Griffin shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Tipton sprawls well. Tipton wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Griffin gets slowly back to his feet.
Sloppy strikes from Tipton. Those never looked like landing.
Griffin is looking to clinch but Tipton is avoiding it.
Griffin darts in looking for a takedown but Tipton gets double underhooks and turns Griffin into the cage.
Byron Tipton has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Chris Griffin.
Griffin misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tipton fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Tipton works the jab nicely.
Tipton misses with a few strikes there.
Tipton misses with a wild combination.
Tipton rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Griffin moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Tipton jabs at Griffin's body.
Griffin shoots in looking for a takedown but Tipton manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Griffin's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Tipton changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.

Griffin decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Tipton is looking to improve his position.
Griffin passes into side control, despite Tipton's attempt to control the position.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Griffin takes a little break here. Tipton wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tipton tries to improve position but can't.
Tipton can't do much from the bottom here.
Tipton tries to improve position but can't.
You can see the frustration on Tipton's face as Griffin controls the position.
Tipton can't do much from the bottom here.
Tipton manages to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Griffin stalling.
Griffin tries to pass the half guard into mount. Tipton knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Griffin is thwarting Tipton's attempts to control the position.
Griffin with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Tipton trying to hold on to Griffin's head to control him but Griffin postures up.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Griffin is taking a breather. Tipton says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Tipton throws a right and a left that Griffin avoids nicely.
Tipton punishes Griffin's body with a nice straight punch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Griffin fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Griffin fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Tipton appears to be looking for a big counter.
Tipton throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Griffin connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Tipton rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Griffin moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Tipton misses the shot to the body.

Tipton has managed to clinch.
Tipton tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Griffin lands an elbow inside.

Griffin gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Tipton regains guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Tipton trying to control the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Byron Tipton 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.

Tipton closes the distance looking to clinch

and Griffin counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Tipton trying to control the position.
Griffin won't allow Tipton to sweep him here.
Griffin slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Tipton is trying to control the position from the bottom.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Griffin's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Tipton is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Griffin is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Tipton shoots in looking for a takedown but Griffin manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Tipton's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Griffin is looking to clinch but Tipton is avoiding it.
Tipton avoids a kick to the body.
Tipton drops down looking for a counter takedown but Griffin sprawls and moves away.
Tipton tries for a takedown but Griffin sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Griffin is looking to clinch but Tipton is avoiding it.

Griffin closes the distance and pushes Tipton back into the cage.
Tipton tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Tipton has a couple of punches blocked by Griffin.

Griffin breaks the clinch.
Tipton throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Griffin.
Byron Tipton is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Griffin fails with an attempt to clinch.
Tipton attempts a counter takedown but Griffin avoids it well and moves away.
Tipton on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Nice body kick from Griffin.
Tipton slaps away a takedown attempt from Griffin, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Tipton tries to counter with a takedown but Griffin is quick to defend against it.
Tipton changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.

Griffin scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Tipton stops Griffin from passing to mount.
Tipton regains half guard.
Tipton manages to get to full guard.
Griffin passes Tipton's left leg - he's now in half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Griffin keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Tipton won't allow Griffin to pass to mount.
Griffin perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Tipton wants to improve his position but Griffin is controlling well.
Chris Griffin has got the better of the ground game so far.
Griffin content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Tipton trying to control but Griffin postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Tipton wants to get back to full guard.
Griffin trying to control the pace.
Griffin is continuing to stall.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Griffin gets caught flat footed, as Tipton shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Chris Griffin showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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. This is the final round!

Griffin takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Tipton checks a leg kick.
Tipton looks to score with a jab to the body but Griffin is just out of range.
Good standup being displayed there by Tipton as he connects with a hook.
Tipton ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Griffin moves away.

Griffin closes the distance and pushes Tipton back into the cage.
Tipton is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Tipton doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Tipton scores with a nice hook to the head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Griffin pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Griffin shoots in but Tipton avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Tipton changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Griffin misses with a takedown attempt - Tipton sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Byron Tipton has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Chris Griffin.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tipton cracks Griffin with a right hand to the side of the head.
Byron Tipton is winning the standup battle so far.
Tipton swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Griffin looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Tipton is fending him off so far but Griffin persists. Nope, Tipton circles away and we're back to standing.
Tipton appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Griffin gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Tipton counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Griffin is trying to keep Tipton in close.
Griffin keeping full guard, as Tipton tries to pass.
Griffin is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Tipton pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Griffin is keeping the position for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tipton lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Tipton is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Griffin pulls Tipton in close to his closed guard and prevents Tipton from doing any damage or advancing position.
We've been hearing that Tipton has been drilling a lot of ground and pound in training, so let's see if he get the finish.
Griffin working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Tipton.
Tipton throws an elbow that misses. Griffin uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Tipton's guard. Nice move by Griffin!

Tipton working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Griffin has passed into half guard!
The referee calls for the fighters to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tipton tries to roll over but Griffin keeps him under control.
Griffin is taking a breather. Tipton says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Tipton wants to control but Griffin is keeping busy.
Griffin tries to pass to full mount but Tipton defends it.
Griffin keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.

Tipton looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.

Tipton looking for submissions off his back.
Griffin keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Griffin looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Tipton is fending him off so far but Griffin persists. Nope, Tipton circles away and we're back to standing.
Griffin looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Tipton tries a low kick but Griffin avoids it.

And that's the end of the fight!
Byron Tipton showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Tipton has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 John Kavanagh scores the fight 29:28
Judge Dean Styles scores the fight 29:28
Judge Chad Campbell scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Byron Tipton!
After the fight, Byron Tipton was humble in paying tribute to his opponent but made it clear he wants to go on to bigger and better things. It seemed to go down well with the crowd who cheered him loudly.