PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Ronald Griffin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Malvin Mandi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ronald Griffin has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Griffin
vs
Mandi

168 cm
26
152 lbs
6 - 8 - 0

180 cm
25
157 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

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 6 - 8 - 0, fighting out of New York, Ronald Griffin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Malvin Mandi!
The judges for this bout are Chad Campbell, Franklyn Lucas and John Kavanagh.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Griffin closes this distance looking for a takedown but Mandi circles away.
Griffin closes this distance looking for a takedown but Mandi circles away.
A low kick from Mandi misses

and Griffin counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Griffin.

Griffin drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Griffin jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Griffin stands up over Mandi, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Mandi working a defensive guard here.
Griffin stops Mandi from standing up.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Griffin throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Griffin with a nice head shot there.
Griffin 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.
Mandi is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Griffin tries to free his leg and advance position but Mandi is retaining full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Griffin trying to control the position from guard on top but Mandi is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Griffin stands up over Mandi, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Griffin is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Griffin landing some decent shots from guard.

Mandi is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Griffin defends well.
Griffin trying to control but Mandi is working from the bottom.
Griffin won't allow Mandi to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Griffin trying to control but Mandi is working from the bottom.
Griffin definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Mandi looking to hit a scissor sweep but Griffin is one step ahead there.
Griffin postures up in Mandi's guard and throws a big left but Mandi blocks it.
Griffin lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Griffin throws a big elbow that misses.
Griffin postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Griffin wants to control from the top but Mandi keeps moving.
Griffin pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Mandi is keeping the position for now.
Griffin trying to control but Mandi is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Griffin is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Mandi is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Griffin pushes down on Mandi's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Griffin is trying to control the action in half guard but Mandi is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Mandi is trying to stand back up but Griffin is controlling him
Griffin trying to control the action but Mandi is working from the bottom.
Griffin is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Mandi felt the need to train up his defensive grappling in the buildup to the fight. Presumably he was expecting to be in a difficult position like this, so let's see if he can get out of it.
Griffin frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mandi tries to lock up and control but Griffin gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Griffin has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Mandi's face.
Mandi sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.

Mandi is defending against the submission attempts here by Griffin.
Griffin seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.

Griffin is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Mandi is trying to maintain the position but Griffin is very close to passing his half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ronald Griffin dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

A nice combination there by Mandi.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Griffin is defended easily by Mandi.
Mandi tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Griffin defends well and Mandi ends up having to push Griffin into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Mandi shoots in for a double leg but Griffin sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Griffin changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Griffin fails with a takedown attempt.
Mandi is clearly looking to counter with head kicks.
Ronald Griffin is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Griffin shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Mandi but Mandi pushes him off and we're back to square one.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ronald Griffin. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Griffin shoots in and gets a takedown into Mandi's guard.

Mandi has his feet on Griffin's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Griffin shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Mandi but Mandi pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Griffin shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Mandi but Mandi pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Mandi thows a leg kick but Griffin checks it

and Griffin counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Griffin is looking to stall here but Mandi recovers full guard.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Griffin accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Mandi keeping full guard, as Griffin tries to pass.
Griffin is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Mandi can do to turn this around?

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mandi working a defensive guard here.
Griffin looking to pass the guard.
Mandi being controlled here, momentarily.
Mandi is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Griffin is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Mandi shoots for a double leg takedown but Griffin sprawls well. He's pushed Mandi's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Mandi fails with the takedown.

Griffin drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Mandi trying to control the position.

Griffin drops back looking for a leg! Mandi is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Mandi manages to kick Griffin off! Griffin jumps back into Mandi's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Griffin trying to control but Mandi is working from the bottom.
Griffin advances to half guard.
Griffin throwing shots but Mandi is blocking nicely.
Mandi is not content to let Griffin control the position.
Mandi holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Griffin working over Mandi with some ground and pound. Mandi looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Mandi trying to control but Griffin postures up.
Ronald Griffin overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Mandi regains full guard. Nicely done.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Ronald Griffin will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Griffin clobbers Mandi with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Mandi throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Griffin on the side of the head.
Griffin shoots in for a takedown but Mandi shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Mandi throws a body kick that misses.
Mandi tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
As Mandi looks to move away, Griffin throws a big counter combo but Mandi just gets out of the way.
Mandi throws the kick towards the body but Griffin avoids it.
Griffin moves out of range of the leg kick from Mandi.
Mandi fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Griffin looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Griffin fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Griffin misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
As Griffin backs off Mandi throws a huge counter combo but Griffin manages to avoid it all.
Griffin tries to bum rush Mandi with a series of wild strikes but Mandi uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Griffin throws a wild body kick that Mandi sees coming a mile off.
Griffin has his takedown stuffed

and Mandi holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ronald Griffin. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Mandi stalling in the clinch but Griffin improves position.

Mandi manages to break the clinch.
Griffin fails with a takedown attempt.
Mandi throws a counter combo.
Malvin Mandi seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Griffin fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Griffin takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Griffin fails with a takedown attempt.
Griffin sets himself, and Mandi steps forward looking for the clinch! Griffin avoids it this time.
Mandi misses the body punch

and Griffin counters with a takedown into side control! That could mean trouble for Mandi!

Mandi tries to escape back to his feet but Griffin has kept hold of him... Oh, now he's got Mandi's back and is looking for the choke... Is it? Is it sunk in? YES! Mandi is tapping! Griffin saw the opportunity and took it - ruthless!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:43 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Ronald Griffin!