PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Carlo Alvarez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Stephen Griffiths (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Alvarez
vs
Griffiths

178 cm
33
171 lbs
24 - 12 - 1

170 cm
34
175 lbs
34 - 15 - 1

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Olympic wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Aspire Clothing
King of Clothes

Aspire Nutrition
Aspire Clothing

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 24 - 12 - 1, fighting out of New York, Carlo Alvarez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 34 - 15 - 1, fighting out of London, Stephen Griffiths!
The judges for this bout are William Peck, Steve Smith and Yves DeLean.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Griffiths throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Alvarez throws an off balance right hand

and Griffiths counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Alvarez gets back to full guard.
Griffiths is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Alvarez controls Griffiths momentarily but Griffiths frees himself.
Griffiths is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Alvarez trying to keep a closed guard but Griffiths is proving a slippery customer.
Griffiths throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Griffiths forces his way into half guard.
Griffiths has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

Griffiths is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Alvarez defends it well.

Griffiths seems to be looking for submissions.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Griffiths wants to lay and pray for a moment but Alvarez keeps working.

Griffiths seems to be looking for submissions.

Griffiths is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Alvarez moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Alvarez definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Alvarez manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Griffiths manages to get himself to full guard.

Griffiths looking for a guillotine here but Alvarez defends easily.
Alvarez lands a couple of elbows.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Griffiths looking for a guillotine here but Alvarez defends easily.

Griffiths is looking for a triangle but Alvarez pushes his legs off easily.
Griffiths keeping full guard, as Alvarez tries to pass.

Griffiths working for a triangle but Alvarez defends it easily.
Alvarez passes into half guard.
Alvarez is trying to control. Griffiths wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Alvarez working the head and body with strikes.
Alvarez working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Alvarez passes to full mount!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Griffiths wants to hold on but Alvarez pushes him away.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Alvarez with shots to the head and body - Griffiths looks very uncomfortable down there.
Griffiths in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Griffiths is wriggling around trying to escape.
Alvarez can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Griffiths is looking to escape.
Alvarez lands a nice shot to the head.
Griffiths manages to regain half guard. Good work.

Griffiths actively working from the bottom here.

Griffiths looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

Griffiths looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Alvarez wants to control but Griffiths is keeping him busy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Alvarez lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Alvarez with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Alvarez looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Alvarez takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Alvarez wants to take a breather but Griffiths is having none of it.
Griffiths regains full guard. Nicely done.

Griffiths has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Alvarez can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Alvarez lands a couple of decent looking shots.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Alvarez trying to control the position from guard on top but Griffiths is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Alvarez pushing down on Griffiths's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Alvarez throws the left hand but Griffiths avoids the punch easily.
Alvarez with a jab.
Alvarez misses with a head kick.
Griffiths feints the counter takedown.
Nice shot by Alvarez.
Alvarez fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Griffiths.
Griffiths is looking to chop away at Alvarez's legs.
Griffiths swings for the body but Alvarez moves out of range.
Alvarez works Griffiths's body with a nice hook.
Alvarez looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Alvarez fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Griffiths is out of range.
Griffiths moves out of range of the strikes.
Griffiths throws out a counter right but Alvarez avoids it with no problem.
Alvarez scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Alvarez misses with a body shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Alvarez with a nice cross.
Alvarez connects with a body shot that sends Griffiths's belly button to the back.
Alvarez wants to slow Griffiths down by chopping away at his legs.
A bone on bone clash there as Griffiths blocks the leg kick.
Alvarez chopping away at his opponent's legs.
The fight stays on the outside here - Griffiths looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
A shot to the liver by Alvarez. Beautiful body shot.
Alvarez misses with a wild body shot.
Griffiths gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Carlo Alvarez is winning the standup battle so far.
Griffiths takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Griffiths drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Alvarez defends it well.
Decent striking displayed by Alvarez there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nice body punch from Griffiths.
Alvarez throws a leg kick which misses Griffiths's front leg but catches the back leg as Griffiths tries to avoid it.
Alvarez moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Griffiths throws an overhand right that lands on Alvarez's shoulder, as Alvarez tries to avoid the shot.
Griffiths looks to score with a jab to the body but Alvarez is just out of range.
Griffiths ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Alvarez moves away.
A clash of legs there as Griffiths blocks the low kick.
Alvarez darts in looking for a takedown but Griffiths gets double underhooks and turns Alvarez into the cage.
Griffiths steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Alvarez.
Griffiths feints the counter takedown.
Alvarez misses with a leg kick.
Alvarez throws a jab when Griffiths was well out of range.
Griffiths shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Griffiths on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Alvarez goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Alvarez connects with a single shot there.
Alvarez throws a body punch but Griffiths moves out of range.
Alvarez looks to land a left hand but Griffiths moved out of range nicely.
Alvarez misses with a low kick.
A nice side step and Griffiths releases a counter shot to the body, but it doesn't find it's home.
Griffiths throws a low kick but Alvarez avoids it.
Griffiths avoids the head kick by Alvarez.
Alvarez slips under a jab.
Alvarez scores with a nice body kick.
Griffiths takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
A looping hook to the body misses from Alvarez. Griffiths does a little dance to reset his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Griffiths connects with a leg kick. Alvarez looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Alvarez shoots in and drives through. Griffiths sprawls well.
It seemed like Griffiths was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Alvarez catches Griffiths with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Griffiths shoots in and drives through. Alvarez sprawls well.
Alvarez throws a quick counter head kick but Griffiths was just out of range.
Alvarez is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Griffiths can do to turn this around?
Alvarez misses with an uppercut.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Griffiths motions for Alvarez to come forward. Griffiths throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Alvarez misses with a body shot.
Alvarez throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Griffiths looks to land a right hand but Alvarez moved out of range.
Alvarez lands a nice leg kick that just misses Griffiths's sensitive parts.
Griffiths scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Alvarez lands a nice leg kick that just misses Griffiths's sensitive parts.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Carlo Alvarez dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Alvarez looks to score with a jab to the body but Griffiths is just out of range.
Alvarez uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Griffiths.
It looked like Alvarez wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Griffiths is really struggling to land any decent head shots against his taller opponent.

Griffiths closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.

Griffiths is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Alvarez has escaped the position, nice work there.
Alvarez struggling a bit here.
Carlo Alvarez overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Alvarez tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Griffiths wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Griffiths looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Alvarez is trying to control Griffiths's posture but Griffiths avoids it.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Griffiths tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Alvarez gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.

Griffiths is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.

Griffiths is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Alvarez is just riding it out for now. Griffiths eventually gives up the hold.

Alvarez actively working from the bottom here.
Stephen Griffiths has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two 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.
Alvarez is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

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

Griffiths is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Alvarez has managed to free his arm - good work.

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

Alvarez looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Griffiths wants to pass to mount but Alvarez is defending the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Alvarez is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
The fighters are battling for position here. Alvarez manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Alvarez wants to sweep but no luck.

Alvarez looking for a guillotine here but Griffiths defends easily.
Griffiths loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Griffiths wants to pass the guard but Alvarez is keeping the position.
Griffiths is still trying to improve position.

Griffiths got a little sloppy there for a moment and Alvarez has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Griffiths has managed to get both his arms back between Alvarez's legs - danger averted.

Alvarez working for a triangle but Griffiths defends it easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Griffiths is working Alvarez over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Griffiths trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Griffiths missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Alvarez is pulling down on Griffiths's head. It's preventing any offense from Griffiths, at least for the moment.
Griffiths scoring with some ground and pound.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Alvarez looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Griffiths makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Alvarez not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

And that's the end of the fight!
Stephen Griffiths comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Alvarez 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 William Peck scores the fight 29:28
Judge Steve Smith scores the fight 29:28
Judge Yves DeLean scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Carlo Alvarez!
Carlo Alvarez really struggled to get his t-shirt on before his hand was raised. Making sure that Aspire Clothing logo gets some air time is pretty tricky when you're all sweaty.