PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Lilja Halvarsson (ranked 3952 p4p, 475 weight class) and Mike Grey (ranked 6536 p4p, 669 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Halvarsson
vs
Grey

190 cm
25
210 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

190 cm
25
215 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Brawler
Granite chin

Knockdown Clothes

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Lilja Halvarsson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Mike Grey!
The judges for this bout are Ben Watson, Francis DeMontford and Hugh Johnson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Grey keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Halvarsson has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.

Grey instigates a clinch.
Grey is defending well against a takedown attempt.

Grey breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Grey closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Halvarsson did well to prevent Grey getting side control.
Well, if Grey 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.
Halvarsson keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Grey tries to stand and escape but Halvarsson is controlling the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Grey is looking to take a break and control but Halvarsson is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Grey wants to pass the guard but Halvarsson is defending well.
Halvarsson is staying active underneath Grey, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Grey is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Halvarsson keeps control of the position for the meantime.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Halvarsson tries to close the distance and clinch but Grey swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Halvarsson enables Grey to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Halvarsson manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Halvarsson keeping full guard, as Grey tries to pass.

Grey thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Grey with a flurry of punches that miss.
Halvarsson looking for a sweep. Not yet Halvarsson, not yet.
Grey trying to control the position from guard on top but Halvarsson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Halvarsson seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Halvarsson keeping moving, preventing Grey from controlling successfully.
Halvarsson looking to hit a scissor sweep but Grey is one step ahead there.

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Grey clinches up against the cage.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Halvarsson tries to pull guard but Grey holds him up against the cage and eventually Halvarsson drops back down to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Lilja Halvarsson. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Grey gets control of Halvarsson's arms and successfully pulls guard. Grey will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Halvarsson got a little sloppy there for a moment and Grey has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Halvarsson has managed to get both his arms back between Grey's legs - danger averted.
Halvarsson stopping the sweep attempt from Grey.
Grey not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Halvarsson trying to control but Grey is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Grey manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Halvarsson manages to get himself to full guard.

Halvarsson trying to control the position here.
Halvarsson working a defensive guard but Grey manages to pass into side control anyway.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Grey wants to lay and pray for a moment but Halvarsson keeps working.
Grey landing strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mike Grey dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Halvarsson has his takedown stuffed
and Grey counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Halvarsson tries to score a power double leg takedown but Grey sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Halvarsson somewhat.
Grey lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
A head kick by Halvarsson misses

and Grey counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Halvarsson tries to roll over but Grey keeps him under control.
Grey looks to score some points with some ground and pound.

Grey stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Grey manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Halvarsson on his heels. He'll look to pass Halvarsson's guard now, I'm sure.
Halvarsson keeping moving, preventing Grey from controlling successfully.
Grey must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Halvarsson holds on and takes a little breather.
Grey wants to control from the top but Halvarsson keeps moving.
Grey's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Grey works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Halvarsson is looking for a sweep. Grey is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Grey really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Halvarsson. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Grey is trying to control. Halvarsson wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Halvarsson is looking to improve his position.

Grey is working for a submission of some sort.
Grey is trying to advance to mount but he's lost his balance and Halvarsson reverses the position - he's now on top in Grey's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Halvarsson landing some decent shots from guard.
Halvarsson chips away with some ground and pound.
Halvarsson trying to control but Grey is working from the bottom.
Halvarsson wants to pass the guard but Grey is keeping the position.
Grey pulls Halvarsson in close to prevent any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Grey looking to control.
Halvarsson trying to control the position from guard on top but Grey is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Halvarsson preventing the sweep.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Grey throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Left hook, right uppercut from Grey.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Grey leaves Halvarsson with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Grey looks like he wanted to counter with a high kick but didn't throw it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Lilja Halvarsson. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Halvarsson tries to clinch but Grey is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mike Grey showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Grey looking to score a takedown here. Halvarsson is defending well but Grey drives through and ends up in Halvarsson's guard.
Grey trying to control but Halvarsson is working from the bottom.
Grey preventing the sweep.
Grey trying to move into half guard but instead Halvarsson has managed to sweep!

Grey looking for a guillotine here but Halvarsson defends easily.
Grey wants to control but Halvarsson passes easily into half guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Halvarsson looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Halvarsson has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
Grey trying to control from the bottom.

Halvarsson stands up and beckons Grey to join him on the feet.

Grey clinches up against the cage.

Grey wants the takedown. Halvarsson is fighting it off but Grey persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Halvarsson's guard against the cage.

Halvarsson pushes Grey off and scrambles back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Grey throws a body punch but Halvarsson moves out of range.
The fight stays on the outside here - Halvarsson looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Grey has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Halvarsson throws a leg kick but Grey sees it coming and moves out of range.

Grey throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Halvarsson was covering up waiting for the punch and Grey finishes the takedown easily into guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Halvarsson bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Grey's guard.

We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Grey can do anything to dispel that myth.
Halvarsson is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.

Grey working for a triangle but Halvarsson defends it easily.
Halvarsson postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Grey wants to stand up but Halvarsson is controlling him.
Grey looking to control.
Grey is striking but Halvarsson is not phased and passes to half guard.
Halvarsson trying to pass the guard but Grey defending well.
Grey is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Halvarsson is looking to take a break and control but Grey is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Grey is trying to get back to full guard.
Well, if Halvarsson 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.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Grey is looking to control Halvarsson's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Grey avoid being mounted?
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.

And that's the end of the fight!
Lilja Halvarsson showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Grey 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 Ben Watson scores the fight 28:29
Judge Francis DeMontford scores the fight 28:29
Judge Hugh Johnson scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mike Grey!