PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Kraig Joseph (ranked 25192 p4p, 0 weight class) and Samuel Dobbins (ranked 5280 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Joseph
vs
Dobbins

221 cm
22
278 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

188 cm
23
222 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Kraig Joseph!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Samuel Dobbins!
The judges for this bout are David Schapiro, Alyssa Summers and Franklyn Lucas.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Joseph leaves Dobbins with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Joseph tries to counter by clinching up but Dobbins breaks away and moves out of range.

Dobbins lands a left and a right that send Joseph crashing to the mat, dazed. Dobbins thinks about following him to the mat but decides to wave him back up to his feet!

It looks like Kraig Joseph has been cut.
Joseph stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Joseph wants it to stay on the feet.
Joseph appears to be looking for a big counter.
Dobbins fails with a takedown attempt.
Joseph appears to be looking for a big counter.
Kraig Joseph has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Samuel Dobbins.
Dobbins will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
A head kick misses from Dobbins.
As Dobbins looks to move away, Joseph throws a big counter combo but Dobbins just gets out of the way.
Dobbins throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Joseph on the side of the head.
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!
Dobbins moves in looking to clinch but Joseph pushes him off.
Joseph tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Dobbins paws at him with a jab and circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dobbins throws a leg kick but Joseph sees it coming and moves out of range.
Joseph half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Dobbins shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Joseph pinned against the cage. Joseph gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Dobbins moves in looking to clinch but Joseph pushes him off.
Joseph drops down looking for a counter takedown but Dobbins sprawls and moves away.
Joseph darts in looking for a takedown but Dobbins gets double underhooks and turns Joseph into the cage.
Dobbins misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Joseph is looking for a counter combo.
Dobbins fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Dobbins is looking to land body kicks.
Joseph tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Dobbins manages to circle out of the way.

Dobbins darts in and clinches Joseph up against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nice body punch from Dobbins.
Dobbins keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Joseph's efforts to push away.
Joseph jumps guard but Dobbins turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.

Dobbins has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Joseph uses from the top position.

Dobbins is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Joseph missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Joseph has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Dobbins is proving hard to escape from.
Dobbins is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Dobbins looking for a sweep. Not yet Dobbins, not yet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Joseph throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Dobbins is controlling Joseph's posture.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Joseph looking to sit in guard and control but Dobbins gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Joseph will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Joseph keeping moving, preventing Dobbins from controlling successfully.
Joseph utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Dobbins looking to sit in guard and control but Joseph gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Joseph wants to stand and escape but instead Dobbins has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.

Dobbins stands up from guard. Let's bang!
The fight stays on the outside here - Dobbins looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
It looked like Joseph was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Joseph shoots in looking for a takedown. Dobbins tries to sprawl out of it but Joseph keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Dobbins manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Dobbins misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Samuel Dobbins dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Kraig Joseph's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Dobbins looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Joseph is looking to counter with head kicks.
Dobbins shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Joseph as he jumps to the side.
Dobbins tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Joseph defends well and Dobbins ends up having to push Joseph into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Kraig Joseph has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Samuel Dobbins.
Dobbins falls off balance throwing a combination

and Joseph counters by moving into the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Joseph throws a punch but it's blocked by Dobbins.
Joseph fails to pull guard.
Dobbins dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Dobbins pushes off an throws an elbow but Joseph leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Joseph pulls guard successfully.
Dobbins trying to stand up but can't free himself from Joseph's guard.
Dobbins trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Joseph tries to strike from the bottom.
Dobbins stops Joseph from standing up.
Joseph seems keen to control Dobbins's posture.
The step up in weight doesn't seem to be a problem for Dobbins. He's performing admirably here against the bigger man.
Dobbins preventing the sweep.
Joseph trying to control the position.
Dobbins wants to control from the top but Joseph keeps moving.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

That's two 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.

Joseph moves into the clinch.

Dobbins jumps into guard, dragging Joseph to the mat.
Dobbins seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Dobbins tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Dobbins is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Joseph defends well.

Dobbins escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Joseph gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Joseph wants to get up but he can't break Dobbins's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Dobbins is trying to control the position but Joseph postures up.
Joseph wants to stand and escape but instead Dobbins has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.

Joseph working a defensive guard here.

Dobbins gets to his feet. Joseph looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Joseph is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Dobbins moves into the clinch successfully.
Joseph tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Dobbins smiles and moves away.
Dobbins comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Joseph throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Dobbins misses with a head kick.
Dobbins shoots in and drives through. Joseph sprawls well.
Joseph changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Samuel Dobbins will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Kraig Joseph's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Dobbins closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Joseph leaves Dobbins with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Joseph throws a big counter combination but Dobbins scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.
Joseph walks into a left hand.
Dobbins throws the kick towards the body but Joseph avoids it.
As Dobbins looks to move away, Joseph throws a big counter combo but Dobbins just gets out of the way.
Joseph swats away the attempt to clinch by Dobbins.
Joseph appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dobbins tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Joseph went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
Joseph avoids a low kick by using good footwork.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Joseph fails with the takedown.
Dobbins swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Dobbins has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Joseph fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Samuel Dobbins seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Dobbins gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Joseph is trying to pull guard but Dobbins has him pressed against the cage.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Kraig Joseph. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Joseph is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Dobbins to keep the fight standing.
Dobbins is trying to break the clinch but Joseph has him pressed against the cage.
Dobbins is looking for a takedown.
Dobbins tries to circle away but Joseph has him pinned against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Dobbins jumps guard and drags Joseph to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Joseph working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Dobbins is on top in guard.

Dobbins loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Dobbins postures up.

Joseph looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Dobbins passes into side control.
Joseph avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Dobbins.

Dobbins is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Joseph has escaped the position, nice work there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Dobbins working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Dobbins postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Dobbins wants to lay and pray for a moment but Joseph keeps working.
Joseph is trying to control Dobbins's posture but Dobbins avoids it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Dobbins stands up and we're back to a striking position.
Dobbins shoots in but Joseph avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Joseph defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Dobbins.
Dobbins takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
A left and a right from Dobbins both land. Nice combination.
Kraig Joseph has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Samuel Dobbins is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Joseph slips a jab and a cross from Dobbins.

And that's the end of the fight!
Samuel Dobbins comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Dobbins 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 David Schapiro scores the fight 27:30
Judge Alyssa Summers scores the fight 27:30
Judge Franklyn Lucas scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Samuel Dobbins!