PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Corey Bent (ranked 5970 p4p, 487 weight class) and Tua Graves (ranked 4837 p4p, 459 weight class). Buckle up people - heeeeeeeeeere we go!

Bent
vs
Graves

170 cm
18
158 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

179 cm
22
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Corey Bent!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Tua Graves!
The judges for this bout are Darius Henderson, Hugh Johnson and Donatello Bradman.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Bent drives through and clinches with Graves against the cage.

Graves gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Bent has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.
Graves wants to stand up but Bent has a hold of him and won't allow it.
Graves content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bent is looking to escape.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Graves wants to control but Bent is keeping him busy.
Graves throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Graves controlling the pace.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Bent closes the distance and clinches.
Bent has Graves pressed against the cage, preventing Graves from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
A left hand lands to the body for Graves.

Bent breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Bent moves into the clinch.
Bent fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Bent changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Graves fights it off and pushes away nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Graves feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Graves slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Graves won't allow Bent to get back to his feet.
Graves wants to pass the guard but Bent is keeping the position.
Graves engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
It looks like Graves might be adopting somewhat of a lay and pray gameplan here, which I'm sure won't go down too well with the paying fans in attendance... Or the ring announcers come to think of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bent wants to control but Graves passes easily into half guard.
Bent knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Graves on the ground.
Graves not doing much here.
Graves's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Bent fails with an attempt to clinch.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Graves.

Bent gets in close and instigates a clinch.

The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Bent gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Graves is not content to let Bent control the position.
Bent stops Graves from getting back to his feet.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Graves trying to control here.
Graves controlling the position for now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Tua Graves will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Graves closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Bent to the mat! Bent manages to get full guard.
Graves is looking to work some ground and pound but Bent has wrist control.
Tua Graves has got the better of the ground game so far.

Bent is working an open guard so Graves takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Bent fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Corey Bent seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Bent closes the distance and pushes Graves back into the cage.
Bent throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Graves blocks it with crossed arms.

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

Graves rushes Bent and presses him up against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Graves is looking to take this one to the mat.
Bent looking for a takedown.

Bent breaks the clinch.
Graves has a takedown stuffed.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Bent moves into the clinch.
Graves throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Graves looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Graves tries for a takedown. No joy.
Corey Bent has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Tua Graves.
Bent misses with the head strike.
Graves is trying to pull guard but Bent has him pressed against the cage.
Bent with a knee to the head.

It looks like Tua Graves has been cut.
Graves tries to pull guard but Bent won't allow it.
Bent misses with an elbow over the top.
A short left from Bent.
Bent lands a damaging elbow.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Bent is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Graves can do to turn this around?
Graves blocks an elbow strike.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Graves is trying to force a seperation but Bent has the dominant position.

Graves has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Bent uses from the top position.
Graves has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Graves utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Bent makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Graves seems keen to control Bent's posture.
Graves is trying to keep Bent in close.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Graves throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Graves manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Bent manages to get himself to full guard.

Graves throws a big elbow that misses.
Bent keeping moving, preventing Graves from controlling successfully.
Graves is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.

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.
Graves showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Graves works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Graves looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Well, if Graves 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.
Graves wants to lay and pray for a moment but Bent keeps working.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Corey Bent dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Tua Graves's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Bent shoots for a double leg takedown but Graves sprawls well. He's pushed Bent's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

Bent closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Bent with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.

Graves breaks the clinch.
Graves throws a head kick that misses.
Bent tries to close the distance and clinch but Graves swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Bent gets in close and instigates a clinch.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Graves.
Graves gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Bent.
Bent jumps guard but Graves stands there with Bent around his waist. Bent gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Corey Bent. That's going to take a lot out of him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Bent.
Graves is trying to drag Bent to the mat but Bent just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bent misses with a knee strike.
Graves goes for a body shot but it's blocked.

Bent pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Graves closes the distance and clinches.
Bent wants to stall.
Graves drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Bent is pressed up against the cage. Graves has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Bent down to the mat. Bent avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Bent tries to clinch but Graves is having none of it.
Graves throws a right and a left that Bent avoids nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Bent.
Graves regains half guard.
Graves tries to kick Bent off but Bent keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Bent lands strikes from half guard.
Graves missing with punches from the bottom.
Graves is trying to stand up here but Bent is controlling him well.
Bent is thwarting Graves's attempts to control the position.
Graves avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Bent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Graves gets back to full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Graves is on top in guard.

Graves is looking to work some ground and pound but Bent has wrist control.
Graves is pushing down on Bent's leg trying to pass to half guard. Bent is fighting to maintain full guard but Graves has managed to sneak the leg through.
Bent is refusing to be controlled, as Graves sits in half guard.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Graves connects with a nice short shot to Bent's temple.
Graves is trying to control the action in half guard but Bent is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Graves wants to stand up but Bent is controlling the position.
Graves missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Graves controlling the action here.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Bent avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Graves.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Tua Graves.
I think Graves has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Darius Henderson scores the fight 29:29
Judge Hugh Johnson scores the fight 28:29
Judge Donatello Bradman scores the fight 29:29

The fight is ruled a majority draw!