PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Audie Graham (ranked 10408 p4p, 24617 weight class) and Bob Sapp (ranked 200 p4p, 208 weight class). Audie Graham has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Graham
vs
Sapp

202 cm
24
270
3 - 3 - 1

195 cm
19
300
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
KO power

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 3 - 1, fighting out of Montreal, Audie Graham !
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Bob Sapp!
The judges for this bout are George Francis, Robert Twigg and Alan Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Graham dives in and grabs Sapp's left leg, looking for a takedown. Sapp pushes down on Graham 's head and hops out.
Sapp tries to close the distance and clinch up but Graham swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Graham keeps the fight on the outside.
Sapp moves in looking to clinch but Graham pushes him off.

Sapp gets tackled into the cage by Graham . Graham maintains the clinch.
Graham has Sapp pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Sapp manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Sapp has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Graham after a bit of a struggle.

Graham pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Sapp moves in looking to clinch but Graham pushes him off.
Graham swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Sapp looks for a takedown but Graham sprawls well.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Graham connects with a right hand. Sapp shakes it off.
Graham throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Sapp has Graham up against the cage in a clinch.
Graham content to slow the pace in the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Graham breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Sapp swings away with a leg kick that misses.

Graham gets a clinch.
Graham blocking some punches.
Sapp tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Graham just stands there and leans against the cage.
Audie Graham has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bob Sapp.
Graham tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Sapp smiles and moves away.

Sapp tries to keep at a distance but Graham has taken the fight into the clinch.

Graham breaks from the clinch.
Graham circles away from the clinch attempt.
Graham shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Sapp defends it nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Graham misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

Sapp gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Graham breaks from the clinch.
Bob Sapp seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Sapp goes for a double leg but Graham avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Graham continues to drive forward.
Graham fails with the takedown.
Sapp lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Graham circles away quickly and effectively.
The fight stays on the outside here - Sapp looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Graham tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Sapp scores with the left hand. Graham knows he should have avoided that one.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Graham scores with a three punch combo!
Graham circles away from the clinch attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Sapp closes the distance and clinches.

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

Sapp moves into range and clinches up with Graham .
Graham dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Graham prevents a takedown attempt there.
Sapp fails to pull guard.
The referee calls for Graham to work.
Sapp prevents a takedown attempt there.
With the fighters up against the cage, Graham throws an elbow but misses.
Sapp taking a break, stalling in the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sapp wants a takedown but no success here.

Graham successfully pulls guard.
Sapp trying to control but Graham is working from the bottom.
Sapp slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Sapp postures up.
Graham wants to sweep but no luck.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Graham throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Graham is trying to control the position but Sapp postures up.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Audie Graham dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Sapp keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Graham keeps the fight on the outside.
Graham tries for a takedown but Sapp sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

Sapp has Graham up against the cage in a clinch.
Sapp doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Sapp is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.

Graham pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Graham shoots for a takedown but Sapp saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Audie Graham . That's going to take a lot out of him.

Graham clinches with his opponent.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Graham is trying to pull guard but Sapp turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.

Graham 's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Graham shoots in but Sapp avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Graham circles away from the clinch attempt
and Graham counters with a straight punch to the midsection.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sapp displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Graham .
Sapp tries to clinch but Graham is having none of it.
Sapp fails in his attempt to clinch.
Graham is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Sapp can do to turn this around?
Sapp tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Graham counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Graham is looking to clinch.
It seemed like Sapp was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.

Graham has taken the fight to the clinch.
Sapp fails to pull guard.
Graham gets underhooks to prevent Sapp's takedown attempt.

Sapp jumps guard.
Sapp can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Graham controls the pace.
Sapp working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Graham .
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Sapp can do anything to dispel that myth.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Graham trying to control the position from guard on top but Sapp is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Graham working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Graham throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Sapp works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Graham postures up.
Graham pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Sapp is keeping the position for now.
Sapp keeping moving, preventing Graham from controlling successfully.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.

Sapp closes the distance and clinches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Graham escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Graham scores with a kick to the midsection.
Sapp moves in looking to clinch but Graham pushes him off.
Sapp is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Graham has managed to clinch.
Sapp trying to control the position but instead, Graham has worked for underhooks and has pushed Sapp into the cage.
Graham has Sapp pressed against the cage, preventing Sapp from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Sapp tries to pull guard but Graham won't allow it.

Graham escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Sapp shoots in for a takedown but Graham shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sapp displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Graham .
Graham circles away from the clinch attempt.
Sapp moves in looking to clinch but Graham pushes him off.

Sapp has closed the distance and engaged Graham in a clinch.
Graham wants to take the fight to the mat but Sapp manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Graham tries to throw a body punch but Sapp avoids it by throwing Graham back against the cage.

Graham breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Graham with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Sapp tries to clinch there but Graham circles away.

Graham tries to keep at a distance but Sapp has taken the fight into the clinch.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Graham decides to pull guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Graham pushes Sapp off and gets back to his feet.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Audie Graham dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

A head kick misses from Graham .
Graham tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Sapp defends well and Graham ends up having to push Sapp into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Sapp wants to take the fight to the mat but Graham manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Graham wants a takedown.
Sapp has Graham pushed against the cage.
Graham keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Sapp's efforts to push away.

Graham pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sapp tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Graham paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Graham misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Sapp is looking to clinch but Graham is avoiding it.
Graham closes this distance looking for a takedown but Sapp circles away.
Graham moves out of the way of the counter high kick fromSapp.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Audie Graham . That's going to take a lot out of him.

Sapp clinches with his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Graham drags the fight down to the ground.
Sapp throwing strikes from guard but Graham blocks nicely.
Graham throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Sapp trying to control the position from guard on top but Graham is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Graham is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Sapp is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Sapp postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Sapp wants to control from the top but Graham keeps moving.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Graham keeps the fight on the outside.
Graham thinks about countering with a head kick.
Audie Graham is winning the standup battle so far.
Graham throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Sapp.
Graham shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Sapp as he avoids it easily.

Sapp clinches up with Graham and pushes him back against the cage.
Graham wants to stall.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Graham is pressed up against the cage. Sapp has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Graham down to the mat. Graham avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Sapp fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Graham , pushing him back against the cage.
Graham is trying to pull guard but Sapp turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Sapp taking a breather.
Graham is looking for a takedown.
Sapp drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Graham 's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Sapp drives through and clinches with Graham against the cage.

Graham breaks from the clinch.
Graham throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
Sapp misses with a head kick.

Sapp clinches with his opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Graham has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Sapp is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Sapp taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Sapp tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Graham just stands there and leans against the cage.
Sapp wants to break the clinch but can't.

Graham manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Audie Graham overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Graham is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Sapp is aware though and is defending well.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Graham trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Graham looking to control.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Sapp stopping the sweep attempt from Graham .

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Audie Graham .
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Graham , winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 George Francis scores the fight 30:27
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 30:27
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Audie Graham !