PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Ernest Graves (ranked 42 p4p, 100 weight class) and Bong Ji Woo (ranked 10 p4p, 18 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Graves
vs
Ji Woo

172 cm
38
160
38 - 29 - 2

179 cm
32
162
20 - 5 - 0

BJJ Red Belt
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

BJJ Red Belt
World class MT
Good gas tank

Voodoo Nutrition
HELLBENT

Conviction
Conquer

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 38 - 29 - 2, fighting out of Tokyo, Ernest Graves!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 20 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Bong Ji Woo!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, Don Winkell and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Graves throws a series of punches but Ji Woo avoids them all with ease.
Ji Woo tries a quick counter leg kick but Graves is wise to it.

Graves gets the takedown into side control.
Ji Woo manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Graves is trying to get back to full guard.
Ji Woo is taking a breather. Graves says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Graves is looking to improve his position.
Ji Woo looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Graves tries to roll over but Ji Woo keeps him under control.
Ji Woo seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ji Woo is trying to control the action in half guard but Graves is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Ji Woo is thwarting Graves's attempts to control the position.
Graves gets back to full guard.
Graves is trying to control the position from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Ji Woo stands and throws Graves's legs to the side, diving into side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two 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.
Ji Woo wants to control but Graves is keeping him busy.
Ji Woo has knee on belly and moves into mount.
Ji Woo sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Ji Woo can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Graves is looking to escape.
Graves is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Graves is looking to improve his position but Ji Woo isn't that keen on the idea.
Graves wants to hold on but Ji Woo pushes him away.
Graves working to try and regain half guard.
Ji Woo tries to control but Graves wriggling away.
Ji Woo controlling the pace for now.
Let's hope that Ji Woo has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Graves tries to lock up and control but Ji Woo gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Graves working to try and regain half guard.
Graves tries to hold on but Ji Woo pushes him away.
Ji Woo looking to control and managing it successfully.
Graves really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Graves is working hard here to advance position.
Ji Woo trying to control but Graves is having none of it.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

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

Graves changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Ji Woo looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Ji Woo tries to bench press Graves off him but Graves keeps the position.
Ji Woo can't do much from the bottom here.
Ji Woo tries to improve position but can't.
Graves looks up at the clock and then as Ji Woo takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Graves smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
We've been hearing that Graves has been drilling a lot of ground and pound in training, so let's see if he get the finish.
Ji Woo is trying to control Graves's posture but Graves avoids it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Graves scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Ji Woo to see if he's OK.
Ji Woo is looking to regain half guard here but Graves keeps moving and retains side control.
Graves looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Ji Woo is avoiding damage well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The ground and pound from Graves seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
The strikes coming from Graves are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Ji Woo wants to control but Graves postures up.
Graves advances to full mount.
Graves lands with some strikes.
Graves punishing his opponent with strikes.
Ji Woo is wriggling around trying to escape.
Graves trying to control but Ji Woo is having none of it.
Graves lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Graves can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Ji Woo is looking to escape.
Ji Woo sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Ji Woo is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Graves seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Ji Woo keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Graves prevents Ji Woo from improving his position.
Ji Woo is refusing to be controlled, as Graves sits in half guard.
Ji Woo is looking to control Graves's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Ji Woo avoid being mounted?
Ji Woo is staying active underneath Graves, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

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.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Ji Woo trying to control from the bottom.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Graves is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Ji Woo can do to turn this around?
Ji Woo throws the left hand but Graves avoids the punch easily.
Graves swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Ji Woo counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Graves thinking.
Graves thuds a left hand into Ji Woo's body.
A jab from Graves does it's job there.
Graves scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Graves swings for the body but Ji Woo moves out of range.
Ji Woo throws a lazy right hand but Graves sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Graves walks into a stiff left hand from Ji Woo.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Ernest Graves dominated that second round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare each other down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

A looping hook to the body misses from Graves. Ji Woo does a little dance to reset his feet.
Ji Woo throws a shot from downtown. Graves moves away and avoids it.
A counter left hand to the body from Graves misses its target.
Graves looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Graves lands with a good body shot.
Graves misses the shot to the body.
Graves lands with a right hand.
Ji Woo takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Graves scores with a shot to the body.
Graves ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Graves appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Ji Woo keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ji Woo throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Ji Woo slips a jab and a cross from Graves.
Ernest Graves seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Graves throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Graves lands a right hook to the body.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Graves misses with a looping left.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ji Woo takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Ji Woo lands with a kick to the ribs.
Graves lands with a good body shot.
Ernest Graves is winning the standup battle so far.
Graves throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Ji Woo looks to score with a jab to the body but Graves is just out of range.
Bong Ji Woo is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Ji Woo stuffs the takedown.
Graves lands a nice hook to Ji Woo's body. Ji Woo takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Ji Woo throws a body shot but no joy.
Graves lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Sloppy strikes from Graves. Those never looked like landing.
Graves staying out of range there.
Graves ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Ji Woo moves away.
Graves scores with a jab to the body.
Graves throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Graves bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Graves misses the shot to the body.
Graves misses with a jab to the body
and Ji Woo cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Graves crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Ji Woo - the referee stops the clock and Graves gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Ji Woo. Graves manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
Graves misses with a double jab.
Ji Woo appeared to try and counter that last move with a leg kick.
Graves jabs at Ji Woo's body.
Ji Woo connects with a crisp jab.
Ji Woo just misses with a punch to the body.
Ji Woo paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Ji Woo thumps Graves with a low kick.
A telegraphed right hand from Ji Woo misses the target.
Graves is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Graves takes a swing at Ji Woo's ribcage but misses.
Graves missing with a left hand there. Ji Woo was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Graves punishes Ji Woo's body with a nice straight punch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Graves fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Ji Woo sprawls well initially but Graves persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Still in half guard, Graves seems content to control.
Ji Woo moves into full guard.
Graves is stalling in the full guard.
Ji Woo is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Graves trying to control but Ji Woo is working from the bottom.
Graves pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Ji Woo is keeping the position for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ji Woo keeping moving, preventing Graves from controlling successfully.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters, thinking about a standup.
Ji Woo not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Graves ducks under a wild hook from Ji Woo.
Ji Woo uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Graves.
Ji Woo misses with a body kick.
Ji Woo pivots, looking for a leg kick but Graves is out of range and Ji Woo settles back down.
Graves was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
Graves misses the shot to the body.
Ji Woo throws a body kick, spinning off balance

and Graves counters with a nice double leg into side control. Ji Woo won't be happy with that.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Ji Woo is looking to regain half guard here but Graves keeps moving and retains side control.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ernest Graves showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Graves has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 29:28
Judge Don Winkell scores the fight 29:28
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ernest Graves!
An out of breath Ernest Graves thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.