PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Joel Alvarez (ranked 5112 p4p, 4361 weight class) and Bradly Grimes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Joel Alvarez is staring across the cage at his opponent, tweaking his nipples... Tweaking his own nipples that is.

Alvarez
vs
Grimes

191 cm
24
156
0 - 1 - 0

200 cm
18
167
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Joel Alvarez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Bradly Grimes!
The judges for this bout are Santiago Holmes, Sandra Marshall and Michael Johnstone.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Alvarez shoots in and drives through. Grimes sprawls well.
Grimes misses with a straight left.
Alvarez looks for a takedown but Grimes sprawls well.
Alvarez circles away from the clinch attempt.
Grimes tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Alvarez was well out of range. Poor timing from Grimes.
No luck for Alvarez with that takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Joel Alvarez. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Alvarez fails with a takedown attempt.
Grimes throws a jab but it's blocked by Alvarez.
Alvarez tries to clinch up.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Grimes throws out a loose jab but Alvarez uses good head movement to avoid it.
As Grimes tries to get set, Alvarez tries to push him back and clinch up but Grimes manages to avoid the attempt.
A big right from Grimes misses.
Alvarez went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
Alvarez tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Grimes paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Grimes avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Grimes swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Nice sprawl there from Grimes as Alvarez shoots in.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Alvarez shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.
Grimes is looking to improve his position.
Alvarez seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Grimes does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Alvarez throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Grimes can do anything to dispel that myth.
Grimes is looking to improve his position.
Grimes looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Grimes works his way to full guard. Good work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Grimes keeping moving, preventing Alvarez from controlling successfully.
Alvarez stopping the sweep attempt from Grimes.
Grimes really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Alvarez. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Alvarez really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

Grimes has his foot on Alvarez's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Alvarez works his way back into a safe position though.
Grimes 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.
Grimes working a defensive guard but Alvarez manages to pass into side control anyway.
Grimes tries to buck Alvarez off but Alvarez is having none of it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Alvarez wants to lay and pray for a moment but Grimes keeps working.
Grimes is trying to work for a sweep but Alvarez has mounted him!
Alvarez looking to finish with strikes here!
Grimes is desperately trying to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Grimes wants to control but Alvarez is having none of it.
Grimes wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Alvarez.
Grimes is trying desperately to improve position.
Grimes blocking the ground and pound.
Alvarez looking to ground and pound but Grimes is blocking nicely.
Grimes is trying desperately to improve position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Grimes is still trying to improve position.
Alvarez wants to control the pace but Grimes is squirming around nicely.
Alvarez looking to ground and pound but Grimes is blocking nicely.
Alvarez tries to control but Grimes wriggling away.
Grimes is trying desperately to improve position.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Alvarez has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Joel Alvarez dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Alvarez uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Grimes.
Alvarez tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Grimes manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Alvarez scores with a head kick.
Joel Alvarez is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Alvarez tries to clinch but Grimes moves out of range.
Alvarez slips a jab from Grimes.
Alvarez seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Grimes throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Alvarez sees it coming and avoids it easily.

Grimes looking to score a takedown here. Alvarez is defending well but Grimes drives through and ends up in Alvarez's guard.
Grimes lands a couple of elbows.
Grimes with a flurry of punches that miss.
Grimes pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Alvarez is keeping the position for now.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Grimes keeps trying to improve his position.
Alvarez throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Alvarez manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Grimes manages to get himself to full guard.

Grimes wants to sweep but no luck.

Grimes throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Alvarez escapes and throws Grimes's legs to the side, diving into side control!
Alvarez works to advance to full mount. Grimes defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
Grimes really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Alvarez looking to finish with strikes here!

Alvarez with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Grimes is looking to get to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Alvarez is working for a guillotine from mount but Grimes frees his head quite easily.
Grimes keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Alvarez throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Grimes is desperately trying to get back to half guard.

Alvarez looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Alvarez misses with a head shot.
Alvarez manages to capitalize on a mistake by Grimes to take his back!
Grimes is defending well here and trying to improve his position.
Grimes prevents Alvarez from getting a body triangle.
Alvarez controlling well, preventing Grimes from escaping the position.
Grimes manages to reverse the position and now he's in Alvarez's guard. Nice work there by Grimes.
Grimes pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Alvarez is keeping the position for now.
Grimes trying to control the position from guard on top but Alvarez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Grimes postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Grimes trying to control but Alvarez is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Grimes pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Alvarez is keeping the position for now.
Grimes is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Grimes must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Alvarez keeping full guard, as Grimes tries to pass.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Grimes is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Alvarez is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Alvarez has escaped and now he's on top!

And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Joel Alvarez will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Alvarez keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Grimes.
Alvarez is trying to close the distance and clinch up, after that failed offence from Grimes.
Grimes misses the jab.
Alvarez fails with a takedown attempt.
Grimes tries to clinch but Alvarez is having none of it.

Alvarez moves into the clinch.
Grimes tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.

Alvarez escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Alvarez ducks under a wild hook from Grimes.
Alvarez shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Grimes sprawls well. Grimes wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Alvarez gets slowly back to his feet.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Grimes shoots in for a takedown but Alvarez shows good takedown defense.
Alvarez throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Grimes's head.
Alvarez tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Grimes defends well and Alvarez ends up having to push Grimes into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Joel Alvarez. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Grimes misses with a short punch on the inside.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Grimes misses with some punches.
Alvarez blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Alvarez works on Grimes's body with a couple of short punches.
Alvarez manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Alvarez.
Grimes throws a head punch that misses.
Grimes gets through Alvarez's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Grimes misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Alvarez is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Grimes is defending well.
Grimes swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Grimes working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Alvarez blocking some punches.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Alvarez.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Grimes fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Grimes misses with the head strike.
Grimes working aggressively here.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Grimes.
Grimes misses with the head strike.
Grimes misses with a hook from the clinch.
Grimes is trying to drag Alvarez to the mat but Alvarez just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Still in the clinch, Alvarez scores with a nice short uppercut.
A head punch on the inside from Grimes fails to land.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A head punch blocked on the inside by Alvarez.
Grimes fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Bradly Grimes seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Alvarez blocks a punch to the side of the head.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Grimes.
Grimes goes for a body shot but it's blocked.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Grimes throws a punch but it's blocked by Alvarez.

Alvarez breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Grimes avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Grimes missing with a left hand there. Alvarez was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Grimes stuffs the takedown.
Grimes misses with a left hand
and Alvarez counters with a nice body shot.
Grimes throws the left hand but Alvarez avoids the punch easily.
Bradly Grimes seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Nice takedown defense from Grimes. No joy for Alvarez on that attempt.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Alvarez tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Grimes manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Alvarez uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Grimes.

Alvarez drives through and clinches with Grimes against the cage.
Grimes swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Grimes on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Alvarez is trying to pull guard but Grimes turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Grimes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Grimes prevents Alvarez from breaking the clinch.
Grimes misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Alvarez's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Grimes swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Alvarez is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Alvarez blocks an uppercut.
Alvarez is trying to pull guard but Grimes has him pressed against the cage.
Grimes fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Alvarez blocks an uppercut.
Alvarez blocks an uppercut.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Alvarez fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Grimes tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
A nice right hand lands inside from Grimes.
Alvarez is struggling to control the position.

Grimes has moved round to his opponent's back and is looking for a suplex! Oh snap! He's tossed Alvarez clear over his head and slammed him to the mat!

And that's the end of the fight!
Bradly Grimes comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Alvarez has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Santiago Holmes scores the fight 29:28
Judge Sandra Marshall scores the fight 28:29
Judge Michael Johnstone scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Joel Alvarez!