PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Bruce Wagner (ranked 2426 p4p, 3442 weight class) and Matthew Griffin (ranked 284 p4p, 372 weight class). Buckle up people - heeeeeeeeeere we go!

Wagner
vs
Griffin

190 cm
30
205
10 - 7 - 0

189 cm
27
212
7 - 4 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Good kicks
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 10 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Bruce Wagner!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Matthew Griffin!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, Frank Antenori and Percy O'Donnell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Griffin bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Griffin is pausing for a moment. What's he doing? It looks like he's clearing his nose. Oh dude! He's shot a load of snot all down Wagner's shoulder. That is not cool.
Wagner is trying to get back to his feet.
Wagner trying desperately to get back to his feet here but he's not having any joy at all. He's going to tire himself out if he's not careful.
Griffin controlling from side mount.
Wagner wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Griffin content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
Wagner tries to escape but Griffin is in control.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Wagner dodges the ground and pound from Griffin.
Wagner wants to get back to his feet but Griffin drags him back down.
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.
Wagner is working to avoid the ground and pound but Griffin connects with a decent elbow.
Griffin is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Let's hope that Griffin 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.
Wagner's coaches at Gumburcules Gym have been working on his defensive grappling in preparation for this fight so let's see if he can get out of this tricky position.
Griffin's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Wagner is trying to get back to his feet.

Griffin stands up and we're back to a striking position.
Griffin lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Griffin's coach down at Gumburcules Gym was telling us pre-fight that they have been working on Griffin's balance. Obviously they view that as a key factor in the outcome of this fight.
Wagner throws a low kick but Griffin avoids it.
Wagner has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Wagner there as he acknowledges the shot.
Wagner throws a leg kick but Griffin sees it coming and moves out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wagner fails to land with a series of punches.
Wagner shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Nice jab there from Griffin.
Wagner throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Griffin.
Griffin swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Griffin changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Griffin lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Griffin.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Wagner takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Griffin lands an overhand right.
Wagner takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Wagner throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Wagner throws an off balance right hand

and Griffin holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

Griffin manages to break the clinch.
Griffin throws a nice outside leg kick.
Bruce Wagner is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Griffin closes the distance and clinches.
Wagner goes for a body shot but it's blocked.

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

Griffin changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Wagner looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
The referee asks Griffin politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Griffin prefers to stall for the moment though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Griffin decides to stand back up.
Griffin listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Wagner throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.

Griffin clinches.
Wagner tries to work over Griffin's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Wagner goes for a body shot but it's blocked.

Griffin manages to break the clinch.
Wagner tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Good standup being displayed there by Griffin as he connects with a hook.
A low kick lands for Griffin.
Griffin throws a right hand that Wagner ducks under and follows up with a left that Wagner also avoids with ease.
Good standup being displayed there by Griffin as he connects with a hook.
Griffin dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Matthew Griffin seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Wagner scores with a jab to the head.
Griffin lands with a right hand.

Griffin looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Griffin content to stall in guard here.
Wagner working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Griffin.
Griffin sitting in guard here, content to control.
Wagner is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Wagner can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Griffin controls the pace.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Matthew Griffin dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Griffin cracks Wagner with a good jab.
A jab from Wagner misses.
Griffin paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Griffin with a nice cross.
Griffin wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Wagner throws an overhand right that lands on Griffin's shoulder, as Griffin tries to avoid the shot.
Wagner throws a jab but it's blocked by Griffin.
Griffin moves away from the strike by Wagner.
Griffin uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Wagner.
Wagner lands a nice shot that snaps Griffin's head back.
Matthew Griffin seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Wagner misses with a few strikes there.
Griffin staying out of range there.
Griffin misses with a wild combination.
Wagner gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Griffin.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Griffin connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Griffin jabs Wagner right on the nose. Wagner blinks but takes it well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Wagner waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Griffin.
A shot to the liver by Griffin. Beautiful body shot.
Griffin fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Wagner avoids it really well and circles away.
A little feinted left hand from Wagner on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Griffin drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Griffin.
Good exchange - Griffin coming out on top.
Griffin jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Griffin paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Griffin!

Wagner is rocked!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Griffin connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Wagner's hands.
Oh Wagner is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Griffin lands a jab.

Griffin gets a takedown into half guard.
Wagner tries to push off, looking to stand up, but Griffin manages to move to mount!
Wagner seems to have got his legs back now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Griffin controlling from mount.
Wagner is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.
The referee warns Wagner that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Griffin controlling the pace for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Wagner is trying to stand up.
Griffin controlling from the full mount.
Matthew Griffin has got the better of the ground game so far.
We're seeing a lot of stalling here from Griffin.
Wagner wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
Griffin with shots to the head and body - Wagner looks very uncomfortable down there.
Griffin sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wagner is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Griffin controlling from the full mount.
Griffin landing strikes from the mount and Wagner is in trouble!
Wagner is trying to stand.
Griffin looking to control and managing it successfully.
Wagner wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
Griffin content just to control the position here.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Matthew Griffin showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Griffin scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Griffin displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.

Griffin drives through with a takedown into guard.
Griffin looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Wagner wants to stand but Griffin is controlling the position.
Griffin stands and throws Wagner's legs to the side, diving into side control.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Wagner wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Griffin is pausing for a moment. What's he doing? It looks like he's clearing his nose. Oh dude! He's shot a load of snot all down Wagner's shoulder. That is not cool.
Griffin is continuing to stall.
Griffin prevents Wagner from escaping the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.
Griffin working the ground and pound but Wagner is defending the strikes.
Griffin slows the pace down.
Wagner is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Griffin has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Griffin staying calm.
Wagner is trying to get back to his feet.
Griffin cracks Wagner with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Bruce Wagner has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

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.
Wagner wants to get back to his feet.
Griffin is pausing for a moment. What's he doing? It looks like he's clearing his nose. Oh dude! He's shot a load of snot all down Wagner's shoulder. That is not cool.
Wagner is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Griffin just content to control the position.
Wagner is pushing Griffin's head away, looking to escape. Griffin manages to hold on to the position though.
Griffin remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Wagner takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Griffin controls the position.
Griffin working the ground and pound.
Wagner is trying to buck Griffin off.
Wagner trying to remain calm as Griffin controls from the top position.

Griffin decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Wagner scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Griffin throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Wagner on the side of the head.
A good leg kick by Wagner.
Wagner walks into a stiff left hand from Griffin.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Griffin slips a straight right by Wagner.
Wagner misses the jab.

Griffin rushes Wagner and presses him up against the cage.
Wagner can't find room to land a body shot as Griffin controls the action.
Wagner tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Griffin's elbow.

Griffin breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Wagner misses with a series of wild punches.
Wagner looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Wagner swinging wildly here.
Griffin catches Wagner with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Wagner throws out a leg kick but Griffin moves out of range and Wagner only half commits.

Griffin shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Wagner tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.

And that's the end of the fight!
Matthew Griffin comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Griffin 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 Jack Bonds scores the fight 27:30
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 27:30
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Matthew Griffin!