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PBP Commentary |
Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Matthew Griffin (ranked 2289 p4p, 2654 weight class) and Lars Gunnar Ekberg (ranked 290 p4p, 328 weight class). Matthew Griffin could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Lars Gunnar Ekberg's chin.
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| 189 cm
30
212
11 - 9 - 0 |
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182 cm
21
210
3 - 3 - 0 |
BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Very quick |
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Good wrestler
Counter fighter
Knockout power |
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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 11 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Matthew Griffin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Lars Gunnar Ekberg!
The judges for this bout are Ron Honeybunn, Topper Green and Eliza Hachem.
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ekberg tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Griffin defends well and Ekberg ends up having to push Griffin into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Griffin stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Griffin wants it to stay on the feet.
Griffin's jab looks to have found its range, popping Ekberg under the eye.
Griffin connects with a right hand. Ekberg shakes it off.
Ekberg has a takedown stuffed.
Matthew Griffin has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Lars Gunnar Ekberg.
Griffin lands a front kick.
Griffin with a hook.
Griffin lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Griffin lands with a nice combination. Ekberg backs away looking to recover.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Griffin with a nice cross.
Griffin throws a jab but it's blocked by Ekberg.
Griffin instigates a clinch.
Good body shot from Ekberg.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Ekberg misses with the head strike.
Ekberg has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Griffin is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Griffin breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
No luck for Ekberg with that takedown attempt.
Ekberg with a lazy takedown attempt
and Griffin counters with a series of strikes. Ekberg will be more careful next time no doubt.
A cross from Griffin lands.
Ekberg takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Good exchange - Griffin coming out on top.
Ekberg is rocked!
Ekberg fails with a takedown attempt.
Griffin swung with a counter punch to the body but it didn't connect.
Griffin scores with a nice head shot.
Ekberg is still on wobbly legs! Can Griffin finish him?
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Griffin scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Ekberg doesn't seem bothered though.
Ekberg seems to have recovered his senses.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Ekberg misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Matthew Griffin seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Griffin has managed to clinch.
Ekberg tries to break the clinch but Griffin is controlling the position.
Griffin throws a punch but it's blocked by Ekberg.
Ekberg is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Griffin is defending well.
Ekberg has Griffin pressed against the cage, preventing Griffin from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Griffin pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Ekberg scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Griffin trying to hold on to Ekberg's head to control him but Ekberg postures up.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Griffin wants to get back to full guard.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Ekberg working his ground and pound in the gym. He isn't landing a great percentage of his ground strikes so far though.
Griffin is trying to stand.
Griffin controlling the position for now.
Ekberg seems to be looking for submissions.
Ekberg is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Ekberg seems to be working for a kimura but Griffin defends the submission attempt.
Ekberg is thwarting Griffin's attempts to control the position.
Griffin is doing well to control the position and prevent Ekberg from advancing to side control.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Griffin wants to control but Ekberg is keeping busy.
Griffin is refusing to be controlled, as Ekberg sits in half guard.
Ekberg is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Ekberg prevents Griffin from improving his position.
Griffin trying to control here but he's found himself mounted! Oh no!
Ekberg wants to control the pace but Griffin is squirming around nicely.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.
Matthew Griffin dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.
Ekberg decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Griffin is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Ekberg can do to turn this around?
Ekberg is thwarting Griffin's attempts to control the position.
Griffin preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.
Griffin wants to improve his position but Ekberg is controlling well.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ekberg throwing shots but Griffin is blocking nicely.
Griffin is positioning himself well to prevent Ekberg advancing to mount.
Ekberg is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
That's one minute gone in the round.
Ekberg punishing his opponent with strikes.
Ekberg lands a couple of good shots and Griffin has given up his back, trying to escape the position!
It looks like Matthew Griffin has been cut.
Ekberg is working for the rear naked choke. He has one arm under the chin but Griffin has hold of the other arm. A bit of a stalemate here.
Griffin is trying to break free.
Ekberg is working for the rear naked choke. He has one arm under the chin but Griffin has hold of the other arm. A bit of a stalemate here.
I really don't envy Griffin right now.
Ekberg working for a choke but Griffin is defending well.
Griffin is staying cool under pressure, defending well against the rear naked choke attempt from his opponent.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ekberg lands with a hammerfist to the side of Griffin's head.
Griffin trying to control but not successfully.
Griffin is in bad spot here.
Ekberg doesn't have the hooks in and Griffin manages to turn into his guard.
Griffin preventing the sweep.
Ekberg is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Ekberg keeping moving, preventing Griffin from controlling successfully.
Griffin sitting in guard, not really doing much.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Griffin trying to control the position from guard on top but Ekberg is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Ekberg had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Griffin defends it easily.
Ekberg pulls Griffin in to control the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Ekberg wants to sweep here but Griffin controlling him for the moment.
Ekberg can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Griffin controls the pace.
Ekberg trying to control the position here.
Griffin is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Ekberg looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Griffin trying to control the position from guard on top but Ekberg is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Griffin is fighting to break Ekberg's control of his arms but Ekberg is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Ekberg manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Griffin on his heels. He'll look to pass Griffin's guard now, I'm sure.
Ekberg won't allow Griffin to get back to his feet.
Ekberg postures up.
Griffin trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Griffin throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Ekberg preventing the sweep.
Ekberg is fighting to break Griffin's control of his arms but Griffin is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Ekberg stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Griffin swivels though and keeps the full guard.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.
Lars Gunnar Ekberg showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Matthew Griffin's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!
Ekberg looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Griffin is fending him off so far but Ekberg persists. Nope, Griffin circles away and we're back to standing.
Ekberg looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Griffin keeping full guard, as Ekberg tries to pass.
Ekberg passes Griffin's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Ekberg is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Ekberg missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Griffin is holding on to half guard well.
Ekberg is working for a kimura but Griffin is defending it quite comfortably.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Ekberg sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Griffin defending well though.
Ekberg scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Griffin makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!
Griffin throws a left and a right that both miss
and Ekberg counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Ekberg uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Griffin.
Griffin just misses with a punch to the body.
The fighters circle momentarily. Griffin darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Griffin fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Griffin lands a jab to the nose.
Ekberg shoots in looking for a takedown but Griffin manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Ekberg's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Griffin stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Griffin throws a right and a left that both miss.
Ekberg darts in looking for a takedown but Griffin gets double underhooks and turns Ekberg into the cage.
Matthew Griffin has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Lars Gunnar Ekberg.
Griffin misses with a wild body shot.
Griffin connects with a good right hand that stumbles Ekberg. Ekberg circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Griffin digs a good body shot into Ekberg's ribs.
A swing and a miss from Ekberg.
It looks like Griffin has been trying to sharpen up his punching technique, as it looks crisper than last time we saw him.
Griffin pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Ekberg back to the cage. Griffin follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.
Griffin tests Ekberg's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Griffin scores with a punch to the head.
Griffin tries to bum rush Ekberg with a series of wild strikes but Ekberg uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Griffin connects with the punch.
Ekberg walks into a straight right hand from Griffin.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ekberg shoots in looking for a takedown but Griffin manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Ekberg's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Ekberg shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Griffin napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Ekberg wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Griffin, who protects the arm well.
Lars Gunnar Ekberg has got the better of the ground game so far.
Ekberg takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Griffin is trying to get back to half guard.
Griffin wants to control but Ekberg postures up.
Griffin has one of Ekberg's arms on lockdown, trying to prevent him from doing any damage.
Ekberg stands up and beckons Griffin to his feet.
Griffin goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Griffin scores with the left hand. Ekberg knows he should have avoided that one.
Ekberg avoids a punch combination nicely.
Ekberg swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Griffin stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Griffin wants it to stay on the feet.
Griffin just misses with a punch to the body.
Ekberg is looking for the big counter here.
Matthew Griffin is winning the standup battle so far.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Griffin throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Ekberg shoots in looking for a takedown. Griffin tries to sprawl out of it but Ekberg keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Griffin manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Griffin takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
And that's the end of the fight!
Matthew Griffin showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Griffin 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 Ron Honeybunn scores the fight 29:28
Judge Topper Green scores the fight 29:28
Judge Eliza Hachem scores the fight 29:28
In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Matthew Griffin!
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| S |
C
A |
G |
S |
C
B |
G |
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C |
G |
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energy
A | B |
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hype
A | B |
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pop
A | B |
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mgr
A | B |
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FIGHT
RATING
47% |
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