PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Forrest Griffin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Chanse Cravens (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Griffin comes to the cage accompanied by Big Punisher- Beware. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Griffin
vs
Cravens

191 cm
22
205 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

188 cm
23
205 lbs
1 - 5 - 1

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Knockout power

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 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Forrest Griffin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 5 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Chanse Cravens!
The judges for this bout are Cecil Peabody, Daniel Franklin and Tiny Johnson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Cravens closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Griffin goes for a takedown attempt but Cravens pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Griffin throws the left hand but Cravens avoids the punch easily.
Cravens tries to clinch but Griffin moves out of range.
Griffin lands a nice shot that snaps Cravens's head back.
Cravens wants to clinch up but Griffin keeps it at a distance.
Griffin misses with a head kick.
Cravens looks for a takedown but Griffin sprawls well.
Cravens thows a body shot but no joy.
A jab from Griffin finds it's way through Cravens's defenses.
Griffin misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

Cravens shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Griffin is trying to defend but Cravens finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Griffin tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Cravens is keen to just control but Griffin is a slippery customer.
Griffin is looking to escape.

Griffin is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Cravens pulls his head out easily.
Griffin manages to get to full guard.
Cravens must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Griffin trying to strike off his back.
Griffin bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Cravens's guard.
Cravens working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Griffin.
Cravens 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.

Cravens uses the cage to get back to his feet.
Griffin is breathing heavily.
Griffin fails to land the takedown.

Cravens darts in and clinches Griffin up against the cage.

Cravens lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Griffin misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Cravens working the head and body with strikes.
Cravens takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!

Cravens decides to stand up.
Griffin shoots for a double leg takedown but Cravens sprawls well. He's pushed Griffin's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Forrest Griffin. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Cravens bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Cravens scores with punches from side control.
Griffin takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Cravens has knee on belly and moves into mount.
Griffin keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Cravens scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Griffin is looking to improve his position but Cravens isn't that keen on the idea.
Cravens controlling his opponent.
Griffin is in a horrible position here. Cravens smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Cravens trying to control but he's not successful this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cravens controlling from the full mount.
Griffin can't escape the position.
Cravens lands a big elbow.
Griffin is working to get back to half guard.
Cravens lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Cravens blocks Griffin's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Cravens has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Griffin's face.
Cravens sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Cravens prevents Griffin from getting the reversal.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cravens trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Cravens with the ground and pound from mount.
Cravens landing strikes from the mount and Griffin is in trouble!
Griffin is in all sorts of trouble here.
Cravens breaks from Griffin's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Griffin is in a horrible position here. Cravens smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Cravens prevents Griffin from getting the reversal.
Griffin is working hard here to advance position.
Cravens is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Griffin can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Cravens fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Griffin can't escape the position.
Cravens landing punches.
Griffin is really trying hard to get back to his feet.
Griffin is looking to get to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Chanse Cravens dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Cravens darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.

Cravens stands up from half guard.
Griffin looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Cravens moves out of range as Griffin strikes.
Griffin misses with a takedown attempt

and Cravens moves into the clinch.

Cravens breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Cravens shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Griffin but Griffin pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Cravens is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Cravens will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
A cross from Cravens lands.
Cravens throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Griffin has a takedown stuffed.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cravens fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Forrest Griffin has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Chanse Cravens.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Griffin pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Cravens shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Griffin counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

Cravens has hold of one of Griffin's legs. Griffin is fighting the takedown attempt but Cravens gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
Cravens stopping the sweep attempt from Griffin.
Griffin will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Griffin throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Cravens preventing the sweep.
Griffin can't keep his opponent in guard - Cravens advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Griffin is trying to get back to full guard.
Griffin wants to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Griffin tries to get to full guard but Cravens has control of the leg.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Cravens scores a takedown into full mount!
Griffin regains half guard.

Cravens seems to be looking for submissions.
Griffin punching from the bottom.
Griffin is trying to get back to full guard.
Griffin missing with punches from the bottom.
Griffin throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Cravens works his way into side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cravens cracks Griffin with a big right hand but Griffin just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Griffin tries to strike but it doesn't land.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Cravens instigates a clinch.
Cravens is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Griffin pulls him back up using the underhooks.

Cravens gets control of Griffin's arms and successfully pulls guard. Cravens will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Griffin won't allow Cravens to sweep him here.
Griffin lands a couple of digs.
Cravens is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Griffin works over Cravens with some ground and pound from guard.

Griffin drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Cravens dives on top into guard.

Cravens decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Griffin misses with a double jab

and Cravens counters with a nice double leg into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cravens has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Cravens sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Griffin tries to hold on but Cravens pushes him away.
Griffin is looking to improve his position but Cravens isn't that keen on the idea.
A nice elbow there by Cravens.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Cravens wants to control the pace but Griffin is squirming around nicely.
Griffin tries to reverse the position but Cravens maintains control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Chanse Cravens showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Cravens forces Griffin back against the cage and clinches.
Griffin goes for a takedown in the clinch but Cravens prevents it.

Cravens works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Griffin looking for a sweep. Not yet Griffin, not yet.

Cravens thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Griffin looking to hit a scissor sweep but Cravens is one step ahead there.

Griffin looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Griffin 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.
Cravens advances to half guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Griffin wants to get back to his feet.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Cravens darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Griffin missing with punches from the bottom.

Griffin looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Griffin makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Griffin.
Cravens passes Griffin's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Griffin is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Cravens's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Cravens's back!
Griffin punches the canvas rather than the man.
Griffin scores with punches and elbows.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Griffin punches the canvas rather than the man.
Cravens turns into Griffin and is now in his guard.
Griffin striking off his back but it's not causing Cravens any problems.
Griffin striking off his back but it's not causing Cravens any problems.
Cravens wants to control from the top but Griffin keeps moving.
Griffin looking to control.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Cravens shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Griffin manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Griffin is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Griffin tries to pass the half guard into mount. Cravens knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Cravens trying to hold on to Griffin's head to control him but Griffin postures up.

Griffin is looking for a kimura but Cravens is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Griffin to get the leverage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Griffin drops an elbow to the side of Cravens's head.
Griffin missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Cravens makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Cravens.
Griffin wants to pass the guard but Cravens is keeping the position.
Griffin 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.
Cravens has Griffin pulled in close to control his posture.
Cravens looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Cravens utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Cravens wants to sweep here but Griffin controlling him for the moment.
Cravens utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Cravens trying to strike off his back.

That's four 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.
Griffin working some strikes from top position.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Griffin misses with a head kick.

Cravens closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Griffin throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Cravens blocks it with crossed arms.
Griffin looking to slow down the pace here.
Griffin tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

Cravens works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Chanse Cravens has got the better of the ground game so far.
Griffin wants to sweep but no luck.
Cravens cracks Griffin with a solid left hand.
Griffin can't keep his opponent in guard - Cravens advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Griffin is looking to improve his position.
Cravens tries to pass the half guard into mount. Griffin knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
The fighters are battling for position here. Griffin manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Forrest Griffin has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Chanse Cravens is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Griffin is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

And that's the end of the fight!
Chanse Cravens comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Cravens winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Cecil Peabody scores the fight 27:30
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 27:30
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Chanse Cravens!