PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Jet Cao (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Artem Graf (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The atmosphere really building for this one as we go over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Cao
vs
Graf

168 cm
22
162 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

178 cm
19
155 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Tends to cut

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Jet Cao!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Artem Graf!
The judges for this bout are Sergei Dronov, Igor Prikhodko and Ivan Kurochkin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Graf looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Graf fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Graf throws a right and a left that Cao avoids nicely.

Cao shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Graf's guard.
Cao pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Graf is keeping the position for now.

Graf looking for a guillotine here but Cao defends easily.
Graf working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Cao.
Cao stands and throws Graf's legs to the side, diving into side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Cao is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Graf is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Graf is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Graf regains half guard, as Cao was trying to land strikes.

Cao is working for a kimura but Graf is defending it quite comfortably.
Graf trying to control but Cao postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Graf is trying to avoid being dragged into an even worse position than he's already in but Cao is staying active.
Graf tries to roll over but Cao keeps him under control.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Graf fails with the takedown
and Cao counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Graf checks a leg kick nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Cao.
Cao avoids a punch combination nicely.
Graf throws a right and a left that both miss.
Graf swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Graf fails with a takedown attempt.
Graf clinches but Cao breaks the clinch

and Cao counters with a nice double leg into guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Graf is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Cao is trying to get back to full guard.
Cao slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Graf content to stall in guard here.
Cao keeping moving, preventing Graf from controlling successfully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jet Cao 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.

Cao ducks under a wild hook from Graf.

Graf throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Cao was covering up waiting for the punch and Graf finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Cao tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Graf throws a strike but Cao rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Cao trying to control but Graf is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Graf lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Cao!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Graf looking to control and managing it successfully.
BOOM! Graf connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Cao really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Graf trying to control but he's not successful this time.

That's two 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.
Graf lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.

Graf goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Cao is on top in guard.
Graf is trying to control the position but Cao postures up.
Cao wants to control from the top but Graf keeps moving.

Graf is working an open guard so Cao takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Graf works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cao feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Graf's calf.
Graf shoots and misses

and Cao decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Graf's guard.
Cao has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Graf is proving hard to escape from.
Graf seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Cao pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Graf is keeping the position for now.
Cao controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Cao looking to sit in guard and control but Graf gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cao controls Graf momentarily but Graf frees himself.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Cao is working an open guard so Graf takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Graf misses with a wild combination.
Graf takes a swing at Cao's ribcage but misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Artem Graf will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Graf tries to clinch but Cao moves away

and Cao counters by clinching up.
Graf fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Graf is working for takedown but Cao is calmly controlling the position for now.
Graf tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Cao just stands there and leans against the cage.
Jet Cao has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Artem Graf.
Cao blocks a body shot from Graf.
Graf tries to pull guard but Cao won't allow it.
Graf drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Graf drops down looking for an ankle pick but Cao pulls his leg out and moves away.
Graf tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Cao swivels and escapes.
Graf keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Cao shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.

Graf has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Cao can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Graf takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Cao gets to his feet - Graf follows without any prompting.
Cao circles away from the clinch attempt

and Cao counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Cao.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cao tries to free his leg and advance position but Graf is retaining full guard.
Cao trying to control but Graf is working from the bottom.
Cao has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Cao is fighting to break Graf's control of his arms but Graf is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Graf bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Cao's guard.
Graf preventing the sweep.
Graf landing some decent shots from guard.
Graf's corner is telling him to maintain position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cao keeping moving, preventing Graf from controlling successfully.

Graf decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Cao, up you get!
Graf shoots and misses
and Cao counters with a low kick, right behind Graf 's knee.

Cao feints and as Graf raises his hands in defense, Cao changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Cao wants to pass the guard but Graf is keeping the position.
Cao prevents Graf from getting back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Graf is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Graf keeping moving, preventing Cao from controlling successfully.
Jet Cao overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Cao looking to pass the guard.
Graf tries to land a sweep but no joy.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jet Cao showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Cao 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 Sergei Dronov scores the fight 29:28
Judge Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 29:28
Judge Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jet Cao!