PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Thiago De Santos (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Randy Griffin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). De Santos comes to the cage accompanied by Drop the World. Rumors backstage are that the fighters have been paid to keep it standing but we know that would never happen in MMA!

De Santos
vs
Griffin

212 cm
21
320 lbs
7 - 3 - 0

200 cm
22
315 lbs
7 - 3 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Excellent boxer
Very strong

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Powerful

KING clothing

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Thiago De Santos!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Randy Griffin!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Griffin shoots in and drives through. De Santos sprawls well.
Griffin tries to score a power double leg takedown but De Santos sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Griffin somewhat.
De Santos slaps away a takedown attempt from Griffin, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Thiago De Santos has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Randy Griffin.
Griffin closes this distance looking for a takedown but De Santos circles away.
Griffin ducks under a wild hook from De Santos.
Thiago De Santos seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
De Santos just misses with a punch to the body.
A slow jab from De Santos misses its intended target.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
De Santos misses with an uppercut.
De Santos keeps the fight on the outside.

Griffin feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Griffin throws a strike but De Santos rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Griffin seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Griffin wants to sweep but no luck.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Griffin can do anything to dispel that myth.
De Santos is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Griffin is looking to sweep but instead, De Santos has passed into half guard.
Griffin wants to control but De Santos is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Griffin is staying active underneath De Santos, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Still in half guard, De Santos seems content to control.
Griffin trying to control here.
Griffin is doing well to control the position and prevent De Santos from advancing to side control.
De Santos tries to pass the half guard into mount. Griffin knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

De Santos seems to be working for a kimura but Griffin defends the submission attempt.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
De Santos is trying to control the action in half guard but Griffin is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Griffin uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from De Santos.

Griffin fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with De Santos, pushing him back against the cage.
De Santos lands a shoulder strike.
Griffin tries for a takedown but De Santos manages to get underhooks.
De Santos lands a right hand that snaps the head of Griffin backwards.
De Santos lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Griffin backwards.

It looks like Randy Griffin has been cut.
Griffin wants a takedown but no success here.
De Santos wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Griffin tries for a takedown but De Santos manages to get underhooks.
Griffin wants to break the clinch but can't.
Griffin wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Griffin goes for a takedown in the clinch but De Santos prevents it.

De Santos manages to break the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
De Santos misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Griffin.
De Santos connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Griffin closes this distance looking for a takedown but De Santos circles away.

De Santos shoots in and bounces Griffin off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Griffin looking to hit a scissor sweep but De Santos is one step ahead there.
De Santos passes Griffin's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
De Santos perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
De Santos will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
De Santos seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Griffin does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

De Santos is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Griffin gets full guard.
Griffin really doesn't want to stay on the ground with De Santos. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Griffin keeping moving, preventing De Santos from controlling successfully.
De Santos looking to pass the guard.
De Santos won't allow Griffin to sweep him here.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
De Santos stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and De Santos wants it to stay on the feet.
De Santos throws a series of punches but Griffin moves out of range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Thiago De Santos dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Randy Griffin's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Griffin tries for a takedown but De Santos circles away easily
and De Santos connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Griffin walks into a stiff left hand from De Santos.
Griffin shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and De Santos counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Griffin showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from De Santos.
De Santos misses with a hook.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Griffin shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. De Santos is trying to defend but Griffin finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Griffin throwing shots but De Santos is blocking nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
De Santos holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.
Griffin working De Santos over with strikes.
Ground and pound from Griffin.
De Santos trying to hold on to Griffin's head to control him but Griffin postures up.
Griffin sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. De Santos defending well though.
De Santos works his way to full guard. Good work.
De Santos trying to control the position.
Griffin postures up and lands a big shot to De Santos's brow.
De Santos controls Griffin momentarily but Griffin frees himself.
Griffin lands a couple of elbows.
Griffin thows a big elbow that misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
De Santos is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Griffin works his way to full guard. Good work.
De Santos trying to control but Griffin is working from the bottom.
De Santos stopping the sweep attempt from Griffin.
Griffin is trying to control the position but De Santos postures up.
De Santos sitting in guard here, content to control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
De Santos stopping the sweep attempt from Griffin.
Griffin pulls De Santos in to control the position.
Griffin looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but De Santos puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Griffin wants to control but De Santos is keeping busy and won't allow it.
De Santos keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Griffin slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
De Santos won't allow Griffin to sweep him here.
Griffin manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. De Santos manages to get himself to full guard.
Griffin scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Griffin distracts De Santos with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Griffin lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Griffin throws and elbow that misses. De Santos uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Griffin's guard. Nice move by De Santos!

De Santos is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
De Santos stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Griffin swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Griffin pulls De Santos in to control the position.
De Santos postures up.
De Santos passes easily into side control. Nice work.
De Santos tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
Griffin manages to get back to half guard.
Griffin has his hands clasped together around De Santos's back. He's all about the action.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Griffin wants to control but De Santos is keeping busy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

De Santos misses with a body shot.
De Santos will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
De Santos throws out a powerful jab.

Griffin darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Griffin is keen to just control but De Santos is a slippery customer.
De Santos blocking the ground and pound attempt from Griffin.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Griffin connects with a nice short shot to De Santos's temple.

It looks like Thiago De Santos has been cut.
De Santos is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Griffin's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Griffin's back!
De Santos biding his time, looking for the opening.

That's one minute gone in the round.
De Santos avoiding Griffin 's attempts to control his hands.
Griffin is taking damage to the body and head.
Griffin turns into De Santos and is now in his guard.

De Santos throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Griffin landing with the ground and pound.
De Santos is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Griffin trying to control the position from guard on top but De Santos is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Griffin wants to pass the guard but De Santos is keeping the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Griffin scoring with some ground and pound.
Griffin throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
De Santos looking for a sweep. Not yet De Santos, not yet.
De Santos is trying to control the position but Griffin postures up.
Griffin pushes down on De Santos's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Griffin wants to stand up but De Santos is controlling the position.
Nice strikes from Griffin there.
Griffin throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Griffin winds up and cracks De Santos with a swinging punch to the side of the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Griffin thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed De Santos's head.
De Santos is not content to let Griffin control the position.
De Santos moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Griffin content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Griffin landing with the ground and pound.
Griffin trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
De Santos not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Griffin thows a big elbow that misses.
Griffin must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Griffin in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Randy Griffin has got the better of the ground game so far.

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.
De Santos controls Griffin momentarily but Griffin frees himself.
De Santos seems keen to control Griffin's posture.
De Santos 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.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Griffin shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has De Santos pinned against the cage. De Santos gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

De Santos scores with a takedown into Griffin's guard.
Griffin seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.

And that's the end of the fight!
Randy Griffin comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Griffin has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Andi Peters scores the fight 28:29
Judge Gordon Ramsey scores the fight 28:29
Judge Frank Skinner scores the fight 28:29

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