PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Forrest Griffin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Julio Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Griffin
vs
Gracie

191 cm
22
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

189 cm
19
215 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Forrest Griffin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Julio Gracie!
The judges for this bout are John Kavanagh, David Schapiro and Lou da Vinci.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gracie fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Gracie tries to clinch but Griffin is having none of it.
A head kick misses from Griffin.

Gracie looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Griffin trying to control the position here.
Gracie tries to free his leg and advance position but Griffin is retaining full guard.
Griffin keeping moving, preventing Gracie from controlling successfully.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gracie looking to sit in guard and control but Griffin gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Gracie escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Griffin gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Griffin trying to control the position from guard on top but Gracie is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Gracie looking to control.
Griffin wants to control from the top but Gracie keeps moving.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Griffin with a poor takedown

and Gracie decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Griffin's guard.
Griffin working a defensive guard here.
Gracie looking to pass the guard.
Gracie looking to sit in guard and control but Griffin gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie looking for a sweep. Not yet Gracie, not yet.
Gracie is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Griffin trying to control the position from guard on top but Gracie is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Griffin throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Griffin doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Gracie decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Griffin's guard.
Griffin pulls Gracie in close to prevent any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Griffin bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Gracie's guard.
Gracie throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Griffin preventing the sweep.
Gracie is controlling Griffin's posture.
Gracie wants to sweep but no luck.
Griffin forces his way into half guard.
Gracie is trying to control but can't.
Griffin is looking to take a break and control but Gracie is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Gracie is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Griffin pulls his head out easily.
Gracie looks gassed!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Griffin tries to stand but can't do so whilst Gracie controls his leg.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Griffin gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Griffin keeping moving, preventing Gracie from controlling successfully.
Griffin wants to get back to his feet but Gracie is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Gracie sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Gracie trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Griffin managing to control the position.
Griffin being controlled here, momentarily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Julio Gracie dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Griffin misses with a takedown attempt

so Gracie counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Griffin keeping moving, preventing Gracie from controlling successfully.

Griffin has his foot on Gracie's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Gracie works his way back into a safe position though.
Gracie sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Griffin's guard.
Gracie trying to pass the guard but Griffin defending well.
Gracie 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.
Gracie with the ground and pound but Griffin uses the opportunity to regain guard.
Gracie advances position into side control!
Griffin tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Gracie wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
You can see the frustration on Griffin's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

Gracie is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Griffin knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie trying to control the position but Griffin is working away.

Gracie looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Griffin struggling a bit here.
Griffin is in a bad position, trying to hold on for dear life but he is really struggling to maintain any sort of control.
Griffin is looking for a sweep.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Griffin throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Gracie.
Gracie throws and low kick but Griffin moves out of range easily.
Griffin misses with a takedown

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Griffin trying to control from the bottom.
Griffin is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Gracie is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Griffin keeping hold of Gracie's head, controlling as best he can.
Griffin is trying to get back to full guard.
Griffin is trying to maintain the position but Gracie is very close to passing his half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Gracie prevents Griffin from improving his position.
Griffin is trying to stand up here but Gracie is controlling him well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

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

Gracie shoots in and bounces Griffin off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Griffin is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Gracie postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Gracie tries to free his leg and advance position but Griffin is retaining full guard.
Griffin looking to control.
Griffin is looking to stand up but Gracie isn't so interested in that idea.
Griffin looking to control.
Gracie wants to control from the top but Griffin keeps moving.
Gracie looking to sit in guard and control but Griffin gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Julio Gracie has got the better of the ground game so far.
Griffin works over Gracie with some ground and pound from guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Griffin with a lazy takedown attempt
and Gracie counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Forrest Griffin. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Griffin misses with a takedown attempt

and Gracie counters with a nice double leg into side control. Griffin won't be happy with that.
Gracie has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for Griffin!
Gracie landing shots from mount.
Griffin blocking the ground and pound.
Gracie unloading with bombs!
Gracie can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Griffin is looking to escape.
Griffin tries to hold on but Gracie postures up.
Gracie looking to control but Griffin is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Julio Gracie showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Gracie drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.

Gracie working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Griffin is not content to let Gracie control the position.
Gracie working away.
Griffin is not content to let Gracie control the position.
Griffin tries to buck Gracie off but Gracie is having none of it.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Griffin takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Griffin tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Gracie wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Gracie wants to lay and pray for a moment but Griffin keeps working.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Griffin misses with an uppercut. Gracie saw that one coming.
Griffin throws a sloppy head kick and Gracie moves out of range easily.
A head kick by Griffin misses

and Gracie counters by clinching up.
Gracie tries to throw a body punch but Griffin avoids it by throwing Gracie back against the cage.
Gracie can't get the takedown.
Gracie tries to score a body lock takedown but Griffin shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Gracie blocks a body shot from Griffin.
Gracie stops a takedown attempt from Griffin.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Griffin wants to break the clinch but can't.

Gracie successfully pulls guard.
Griffin stopping the sweep attempt from Gracie.
Griffin throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

Gracie looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Griffin looking to pass the guard.
Gracie 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 wants to get back to full guard.
Griffin is working hard here to advance position.
Griffin wants to control but Gracie is keeping busy and won't allow it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Griffin is looking to escape.
Griffin is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.
Griffin flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Gracie sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Griffin defending well though.
Griffin is looking for a sweep. Gracie is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Griffin paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Griffin scoring well with a low kick there.
Griffin lands a high kick to the side of Gracie's head that stuns him and send him tumbling down to the canvas! Griffin dives into guard, looking to finish.

Gracie is rocked!

It looks like Julio Gracie has been cut.
Griffin trying to control but Gracie is working from the bottom.
Gracie is still in real trouble! Can Griffin finish him?
Gracie is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Gracie pulls Griffin in close to prevent any damage.
Gracie seems to have recovered his senses.
Gracie manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Griffin manages to get himself to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Gracie distracts Griffin with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Gracie prevents Griffin from getting back to his feet.
Forrest Griffin has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Gracie throwing strikes from guard but Griffin blocks nicely.
Gracie showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Gracie stopping the sweep attempt from Griffin.
Griffin keeping moving, preventing Gracie from controlling successfully.
Gracie stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Griffin swivels though and keeps the full guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Forrest Griffin.
I think Gracie 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 John Kavanagh scores the fight 28:29
Judge David Schapiro scores the fight 28:29
Judge Lou da Vinci scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Julio Gracie!