PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Raven Lucas (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Abdullah Griffin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Griffin has a niggling injury. He would have liked to come in 100% fit but that's not always possible. I can't wait for this one - let's get the fighter introductions out of the way and get this one started!

Lucas
vs
Griffin

177 cm
18
165 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
18
155 lbs
0 - 4 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Raven Lucas!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Abdullah Griffin!
The judges for this bout are Wesley Smith, Robert Twigg and Stewart Dunkirk.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Griffin throws a head kick but Lucas moves out of range.
Griffin tried to score with a low kick but Lucas checks it.

Lucas dives in and scores a takedown into Griffin's guard.
Lucas controlling from the top position.
Lucas loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

Griffin is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Lucas defends well.
Griffin looks gassed!
Lucas landing some decent shots from guard.
Griffin trying to keep a closed guard but Lucas is proving a slippery customer.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lucas wants to pass the guard but Griffin is keeping the position.
Lucas throwing strikes but missing.
Lucas wants to pass the guard but Griffin is keeping the position.
Lucas is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Griffin keeping moving, preventing Lucas from controlling successfully.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Raven Lucas wasn't doing enough on the ground.
The fight stays on the outside here - Griffin looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Lucas closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Lucas not doing much here.
Griffin is trying to stand back up but Lucas is controlling him
Lucas stalling.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Raven Lucas.

Lucas closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Still in half guard, Lucas seems content to control.
Lucas wants to pass the guard but Griffin is defending well.
Griffin is staying active underneath Lucas, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Lucas looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.

We're going to have a standup here because Raven Lucas wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.

Lucas looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Griffin!
Lucas landing strikes from the mount.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Lucas 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.
Lucas with good strikes from the mount here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lucas sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Lucas landing shots from mount.
Lucas connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Lucas controlling from the full mount.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Lucas punishing his opponent with strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Raven Lucas dominated that round.
That's time! Lucas's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Lucas breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Lucas misses with a takedown attempt - Griffin sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Lucas shoots in looking for a takedown. Griffin tries to sprawl out of it but Lucas 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.
No luck for Griffin with that takedown attempt.

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

Lucas looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Griffin is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Griffin being controlled for a moment.
Griffin is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Lucas lands a few punches from side control.
Lucas remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.

Lucas decides to stand up, so the ref orders Griffin to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lucas cracks Griffin with a good jab.

Lucas shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Lucas lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Lucas is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Raven Lucas overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lucas with shots to the head and body - Griffin looks very uncomfortable down there.
Lucas controlling the pace for now.
The referee warns Griffin that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Lucas in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Griffin is trying to stand up.
Lucas tries to control but Griffin wriggling away.
Lucas sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lucas landing strikes, looking to finish!
Lucas controlling his opponent.
Lucas with the ground and pound from mount.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Lucas pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Lucas putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Lucas trying to control but Griffin is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Raven Lucas dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Lucas connects with a solid leg kick.
Lucas displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Griffin.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Griffin enables Lucas to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Griffin manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Lucas controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Lucas landing some decent shots from guard.
Lucas knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Griffin on the ground.
Lucas slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Griffin takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Lucas stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Griffin swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Raven Lucas has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Lucas.
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.
The referee asks Lucas politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Lucas prefers to stall for the moment though.
Griffin stops Lucas from passing to mount.
Griffin is being controlled here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lucas is chipping away with strikes.
Lucas is looking to take a break and control but Griffin is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Lucas tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
Lucas advances nicely into full mount.
A nice elbow there by Lucas.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Lucas jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Griffin manages to avoid the submission attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Lucas stands up and we're back to a striking position.
Griffin takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.

Lucas fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Griffin sprawls well initially but Lucas persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Lucas lands with a punch from half guard.
Lucas not landing any meaningful shots this time.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Lucas is pressing down on Griffin's thigh, looking to free his foot. Griffin is holding on for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lucas is controlling the pace.
Lucas looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Lucas trying to control the pace.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

We're going to have a standup here because Raven Lucas wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.

Lucas gets a double leg takedown into Griffin's guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Raven Lucas showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Lucas 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 Wesley Smith scores the fight 30:25
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 30:25
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 30:25

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Raven Lucas!