PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Yuri Ivanov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and TJ Griffin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Yuri Ivanov could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to TJ Griffin's chin.

Ivanov
vs
Griffin

185 cm
28
197 lbs
19 - 8 - 0

180 cm
28
197 lbs
16 - 10 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Brute

TFP Graphics - Pit Inc

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 19 - 8 - 0, fighting out of London, Yuri Ivanov!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 16 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, TJ Griffin!
The judges for this bout are Roger Salmon, Chris Saunders and Micheangelo Fripello.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ivanov misses with a kick to the body.
Ivanov throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Ivanov ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Ivanov goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Ivanov takes a swing at Griffin's ribcage but misses.
Griffin thows a leg kick but Ivanov checks it
and Ivanov counters with a big head kick but Griffin shrugs it off.
Griffin blocks a head kick by Ivanov.
Griffin throws a right hand that misses
and Ivanov counters with a stiff right hand.
Ivanov uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Griffin.
Griffin throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Ivanov lets loose with a powerful body kick. Griffin will feel that in the morning.
A big left from Ivanov misses.
Griffin moves out of range of the leg kick from Ivanov.
A nice leg kick lands there from Ivanov.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Griffin feints and then cracks Ivanov's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Ivanov down.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Griffin misses with a hook.
Griffin lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Ivanov circles away quickly and effectively.
Griffin throws a right and a left that Ivanov avoids nicely.
Sloppy strikes from Griffin. Those never looked like landing.
Griffin throws an overhand right that lands on Ivanov's shoulder, as Ivanov tries to avoid the shot.
Griffin takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Griffin misses with a head kick.
Ivanov lands with a cross.
Yuri Ivanov seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Ivanov shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Ivanov lands with a shot to the body.
Ivanov throws a body kick that misses.
Griffin misses with a looping left.
A solid body kick from Ivanov.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Ivanov shoots in and bounces Griffin off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Ivanov postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Ivanov scoring with some ground and pound.
Griffin trying to control the position.
Ivanov wants to control from the top but Griffin keeps moving.
Ivanov scoring with some ground and pound.
Ivanov scoring with some ground and pound.
Ivanov throws an elbow that misses. Griffin uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Ivanov's guard. Nice move by Griffin!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ivanov seems keen to control Griffin's posture.
Ivanov looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Ivanov wants to improve his position but instead Griffin has moved into half guard.
Ivanov controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.
Griffin tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Ivanov.
Ivanov is trying to get back to full guard.
Ivanov 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!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ivanov somehow managing to miss with a strike from the back.
Ivanov throws a big right hand but he misses and hits the mat. Ouch.
Ivanov throwing sloppy strikes.
Ivanov throwing lazy shots from the back mount that aren't doing any damage.
Ivanov lands with a couple of good shots - one to the side of the head and one questionable shot that could be viewed as to the back of the head but the referee lets it go.

It looks like TJ Griffin has been cut.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Ivanov lands shots from the back.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Even with his hooks in, Ivanov manages to miss with strikes from the back.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Ivanov thows a huge left but connects with the canvas and not his opponent.
Griffin is in a world of trouble here. He's outmatched on the ground here and he'd better get Ivanov off his back sharpish unless he wants to be submitted.
Ivanov punches Griffin on the ear.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yuri Ivanov dominated that round.
The cut man is working on TJ 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.

Ivanov throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Ivanov with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Ivanov pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Griffin drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Ivanov takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Ivanov throws a shot from downtown. Griffin moves away and avoids it.
Griffin throws a wild body kick that Ivanov sees coming a mile off.
Ivanov pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Griffin takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
A jab from Griffin misses.
Ivanov connects with an inside leg kick.
Ivanov scores with a crisp jab that stopped Griffin in his tracks.
Griffin drops his hands momentarily and Ivanov takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Griffin throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Ivanov is looking to clinch.
Ivanov throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Ivanov fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Griffin.
Yuri Ivanov is winning the standup battle so far.
Good standup being displayed there by Griffin as he connects with a hook.
Griffin throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Ivanov connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Griffin misses with a looping left.
Griffin avoids the head kick by Ivanov.
Ivanov blocks a leg kick.
Ivanov throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
Ivanov fakes the leg kick and cracks Griffin in the body.
Griffin misses with a jab to the body
and Ivanov counters with a solid body kick.
Griffin is breathing heavily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Ivanov lands with an overhand left.
Griffin avoids a kick to the body.
Ivanov dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Ivanov tries a head kick but it misses.
Ivanov fakes the leg kick and cracks Griffin in the body.
Griffin swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Ivanov counters with a low kick, right behind Griffin 's knee.
Ivanov just misses with a punch to the body.
Ivanov lands a nice leg kick that just misses Griffin's sensitive parts.
Griffin bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Ivanov throws a body kick that misses.
Ivanov looks for the body kick but Griffin saw that one coming.
Ivanov fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Griffin has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A lazy body kick from Ivanov
enabling Griffin to counter with a crisp jab.
Griffin throws a head kick that misses.
Griffin looks for the body kick but Ivanov saw that one coming.
Griffin misses with a low kick.
Ivanov connects with a body shot.
Ivanov uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Griffin.
TJ Griffin is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Ivanov lands a high kick!
Ivanov throws a nice inside leg kick.
Ivanov lands with a thumping leg kick.
Ivanov throws a body kick that misses.
An inside leg kick lands from Griffin.
Griffin takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Ivanov throws a head kick that misses.
Ivanov lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Ivanov lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Griffin ducks under a wild hook from Ivanov.
Ivanov lands with a thumping leg kick.
Griffin takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.
Griffin throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Ivanov counters with a good, hard body kick but Griffin shrugs it off.
Ivanov misses with a low kick.
Ivanov jabbing away but nothing is landing.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Ivanov throws a head kick that misses.
Ivanov throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
Griffin takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yuri Ivanov dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on TJ Griffin's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Griffin misses with a body kick.
Ivanov takes a swing at Griffin's ribcage but misses.
Ivanov pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Griffin slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Griffin throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
The fighters circling - Griffin throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Griffin has developed a nice purple lump on his ribcage, as a result of some heavy body kicks from Ivanov.
Griffin scores with a jab to the body.
Griffin comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Ivanov is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Griffin can do to turn this around?
Griffin moves out of range as Ivanov throws a body kick.
Ivanov throws a sloppy head kick and Griffin moves out of range easily.
Ivanov thows a body kick. Griffin tries to catch it but that hurt him.
Ivanov throws a head kick that Griffin semi-blocks.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ivanov misses with a head kick.
A swing and a miss from Griffin.
Ivanov shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Ivanov throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

Ivanov gets a takedown into half guard.
Ivanov lands with a punch from half guard.
Ivanov thows a huge punch but Griffin dodges it nicely.
Griffin keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Ivanov looks to score some points with some ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ivanov thows a huge punch but Griffin dodges it nicely.
Ivanov missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Yuri Ivanov overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Ivanov trying to control from half guard but Griffin is working away.
Ivanov landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Ivanov throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Ivanov scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Ivanov misses with a head shot. Griffin uses the momentum to regain guard.
Ivanov is in close to Griffin's body, working some short punches and elbows.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ivanov throwing strikes from guard but Griffin blocks nicely.
Ivanov throws a strike but Griffin rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Ivanov is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Griffin wants to control from the top but Ivanov keeps moving.
Griffin must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Ivanov tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Griffin trying to control the position from guard on top but Ivanov is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Ivanov managing to control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Ivanov has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Yuri Ivanov.
Ivanov scores with a leg kick.
Ivanov fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Griffin bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
TJ Griffin has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Griffin checks a leg kick nicely.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Ivanov throws a leg kick but Griffin checks it.
Ivanov scores with a nice head shot.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Ivanov attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.

And that's the end of the fight!
Yuri Ivanov showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Ivanov 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 Roger Salmon scores the fight 30:27
Judge Chris Saunders scores the fight 30:27
Judge Micheangelo Fripello scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Yuri Ivanov!
After winning the bout, Yuri Ivanov thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.