PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Calogero Anello (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gustav Graves (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gustav Graves has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Anello
vs
Graves

178 cm
28
168 lbs
16 - 9 - 1

180 cm
36
161 lbs
34 - 14 - 1

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Granite chin

Crippler's Corner

Non-Stop Nutrition
Brute

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 16 - 9 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Calogero Anello!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 34 - 14 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Gustav Graves!
The judges for this bout are Frank Antenori, Jack Bonds and Don Winkell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Graves takes one to the side of the head.
Anello slaps away a takedown attempt from Graves, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Anello blocks a low kick nicely.

Anello gets tackled into the cage by Graves. Graves maintains the clinch.
Graves working aggressively here.
Graves scores with a shoulder strike.
Graves tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Anello blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Graves lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Anello is trying to force a seperation but Graves has the dominant position.
Graves misses with a body punch.
Graves fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Graves misses with a punch to the body.

Anello breaks from the clinch.
Graves throws a lazy right hand but Anello sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.

Graves rushes Anello and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Graves lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Anello backwards.
Anello is trying to break the clinch but Graves is controlling him.
Graves can't find room to land a body shot as Anello controls the action.
Graves lands a nice shot to the body.
Anello is looking to break free of the clinch but Graves has double underhooks.
Graves working aggressively here.
Anello is trying to push Graves away but Graves has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Anello is trying to break the clinch but Graves is controlling him.
Graves goes for a takedown in the clinch but Anello prevents it.

Anello breaks the clinch.
Anello pivots, looking for a leg kick but Graves is out of range and Anello settles back down.
Graves misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Anello fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Graves manages to avoid it.
Graves has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Anello.
Calogero Anello is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Good exchange - Anello coming out on top.
Graves getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Anello checks a low kick from Graves.
Graves throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Anello scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Graves doesn't seem bothered though.
Graves has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Anello finds it's way round the side to connect with Graves's head.
Graves moves in looking to clinch but Anello pushes him off.
Graves throws a quick inside leg kick.
Anello misses with a kick to the body.
Calogero Anello seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Graves throws a hook but Anello avoids it easily.
Anello looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Anello scores with a push kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Graves shoots in for a takedown but Anello shows good takedown defense.
Calogero Anello has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Gustav Graves.
Anello displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Graves.
Graves misses with a leg kick.
Anello bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Graves defending well as Anello loads up on a big left hand.
Graves moves to clinch but Anello breaks away
and Anello counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Graves takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Anello moves out of range as Graves strikes.
Graves tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A nice inside leg kick there by Anello. That's going to slow Graves down.
A slow jab from Anello misses its intended target.
Anello throws a chopping leg kick but Graves manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Anello throws a right hand that Graves ducks under and follows up with a left that Graves also avoids with ease.
Anello's jab looks to have found its range, popping Graves under the eye.
Graves throws a head kick that misses.
A swing and a miss from Anello.
A good leg kick by Anello.
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.
Anello swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Graves takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Anello lands a jab to the nose.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Calogero Anello will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Graves throws a hook to the side of Anello's head but Anello sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Graves throws a nice looking combination but Anello bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Graves moves in looking to clinch but Anello pushes him off.
Anello cracks Graves with a right hand to the side of the head.
Calogero Anello is winning the standup battle so far.
Graves throws a leg kick but Anello checks it.
A head kick misses from Graves.
Graves throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
A jab from Anello does it's job there.
Graves takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.

Graves shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Graves showed some decent athleticism there.
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
The fighters are battling for position here. Anello manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Anello utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Graves throws a big right hand that misses.
Anello tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Graves throwing strikes from guard but Anello blocks nicely.
Graves slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Graves sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Anello is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Graves trying to control the action but Anello is working from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Anello keeping his opponent close.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Graves wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Anello, who protects the arm well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
You can see the frustration on Anello's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Anello tries to escape but Graves is in control.
Graves in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Graves misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Anello avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Graves.

Graves is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Anello has escaped the position, nice work there.
Graves throwing shots but missing, from side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Anello is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Anello parries the strikes from Graves easily there. Graves is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Anello to escape.
Graves in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Anello is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.
Graves in side control, throwing shots but Anello defends.
Graves tries to move to mount but Anello blocks the move with his legs.
Anello dodges the ground and pound from Graves.
Graves lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Graves wants to control but Anello is keeping him busy.

Graves is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Anello is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The strikes coming from Graves are missing the target in this wave of attacks.

Graves tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Graves has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Graves throws a strike aimed at the side of Anello's head but Anello avoids it well.
Graves misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Graves has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Graves tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Graves has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Graves controls the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gustav Graves showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Graves misses with a few strikes there.
Anello avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Anello avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Graves throws a solid leg kick but Anello takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Graves.
Graves tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Anello paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Anello lands a lovely overhand right.
Anello throws a good cross that connects.
Anello ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Graves moves away.
Anello swats away the attempt to clinch by Graves.
Anello misses with a right hand
enabling Graves to counter with a crisp jab.

Graves gets a double leg takedown into Anello's guard.
Graves in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Graves throws a big elbow that misses.
Graves postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

Graves thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Anello looking to control.
Anello avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Anello looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Graves postures up in Anello's guard and throws a big left but Anello blocks it.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Graves accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Graves trying to control but Anello is working from the bottom.
Graves landing some decent shots from guard.
Anello preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Graves accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Gustav Graves has got the better of the ground game so far.
Graves in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Graves won't allow Anello to sweep him here.
Graves trying to control but Anello is working from the bottom.
Graves looking to pass the guard.
Graves postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Anello utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Graves trying to control the position from guard on top but Anello is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Graves trying to stand up but can't free himself from Anello's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Anello controlling Graves's posture.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Anello misses with a kick to the body.
Anello ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Graves moves away.
Anello lands a body shot.
Graves ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Anello tries to work over Graves's front leg with a kick but Graves checks it.
A low kick from Anello is predictable there
and Graves counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Anello thinking.
Decent striking displayed by Anello there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Anello pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Graves misses the shot to the body.
Anello takes a swing at Graves's ribcage but misses.
Anello throws a hook but Graves avoids it easily.
A head kick misses from Graves.
Graves lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
A swing and a miss from Anello.
The fight stays on the outside here - Graves looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
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.
Anello circles away from the clinch attempt.

And that's the end of the fight!
Gustav Graves comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Graves 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 Frank Antenori scores the fight 28:29
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 28:29
Judge Don Winkell scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Gustav Graves!