PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Stephen Griffiths (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Shorty Gonzalez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Stephen Griffiths has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Griffiths
vs
Gonzalez

170 cm
21
175 lbs
8 - 2 - 0

181 cm
29
177 lbs
8 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
Good kicks
Cardio machine

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Stephen Griffiths!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 5 - 0, fighting out of London, Shorty Gonzalez!
The judges for this bout are Aleksandr Martynov, Igor Prikhodko and Konstantin Menshow.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gonzalez misses the shot to the body.
Gonzalez is looking to clinch.
Gonzalez tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Griffiths counters with a slapping leg kick.

Gonzalez takes the fight into the clinch.
Griffiths drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Gonzalez gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Gonzalez stalling the fight.

Griffiths works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Griffiths slips nicely into half guard.
Gonzalez trying to control from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Griffiths seems to be working for a kimura but Gonzalez defends the submission attempt.

Griffiths is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

Griffiths is looking for a kimura. It's pretty deep but Gonzalez still has the half guard so he's probably OK. Oh, Gonzalez has exploded into a beautiful escape there and after a quick scramble, he's ended up in side control on top! Nice work!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Griffiths manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Griffiths is pressing down on Gonzalez's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.

Griffiths is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

Gonzalez got a little sloppy there for a moment and Griffiths has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Gonzalez has managed to get both his arms back between Griffiths's legs - danger averted.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Gonzalez looking to pass the guard.
Griffiths is pulling down on Gonzalez's head to control his posture.

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

Griffiths had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Gonzalez defends it easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gonzalez tries to stand but Griffiths is controlling from the bottom.
Griffiths is pulling down on Gonzalez's head to control his posture.
Griffiths working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Gonzalez.
Griffiths might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

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

Griffiths is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

Griffiths looking for a guillotine here but Gonzalez defends easily.

Griffiths looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Griffiths controls Gonzalez momentarily but Gonzalez frees himself.
Griffiths avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Gonzalez with a flurry of punches that miss.
Gonzalez stands and throws Griffiths's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Gonzalez trying to control the position but Griffiths is working away.
Griffiths can't do much from the bottom here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Griffiths manages to get back to half guard.
Griffiths is looking to improve his position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Stephen Griffiths dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Griffiths clinches.
Gonzalez connects with a knee to the head.
Gonzalez swings wildly with an uppercut but Griffiths uses good head movement to avoid it.
Gonzalez lands an elbow just above Griffiths 's eye.
Griffiths fails to pull guard.
Gonzalez trying to control the position but instead, Griffiths has worked for underhooks and has pushed Gonzalez into the cage.
Gonzalez misses with a knee to the head.
Gonzalez looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Griffiths blocks the elbow strike.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gonzalez is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Griffiths is keeping busy.
Gonzalez is trying to break free.
A bit of stalling here from Gonzalez.

Griffiths is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. Gonzalez can't fight it off and eventually Griffiths manages to take the fight to the floor. Gonzalez looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Griffiths forces his way into half guard.
Gonzalez is trying to get back to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gonzalez wants to control but Griffiths is keeping busy.
Griffiths sitting and controlling from the half guard.

Gonzalez is defending against the submission attempts here by Griffiths.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gonzalez wants to improve his position but Griffiths is controlling well.
Gonzalez wants to get back to full guard but Griffiths has passed into side control.
Griffiths has improved his flexibility recently so we will have to see if he can use that to his advantage.
Stephen Griffiths overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Griffiths wants to control but Gonzalez is keeping him busy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Griffiths goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Gonzalez has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Griffiths but great work by Gonzalez.
You can see the frustration on Griffiths's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Gonzalez creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Griffiths sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gonzalez wants to control but Griffiths is keeping him busy.
Griffiths wants to control but Gonzalez postures up.
Gonzalez really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Griffiths. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

Gonzalez is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Griffiths knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Gonzalez wants to stand but Griffiths has his arm trapped.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Stephen Griffiths will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Gonzalez tries to close the distance and clinch up but Griffiths swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Griffiths clinches.
Griffiths tries to pull guard but Gonzalez holds him up against the cage and eventually Griffiths drops back down to his feet.
Gonzalez with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Gonzalez manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Gonzalez stops a takedown attempt from Griffiths.
Griffiths is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Gonzalez is defending well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Stephen Griffiths. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Griffiths blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Gonzalez can't find room to land a body shot as Griffiths controls the action.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gonzalez is trying to maintain a safe position but Griffiths gets an underhook and turns Gonzalez into the cage.
Gonzalez tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Gonzalez is pressed up against the cage. Griffiths has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Gonzalez down to the mat. Gonzalez avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
The fight stays on the outside here - Gonzalez looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Griffiths feints and as Gonzalez raises his hands in defense, Griffiths changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Gonzalez keeping full guard, as Griffiths tries to pass.
Gonzalez looking for a sweep. Not yet Gonzalez, not yet.
Griffiths is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Shorty Gonzalez has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Stephen Griffiths is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gonzalez has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Griffiths has passed into side control.
Gonzalez is being controlled here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Stephen Griffiths has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Griffiths misses with a kick to the body

and Gonzalez counters with a crisp one two that drops Griffiths! Gonzalez thinks about following him to the mat for a moment but instead steps back and waves Griffiths to his feet! Griffiths is in big trouble!

Griffiths is rocked!
Stephen Griffiths seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Griffiths keeps the fight on the outside.
Gonzalez tries to close the distance and clinch but Griffiths swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Gonzalez tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Griffiths is able to avoid easily.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Gonzalez checks a leg kick.
A nice leg kick lands there from Griffiths.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Griffiths tries to clinch up.
Griffiths is looking to clinch.

Griffiths darts in and clinches Gonzalez up against the cage.
Gonzalez is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Griffiths is keeping busy.
Griffiths on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Griffiths dodges an elbow strike from Gonzalez.
Gonzalez misses with a knee to the head.
Gonzalez wants to get back to striking at distance but Griffiths won't allow it.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Gonzalez looking to throw knees to the head but Griffiths is blocking nicely.
Gonzalez is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Gonzalez manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.

And that's the end of the fight!
Shorty Gonzalez comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Griffiths has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight 28:29
Judge Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 29:29
Judge Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 29:29

The fight is ruled a majority draw!