PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Harvey Griffith (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tiger Jackson (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.

Griffith
vs
Jackson

170 cm
19
161 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

188 cm
20
165 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Inexperienced

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 Rio de Janeiro, Harvey Griffith!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Tiger Jackson!
The judges for this bout are Paulo Santos, Emerson Jorge and Felipe Paraventi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Jackson feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Griffith trying to keep a closed guard but Jackson is proving a slippery customer.
Jackson trying to control the position from guard on top but Griffith is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Griffith looking to hit a scissor sweep but Jackson is one step ahead there.
Griffith looking to control.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Jackson gets a double leg takedown into Griffith's guard.
Jackson wants to control from the top but Griffith keeps moving.
Jackson content to stall in guard here.
Jackson trying to control but Griffith is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.

Tiger Jackson has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Griffith closes this distance looking for a takedown but Jackson circles away.
Jackson swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Griffith ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.

Griffith gets caught napping as Jackson dives in and scores a takedown. Griffith manages to retain guard.
Griffith wants to sweep but no luck.
Jackson wants to control from the top but Griffith keeps moving.
Griffith working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Jackson.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Griffith can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Jackson controls the pace.
Jackson tries to free his leg and advance position but Griffith is retaining full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Jackson looking to sit in guard and control but Griffith gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Jackson holds on and takes a little breather.
Griffith content to stall in guard here.
Griffith wants to control from the top but Jackson keeps moving.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Jackson throws a hook but Griffith avoids it easily.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Griffith shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Jackson's guard.
Griffith is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Jackson pushes Griffith off and gets back to his feet.
Griffith misses with a low kick.
Jackson loads up on a big right hand but Griffith slips the punch.
Griffith avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Jackson closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Tiger Jackson seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Jackson scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Jackson is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Griffith struggling a bit here.
Jackson is looking to take a break and control but Griffith is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Jackson controls the position from side control.
Jackson trying to control the action but Griffith is working from the bottom.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

The fighters circling - Jackson throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Sloppy strikes from Griffith. Those never looked like landing.
Griffith will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Jackson lands a nice looking kick to the body. Griffith takes a step back to recover.
Harvey Griffith is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Jackson fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Griffith sprawls well initially but Jackson persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Griffith keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Griffith is looking to get full guard. It looks like he might be successful but at the last minute Jackson jumps into side control!
Jackson trying to control the position but Griffith is working away.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jackson is looking to take a break and control but Griffith is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Griffith can't do much from the bottom here.
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.
Jackson working away.
Jackson wants to lay and pray for a moment but Griffith keeps working.
Jackson is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Jackson happy to just control the position for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Tiger Jackson hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Jackson tries to score with a low kick but Griffith moves his leg out of the way.

Jackson drives through with a takedown into Griffith's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Griffith looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Jackson trying to control but Griffith is working from the bottom.
Tiger Jackson has got the better of the ground game so far.
Jackson engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Griffith wants to stand but Jackson is controlling the position.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Griffith is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Tiger Jackson hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.

Jackson scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Jackson wants to lay and pray for a moment but Griffith keeps working.
Griffith can't do much from the bottom here.
Jackson trying to control the position but Griffith is working away.

Jackson working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Griffith can't do much from the bottom here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Griffith regains half guard.
Jackson is taking a breather. Griffith says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Griffith looks like he's trying to stand up.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Jackson wants to work for an arm triangle but Griffith is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Griffith is trying to stand back up but Jackson is controlling him
Jackson seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Griffith does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Jackson trying to pass the guard but Griffith defending well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tiger Jackson showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Griffith's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Jackson throws a head kick but Griffith moves out of range.

Jackson gets a double leg takedown into Griffith's guard.
Jackson wants to control from the top but Griffith keeps moving.
Jackson is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
Jackson stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Griffith swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Jackson loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Griffith is trying to keep Jackson in close.
Griffith has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Harvey Griffith just wasn't active enough.
Jackson tries to land a front kick but Griffith steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Griffith fails with an attempt to clinch.
Jackson misses with an uppercut. Griffith saw that one coming.

Jackson closes the distance and clinches.

Jackson manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Griffith slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Jackson looking for a sweep. Not yet Jackson, not yet.
Jackson is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Griffith has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Jackson takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Griffith is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Harvey Griffith.
Griffith displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Jackson throws out the jab.
Jackson misses with a head kick.

Jackson clinches up with Griffith and pushes him back against the cage.
Griffith avoiding damage as Jackson throws knees to the body.
Jackson putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Griffith in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.

Griffith gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Griffith in particular looking to stall.
Griffith seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Jackson does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jackson trying to hold on to Griffith's head to control him but Griffith postures up.
Griffith is trying to control the action in half guard but Jackson is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.

Harvey Griffith has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.

Griffith dives in and scores a takedown into Jackson's guard.
Griffith trying to control but Jackson is working from the bottom.
Jackson is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Griffith throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Jackson works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Jackson trying to control the position.
Jackson managing to control the position.
Tiger Jackson is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Tiger Jackson hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.

Jackson tries to sprawl but Griffith drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Jackson is staying active underneath Griffith, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Griffith slows the pace down in half guard.
Griffith prevents Jackson from improving his position.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Griffith performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Harvey Griffith wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Jackson lands with a slapping head kick.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Tiger Jackson.
Well Jackson has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Paulo Santos scores the fight 27:30
Judge Emerson Jorge scores the fight 28:29
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tiger Jackson!
Our winner, Tiger Jackson, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.