PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Ivan Polichev (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ronald Griffin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Polichev
vs
Griffin

169 cm
20
150 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

168 cm
21
152 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

Decent wrestler
Solid boxing
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Counter fighter
Good gas tank

Urban Fighter

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Ivan Polichev!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Ronald Griffin!
The judges for this bout are Steve Montenegro, Bruno Lombardi and John Kavanagh.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Polichev throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Griffin looks for a takedown but Polichev sprawls well.
Griffin closes the distance and clinches up with Polichev, looking for a takedown. Griffin pushes Polichev against the cage but Polichev circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Polichev throws a jab when Griffin was well out of range.
Griffin takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Griffin doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Polichev counters with a series of strikes. Griffin will be more careful next time no doubt.
Ivan Polichev has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ronald Griffin.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Polichev scores with a sloppy right hand. Griffin should have avoided that one.
Griffin misses with a body kick.
Griffin misses with a takedown attempt - Polichev sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Polichev looks to throw a body kick

so Griffin counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.

Polichev has his feet on Griffin's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.
Griffin fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Griffin fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Polichev throws a quick counter kick to the body but Griffin avoids it.
Polichev misses with an attempted mid kick.
Griffin throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Polichev's waist but Polichev gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Griffin off to one side.
Polichev throwing a counter right hand but Griffin manages to avoid it.
Polichev misses the jab.
Nice defenses there by Griffin.
And Griffin tries to counter it with a takedown but Polichev pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Ivan Polichev is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Griffin rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Polichev moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Griffin shoots for a takedown but Polichev saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Griffin gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Polichev counters with a right hand to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Polichev, right into the meat.
Polichev throws a body punch but Griffin moves out of range.
Griffin throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Griffin changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Polichev tries to avoid it but Griffin manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Polichev to the ground. Polichev escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Griffin looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Polichev definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Griffin shoots in looking for a takedown. Polichev tries to sprawl out of it but Griffin keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Polichev manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Griffin looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Polichev is fending him off so far but Griffin persists. Nope, Polichev circles away and we're back to standing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Griffin misses with a takedown attempt - Polichev sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Griffin misses with a takedown attempt
and Polichev counters with an inside leg kick.
Polichev throws a push kick but Griffin slaps the foot to one side.
Griffin shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Good exchange - Polichev coming out on top.
Griffin moves out of range as Polichev strikes.
Griffin shoots for a takedown but Polichev saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Polichev ducks under a wild hook from Griffin.
Some bone on bone action there as Griffin checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Griffin gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Polichev.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Polichev stuns Griffin with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Polichev misses with a wild body shot.
Griffin fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Polichev avoids it really well and circles away.
Polichev throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Griffin is clearly looking to counter with head kicks.
Polichev getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Polichev chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Polichev lands with an uppercut that bounces Griffin off the cage and back into range.
Polichev throws a shot from downtown. Griffin moves away and avoids it.
A head kick misses from Polichev.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ivan Polichev dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Griffin tries for a takedown but Polichev circles away easily
and Polichev counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Griffin works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Griffin throws a series of punches but Polichev moves out of range.
Polichev ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Ronald Griffin is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Polichev misses with a head kick.
A punch combination from Polichev misses.
Polichev keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A head kick misses from Polichev.
Polichev misses with a body kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Polichev throws out a powerful jab.
Griffin misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
As Griffin looks to move away, Polichev throws a big counter combo but Griffin just gets out of the way.
Ivan Polichev has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ronald Griffin.
Polichev swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Griffin uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Polichev.
Griffin slips a jab from Polichev.
Griffin fails with a takedown attempt.
Polichev throws a leg kick which misses Griffin's front leg but catches the back leg as Griffin tries to avoid it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Polichev throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Griffin changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Griffin on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.

Griffin closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Griffin lands in his opponent's guard.
Griffin pushing down on Polichev's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Polichev is looking for a sweep. Griffin is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Polichev is trying to stand.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Griffin is trying to control the action in half guard but Polichev is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Griffin thows a huge punch but Polichev dodges it nicely.
Polichev wants to get back to full guard.
Griffin tries to pass the half guard into mount. Polichev knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Griffin is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Polichev has managed to free his arm - good work.
Polichev wants to get back to his feet.
Polichev taking some punishment here, with Griffin in his half guard.
Griffin not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Griffin missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Griffin stops Polichev from getting back to his feet.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

Polichev tries to sprawl but Griffin drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Polichev tries to kick Griffin off in order to stand up. Griffin Avoids the leg push though and dives into side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Polichev wants to get back to his feet but Griffin drags him back down.
Polichev takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Griffin landing strikes.
A lull in the action here.
Polichev pushes Griffin away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Griffin gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Griffin trying to control the action but Polichev is working from the bottom.
Griffin cracks Polichev with a big elbow.
Griffin throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Polichev pushes Griffin away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Griffin gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
You can see the frustration on Polichev's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Griffin trying to control the position but Polichev is working away.
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 Ivan Polichev will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Griffin throws a combination that misses
and Polichev counters with a straight right hand.
Polichev misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Griffin.
Polichev thuds a left hand into Griffin's body.
Griffin shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Polichev as he avoids it easily.
Griffin fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Polichev avoids it really well and circles away.
Griffin has a takedown stuffed.
Ivan Polichev has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ronald Griffin.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Polichev looks to land a left hand but Griffin moved out of range nicely.
Griffin is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Polichev connects with a crisp jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A clash of legs there as Griffin blocks the low kick.
Polichev feints and then cracks Griffin's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Griffin down.
A punch lands to the side of Griffin 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Polichev on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Polichev throws a body punch but Griffin moves out of range.
Griffin has a takedown stuffed.
Griffin shoots in but Polichev avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Polichev throws a body punch but Griffin moves out of range.
Griffin changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Ivan Polichev is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A head kick misses from Polichev.
Griffin uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Polichev.
Polichev feints and then cracks Griffin's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Griffin down.
Griffin has his takedown stuffed
letting Polichev counter with a right hand.
Polichev tries a head kick but it misses.
Griffin tries for a takedown but Polichev sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Griffin keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Griffin is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Griffin shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Polichev as he jumps to the side.
An attempted straight right counter from Polichev misses the target.
Griffin moves out of range of the body kick.
Polichev is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Griffin can do to turn this around?

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Polichev connects with the punch.
Griffin with a lazy takedown attempt
and Griffin takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Griffin shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Polichev but Polichev pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Griffin takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Griffin is defended easily by Polichev.

Griffin shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Griffin showed some decent athleticism there.
Ronald Griffin has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Polichev is trying to stand back up but Griffin is controlling him
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Polichev trying to hold on to Griffin's head to control him but Griffin postures up.
Griffin is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Polichev pushes Griffin off looking to stand but Griffin dives back in and keeps control.
Polichev keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Polichev tries to kick Griffin off but Griffin keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Griffin is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Griffin prevents Polichev from standing back up.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ivan Polichev showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Polichev, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Steve Montenegro scores the fight 30:27
Judge Bruno Lombardi scores the fight 30:27
Judge John Kavanagh scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ivan Polichev!