PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Dick Caunt (ranked 7436 p4p, 561 weight class) and Deacon Griggs (ranked 8073 p4p, 581 weight class). Griggs has chosen Church - T-Pain as his entrance music. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Caunt
vs
Griggs

175 cm
19
150 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

175 cm
19
145 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Very strong

Decent wrestler
Counter fighter
Good gas tank

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Dick Caunt!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Deacon Griggs!
The judges for this bout are Alyssa Summers, Columbo Gatti and Jonathan Paton.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Griggs fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
A little feinted left hand from Caunt on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Dick Caunt seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Caunt looks to score with a jab to the body but Griggs is just out of range.
Caunt jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Caunt misses with a wild body shot.
Griggs uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Caunt.
Caunt lands with a shot to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Griggs gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Caunt scores with a nice right hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Caunt cracks Griggs with a good jab.
Griggs displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Caunt throws out the jab.
Griggs tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Griggs dives in and grabs Caunt's left leg, looking for a takedown. Caunt pushes down on Griggs's head and hops out.
Griggs walks into a stiff left hand from Caunt.
Caunt keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Caunt throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Dick Caunt is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Caunt lands with a nice body kick.
Nice sprawl there from Caunt as Griggs shoots in.
Dick Caunt has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Deacon Griggs.
Caunt misses with a body shot

and Griggs counters with a nice double leg into guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Griggs in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Caunt utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Griggs postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Griggs loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Griggs is fighting to break Caunt's control of his arms but Caunt is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Griggs lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Griggs postures up in Caunt's guard and throws a big left but Caunt blocks it.
Griggs throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Caunt works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Griggs throws a big elbow that misses.
Griggs stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Caunt swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Griggs throws a strike but Caunt rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Griggs working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Caunt has passed into half guard!

Griggs looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Caunt is taking a breather. Griggs 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.
Griggs gets back to full guard.
Caunt not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

Griggs looking for subs off his back but Caunt has passed one foot through into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Griggs is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Caunt pulls his head out easily.

Griggs is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Caunt pulls his head out easily.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Griggs can do anything to dispel that myth.

Griggs looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Caunt prevents Griggs from improving his position.
Caunt content to control rather than advance.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dick Caunt dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Griggs takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Caunt is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Griggs can do to turn this around?
Griggs takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Griggs has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Griggs there as he acknowledges the shot.
Caunt fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Griggs manages to avoid it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
An inside leg kick lands from Caunt.
Caunt throws a body punch but Griggs moves out of range.
Caunt jabs Griggs to the body, keeping him at a distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Caunt throws a low kick but Griggs moves out of range easily.
Caunt throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Caunt ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Griggs moves away.
Griggs's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Caunt connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Griggs scrambles back to his feet.
Griggs shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Caunt as he jumps to the side.
Caunt lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Caunt.
Caunt swings for the body but Griggs moves out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A shot to the liver by Caunt. Beautiful body shot.
Griggs tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Caunt defends well and Griggs ends up having to push Caunt into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Caunt is looking to wear down Griggs with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
A decent looking cross lands there for Caunt.
Caunt moves into range and connects with a jab.
Griggs has his takedown stuffed
and Caunt counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Dick Caunt has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Deacon Griggs.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
A slow jab from Caunt misses its intended target.
Caunt waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Griggs.
Griggs is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Caunt moves into range and connects with a jab.
Caunt misses with a looping right.
Griggs changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Caunt comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Caunt moves into range and connects with a jab.
Caunt scores with a leg kick.
Caunt throws a body shot but no joy.
Dick Caunt is winning the standup battle so far.
Caunt ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Caunt ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Griggs moves away.
Griggs changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Griggs shoots in looking for a takedown but Caunt manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Griggs's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Caunt catches Griggs with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Griggs keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
And Griggs tries to counter it with a takedown but Caunt pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Caunt lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Caunt scores with a push kick.
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!
Caunt fails in his attempt to clinch.
Donk. Caunt catches Griggs right on the button with a cross.
Caunt just misses with a punch to the body.
Caunt misses with a body shot.
Griggs with the counter takedown but Caunt avoids it easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dick Caunt dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Griggs throws a sloppy body shot
and Caunt counters with a right hand to the body.
Caunt ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Griggs moves away.
Griggs avoids the body shot from Caunt.
Caunt will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Griggs is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Caunt jabs at Griggs's body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Caunt misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Griggs.
Caunt throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Griggs scores with a takedown into Caunt's guard.
Caunt looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Griggs in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Griggs scoring with punches to the head and body.
Griggs throws an elbow that misses. Caunt uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Griggs's guard. Nice move by Caunt!

Griggs throws his legs up looking for a submission but Caunt uses it to pass to side control.
You can see the frustration on Griggs's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Griggs is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Griggs struggling a bit here.
Griggs is trying to get back to half guard.
You can see the frustration on Griggs's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Griggs tries to bench press Caunt off him but Caunt keeps the position.
Caunt controls the position from side control.
Griggs can't do much from the bottom here.
Griggs tries to buck Caunt off but Caunt is having none of it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Caunt remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
Griggs tries to get back to half guard but can't.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Griggs is being controlled here.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Griggs gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Caunt counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Caunt throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Caunt feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Griggss jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Griggs throws a sloppy body shot
and Caunt counters with a nice uppercut.
Deacon Griggs has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Dick Caunt is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Caunt scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.

And that's the end of the fight!
Dick Caunt showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Caunt, 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 Alyssa Summers scores the fight 30:26
Judge Columbo Gatti scores the fight 30:26
Judge Jonathan Paton scores the fight 30:26

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Dick Caunt!
In his post fight interview, Dick Caunt started talking himself up. Luckily his charisma kept the crowd on side and gave him a good reception.