PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Forrest Griffin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Salva Cruz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Cruz has chosen Kreator - Phobia as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Griffin
vs
Cruz

191 cm
19
205 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

180 cm
24
209 lbs
7 - 4 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Forrest Griffin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Salva Cruz!
The judges for this bout are Chris Downing, Robert Twigg and Gwen Towbar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Griffin tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.

Cruz pushes Griffin up against the cage in a clinch.
Griffin has had enough of the clinch but Cruz keeps him there for the moment.
Cruz misses with a knee strike.
Cruz taking a breather.
Griffin managing to block the knees to the body from Cruz.
Cruz with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Cruz scores with a knee to the head.
Griffin wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Cruz blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Griffin is trying to break the clinch but Cruz has him pressed against the cage.
Cruz stalling against the cage.
Griffin takes a knee right on the jaw!
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Griffin can't break the clinch.
Cruz prevents a takedown attempt there.
Griffin wants to get back to striking at distance but Cruz won't allow it.
Cruz landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Griffin tries to score a body lock takedown but Cruz shows good agility there to stay on his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Griffin wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Griffin has had enough of the clinch but Cruz keeps him there for the moment.
Griffin is trying to break the clinch but Cruz has him pressed against the cage.
Cruz landing knees to the head.

It looks like Forrest Griffin has been cut.
Cruz content to slow the pace in the clinch.

Griffin is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. Cruz can't fight it off and eventually Griffin manages to take the fight to the floor. Cruz looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Cruz is pulling down on Griffin's head. It's preventing any offense from Griffin, at least for the moment.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Griffin seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Griffin is fighting to break Cruz's control of his arms but Cruz is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cruz tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Griffin wants to get up but he can't break Cruz's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Cruz wants to sweep here but Griffin controlling him for the moment.
Griffin throwing strikes but missing.
Cruz manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Griffin throwing hammer fists to the chest of Cruz. What's that going to do exactly?
Cruz controlling from the full mount.
Griffin can't escape the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cruz tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Griffin is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Griffin can't escape the position.
Cruz content just to control the position here.
Griffin tries to hold on but Cruz postures up.
Cruz looking to control and managing it successfully.
Cruz won't let Griffin get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.
Griffin is breathing heavily.
Cruz controlling from the full mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Griffin is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Cruz controlling from the full mount.

Despite being in the dominant position, Salva Cruz just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Cruz clinches.
Griffin tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Salva Cruz dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Forrest Griffin's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Cruz is looking to clinch.
No joy there for Cruz, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

Cruz decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Griffin pushes Cruz off looking to stand but Cruz dives back in and keeps control.
Cruz controlling the action here.
Griffin trying to control but Cruz postures up.
Cruz trying to pass the guard but Griffin defending well.
Cruz is taking a breather. Griffin 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.
Griffin flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz stops Griffin from getting back to his feet.
Griffin is looking to control Cruz's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Griffin avoid being mounted?
Cruz looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Cruz tries to pass to full mount but Griffin defends it.
Griffin lands a couple of sideways elbows.
Griffin is looking to control Cruz's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Griffin avoid being mounted?

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

Cruz has Griffin up against the cage in a clinch.
Nice body punch from Cruz - that landed with a thud.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Griffin looking to slow down the pace here.
A short uppercut from Cruz.
Cruz unloads a knee to the mid-section. Griffin lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Griffin misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Cruz.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Cruz avoiding damage as Griffin throws knees to the body.
Cruz prevents a takedown attempt there.
Griffin fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Griffin jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Cruz walks away with a smile on his face. Griffin gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Forrest Griffin. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Cruz tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Griffin keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.

Cruz drives through and clinches with Griffin against the cage.
Griffin is trying to break the clinch but Cruz has him pressed against the cage.
Griffin wants to break free but Cruz has control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Griffin manages to break the clinch.

Cruz gets a takedown into half guard.
Cruz seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Griffin trying to hold on to Cruz's head to control him but Cruz postures up.
Cruz not doing much here.
Let's hope that Cruz has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Griffin trying to hold on to Cruz's head to control him but Cruz postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Griffin is trying to get back to full guard.
Cruz not doing much here.
Cruz prevents Griffin from standing back up.
Well, if Cruz is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Griffin is trying to stand back up but Cruz is controlling him
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Salva Cruz showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Forrest Griffin's cut.
That's time! Back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Cruz closes the distance and clinches.
Cruz with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Cruz throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Griffin blocks it with crossed arms.
Griffin wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Griffin wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Cruz has him pressed against the cage.
A knee to the head by Cruz.
Griffin wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Cruz has him pressed against the cage.
Griffin wants a takedown but no success here.
Griffin wants to get back to striking at distance but Cruz won't allow it.
Griffin has Cruz pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Cruz manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Cruz stalls.
Griffin wants to get back to striking at distance but Cruz won't allow it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Griffin wants to break the clinch but can't.
Griffin misses with a punch to the body.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Cruz avoiding damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cruz throws a knee to the head but misses.
The is referee keeping an eye on Griffin - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Griffin is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Cruz gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Forrest Griffin. That's going to take a lot out of him.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Cruz takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Cruz looking to throw knees to the head but Griffin is blocking nicely.
Griffin wants to break the clinch but can't.
Griffin wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Griffin wants to break the clinch but can't.
Griffin has had enough of the clinch but Cruz keeps him there for the moment.
Griffin changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Cruz fights it off and pushes away nicely.

Griffin gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Cruz's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cruz is pushing down on Griffin's leg trying to pass to half guard. Griffin is fighting to maintain full guard but Cruz has managed to sneak the leg through.
Cruz not doing much here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Griffin is trying to stand up here but Cruz is controlling him well.
Cruz is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Griffin!
Cruz content just to control the position here.
Cruz avoids the attempt from Griffin to control.
Cruz controlling his opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

Despite being in the dominant position, Salva Cruz just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Cruz gets a clinch.
Cruz with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Griffin is trying to break the clinch but Cruz has him pressed against the cage.
Griffin being controlled against the cage.
Cruz using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Griffin has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Griffin wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
A bit of stalling here from Cruz.
Cruz tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Griffin taking a breather.
Griffin is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Cruz using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Griffin has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Forrest Griffin has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Salva Cruz is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Cruz landing knees to the head.

And that's the end of the fight!
Salva Cruz comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Cruz winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Chris Downing scores the fight 27:30
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 27:30
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Salva Cruz!