PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Will Connor (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gustav Graves (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Connor comes to the cage accompanied by 50 Cents- Many Men. Gustav Graves has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Connor
vs
Graves

175 cm
27
165 lbs
13 - 4 - 0

180 cm
27
161 lbs
15 - 2 - 1

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Very quick

BJJ Brown Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Bushido Clothing

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 13 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Will Connor!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 2 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Gustav Graves!
The judges for this bout are Chris Downing, Daniel Franklin and George Francis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Connor connects with a solid leg kick.
Connor misses with a wild body shot.
Graves throws a series of punches but Connor avoids them all with ease.
Graves checks a low kick from Connor.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Connor.
Connor creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Graves sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
Connor in side control, throwing shots but Graves defends.
Connor misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Connor has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Connor in side control, throwing shots but Graves defends.
An elbow from Connor crashes against the mat.

Connor wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Graves, who protects the arm well.
Graves is trying to improve his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Graves wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Graves is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Connor.
Connor bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Graves's head.
Connor feints and then cracks Graves's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Graves down.
Graves misses with a hook.
Gustav Graves seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Graves jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Connor takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Connor scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Connor will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
A combination from Connor does no damage.

Connor instigates a clinch.
Connor with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Graves working hard to break the clinch.
Graves swings wildly with an uppercut but Connor uses good head movement to avoid it.
Graves misses with a short punch on the inside.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Graves pushes Connor back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Graves on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Graves looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Graves struggles to land a body shot inside as Connor controls his hands.

Graves pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
The fight stays on the outside here - Connor looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Graves looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Connor misses with a low kick.
Graves has his takedown stuffed
and Connor counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Graves takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Graves misses the shot to the body.
Graves throws a lazy right hand but Connor sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Connor blocks a head kick by Graves.
Decent striking displayed by Graves there.

Connor drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Connor tries to advance to mount but can't.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Connor creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Graves sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
Graves prevents Connor from moving into mount.
Graves tries to buck Connor off but Connor is having none of it.
Graves takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Connor working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Connor working away.
Connor in side control, throwing shots but Graves defends.
Connor throwing ground and pound but whilst doing so, he forgets to control position and Graves works his way back to half guard. Good composure under pressure.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Connor thows a huge punch but Graves dodges it nicely.

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.
Connor throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Graves moves into full guard.
Connor trying to control but Graves is working from the bottom.
Graves wants to sweep but no luck.
Graves lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Connor!
Connor regains half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Will Connor dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Connor is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.

Connor shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Graves's guard.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Graves holds on and takes a little breather.
Connor postures up.
Graves can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Connor controls the pace.
Connor throwing strikes from guard but Graves blocks nicely.
Connor working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Connor is looking to work some ground and pound but Graves has wrist control.
Connor works over Graves with some ground and pound from guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Connor throwing strikes from guard but Graves blocks nicely.
Connor won't allow Graves to sweep him here.
Connor throws and elbow that misses. Graves uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Connor's guard. Nice move by Graves!
Graves wants to control from the top but Connor keeps moving.
Graves wants to pass the guard but Connor is keeping the position.

Graves drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Graves jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Connor looking for a sweep. Not yet Connor, not yet.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Connor misses with a takedown
and Graves makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
A head kick by Graves misses
and Connor counters with a leg kick.
The fight stays on the outside here - Connor looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Graves sizes up Connor with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.

It looks like Will Connor has been cut.
Graves lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Connor tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Graves cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Graves fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Connor manages to avoid it.
Graves lands with an uppercut that bounces Connor off the cage and back into rage.
Graves throws a body punch but Connor moves out of range.
Connor is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Graves misses with a straight left.
Connor throws a combination that misses
and Graves counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

Connor shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Connor was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Connor looking to ground and pound but Graves is blocking nicely.
Graves tries to hold on but Connor postures up.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Graves can't escape the position.
Connor working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Graves tries to lock up and control but Connor gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Graves really trying hard to get back to half guard here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Connor lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Connor thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Connor prevents Graves from getting the reversal.
Graves is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Graves holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Connor tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Connor throwing strikes here but Graves is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Graves is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gustav Graves showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Will Connor's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Connor throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Graves stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Connor scores with a push kick.
Connor bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Graves lands a jab to Connor's midsection.
Connor scores with a hook.
A head kick misses from Graves.
Connor avoids the body shot from Graves.
Graves looks for a takedown but Connor sprawls well.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Graves.
Connor pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Connor throws a quick inside leg kick.
Graves fails with a takedown attempt.
Connor works Graves's body with a nice hook.
Connor shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Connor looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Connor trying to control but Graves is working from the bottom.
Graves looking to control.
Connor throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Connor preventing the sweep.
Graves trying to keep a closed guard but Connor is proving a slippery customer.
Graves avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Graves wants to sweep but no luck.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Connor slips under a jab.
Connor turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Graves misses the body punch

and Connor counters by clinching up.
Connor tries to throw a body punch but Graves avoids it by throwing Connor back against the cage.
Connor throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Graves blocks it with crossed arms.
Connor using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Graves has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
A right hand to the body from Connor.

Graves breaks the clinch.
Connor fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Graves avoids it really well and circles away.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Graves misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
A big left from Graves misses.
Connor swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Graves counters with a nice leg kick.

Connor clinches up with Graves and pushes him back against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Connor.
Nice body punch from Graves.
Connor working some nice short punches in the clinch.
A right handed body shot lands from Graves.
Connor keeps control of Graves as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Graves pushes Connor back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Graves lands a body shot.
Connor tries a body shot but Graves blocks it.
Connor digs a right hand into Graves's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Graves's gas tank.
Connor is working Graves over against the cage.
Connor struggles to land a body shot inside as Graves controls his hands.

Graves has Connor pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Graves pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Connor tumbling to the mat - Graves dives into Connor's guard.
Connor looking to hit a scissor sweep but Graves is one step ahead there.
Connor not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Connor looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Graves trying to control the position from guard on top but Connor is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Connor looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Graves throwing strikes from guard but Connor blocks nicely.
Connor is trying to control the position from the bottom.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Graves throws a hook but Connor avoids it easily.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Will Connor.
I think Connor 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 Chris Downing scores the fight 29:28
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 29:28
Judge George Francis scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Will Connor!