PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Luka Groff (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Martin Garcia (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Groff
vs
Garcia

180 cm
23
182 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

186 cm
20
187 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Good in bed

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Luka Groff!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Martin Garcia!
The judges for this bout are Aleksei Zolotukhin, Dmitry Maklakov and Konstantin Menshow.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Garcia tries to clinch there but Groff circles away.

Garcia scores with a takedown into Groff's guard.
Garcia stopping the sweep attempt from Groff.
Groff controlling Garcia's posture.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Garcia looking to sit in guard and control but Groff gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Groff stopping the sweep attempt from Garcia.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Garcia is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Garcia pulls Groff in close to prevent any damage.
Garcia trying to keep a closed guard but Groff is proving a slippery customer.
Groff is pushing down on Garcia's leg trying to pass to half guard. Garcia is fighting to maintain full guard but Groff has managed to sneak the leg through.

Groff decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.
Groff lands a jab to the nose.
Garcia stuffs the takedown.

Groff drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Groff prevents Garcia from getting back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Groff stands up from Garcia's guard - Groff perhaps looking for a knockout.
Groff misses with a wild body shot.
Groff throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Groff looks to land a combination but Garcia avoids it well.
Groff pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Garcia back to the cage. Groff follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.
Groff misses with a takedown attempt - Garcia sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Garcia dives in and grabs Groff's left leg, looking for a takedown. Groff pushes down on Garcia's head and hops out.
Groff shoots in looking for a takedown but Garcia manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Groff's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Luka Groff. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Garcia gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Groff is breathing heavily.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Garcia is trying to control the position but Groff postures up.

Garcia is looking for a triangle here but Groff uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Groff lands a nice forearm strike.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Groff cracks Garcia with a big elbow.
Groff scoring with punches and elbows.

Groff decides to stand back up.
Garcia fails with a takedown attempt.

Groff shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Groff postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Garcia looks a forlorn figure.
Groff cracks Garcia with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Garcia is desperately trying to improve his position but Groff has a good base and remains in mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Groff is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Garcia can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Groff controlling from mount.
Garcia tries to lock up and control but Groff gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Groff with shots to the head and body - Garcia looks very uncomfortable down there.
Groff controlling his opponent.
Groff landing punches.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Groff can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Garcia is looking to escape.
Garcia in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Luka Groff dominated that 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.

Garcia doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Groff counters with a two punch combo.
Groff lands a head kick. Garcia smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Groff fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
A looping hook to the body misses from Groff. Garcia does a little dance to reset his feet.

Groff shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Garcia is trying to defend but Groff finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Garcia is staying active underneath Groff, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Garcia trying to control here.
Groff thows a huge punch but Garcia dodges it nicely.
Groff wants to take a breather but Garcia is having none of it.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Groff is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Garcia!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Groff scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Garcia?
Groff trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Groff with good strikes from the mount here!
You get the feeling that Garcia really doesn't like being in this position too much.
Garcia tries to lock up and control but Groff gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Garcia is trying to escape the mount.
Groff trying to control but Garcia is having none of it.

That's two 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.
Groff landing strikes from the mount and Garcia is in trouble!
Groff pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Groff dominating with strikes here.
Garcia is squirming around, avoiding Groff's attempts to control the action.
Groff takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Groff with good strikes from the mount here!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Groff scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Garcia keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Groff lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Groff scoring with strikes but Garcia is staying in there.
Groff looking to control but Garcia is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Groff postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Garcia looks a forlorn figure.
Garcia tries to hold on but Groff pushes him away.
Groff looking to control but Garcia is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Garcia really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
A nice elbow there by Groff.
Groff avoids the attempt from Garcia to control.
Garcia is looking to improve his position but Groff isn't that keen on the idea.
Groff trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Garcia is trying to escape the mount.
Garcia really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Groff. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Garcia is in a horrible position here. Groff smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Luka Groff dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Groff tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Garcia swivels and escapes.
Groff dodges the punch combination from Garcia.
Garcia misses with a takedown attempt

and Groff counters with a shoot takedown. Garcia fights it but they end up in guard.
Groff advances position into side control!
Groff 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.
Garcia is being controlled here.
Groff has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for Garcia!
Groff with good strikes from the mount here!
Groff controlling from the full mount.
Groff lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Groff landing strikes from the mount.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Groff avoids the attempt from Garcia to control.
Groff working the ground and pound effectively.
Groff lands a big elbow.
Groff is landing with some decent strikes but Garcia is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Groff scoring with strikes but Garcia is staying in there.
Garcia is looking to get to half guard.
Groff in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Groff looking to isolate an arm here. Garcia doesn't see it coming and as Groff extends the arm, he's forced to tap out! Nice submission by Groff!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:19 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Luka Groff!