PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Honest Griffin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Fail Sonnen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Griffin's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, I'm the Scatman. Fail Sonnen has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Griffin
vs
Sonnen

182 cm
28
198 lbs
12 - 3 - 0

180 cm
25
191 lbs
7 - 2 - 1

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Very quick

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Intelligent

Knock Out Artistry
Knock Out Artistry

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 12 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Honest Griffin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 2 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Fail Sonnen!
The judges for this bout are Chris Downing, Cecil Peabody and Daniel Franklin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Sonnen scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Sonnen wants to control but Griffin is keeping him busy.
Sonnen prevents Griffin from improving his position.
Sonnen is keen to just control but Griffin is a slippery customer.
Sonnen throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Sonnen connects with a nice short shot to Griffin's temple.
Sonnen wants to pass the guard but Griffin is defending well.
Griffin avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Sonnen.
Sonnen missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Griffin is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Sonnen's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Sonnen's back!
Griffin just keeping the dominant position. He can't wait too long though, otherwise the referee will stand them back up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sonnen tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Griffin looking to control and managing it successfully.
Sonnen is wriggling around trying to escape.
Griffin tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Sonnen working to try and regain half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Griffin controlling his opponent.
Sonnen has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Sonnen is trying desperately to improve position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Griffin controlling from mount.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sonnen wants to control but Griffin is having none of it.
Sonnen is trying to escape the mount.

That's four 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.
Griffin controlling from mount.
Sonnen regains half guard.

Sonnen looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Sonnen is looking to control Griffin's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Sonnen avoid being mounted?
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Honest Griffin will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

A slow jab from Griffin misses its intended target.
Sonnen misses with a body shot
and Griffin counters with a right hand to the body.
Sonnen throws a predictable looking body shot
and Griffin counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Griffin tries to clinch up but Sonnen circles away and keeps his distance.
Sonnen misses with a hook
and Griffin counters with a body kick that stops Sonnen in his tracks momentarily.
Sonnen misses with a hook
and Griffin counters with a left to the body.
Griffin scores with a jab to the body.
Sonnen 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!
Sonnen thuds a left hand into Griffin's body.
Griffin misses with the combination.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sonnen takes a jab right on the kisser.
Sonnen misses with a lunging right hand
and Griffin counters with a nice body shot.
Sonnen on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Griffin cracks a nice hook into Sonnen's ribs.
Griffin tries to close the distance and clinch but Sonnen swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Griffin lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Griffin tries to clinch but Sonnen is having none of it.
Sonnen misses with a shot to the body
and Griffin counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Griffin lands a slapping body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Griffin misses with a jab, cross combination.
Griffin fails with an attempt to clinch.
Honest Griffin is winning the standup battle so far.
Nice defenses there by Sonnen.
Sloppy strikes from Griffin. Those never looked like landing.
Sonnen moves out of range of the strikes.
A lazy left from Griffin finds it's target.
Sonnen defending well as Griffin loads up on a big left hand.
Sonnen throws a poor cross that misses
letting Griffin counter with a right hand.
Sonnen swings widly with a right hand
and Griffin counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sonnen takes one on the button.
Griffin dips to his left and cracks Sonnen with an uppercut!
Griffin throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Griffin lands a jab to Sonnen's midsection.
Sonnen misses with a body punch
and Griffin counters with a body kick that stops Sonnen in his tracks momentarily.
Griffin moves in looking to clinch but Sonnen pushes him off.
Sonnen throws an off balance right hand
and Griffin finishes the little exchange by landing a big kick to the body.
Sonnen takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Sonnen swings widly with a right hand
and Griffin counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Griffin throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Sonnen on the side of the head.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Griffin tries to clinch up but Sonnen circles away and keeps his distance.
Griffin works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Griffin tries to close the distance and clinch up but Sonnen swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Griffin lands a lovely overhand right.
Griffin works the jab nicely.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Sonnen looking to stall.
Griffin presses Sonnen against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Honest Griffin dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Griffin scores with a nice body kick.
Griffin moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Griffin lands a jab.
Griffin throws a good cross that connects.
Griffin moves into range and connects with a jab.
Sonnen uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Griffin.
Sonnen takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
A kick lands to the mid section there for Griffin.
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!
Nice shot by Griffin.
A solid body kick from Griffin.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Griffin fakes the leg kick and cracks Sonnen in the body.
Nice cross by Griffin.
Griffin digs a good body shot into Sonnen's ribs.
Griffin jabs at Sonnen's body.
A nice leg kick lands there from Griffin.
Griffin throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
Griffin delivers a nice body kick.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Griffin dips down and scores with a jab to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Griffin darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Sonnen takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Griffin throws a head kick but Sonnen moves out of range.
Sonnen misses with a jab to the body
and Griffin counters with a body kick that stops Sonnen in his tracks momentarily.
Sonnen tries to move into range but Griffin moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Griffin tries to clinch but Sonnen moves out of range.
Griffin displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Sonnen.
Sonnen has a pretty nasty looking mouse under his right eye.
Griffin looks to score with a jab to the body but Sonnen is just out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Griffin tries to clinch up.
Griffin lands with a shot to the body.
Griffin wants to clinch up but Sonnen keeps it at a distance.
Griffin throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Sonnen.
Griffin moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Sonnen misses with a shot to the body
and Griffin counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Sonnen has developed a nice purple lump on his ribcage, as a result of some heavy body kicks from Griffin.
Griffin is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Griffin lets loose with a powerful body kick. Sonnen will feel that in the morning.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sonnen drops his hands momentarily and Griffin takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Sonnen throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Griffin finishes the little exchange by landing a big kick to the body.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Griffin lands a jab to the head.
Griffin connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Sonnen momentarily.
Griffin ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Sonnen moves away.
Griffin scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Griffin explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.
Sonnen takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.

And that's the end of the fight!
Honest Griffin showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Griffin has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 30:25
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 30:25
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 30:25

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Honest Griffin!